FORT MYERS BEACH Little League is back on Fort Myers Beach The crack of the bat is something these little league players never thought they’d get to see again here on Fort Myers Beach.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Aunt and father of Christopher Horne Jr. released from jail The aunt and father of Christopher Horne Jr. have been released Saturday afternoon.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Salad Knife, Fish, and Shooting Update This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a knife-wielding customer, a fish named ‘Bean,’ and an update on a double shooting.
The Weather Authority National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Take action today For Hurricane Preparedness Week, we are recapping the importance of taking action to be better prepared for when a storm develops.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Warm weekend but lower humidity briefly in the forecast The Weather Authority Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler said to expect a warm weekend, but there is a present for Mom on Sunday – lower humidity.
CAPE CORAL 3 family members of teen accused in murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller arrested New details have emerged surrounding the arrest of a woman whose 16-year-old son is accused of being involved in the murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller, and now her husband and sister are also in jail.
FORT MYERS Death investigation in Fort Myers after body is found in truck bed Fort Myers Police confirm that there is a death investigation at the corner of Market Street and brown street.
NAPLES Naples ‘celebrity bartender’ stirring up new cocktails at LoLa 41 Michael Slabach often researches ideas, finding a new balance of layers, color, texture and selective glassware to turn his drinks into art.
FORT MYERS New affordable housing program in Fort Myers begins Affordable housing is a rare sighting these days, but one city is making it a priority.
NAPLES ‘Live simply and never give up’ – Motto for Naples couple needing a helping hand A husband wants nothing more than to share the world with his wife while she is suffering from an illness determined to keep them separated.
NAPLES Music teacher dilemma at Gulf Coast High School leaves students anxious Parents are outraged, and students are unsure what the future holds after one of their two beloved music teachers was told they will have to transfer.
FORT MYERS Mom celebrates first Mother’s Day with cancer-free daughter We have one of the best weekends ahead, a time to celebrate mothers everywhere, and as any mother knows, celebrating with your family matters most.
Glades County Should commissioners have to live in the District they represent? WINK Investigates why one commissioner doesn’t The Glades District 1 Commissioner was elected while living in that district. He has since moved. What does that mean for his position?
FORT MYERS Boats stuck since Hurricane Ian being removed from Centennial Park area Boats that have been stuck since Hurricane Ian are in the process of being removed from a messy yard next to Centennial Park and Joe’s Crab Shack.
CAPE CORAL Man accused of waving knife at Metro PCS workers in Cape Coral Two women try to help a customer and end up fearing for their lives. One man started waving a seven-inch knife in the faces of two Metro PCS workers.
FORT MYERS BEACH Little League is back on Fort Myers Beach The crack of the bat is something these little league players never thought they’d get to see again here on Fort Myers Beach.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Aunt and father of Christopher Horne Jr. released from jail The aunt and father of Christopher Horne Jr. have been released Saturday afternoon.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Salad Knife, Fish, and Shooting Update This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a knife-wielding customer, a fish named ‘Bean,’ and an update on a double shooting.
The Weather Authority National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Take action today For Hurricane Preparedness Week, we are recapping the importance of taking action to be better prepared for when a storm develops.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Warm weekend but lower humidity briefly in the forecast The Weather Authority Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler said to expect a warm weekend, but there is a present for Mom on Sunday – lower humidity.
CAPE CORAL 3 family members of teen accused in murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller arrested New details have emerged surrounding the arrest of a woman whose 16-year-old son is accused of being involved in the murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller, and now her husband and sister are also in jail.
FORT MYERS Death investigation in Fort Myers after body is found in truck bed Fort Myers Police confirm that there is a death investigation at the corner of Market Street and brown street.
NAPLES Naples ‘celebrity bartender’ stirring up new cocktails at LoLa 41 Michael Slabach often researches ideas, finding a new balance of layers, color, texture and selective glassware to turn his drinks into art.
FORT MYERS New affordable housing program in Fort Myers begins Affordable housing is a rare sighting these days, but one city is making it a priority.
NAPLES ‘Live simply and never give up’ – Motto for Naples couple needing a helping hand A husband wants nothing more than to share the world with his wife while she is suffering from an illness determined to keep them separated.
NAPLES Music teacher dilemma at Gulf Coast High School leaves students anxious Parents are outraged, and students are unsure what the future holds after one of their two beloved music teachers was told they will have to transfer.
FORT MYERS Mom celebrates first Mother’s Day with cancer-free daughter We have one of the best weekends ahead, a time to celebrate mothers everywhere, and as any mother knows, celebrating with your family matters most.
Glades County Should commissioners have to live in the District they represent? WINK Investigates why one commissioner doesn’t The Glades District 1 Commissioner was elected while living in that district. He has since moved. What does that mean for his position?
FORT MYERS Boats stuck since Hurricane Ian being removed from Centennial Park area Boats that have been stuck since Hurricane Ian are in the process of being removed from a messy yard next to Centennial Park and Joe’s Crab Shack.
CAPE CORAL Man accused of waving knife at Metro PCS workers in Cape Coral Two women try to help a customer and end up fearing for their lives. One man started waving a seven-inch knife in the faces of two Metro PCS workers.
Biologist Ian Bartoszek, Board Member Jon Kukk and Julie Kukk holding a female Burmese python. CREDIT: CONSERVANCY OF SWFL Creatures lurking in the Florida wilderness are longer than an African elephant is tall, and while many would run away, others go looking. According to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, using a scout python, hunters caught a massive 16-foot-long, 120-pound Burmese python during a February hunt. Ian Easterling with Burmese python. CREDIT: CONSERVANCY OF SWFL According to the United States Geological Survey, female Burmese pythons grow larger than males. So, when the Conservancy team tracks male pythons, they are able to find the larger females during breeding season. By tracking Ronin, a 12-foot-long snake also known by the Conservancy as the Most Valuable Python (MVP), they found the 16-foot female snake. Biologists have been tracking Ronin for more than six years. RELATED: Second-largest python captured in Big Cypress National Preserve RELATED: Longest python ever caught in Florida Nearing a vegetation-strewn canal, biologists spotted a python floating among the foliage on the water’s edge. Suddenly, the team came face to face with a Burmese python that was longer than a rhino, a walrus and a hippo. Exhilarated, one of the team members yelled out, “It looks big … bigger than Ronin!” according to the conservancy’s release on the find. Without hesitating, the team began wrangling the behemoth. With his boot, biologist Ian Bartszek pinned the head of the 16-footer. However, nearly every pound of this 120-pound constrictor is muscle. It could not be contained by one person. Next, biologist Ian Easterling pounced on the python to restrain the animal. Then came the python’s counterattack. Thrashing its body through the murky canal, the python fought back with force. “She was upset and thrashed around, taking all hands to restrain her,” said Bartoszek. The biologists were in knee-deep water, barely holding on to the slippery 120 pounds of python sliding through their hands. They needed backup. That’s when John Kukk, a board member for the conservancy, dashed down the bank, grabbing the python by the tail. It took three people out of breath and completely exhausted to get the snake under control. Ian B. and Jon Kukk with female python and in the Burmese python lab at the Conservancy. CREDIT: CONSERVANCY OF SWFL “Her humane removal from the ecosystem will keep an additional 50 invasive pythons from hatching this season and many more over future years. To date, the team has removed over 1,200 pythons weighing over 33,000 pounds from Collier County,” said the Conservancy of SWFL. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Burmese pythons have devastated native wildlife throughout Florida. The species was added to Florida’s prohibited species list in April 2021. The Florida Python Challenge is one way the state is trying to contain the species’ expansion. The FWC website says if you think you see a Burmese python, take a picture, write down or remember your location and report the sighting by calling the Exotic Species Hotline at 888-483-4681 or report it online by clicking here. Click here for more information on the invasive python.