ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
Year after year, WINK News makes a focused effort to fight an issue that impacts many people in Southwest Florida: hunger. At the end of January, WINK News put the word out. Letting the community know it was almost time to start our March to a Million Meals. RELATED: March to a Million Meals: Harry Chapin helps families overcome impossible choices Starting the Campaign WINK News anchor Lois Thome spearheads the March to a Million Meals campaign. “It renews my faith in people and how they love each other,” said Thome about being part of the campaign. “As a news anchor, we often read stories that show how divided we can be. This campaign shows that at the core of ourselves, we care about one another.” The goal of the March to a Million Meals campaign is to feed 1,000,000 people by March 1 with community-based donations. RELATED: March to a Million Meals begins at WINK News, helping food-insecure families Every dollar raised is $2 in meals to the Harry Chapin Food Bank. That means donating $6 feeds a family of four for a day or donating $60 feeds 10 families. Teaming up with the Harry Chapin Food Bank, WINK News set out to help feed local families. They are the largest hunger relief nonprofit in SWFL. They’re also the only Feeding America member that serves Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties. Off to a Powerful Start Southwest Florida was ready. It didn’t take long for the donations to start pouring in. Quickly, donations led to more than 77,000 meals provided to hungry SWFL families. Thome explained what it meant to be involved in WINK Feeds Families again in 2024. “It means you’re part of something great,” said Thome. “A true community effort of neighbor helping neighbor. Personally, it makes me proud to be a part of it because it shows how caring my community is.” RELATED: March to a Million Meals: Moore Haven gifted meals Hour after hour, day after day, the donations didn’t stop coming. Donations ranged from just a couple of dollars to more than $1,000. By Feb. 7, WINK News was more than halfway to its goal and raised enough money for more than 567,000 meals. CREDIT: WINK News Throughout the 2024 WINK Feeds Families campaign Thome witnessed many moments that were moving. She explained the most moving moment came down to meeting those in the community who benefit from the donations. “I have met many seniors on fixed incomes and working families struggling to feed themselves,” said Thome. “It is so heartwarming to see the relief on their faces when someone hands them a box or bag of food. The stress just melts away. Our viewers did that, and that’s truly touching.” Goal met but Campaign Continued Ten days later, just a little after the halfway mark on Saturday morning, Feb. 17, WINK News reached the goal of 1,000,000 meals donated. But just because the goal was reached didn’t mean the mission was over. RELATED: March to a Million Meals reaches goal More and more donations were made to feed hungry SWFL families. The effort made by those donating to continue doing so even after reaching the goal is part of what makes this so special to Thome. Bags of food for March to a Million Meals. CREDIT: WINK News Thome explained how people can continue to help feed those in need in the community. “They can continue to support the Harry Chapin Food Bank of SWFL. Make a donation, donate non-perishable food items or volunteer. All of those things will make a difference,” said Thome. RELATED: Harry Chapin partner agency’s Care and Share senior feeding program: A beacon of hope for seniors As of 11 p.m., on Feb. 29, WINK Feeds Families has helped raise enough money to provide more than 1,341,000 meals. More than a quarter of a million more meals than the original goal. Thanks to more than 4,300 supporters, WINK News reached more than 129% of the original goal. We Can Always Raise More! For Thome and all of WINK News, it doesn’t mean just a job well done but a hope for more. Thome noted one memory that particularly sticks out. “A few years ago, my friend Billy Fuccillo, the owner of the Kia dealerships at the time, called me up when we were short of our goal … and showed up the next day with a $100,000 check to ensure we met our goal,” said Thome. “I believe that gift set off a chain reaction of giving that was wonderfully contagious.” There is still time to donate. Donations will end at midnight on Thursday. Click here to find out more information on how to donate to the WINK Feeds Families campaign.