Punta Gorda residents frustrated by hurricane debris delaysMiracle Moment: A rosy outlook following surprise diagnosis
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents frustrated by hurricane debris delays Many people in parts of southwest Florida feel like they’ve dealt with more than their fair share of storm damage lately.
Miracle Moment: A rosy outlook following surprise diagnosis It’s time for Miracle Moment. Today, we meet a toddler diagnosed with a disease without known prevention or cure.
Poll workers ready for Election Day rush in Collier County Poll workers gear up for a busy Tuesday in Collier County; some have been there for a while, and this year marks their first time working at a polling place for others.
CAPE CORAL Voters decide: Will Cape Coral City Council members stay or go? Stipends, Jaycee Park and new developments have been topics of concern in the City of Cape Coral for months now.
MATLACHA Lee County residents still dealing with damage from hurricanes Hurricane recovery has been an ongoing project here in Southwest Florida since Hurricane Ian.
FGCU Former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III makes PGA Tour After playing two seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour, former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III is moving up to the PGA Tour.
Parents cast their votes for Lee County school superintendent With just hours now until the election, WINK News wants to highlight a few local races that haven’t gotten as much attention. One of them is the election of Lee County’s next superintendent of schools.
NORTH FORT MYERS Former Dollar General employee accused of stealing $7,000 in returns A woman has been arrested after defrauding a Dollar General in North Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH The Tropics and Red Tide; what happens if or when they interact? The Tropics are active despite the fact that there’s less than a month left in hurricane season. But how will a system interact with red tide?
CAPE CORAL Police investigate gunfire at Cape Coral rental home The bullet holes left behind by shots heard in a normally quiet Cape Coral neighborhood scared one woman into buying security cameras for her home.
CAPE CORAL Bimini Basin residents face housing challenges Time is running out for the families who live in one Cape Coral community to find places to call home.
Harris and Trump make a furious final push before Election Day A presidential campaign that has careened through a felony trial, an incumbent president being pushed off the ticket and multiple assassination attempts comes down to a final sprint across a handful of states on Election Day eve.
Using AI to detect pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. That’s due in part to the limited testing available for early detection.
the weather authority Tropical Storm Rafael forms in the Caribbean The Weather Authority meteorologists are monitoring the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Rafael has formed.
CAPE CORAL JROTC cadets prepare for Cape Coral Veterans Day Parade Cape Coral High School JROTC students will march to honor our veterans.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents frustrated by hurricane debris delays Many people in parts of southwest Florida feel like they’ve dealt with more than their fair share of storm damage lately.
Miracle Moment: A rosy outlook following surprise diagnosis It’s time for Miracle Moment. Today, we meet a toddler diagnosed with a disease without known prevention or cure.
Poll workers ready for Election Day rush in Collier County Poll workers gear up for a busy Tuesday in Collier County; some have been there for a while, and this year marks their first time working at a polling place for others.
CAPE CORAL Voters decide: Will Cape Coral City Council members stay or go? Stipends, Jaycee Park and new developments have been topics of concern in the City of Cape Coral for months now.
MATLACHA Lee County residents still dealing with damage from hurricanes Hurricane recovery has been an ongoing project here in Southwest Florida since Hurricane Ian.
FGCU Former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III makes PGA Tour After playing two seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour, former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III is moving up to the PGA Tour.
Parents cast their votes for Lee County school superintendent With just hours now until the election, WINK News wants to highlight a few local races that haven’t gotten as much attention. One of them is the election of Lee County’s next superintendent of schools.
NORTH FORT MYERS Former Dollar General employee accused of stealing $7,000 in returns A woman has been arrested after defrauding a Dollar General in North Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH The Tropics and Red Tide; what happens if or when they interact? The Tropics are active despite the fact that there’s less than a month left in hurricane season. But how will a system interact with red tide?
CAPE CORAL Police investigate gunfire at Cape Coral rental home The bullet holes left behind by shots heard in a normally quiet Cape Coral neighborhood scared one woman into buying security cameras for her home.
CAPE CORAL Bimini Basin residents face housing challenges Time is running out for the families who live in one Cape Coral community to find places to call home.
Harris and Trump make a furious final push before Election Day A presidential campaign that has careened through a felony trial, an incumbent president being pushed off the ticket and multiple assassination attempts comes down to a final sprint across a handful of states on Election Day eve.
Using AI to detect pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. That’s due in part to the limited testing available for early detection.
the weather authority Tropical Storm Rafael forms in the Caribbean The Weather Authority meteorologists are monitoring the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Rafael has formed.
CAPE CORAL JROTC cadets prepare for Cape Coral Veterans Day Parade Cape Coral High School JROTC students will march to honor our veterans.
From dealing with blaring alarms to making breakfast, parents rush their kids to the bus stop every morning … but that’s where the rushing stops. They wait. And wait. And wait for the school bus. And in the afternoon, after school? The same thing. Lee County parents know this pattern well. WINK News anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen spoke with the district about how they’ve dealt with the problem over the last two years. Believe it or not, the district has made great strides. In 2022 they were short 129 drivers. Last year, 87. This year, they’re short 75. The district has made some effective changes over the last two years. Of course, any shortage of drivers will impact students and their learning. So WINK News asked district leaders what will change this year. Boarding the iconic big yellow bus is an American staple. Cathy Roberts would know. She was a bus driver for years, and now she has the crucial task of training new Lee County drivers. “Driving is easy, the hardest part is getting acquainted with the kids, getting to know ’em,” said Roberts. Roberts is teaching that and bus safety to five new drivers. Once trained, they’ll reduce the district’s driver shortage from 75 to 70. They’re needed. Last year afternoon drop-offs were only on time 72% of the time. Jared McKinney, the Executive Director of Transportation for the Lee County School District, is working to tackle that problem. He’s no stranger to Lee County school buses. “I rode the school bus up until my 9th year here in Lee County,” McKinney said. Things have changed a lot since McKinney last rode the bus in 2000. The latest change is new bus routes for middle schoolers. “We reduced 64 of the routes from the middle school, which means we’re not going as far to travel, so they’re actually a little bit more manageable and more affordable for our drivers to make it,” said McKinney. The school also raised the bus driver’s salary from $17.50 to $18.90 an hour. But WINK asked McKinney what if these measures fail, and students and parents are still left waiting? “Well, we meet every week,” said McKinney. “We see where our problems are, we look to see where we can find solutions.” The school district hopes to adjust in real-time to any issues that may come up. During the first two weeks of school, there won’t be any changes, so the school district can fully assess how well the bus schedule is working. WINK also asked McKinney about the Where’s the Bus app and whether they’d fixed all those glitches parents dealt with last year. He said if parents have an issue, call them, but like all technology, the app will sometimes have problems.