WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 3 Thunderstorms tried to put a stop to week three of high school football on Friday Night, but gridiron action prevailed.
Man accused of plotting murder-for-hire denied bond A man suspected of being involved with a murder-for-hire plot will stay behind bars. Ryan Toranzo had his renewed motion to set bond denied today in Collier County Court.
LABELLE Two dead after crash on State Road 80 According to the Florida Highway Patrol, there was a crash on State Road 80 that has left at least one person dead Friday evening.
DeSoto County looks to recruit more teachers While it can sometimes be easy to fill a classroom with students, it is not so easy for teachers. Schools across the nation and locally in Southwest Florida are still dealing with the challenges of teacher shortages. With class back in session, so is teacher recruiting for DeSoto County schools. The assistant superintendent, Jake Reynolds, […]
IMMOKALEE ROAD Push for change after deadly crash on Immokalee Rd. We’re told the woman was driving with two kids in the car when a semi ran a red light and hit her Thursday morning.
FORT MYERS BEACH Mobi-Mats deployed on Fort Myers Beach A walkway to paradise! Brand new and blue, the Mobi-Mat is making things easier for Fort Myers Beachgoers.
NAPLES Women of Steel business conference inspiring and empowering women Focused, hardworking, empowered. These women have made a name for themselves as Women of Steel.
NAPLES Beloved Collier County bus driver retires after 20 years After 20 years of getting kids to school safely, a beloved Collier County bus driver is retiring.
Wade Wilson has new death row mugshot Convicted double-killer Wade Wilson has a new death row mugshot.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Sizzle Dining is back in SWFL It’s Sizzle Season! Local restaurants are ready to welcome new faces by offering exclusive menu deals to attract new customers.
PORT CHARLOTTE Player of the Week: Logan Flaherty Port Charlotte’s QB found the endzone twice himself and had two passing touchdowns in the Pirate’s week two victory over North Fort Myers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral police investigating scooter crash Authorities are investigating a crash in Cape Coral that injured a scooter rider.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach artist’s paint supplies dumped in canal Rogers is a local artist who has painted iconic Fort Myers Beach landmarks like the pier. Sadly, his supplies were taken away, and now he needs your help finding them.
NORTH FORT MYERS Bodycam footage shows deputies respond to NFM alligator attack Lee County Sheriff’s Office has released the bodycam footage as deputies arrive on the scene in North Fort Myers after a gator bit a woman walking her dog near a pond on Thursday night.
Modified form of herpes virus used for melanoma treatment The skin cancer melanoma is one of the most common and serious cancers in the U.S. It can be life-threatening in as little as six weeks.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 3 Thunderstorms tried to put a stop to week three of high school football on Friday Night, but gridiron action prevailed.
Man accused of plotting murder-for-hire denied bond A man suspected of being involved with a murder-for-hire plot will stay behind bars. Ryan Toranzo had his renewed motion to set bond denied today in Collier County Court.
LABELLE Two dead after crash on State Road 80 According to the Florida Highway Patrol, there was a crash on State Road 80 that has left at least one person dead Friday evening.
DeSoto County looks to recruit more teachers While it can sometimes be easy to fill a classroom with students, it is not so easy for teachers. Schools across the nation and locally in Southwest Florida are still dealing with the challenges of teacher shortages. With class back in session, so is teacher recruiting for DeSoto County schools. The assistant superintendent, Jake Reynolds, […]
IMMOKALEE ROAD Push for change after deadly crash on Immokalee Rd. We’re told the woman was driving with two kids in the car when a semi ran a red light and hit her Thursday morning.
FORT MYERS BEACH Mobi-Mats deployed on Fort Myers Beach A walkway to paradise! Brand new and blue, the Mobi-Mat is making things easier for Fort Myers Beachgoers.
NAPLES Women of Steel business conference inspiring and empowering women Focused, hardworking, empowered. These women have made a name for themselves as Women of Steel.
NAPLES Beloved Collier County bus driver retires after 20 years After 20 years of getting kids to school safely, a beloved Collier County bus driver is retiring.
Wade Wilson has new death row mugshot Convicted double-killer Wade Wilson has a new death row mugshot.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Sizzle Dining is back in SWFL It’s Sizzle Season! Local restaurants are ready to welcome new faces by offering exclusive menu deals to attract new customers.
PORT CHARLOTTE Player of the Week: Logan Flaherty Port Charlotte’s QB found the endzone twice himself and had two passing touchdowns in the Pirate’s week two victory over North Fort Myers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral police investigating scooter crash Authorities are investigating a crash in Cape Coral that injured a scooter rider.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach artist’s paint supplies dumped in canal Rogers is a local artist who has painted iconic Fort Myers Beach landmarks like the pier. Sadly, his supplies were taken away, and now he needs your help finding them.
NORTH FORT MYERS Bodycam footage shows deputies respond to NFM alligator attack Lee County Sheriff’s Office has released the bodycam footage as deputies arrive on the scene in North Fort Myers after a gator bit a woman walking her dog near a pond on Thursday night.
Modified form of herpes virus used for melanoma treatment The skin cancer melanoma is one of the most common and serious cancers in the U.S. It can be life-threatening in as little as six weeks.
Burmese Pythons have been classified as an invasive species; however, there may be another invasive species they carry: parasites. A team of researchers at Florida Gulf Coast University has been studying and tracking parasites from within the slithery suspects and how they may affect the environment. “It’s important to know what parasites these invasive species have, so we can understand the potential for zoonosis or the transmission of diseases from wild animals to humans or domestic pets,” said FGCU Assistant Professor of Biology Christina Anaya. “We have records of invasive species transmitting their parasites to our native species, demonstrated in pythons.” FGCU biologists have been tracking numerous parasites; however, they are hunting for a specific worm that may be a possible connection to the declining native snake population. RELATED: Hunters prevent 76 Burmese pythons and their 17-foot mother from devastating Everglades ecosystem “Some of these parasites are the cause of that, but it has been demonstrated in the python lungworm,” said Anaya. “We’re starting to find it now in all of our native snakes we work on.” Student researchers have remained adamant in discovering the cause of the decline for the Florida native snake species. “Florida species don’t necessarily have the immunity to be able to combat them easily,” said FGCU student Leandra Milton, “so they potentially have a higher infection rate, which could cause a lot of mortality for our native species.” Snakes have not been the only reptiles affected by parasitic strains. Iguana eggs have tested positive for parasites. The unfortunate news is that the parasites are here to stay, and they might pose a considerable threat to Florida native species, causing a ripple effect in our ecosystem. Our native snake species help reduce the populations of rodents, while non-venomous snakes have kept venomous species in check. While the future may seem grim, Anaya offered some potentially good news. “There’s a very little, very little danger of humans becoming infected with these parasites, and that is in our nonnative species or native species for that matter,” she said. “On occasion, a parasite may find its way into a human through consumption of food, and they’re not in the right host. They don’t want to be there.”