Fort Myers Beach sees spring break surge, several hotels fully bookedFort Myers police crackdown on traffic violations on Colonial Blvd.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach sees spring break surge, several hotels fully booked Spring break in Southwest Florida is in full swing, with Fort Myers Beach buzzing with thousands of tourists.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers police crackdown on traffic violations on Colonial Blvd. The roads on Colonial Boulevard are notorious for traffic congestion and crashes, but there might be hope on the horizon.
FORT MYERS RSW terminal expansion project gets new completion date, budget The Lee County Port Authority board met Monday to discuss the future of the RSW Terminal Expansion Project, which has encountered significant delays.
NAPLES Naples church partners with deputies for active shooter training drill An active shooter situation is a terrifying prospect, but preparation is key.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach road reopens, improving access for drivers Estero Boulevard from Crescent Street to Matanzas Pass has officially been reopened for motorists in Fort Myers Beach.
FORT MYERS BEACH New Fort Myers Beach roundabout aims to end traffic woes for locals The long-awaited roundabout at the bottom of the Matanzas Pass Bridge on Fort Myers Beach is now open.
Potential loss of funding for food banks Food banks play a crucial role in ensuring that hardworking individuals don’t go hungry. However, WINK News has learned that this task might become more challenging.
ESTERO FGCU women’s head basketball coach steps down After only one year leading the Eagles, FGCU head women’s basketball coach Chelsea Lyles is stepping down.
FORT MYERS FSW women’s basketball returning to NJCAA Tournament for first time in five years The FSW Buccaneers women’s basketball team is playing in the NJCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020.
Surgeons using virtual reality technology New technology from virtual reality video games and popular apps like GPS is making its way into operating rooms, transforming the way surgeries are performed.
ESTERO FGCU to hold advocacy workshop for families of children with disabilities Families of children with disabilities, this is for you.
Port Authority approves extra $346.7M to finish terminal expansion project at RSW Not everyone gets a second chance, but the Lee County Board of Port Commissioners granted it to the original companies contracted to build the Terminal Expansion Phase One project at Southwest Florida International Airport. The project is now more than four years behind schedule and hundreds of millions of dollars over budget.
FORT MYERS K-9 assists Fort Myers police in drug bust A Fort Myers Police Department K-9 helped police find a drug-filled car.
CLEWISTON Suspect wanted for attempting to break into truck in Clewiston The Clewiston Police Department is searching for a suspect captured on surveillance video attempting to break into a truck.
Charlotte Co. home inventory expected to decrease during summer February’s inventory for single-family homes and condos in Charlotte County soared to heights not seen in years, but some sellers are expected to pull their homes off the market after Easter, an area Realtor said.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach sees spring break surge, several hotels fully booked Spring break in Southwest Florida is in full swing, with Fort Myers Beach buzzing with thousands of tourists.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers police crackdown on traffic violations on Colonial Blvd. The roads on Colonial Boulevard are notorious for traffic congestion and crashes, but there might be hope on the horizon.
FORT MYERS RSW terminal expansion project gets new completion date, budget The Lee County Port Authority board met Monday to discuss the future of the RSW Terminal Expansion Project, which has encountered significant delays.
NAPLES Naples church partners with deputies for active shooter training drill An active shooter situation is a terrifying prospect, but preparation is key.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach road reopens, improving access for drivers Estero Boulevard from Crescent Street to Matanzas Pass has officially been reopened for motorists in Fort Myers Beach.
FORT MYERS BEACH New Fort Myers Beach roundabout aims to end traffic woes for locals The long-awaited roundabout at the bottom of the Matanzas Pass Bridge on Fort Myers Beach is now open.
Potential loss of funding for food banks Food banks play a crucial role in ensuring that hardworking individuals don’t go hungry. However, WINK News has learned that this task might become more challenging.
ESTERO FGCU women’s head basketball coach steps down After only one year leading the Eagles, FGCU head women’s basketball coach Chelsea Lyles is stepping down.
FORT MYERS FSW women’s basketball returning to NJCAA Tournament for first time in five years The FSW Buccaneers women’s basketball team is playing in the NJCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020.
Surgeons using virtual reality technology New technology from virtual reality video games and popular apps like GPS is making its way into operating rooms, transforming the way surgeries are performed.
ESTERO FGCU to hold advocacy workshop for families of children with disabilities Families of children with disabilities, this is for you.
Port Authority approves extra $346.7M to finish terminal expansion project at RSW Not everyone gets a second chance, but the Lee County Board of Port Commissioners granted it to the original companies contracted to build the Terminal Expansion Phase One project at Southwest Florida International Airport. The project is now more than four years behind schedule and hundreds of millions of dollars over budget.
FORT MYERS K-9 assists Fort Myers police in drug bust A Fort Myers Police Department K-9 helped police find a drug-filled car.
CLEWISTON Suspect wanted for attempting to break into truck in Clewiston The Clewiston Police Department is searching for a suspect captured on surveillance video attempting to break into a truck.
Charlotte Co. home inventory expected to decrease during summer February’s inventory for single-family homes and condos in Charlotte County soared to heights not seen in years, but some sellers are expected to pull their homes off the market after Easter, an area Realtor said.
When you step into Walt Wesley’s living room in Fort Myers, you can see his basketball career on full display. Posterizing dunks are captured in framed photos among his favorite Kansas basketball jerseys. Initally, sports, especially basketball, wasn’t top of mind for Wesley. That changed when he discovered a love for the game while at Dunbar High School. “We had some others in the neighborhood that enjoyed playing and when I went out, I experienced some success at it,” Wesley recalled. “When I shot the ball and it went in, that was always good. So you know and going out to the blacktop for pickup games, the fellas pick you up you know you get excited about that. You’re not the one left on the sidelines. You’re not the one last picked.” When it came to recruiting Wesley in the early 1960’s, the in-state universities didn’t give him a look. “At the time it was segregated, Florida, Florida State those schools was out of the question. That was not going to happen,” Wesley explained. Wesley set his sights towards the Midwest. He knew he was going to be a Kansas Jayhawk. Nothing was better for Wesley than playing at the famed Allen Fieldhouse. “I don’t think there’s any place in the country that can top playing at Allen Fieldhouse,” Wesley said. “You walk in there for a basketball game you get hyped up.” During my conversation with Walt, he shared what it was like to play away from home. He brought a trip to Arkansas, who was trying to get out of the game. “We didn’t stay in Arkansas. We stayed in Missouri and bussed in to Arkansas and coming out,” Wesley recalled. “And we had an escort on the court off the court,” He went on to say, “some of it you expected some of it you didn’t the name calling. You say to yourself I can live with it it’s not the end of the world. If I go out here and do my job, I get to laugh and say look at them.” With the way Wesley played with the Jayhawks, that happened a lot. He was recognized as a two-time consensus All-American. Wesley was heading to the professional ranks when he was selected with the sixth pick in the 1966 NBA Draft by the Cincinnati Royals, where he got to play with one of the greats, Oscar Robertson. “He took us one day and said why you shooting out there that don’t make sense,” Wesley said. “Come on in here. Hey its wasted energy. He showed us how to work in that space. And with me being 6’11” they always wanted you down on the block.” Wesley played 10 seasons in the NBA. After some time coaching, it was time for Wesley to offer a different kind of coaching. This time, for kids in his community of Fort Myers as the director of the S.T.A.R.S Complex. Through that role, Wesley gave the kids a new outlook on athletics and education. “Don’t let the athletics part of it consume you to the fact that you don’t take advantage of being a student athlete,’ Wesley explained. “If you’re fortunate enough to be a student athlete and get a scholarship, make use of that scholarship.” When asked about his legacy in Fort Myers, Wesley’s response was simple: “Walt was someone who cared,” Wesley said. “And he came back and tried to make a difference.”