12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidaysFort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
MARCO ISLAND City of Marco Island discusses lead awareness during city council meeting The city of Marco Island sent out 4900 letters to residents warning them that their pipes could contain plastic or lead.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
WINK Investigates: Disgraced contractor faces new lawsuits and allegations Paul Beattie, a disgraced home builder is back doing business but legal challenges continue as another one of his businesses gets sued. Former employees of Beattie speak out, only to WINK.
SWFL reacts to UNC hiring Bill Belichick Southwest Florida reacts to North Carolina hiring Bill Belichick as its new head football coach and how that could impact the decisions of local recruits.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Some Floridians want more alone time during the holidays The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends, but nearly half of Americans say they really want more alone time during the holiday.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
Aggressive driving concerns on the rise in Southwest Florida The arrest of a man who, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said, killed a motorcyclist after crashing into him on purpose is raising concerns over aggressive driving in Southwest Florida.
SANIBEL Sanibel School students prepare for community Christmas performance The school that has had to claw and fight its way back more than once to reopen is getting the chance to celebrate.
FORT MYERS Rock For Equality: SWFL music scene to hold benefit concert for Palestine A two-venue, eight-band benefit concert is coming to Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples man sentenced in deadly bar shooting A man has been sentenced for a deadly shooting that took place at a Naples bar in March 2021.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
MARCO ISLAND City of Marco Island discusses lead awareness during city council meeting The city of Marco Island sent out 4900 letters to residents warning them that their pipes could contain plastic or lead.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
WINK Investigates: Disgraced contractor faces new lawsuits and allegations Paul Beattie, a disgraced home builder is back doing business but legal challenges continue as another one of his businesses gets sued. Former employees of Beattie speak out, only to WINK.
SWFL reacts to UNC hiring Bill Belichick Southwest Florida reacts to North Carolina hiring Bill Belichick as its new head football coach and how that could impact the decisions of local recruits.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Some Floridians want more alone time during the holidays The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends, but nearly half of Americans say they really want more alone time during the holiday.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
Aggressive driving concerns on the rise in Southwest Florida The arrest of a man who, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said, killed a motorcyclist after crashing into him on purpose is raising concerns over aggressive driving in Southwest Florida.
SANIBEL Sanibel School students prepare for community Christmas performance The school that has had to claw and fight its way back more than once to reopen is getting the chance to celebrate.
FORT MYERS Rock For Equality: SWFL music scene to hold benefit concert for Palestine A two-venue, eight-band benefit concert is coming to Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples man sentenced in deadly bar shooting A man has been sentenced for a deadly shooting that took place at a Naples bar in March 2021.
FEMA trailers sitting near the Punta Gorda Airport are raising concerns. The Charlotte County Airport Authority is getting hit with code violations, saying the trailers need to go. FEMA now has less than ten days left to remove these trailers, or else this case could wind up before a special magistrate. Since Hurricane Ian, dozens of FEMA trailers have sat on land that FEMA leases from the airport. “Because we own 2,000 acres with highway access, we are often asked by agency partners to provide land for staging vehicles before and after storms,” said Kaley Miller, director of marketing and communications at the airport. Shaun Cullinan, a Charlotte County Planning and Zoning official, added, “We had worked with the state and federal agencies in order to get them there for disbursement to residents impacted by it.” But after Idalia, Cullinan said things changed. “It more became then they were starting to distribute it out to other places throughout the state, and it wasn’t necessarily for Charlotte County citizens,” he explained. The county began receiving complaints from citizens, wondering why the trailers were still there. Add to that the fact that these trailers aren’t exactly weather-proof. “I certainly would not want to enter into a storm with those [trailers] potentially being debris,” said Patrick Fuller, Charlotte County Emergency Management Director, during a May 28 board meeting. Cullinan told WINK the trailers are located too close to key buildings, calling it a “valid concern” as we head into another hurricane season. “Those trailers becoming projectiles hitting critical facilities such as the Emergency Operation Center, the jail, the airport,” said Cullinan. “All of those things, fire and rescue, the EMS headquarters.” So, county code compliance officers issued the Charlotte County Airport Authority with multiple code violations at the end of May, calling the trailers “junk” and giving 30 days to remove them from the property. And the FEMA trailers are not the only trailers on the chopping block. Trailers and campers owned by Regional Homes, also located on a separate airport property just down the road, have to go too. “If they’re not removed within those 30 days, we will then schedule them for a hearing before the code enforcement magistrate,” said Cullinan. While Regional Homes is set to vacate by the end of the month, FEMA’s lease won’t be up for another six months. “We [Charlotte County Airport Authority] plan to honor that agreement on our end,” said Kaley Miller, director of marketing and communications. “However, FEMA has assured us they would move the trailers to a safer location if there was a hurricane forecasted here.” So, WINK reached out to FEMA to ask what they’re planning to do and received the following statement: “FEMA has been partnering with the airport to stage temporary housing units that were used to help survivors following Hurricane Ian. Many of these units are now being sold to disaster survivors or through the General Services Administration auction. We are working with the airport to support any information requirements for the county.”