“Like a Football”: Man accused of throwing dog over apartment balconyCape Coral man federally sentenced for COVID-19 relief fraud
FORT MYERS “Like a Football”: Man accused of throwing dog over apartment balcony The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man who stands accused of animal cruelty, throwing his dog over an apartment balcony.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man federally sentenced for COVID-19 relief fraud A Cape Coral man has been sentenced to 45 months in federal prison for bank fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
The Weather Authority The Weather Authority: More rain and storms for your Tuesday plans The Weather Authority is tracking isolated rain and storms arriving inland before moving towards the coast.
lehigh acres 1 dead following deadly crash into canal in Lehigh Acres The Florida Highway Patrol and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a deadly crash in Lehigh Acres.
Motorcyclist injured after Golden Gate crash A motorcyclist is fighting to recover from a crash in a Golden Gate neighborhood on Monday.
NAPLES Patients caught in the middle of NCH and Florida Blue negotiations Patients are worried they’ll have to find new doctors if Florida Blue and NCH cannot reach an agreement.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Apartment community center ransacked in Downtown Fort Myers Residents in a luxury apartment woke up on Sunday morning to ransacked packages and what appeared to be blood splatters on the floor.
CAPE CORAL Families forced to vacate Cape Coral find out on WINK News Neighbors living into Cape Coral told WINK News they found out from our reporting last month that soon they’ll have to vacate the properties they’re currently living in and renting.
FORT MYERS Local art institutions still feeling pinch of DeSantis’ $32 million art grant veto Southwest Florida’s growing art landscape is feeling the effects of Governor Ron DeSantis’ art grant veto and is trying to bounce back.
CAPTIVA Captiva Beach continues renourishment project Nearly two years later, the recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian continue on Captiva Beach. People WINK News spoke with say it’s a work in progress since Hurricane Ian, but they are hopeful as more time passes and more sand is brought in for beach renourishment.
Proposal to mine in the Everglades withdrawn for now The now-withdrawn proposal for the Southland Water Resource Project was submitted to the South Florida Water Management District in July by contractor Phillips and Jordan.
FORT MYERS Bishop Verot cross-country runner commits to UF The Bishop Verot Catholic High School senior won a state championship last year. Now, she’s committed to running at the University of Florida.
DeSantis fights back on Amendment 4 Florida may not be the swing state it used to be, but we’ll be on the map and certainly making headlines for at least one big reason this year: Abortion.
The do’s and don’ts of ATV’s An investigation is underway after a car crashed into an ATV with six people, including children, on it. Concerns are now being raised over the rules and regulations of ATVs.
SANIBEL Sanibel city council votes on E-bike limits The Sanibel City Council has voted to set new speed limits for e-bikes and whether they can ride on the island’s bike paths.
FORT MYERS “Like a Football”: Man accused of throwing dog over apartment balcony The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man who stands accused of animal cruelty, throwing his dog over an apartment balcony.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man federally sentenced for COVID-19 relief fraud A Cape Coral man has been sentenced to 45 months in federal prison for bank fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
The Weather Authority The Weather Authority: More rain and storms for your Tuesday plans The Weather Authority is tracking isolated rain and storms arriving inland before moving towards the coast.
lehigh acres 1 dead following deadly crash into canal in Lehigh Acres The Florida Highway Patrol and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a deadly crash in Lehigh Acres.
Motorcyclist injured after Golden Gate crash A motorcyclist is fighting to recover from a crash in a Golden Gate neighborhood on Monday.
NAPLES Patients caught in the middle of NCH and Florida Blue negotiations Patients are worried they’ll have to find new doctors if Florida Blue and NCH cannot reach an agreement.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Apartment community center ransacked in Downtown Fort Myers Residents in a luxury apartment woke up on Sunday morning to ransacked packages and what appeared to be blood splatters on the floor.
CAPE CORAL Families forced to vacate Cape Coral find out on WINK News Neighbors living into Cape Coral told WINK News they found out from our reporting last month that soon they’ll have to vacate the properties they’re currently living in and renting.
FORT MYERS Local art institutions still feeling pinch of DeSantis’ $32 million art grant veto Southwest Florida’s growing art landscape is feeling the effects of Governor Ron DeSantis’ art grant veto and is trying to bounce back.
CAPTIVA Captiva Beach continues renourishment project Nearly two years later, the recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian continue on Captiva Beach. People WINK News spoke with say it’s a work in progress since Hurricane Ian, but they are hopeful as more time passes and more sand is brought in for beach renourishment.
Proposal to mine in the Everglades withdrawn for now The now-withdrawn proposal for the Southland Water Resource Project was submitted to the South Florida Water Management District in July by contractor Phillips and Jordan.
FORT MYERS Bishop Verot cross-country runner commits to UF The Bishop Verot Catholic High School senior won a state championship last year. Now, she’s committed to running at the University of Florida.
DeSantis fights back on Amendment 4 Florida may not be the swing state it used to be, but we’ll be on the map and certainly making headlines for at least one big reason this year: Abortion.
The do’s and don’ts of ATV’s An investigation is underway after a car crashed into an ATV with six people, including children, on it. Concerns are now being raised over the rules and regulations of ATVs.
SANIBEL Sanibel city council votes on E-bike limits The Sanibel City Council has voted to set new speed limits for e-bikes and whether they can ride on the island’s bike paths.
Things turned sour for Sweet’s Diner on Thursday night when a car slammed through the entrance of their building. Behind the boarded-up windows, it’s not pretty. The damages are extensive but seem to be contained to the inside of the diner. READ MORE: SUV slams through restaurant in Port Charlotte WINK News reporter Maddie Heron spoke to employees at the spa next door, which shares a wall with the diner. They told WINK News that their business made it out damage-free. “I was just surprised to see somebody drove through it!” said Karen Scalisi, a frequent Sweet’s customer. Scott Sweet owns the diner. He told WINK News that a newly driving teenager crashed into the diner while trying to back out of a parking spot. “She made a mistake. We all make mistakes in life,” said Sweet. Nobody was injured, and for that, Sweet refuses to be bitter. “It’s a little shocking, and it hurts a little bit, but I know we’ll bounce back from it, so I’m not worried about it,” said Sweet. Take a look at some of these damages. The car came barreling in through the front window and all the way into where the serving area was. Credit: WINK News Credit: WINK News Sweet says that down the hallway, one of his employees was in the building because he thought he forgot to turn off one of the fryers. Luckily, he was not hurt, and neither was anyone else involved in the crash, but it did result in a lot of damage. Frequent customers told WINK News that the diner, located right off U.S. 41, is a Port Charlotte staple. “Watch for the cow on the top of the roof, and you know to turn into Sweet’s!” said Scalisi. “It’s small. It’s a ma-and-pa diner. Anytime you’re in a place like that, it’s gonna have great food. It’s gonna have a great culture. Lovely customer service,” said Justice Rewis, another frequent customer. Holding true to his family diner’s name, Scott is making sweet out of a sour situation. “Accidents do happen. We’re just going to try to make the best out of it and take all the lemons and make lemonade and make this a better place,” said Sweet. “And you know, it will be a better place when we get done with it.” Sweet told WINK News he set up a GoFundMe this morning for his 12 employees who, for the time being, are out of a job. Not even 24 hours later, and that tally is up to over $5,000. Sweet said he would do his best to help his staff and rebuild his beloved diner for the community.