Tracking the Tropics: Patty forms in North Atlantic, tracking Caribbean developmentWarm weekend with spotty showers, daylight saving time ends tonight
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Tracking the Tropics: Patty forms in North Atlantic, tracking Caribbean development An area in the Southwestern Caribbean has a high, 80% chance of developing over the upcoming week.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Warm weekend with spotty showers, daylight saving time ends tonight The Weather Authority says Saturday is starting nice and dry with some passing clouds and pleasant conditions.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 11 The Lehigh Lightning beat the Sarasota Sailors in a Monday night matchup to earn their first win of the season in week 11.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man files injunction against city over Jaycee Park A Cape Coral man has filed an injunction against the City of Cape Coral over the renovation of Jaycee Park.
CAPE CORAL Brothers gain highest Boy Scout award for repairing food pantry General Manager of the Adventist Community Services Alexandra Berru said she couldn’t be more grateful for the twin brothers.
2 Vietnam veterans raise $20,000 for monument in Naples Two Vietnam veterans raised over $20,000 to create a Vietnam monument at Cambier Park in Naples.
BONITA SPRINGS Lee County to pick up debris on Estero and Hickory boulevards After three weeks of hard work clearing mountains of sand from Estero and Hickory boulevards, Lee County crews are ready to switch gears to storm debris collection along these main county roads.
SANIBEL Are our habitats on the brink of a slow collapse? For two years, Sanibel Island’s delicate ecosystems have been battered by unrelenting storm surges, leaving behind dead trees and tainted freshwater pools.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres driver wants more safety measures for State Road 82 A Lehigh Acres man wants other drivers to know to pay attention. He also wants the county, city or state to put some more patrols out here.
SANIBEL What beaches are experiencing red tide issues now? Parts of Southewst Florida are dealing with red tide. But it’s not impacting Sanibel or beachgoers there.
NAPLES Naples Police Department begins celebrations of 100 years of service The City of Naples Police Department will hit 100 years of service in November of 2025, and they are now beginning their year of celebrations.
ESTERO FGCU students and professor weigh in on upcoming election As the nation gears up for a pivotal election, a question lingers among young voters. Will students turn out to vote?
New procedure helping disc pain Neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain and arm pain can all be caused by a herniated disc. If left untreated, this can become debilitating and lead to nerve damage.
FORT MYERS Final weekend for early voting The clock’s winding down on early voting. This is the final weekend to cast your ballot. If you haven’t voted yet, you may have to wait in line on Election Day.
Wawa tumblers recalled after reported injuries Wawa is recalling 60,000 tumblers because of a safety hazard with metal straws.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Tracking the Tropics: Patty forms in North Atlantic, tracking Caribbean development An area in the Southwestern Caribbean has a high, 80% chance of developing over the upcoming week.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Warm weekend with spotty showers, daylight saving time ends tonight The Weather Authority says Saturday is starting nice and dry with some passing clouds and pleasant conditions.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 11 The Lehigh Lightning beat the Sarasota Sailors in a Monday night matchup to earn their first win of the season in week 11.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man files injunction against city over Jaycee Park A Cape Coral man has filed an injunction against the City of Cape Coral over the renovation of Jaycee Park.
CAPE CORAL Brothers gain highest Boy Scout award for repairing food pantry General Manager of the Adventist Community Services Alexandra Berru said she couldn’t be more grateful for the twin brothers.
2 Vietnam veterans raise $20,000 for monument in Naples Two Vietnam veterans raised over $20,000 to create a Vietnam monument at Cambier Park in Naples.
BONITA SPRINGS Lee County to pick up debris on Estero and Hickory boulevards After three weeks of hard work clearing mountains of sand from Estero and Hickory boulevards, Lee County crews are ready to switch gears to storm debris collection along these main county roads.
SANIBEL Are our habitats on the brink of a slow collapse? For two years, Sanibel Island’s delicate ecosystems have been battered by unrelenting storm surges, leaving behind dead trees and tainted freshwater pools.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres driver wants more safety measures for State Road 82 A Lehigh Acres man wants other drivers to know to pay attention. He also wants the county, city or state to put some more patrols out here.
SANIBEL What beaches are experiencing red tide issues now? Parts of Southewst Florida are dealing with red tide. But it’s not impacting Sanibel or beachgoers there.
NAPLES Naples Police Department begins celebrations of 100 years of service The City of Naples Police Department will hit 100 years of service in November of 2025, and they are now beginning their year of celebrations.
ESTERO FGCU students and professor weigh in on upcoming election As the nation gears up for a pivotal election, a question lingers among young voters. Will students turn out to vote?
New procedure helping disc pain Neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain and arm pain can all be caused by a herniated disc. If left untreated, this can become debilitating and lead to nerve damage.
FORT MYERS Final weekend for early voting The clock’s winding down on early voting. This is the final weekend to cast your ballot. If you haven’t voted yet, you may have to wait in line on Election Day.
Wawa tumblers recalled after reported injuries Wawa is recalling 60,000 tumblers because of a safety hazard with metal straws.
The month of February is known as the time of love, but it’s also a significant month that reflects on Black history. From national public figures like Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr, Rosa Parks and so many others, just to name a few. Black history is also in our communities, big and small. In Southwest Florida, it’s everywhere, and it continues to live on in the city of Punta Gorda, a city known for its charm, small community, and murals painted throughout the city. Mural artist Keith Goodson has painted several murals throughout Central and Southwest Florida. There are few in Punta Gorda he holds dear, too, and that’s the Black History Mural painted on Baker Center. “When I started to see and hear some of the stories and do some of my research on this particular mural, I just was intrigued by the just humanity of all of it,” Goodson said. “It’s a visual that people can connect with.” The mural Goodson painted features ten panels that reflect on the impacts Blacks made in the early stages of Punta Gorda’s development. From railroad development to local businesses to even education, Blacks had a significant role in making change in a society that viewed them as inferior. Their impacts would leave more than a mark but a legacy. A legacy Demetrius Thomas, pastor of St. Mary’s Baptist Church, knows well. “There’s a legacy that’s being put that others will see,” Thomas said. A legacy I can share with my son to pass on to each generation to let them know their grandfather was one of the first to integrate Charlotte High School.” Panel five, also known as desegregation, shows the Charlotte High Five, or some may refer to them as the Fab Five. Gertha Haddock, Minnie Lee Mitchell, Isaac Thomas, Jr., Dan Ronald Middleton, and Felix Johnson were the first Blacks to integrate Charlotte High School on September 3, 1963. Those five brave students were not only breaking the walls of segregation at Charlotte High, but their efforts would eventually lead to the desegregation of all Charlotte County schools over the next several years. Demetrius Thomas’s father, Isaac Thomas, was one of those students, and he remembers his father telling him about his first day and experience at Charlotte High in 1963. “It took a lot of bravery, Thomas said. “He would tell me the stories about it, and he was scared at first, but all the parents, teachers and students welcomed those five kids, so it was exciting yet nervous at the same time.” During those times, the walls of segregation were still enforced in some areas. It didn’t stop Thomas’s father or the others from making history in the classroom and on the field at Charlotte High. “My Dad was very involved in sports,” Thomas said. He played on the football team and he ran track for Charlotte High and played sports all the years he was in there. It was a purpose behind everything they did at that point.” A purpose that would serve a greater meaning for generations to come. Despite some of the challenges Blacks went through during those times, it didn’t stop the Fab Five from preserving and making a difference in education. “There were going to be some difficult moments they had to overcome, especially them being in education,” Thomas said. During those times, as Black students, you had to do a little bit more and study a little bit more to prove yourself. I think they enjoyed being the first five to make a difference for those who were going to come after them.” Now, their story is forever embedded on the walls of Baker Center, along with so many other stories reflecting on the Black History of Punta Gorda. Goodson highly advises everyone to go see and engage with the murals. “I would encourage anyone to come up and not only look at the mural but interact with the panel that has all the QR codes and see the stories on what the panel means and which each one represents and the story behind it,” Goodson said. The Black History Mural is located at 311 E. Charlotte Avenue at Baker Center School. To learn more about each panel on the mural, click here.