New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashesNew leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
We are marking a milestone at WINK: 70 years of coming into your living room and delivering the news of Southwest Florida to your television set. Nowadays, we also bring it to you through streaming, online, and even in the palm of your hand. Throughout those 70 years, WINK has remained a family-owned business focused right here in Southwest Florida. As our area has grown and continues to develop, we have been and will be here with you every step of the way. The Broadcast Center on Palm Beach Boulevard is home to WINK-TV, several radio stations and the nerve center of a newspaper and magazines. Our roots began in radio in 1939. But on March 18, 1954, WINK-TV debuted, becoming the first television station in Southwest Florida. Frank Nodine helped launch WINK, anchoring the newscast. A crew interviewed him in 1977 for the 23rd anniversary of the station. “We were the fourth station on in the State of Florida. I can remember we used to think we were heroes if we hit our 8 p.m. show at 8:45,” reflected Nodine. Tim Hennigan’s father, Larry, worked at the station in the 50s. “Him and Frank were good buddies. They tipped a few beers together,” recalled Hennigan. Photo of Larry Hennigan CREDIT: Tim Hennigan “He put the transmitters together. He put everything, the cameras, everything together. Cape Coral wasn’t even here,” said Hennigan who was 10 years old when his father would bring him to the station. If it happened on the Gulf Coast or beyond, WINK brought it right into your home. All of it is a living piece of history in the Wolfson Archives at Miami Dade College. WINK donated its film collection to the school. A vintage WINK TV logo. CREDIT: Wolfson Archives And looking back through that footage, we covered it all: local government, tourism, money matters, education. From the shoreline to outer space with NASA’s Viking project mission to Mars in the mid-70s. “We’re seeing many of the features on Mars, and we’re looking at the great volcanoes,” stated a man who worked with NASA. Ironically, many of the issues of yesterday mimic those of today. “I’ve been having a very hard time getting a doctor,” one woman said during an interview in the ’70s. Development, roads, the construction of Interstate 75 and Alligator Alley were also major ongoing topics. Gov. Reuben Askew takes questions from WINK News at Edison Mall in 1976. CREDIT: Wolfson Archives. “It’s I-75’s turn, and I’m doing everything humanly possible to accelerate that construction,” said Reuben Askew, Florida’s Governor at the time. He made that statement at Edison Mall in 1976. When Sept. 11 happened, we were there as President George W. Bush got word of the attack while at a school in Sarasota. President George W. Bush at a Sarasota school on Sept. 11. CREDIT: WINK News. Then, who can forget the hurricanes? Andrew, Charley, Irma and Ian, to name a few. More than one and a half million people now call our area home. And, as Southwest Florida continues its recovery and growth, we are growing with you. We welcome you into our studio with 13 hours of news each weekday and look forward to the future. Thank you for all the years of watching.