Negotiations between NCH and Florida Blue could impact SWFL residentsCape Coral’s Darrion Jones ready to go from Seahawk to Jayhawk
Teenage boys suspected of car stealing spree According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, two 16-year-old boys have been connected to 5 stolen cars and 28 vehicle break-ins.
naples Negotiations between NCH and Florida Blue could impact SWFL residents A high-stakes healthcare negotiation is hanging in the balance as Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) and Florida Blue are at odds over how to handle the rising cost of health.
Cape Coral’s Darrion Jones ready to go from Seahawk to Jayhawk Cape Coral senior safety Darrion Jones reflects on his time in high school and looks ahead to playing for the Kansas Jayhawks in college.
Preserving paradise: protecting our water quality There’s a local effort underway to protect what many believe is our most precious resource: our water.
NORTH FORT MYERS What will happen to the Shell Factory’s animals after it closes? The Shell Factory in North Fort Myers is set to close after nearly ninety years of business. The owner plans to sell the property, but what will happen to the hundreds of animals?
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New details about Lee County man arrested for animal abuse A newly updated Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrest report details a troubling past for a new animal abuse arrest of a Lee County resident.
EVERGLADES CITY Museum of Everglades opens Python Hunters exhibit A new exhibit gives us a closer look at how bad the Burmese python invasion really is. The exhibit opened on Tuesday in the Museum of the Everglades.
NORTH FORT MYERS Habitat for Humanity receives $50 million grant for over 200 new homes The Lee and Hendry County non-profit applied for a grant back in April, and on Tuesday, the Lee County Board of Commissioners approved them for $50 million.
FORT MYERS BEACH Matanzas Pass Bridge shrimp boat makes it under on 3rd attempt The Florida Department of Transportation has reported that the Matanzas Pass Bridge was hit again by the same passing shrimp boat that struck it a day before.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors upset over constant flooding in Port Charlotte A couple living in Port Charlotte says they’ve been dealing with flooding issues for years, every single time it rains.
LEHIGH ACRES Roundabout approved for intersection at Gunnery Road and Buckingham Road Lee County officials are looking to improve safety and make traffic smoother with a roundabout at the intersection of Gunnery Road and Buckingham Road.
Local man falls victim to rare Guillain-Barré syndrome One day, a local man was happy and healthy, and the next day, he was paralyzed and needed breathing and feeding tubes. That’s how fast Guillain-Barré syndrome can strike.
CAPE CORAL 5 vehicle crash in Cape Coral near Pine Island Rd. and Chiquita Blvd. Authorities are investigating a multi-car crash that occurred in Cape Coral on Tuesday afternoon.
2024 python challenge winner caught 20 pythons The 2024 Florida Python Challenge has concluded, and we have a winner.
WINK NEWS Lee commission awards $39.2M contract to nourish Lovers Key and Bonita Beach shoreline The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to award a nearly $39.2 million contract to nourish the beaches on Lovers Key and Bonita Beach.
Teenage boys suspected of car stealing spree According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, two 16-year-old boys have been connected to 5 stolen cars and 28 vehicle break-ins.
naples Negotiations between NCH and Florida Blue could impact SWFL residents A high-stakes healthcare negotiation is hanging in the balance as Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) and Florida Blue are at odds over how to handle the rising cost of health.
Cape Coral’s Darrion Jones ready to go from Seahawk to Jayhawk Cape Coral senior safety Darrion Jones reflects on his time in high school and looks ahead to playing for the Kansas Jayhawks in college.
Preserving paradise: protecting our water quality There’s a local effort underway to protect what many believe is our most precious resource: our water.
NORTH FORT MYERS What will happen to the Shell Factory’s animals after it closes? The Shell Factory in North Fort Myers is set to close after nearly ninety years of business. The owner plans to sell the property, but what will happen to the hundreds of animals?
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New details about Lee County man arrested for animal abuse A newly updated Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrest report details a troubling past for a new animal abuse arrest of a Lee County resident.
EVERGLADES CITY Museum of Everglades opens Python Hunters exhibit A new exhibit gives us a closer look at how bad the Burmese python invasion really is. The exhibit opened on Tuesday in the Museum of the Everglades.
NORTH FORT MYERS Habitat for Humanity receives $50 million grant for over 200 new homes The Lee and Hendry County non-profit applied for a grant back in April, and on Tuesday, the Lee County Board of Commissioners approved them for $50 million.
FORT MYERS BEACH Matanzas Pass Bridge shrimp boat makes it under on 3rd attempt The Florida Department of Transportation has reported that the Matanzas Pass Bridge was hit again by the same passing shrimp boat that struck it a day before.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors upset over constant flooding in Port Charlotte A couple living in Port Charlotte says they’ve been dealing with flooding issues for years, every single time it rains.
LEHIGH ACRES Roundabout approved for intersection at Gunnery Road and Buckingham Road Lee County officials are looking to improve safety and make traffic smoother with a roundabout at the intersection of Gunnery Road and Buckingham Road.
Local man falls victim to rare Guillain-Barré syndrome One day, a local man was happy and healthy, and the next day, he was paralyzed and needed breathing and feeding tubes. That’s how fast Guillain-Barré syndrome can strike.
CAPE CORAL 5 vehicle crash in Cape Coral near Pine Island Rd. and Chiquita Blvd. Authorities are investigating a multi-car crash that occurred in Cape Coral on Tuesday afternoon.
2024 python challenge winner caught 20 pythons The 2024 Florida Python Challenge has concluded, and we have a winner.
WINK NEWS Lee commission awards $39.2M contract to nourish Lovers Key and Bonita Beach shoreline The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to award a nearly $39.2 million contract to nourish the beaches on Lovers Key and Bonita Beach.
WINK Viewer sends picture of plane crash scene. CREDIT: MIKE HUDSON The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed two deaths after a twin-engine plane crashed in the southbound lanes of Interstate 75 near Naples Friday afternoon. The plane quickly caught on fire after it crashed, sending flames and billows of smoke into the air. So, what goes into handling these unique and rare dangers like airplane fires? WINK spoke with firefighters who specialize in airplane fires. READ MORE: At least 2 dead after twin-engine plane crashes on I-75 in Collier County They could not speak to the specifics of what happened on Friday, but they did say why airplane fires can be so challenging and require an immediate sense of urgency. They use an airplane fire simulator. It sits just minutes away from the Punta Gorda airport, and it’s one of only two in the state where fire departments from all over can train for something like this. “There’s definitely a sense of urgency when it comes to aircraft fires,” said Jennifer Truman, lieutenant, ARFF team, Charlotte County Fire. “You have to be able to make sure these people are able to get off the aircraft safely, evacuate them, and get the fire suppressed.” Truman is a lieutenant with the ARFF team, which stands for Airplane Rescue and Firefighting. She can’t speak about what happened here, but she said there are a lot of differences when it comes to fighting airplane fires, as opposed to something like a home or car fire. “You’re going to have a lot more people that are involved. You go to a house fire, it’s maybe a family. On an aircraft, you have hundreds of people potentially involved, so one of our main concerns when we get to an aircraft fire is protecting means of egress for those members trying to get off of aircrafts while also fighting the suppression suppressing the fire. This fire simulator gets a lot of use, and that’s because first responders from all across the state want to be ready in case something like this happens. Truman says in these situations, there’s no time to waste. “They have jet fuel in them, and most of the time, the jet fuel is carried in the fuel tanks in the wings of the aircraft, so, if there is fuel still onboard the aircrafts, it will continue to burn either until we’re able to get if it’s a leak, shut off the leak, stop the leak or until the fuel burns itself out,” Truman said. The airplane fire simulator was used by various fire departments three days this week, including on Friday. WINK spoke with Charlotte County Fire & EMS. WINK asked if the fire department in Collier County has trained here and was told no; however, the Naples Airport Authority has done training here.