DeSoto County Jail employee accused of trafficking contraband into facilitySoluna Restaurant & Bar launches at Bayfront in Naples
ARCADIA DeSoto County Jail employee accused of trafficking contraband into facility An employee at the DeSoto County Jail has been arrested after allegedly trafficking illegal contraband into the jail.
Soluna Restaurant & Bar launches at Bayfront in Naples Emulating its namesake fusion of the sun and moon, Soluna Restaurant & Bar has arisen to illuminate the Naples dining scene.
NAPLES CFO Jimmy Patronis reminds Floridians to check their constructor contracts for post-storm fraud The Florida Department of Financial Services’ Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, will hold a news conference in Naples on post-storm fraud prevention.
Know where your voting precinct is in Southwest Florida Election Day is only one day away, so it is important to know where to go and if you qualify to vote in Southwest Florida.
The Weather Authority Tracking Tropical Storm Rafael; expected to become hurricane The Weather Authority Meteorologists are watching the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Rafael will strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane later Tuesday night.
The Weather Authority Scattered rain and storms on this Election Day The Weather Authority is tracking scattered rain and storms along with warm temperatures throughout this Election Day Tuesday.
Where to drop off your mail-in ballots on Election Day Those who still have their mail-in ballots in Southwest Florida have two options on Election Day: vote in person or drop them off at a specified location.
WINK NEWS Lee County race for Sheriff It is now Election Day, and two candidates for the Lee County Sheriff are vying for the position.
WINK NEWS Floridians to vote on legalizing recreational marijuana With Election Day in full swing, WINK News is monitoring the results of the most controversial amendments on the ballot, including Florida’s Amendment 3.
WINK NEWS How Floridians are voting on Consitutional right to abortions As Election Day ramps up, WINK News is monitoring the results of the most controversial amendments on the ballot, including Florida’s Amendment 4.
Collier County commission race As the 2024 general election gets underway, WINK News is monitoring the election results in several local races, including the Collier County Commission race.
Cape Coral 5 seats in Cape Coral City Council to be decided on Election Day The Cape Coral City Council election will be decided on Tuesday. Five seats are up for grabs.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers City Council race for 2 wards The 2024 elections are looking to be a tense battle that will have every American on the edge of their seats. In Southwest Florida, the feeling is no different.
Lee County Superintendent election; School Board District 7 Voters in Lee County are going to the polls to fill some crucial seats in the school district.
PUNTA GORDA The race for Punta Gorda City Council November 5 is election day, as politicians across the country compete for office, with Southwest Florida being no different.
ARCADIA DeSoto County Jail employee accused of trafficking contraband into facility An employee at the DeSoto County Jail has been arrested after allegedly trafficking illegal contraband into the jail.
Soluna Restaurant & Bar launches at Bayfront in Naples Emulating its namesake fusion of the sun and moon, Soluna Restaurant & Bar has arisen to illuminate the Naples dining scene.
NAPLES CFO Jimmy Patronis reminds Floridians to check their constructor contracts for post-storm fraud The Florida Department of Financial Services’ Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, will hold a news conference in Naples on post-storm fraud prevention.
Know where your voting precinct is in Southwest Florida Election Day is only one day away, so it is important to know where to go and if you qualify to vote in Southwest Florida.
The Weather Authority Tracking Tropical Storm Rafael; expected to become hurricane The Weather Authority Meteorologists are watching the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Rafael will strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane later Tuesday night.
The Weather Authority Scattered rain and storms on this Election Day The Weather Authority is tracking scattered rain and storms along with warm temperatures throughout this Election Day Tuesday.
Where to drop off your mail-in ballots on Election Day Those who still have their mail-in ballots in Southwest Florida have two options on Election Day: vote in person or drop them off at a specified location.
WINK NEWS Lee County race for Sheriff It is now Election Day, and two candidates for the Lee County Sheriff are vying for the position.
WINK NEWS Floridians to vote on legalizing recreational marijuana With Election Day in full swing, WINK News is monitoring the results of the most controversial amendments on the ballot, including Florida’s Amendment 3.
WINK NEWS How Floridians are voting on Consitutional right to abortions As Election Day ramps up, WINK News is monitoring the results of the most controversial amendments on the ballot, including Florida’s Amendment 4.
Collier County commission race As the 2024 general election gets underway, WINK News is monitoring the election results in several local races, including the Collier County Commission race.
Cape Coral 5 seats in Cape Coral City Council to be decided on Election Day The Cape Coral City Council election will be decided on Tuesday. Five seats are up for grabs.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers City Council race for 2 wards The 2024 elections are looking to be a tense battle that will have every American on the edge of their seats. In Southwest Florida, the feeling is no different.
Lee County Superintendent election; School Board District 7 Voters in Lee County are going to the polls to fill some crucial seats in the school district.
PUNTA GORDA The race for Punta Gorda City Council November 5 is election day, as politicians across the country compete for office, with Southwest Florida being no different.
After a year off due to Hurricane Ian, the Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival is back and kicks off Saturday morning. What is pink shrimp? The shrimp being celebrated this weekend is wild-caught Gulf Pink Shrimp. This shrimp is a Fort Myers Beach delicacy. Caught only from the Gulf of Mexico to the Tortugas, this shrimp is said to have a “sweet” and “snappy” taste, said Ann Erickson with Erickson and Jensen. What to expect Expect LOTS of shrimp! Festivities start early, as the 5k Shrimp Run starts at 9 a.m. The race starts and finishes from Doc Ford’s along Matanzas Bridge. Directly after the run is the annual Shrimp Festival Parade from 10-12 p.m. From 9 to 12 p.m., the Matanzas Bridge will be closed for these two events. Matanzas Bridge ahead of Saturdays road closures for the “Shrimp Run” and parade. The fun doesn’t end there. The following events are also going on near Bayside Park on Fort Myers Beach Saturday: Arts and Crafts Fair, starting at 10 a.m. Shrimp Crawl, starting at 10 a.m. Queens Pageant 1-2 p.m. On Sunday: Arts and Crafts Fair, starting at 10 a.m. Shrimp Crawl, starting at 10 a.m. Blessing of the Fleet 10-1 p.m.; this is being held at the Erickson and Jenson Docks Shrimp Eating Contact 2 p.m. Shrimp Festival Closing Ceremony 4-7 p.m. Restaurants a part of the Shrimp Crawl each have their own specialty shrimp drink or dish. This is the “Shrimpy the Best Margarita” at The Whale. Did you know proceeds from this weekend’s event go back into the SWFL community? Shelby Stites, a member of marketing for the festival, said every year, money spent this weekend goes into the hands of those who need it most. RELATED: Miz Shirley’s Shrimp Shack after Hurricane Ian “We serve the youth. We do childhood cancer, diabetes saving the environment and a few other ones, but mainly these go to use scholarships for area students for secondary schools of their choice,” said Stites. Shrimp heritage in Matanzas Bay Erickson and Jensen Gulf Shrimp have been a part of the Southwest Florida seafood community for generations. Anna Erickson is a 4th generation shrimper. Erickson grew up being a part of this parade and now helps her family business continue its legacy. “We’re a big part of the community. We hope that it brings people down to Fort Myers Beach, knowing that we have such a special product here. That is a heritage to the community,” said Erickson. Art along the Erickson and Jensen’s docks was just redone ahead of this weekends festivities. More than a job, being a part of her families shrimping business is Ericksons life. After Hurricane Ian damaged several of their boats, along with their dock and other parts of their business, it has taken some work to bring them to this weekend’s festivities. But they are thrilled to be celebrating their seafood again! RELATED: Dealing with traffic on Fort Myers Beach Erickson said, “For this weekend, Sunday will be kind of our big day. We’ll be doing the blessing of the fleet. And we’re also doing new to this year, a church service that will be at 10. Then the blessing will be at 11, after that. St. Raphael’s church will be doing a shrimp boil here. And thanks to Storm Smart, we will be having shirts on donation, as well as thanks to Brandt Adamski, Fitch, Fletcher and Sanchez; we will have beers on donation.” Blessing the shrimp boats More than just a ritual, these boats mean something to this community. They help provide jobs, bring seafood back to our restaurants and keep our Southwest Florida economy going. The men and women who work on these shrimp boats are out for 30 days at a time, year-round, catching the best shrimp for our community. Blessing their boats is the community’s way of seeing where their beloved shrimp come from while giving the shrimpers a chance to connect with Fort Myers Beach. This is one of the few boats that survived Hurricane Ian at the Erickson and Jensen docks. Erickson said this prayer means more to these shrimpers than many know. “They love that the community cares. It means the world to them that, you know, as fishermen, most of their lives are spent at sea. So to have the community come down and give them that moment. I mean, honestly, it means it means the world to them.”