Lee County Sheriff investigates crash injuring pedestrian at University VillageGunshots heard in a Cape Coral neighborhood
Lee County Sheriff investigates crash injuring pedestrian at University Village The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a crash that injured a pedestrian at the University Village Shops in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Gunshots heard in a Cape Coral neighborhood Neighbors have reported hearing multiple gunshots in the early hours of the morning in Cape Coral.
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.
Lee County Sheriff investigates crash injuring pedestrian at University Village The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a crash that injured a pedestrian at the University Village Shops in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Gunshots heard in a Cape Coral neighborhood Neighbors have reported hearing multiple gunshots in the early hours of the morning in Cape Coral.
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.
This could definitely be called a survivor’s story. And Tim Casto knows it well. It’s his story. “I went back to using powdered fentanyl and intravenous use, and ended up getting arrested again in Lee County, and doing another two months in jail,” explained Casto. But, recovering from addiction, he has turned his life around. During addiction, your mind seems to be the first thing to go. Tim Casto “I now have two full time jobs that both pay well. I’m going somewhere in life. I have direction now. I have purpose,” he stated with pride. He owes that renewed direction and purpose, in part, to St. Matthew’s House, which focuses on helping people experiencing hunger, homelessness, or, in Tim’s case, addiction. RELATED: Fentanyl fueling fears after Collier deputy overcome by exposure Casto shared his story with WINK News Anchor Chris Cifatte as they sat in front of a wall full of names of people who didn’t survive their addiction. He recalled how in the depths of despair, a voice saved him. It was his sister’s voice. “She said that she didn’t want to lose me to my addiction. She wanted me to be there for her wedding,” said Casto. He is sober now. And, he pledged to be at her wedding. It’s a story that would make any sister proud, but not all sisters have that same chance. My brother didn’t come home. Riley Kempton Lost brother Josh to addiction Riley Kempton’s brother, Josh Liesman, lost his battle with addiction. He fought it for half his life and fentanyl killed him. Now, rather than ever seeing her brother again, Riley wanted to share his struggle and maybe save another family from the heartache hers has endured. “He wanted to be better so bad,” she said through tears. “It’s like a warm embrace,” shared Dan Lampinen as he explained the powerful attraction to the deadly drugs. “Any anxiety or whatever stress, whatever you’re holding on to, it just kind of melts away.” RELATED: Powdered, pills, no matter how you slice it – fentanyl kills Mike Palumbo, the Director of Operations at White Sands, a residential treatment facility in Fort Myers, considers fentanyl a huge problem. “They’re having a lot harder time getting off of fentanyl, compared to the other opioids such as heroin, morphine, oxycodone. Their detox is taking, on average, about seven to 14 days, where as, heroin detox usually took three to seven days. We’re seeing that their withdrawal symptoms are a lot more amplified,” explained Palumbo. The tough lesson – someone stuck in addiction is not going to get or accept help until they are ready. Riley Kempton does what she can now on her brother’s behalf. She spreads awareness through Drug Free Lee. St. Matthew’s House has a year-long faith-based residential program to break addiction. It’s the same program that helped Tim Casto. “I definitely want to go somewhere. I couldn’t say I know exactly where I’m going at this point in time. I’m still figuring that out. But I can tell you I’m going somewhere,” said Casto as he reflected on his future. Signs of Addiction Difficulties at school Poor work performance Changes in physical appearance Altered behavior A noticeable lack of energy when performing daily activities Spending or borrowing more money than usual Bloodshot eyes and poor skin tone Defensiveness when asked about substance use Get Help St. Matthew’s House FindTreatment.gov WhiteSands Treatment Center Stop Overdoses Resources from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office DEA: https://www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html National Institute on Drug Abuse National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare Treatment Options