Scattered storms ahead for your Saturday plans The Weather Authority is tracking weekend temperatures in the low to mid-90s this weekend with a chance for scattered storms this afternoon.
ESTERO Home Base Golf Tournament helps SWFL Veterans On Saturday, Copper Leaf Golf Club is hosting Home Base Florida, a national non-profit dedicated to veterans.
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.
Scattered storms ahead for your Saturday plans The Weather Authority is tracking weekend temperatures in the low to mid-90s this weekend with a chance for scattered storms this afternoon.
ESTERO Home Base Golf Tournament helps SWFL Veterans On Saturday, Copper Leaf Golf Club is hosting Home Base Florida, a national non-profit dedicated to veterans.
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.
WINK News is staying on top of a story developing near Lehigh Acres and seeing what the county is doing to help the flooded community. As WINK spoke to homeowners on Wildcat Drive, they told us they want help from the county. RELATED: Wildcat Dr. near Lehigh Acres has more problems than just flooding What we found from our calls is Lee County wants to help, but it’s going to take some work before they can start talking about fixes. WINK News anchor Claire Galt did some research into the roadblocks standing in this community’s way. “Wildcat Drive is my home,” said resident Sean Burlarely. “The river to my home, which I probably need an airboat to get to.” Burlarely said he’s used to driving his souped-up Jeep through knee-deep floodwaters like the kind that Tropical Storm Debby left behind. “It continues to get worse because people continue to mismanage the road … We really need somebody like the Board of County Commissioners to step in,” explained Burlarely. The problem is they can’t. Wildcat Drive is a private road. Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman told WINK, “Florida law prohibits us from spending taxpayer dollars on private roads, and we don’t want to break the law.” Hamman said the road needs paving, and the county has tried to work with the community to get it done. “They would contract with the county to get the road paved, and then they’d pay for it through their property taxes, like an assessment. [B]ut the residents, unfortunately, have not taken that path,” said Hamman. Now, the most the county can do when the rain comes is ensure emergency vehicles can get to people who need help. “That’s our primary concern, and that has been deemed passable,” Hamman said. Hamman said the path to paving the road is still on the table. He told WINK it’s the solution. Burlarely said he and some of his neighbors are willing to give it a try. “We’ve got to get somebody who knows how those laws work, and it’s probably a delicate thing, but that’s where we’re headed now,” said Burlarely. For neighbors to contract with the county, more than 50% of them would have to vote to do it and accept the property tax assessment.