Adopt a Mangrove event helps protect Sanibel’s shorelineCommunity comes together to help Bokeelia fish house
Adopt a Mangrove event helps protect Sanibel’s shoreline Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation invited you to adopt your very own mangrove tree. The program allows volunteers to adopt and grow mangrove seedlings to help the island’s storm surge defense.
BOKEELIA Community comes together to help Bokeelia fish house The owner of Capt’n Con’s Fish House recently said she didn’t think they would be able to keep their doors open.
Fort Myers Beach couple remains positive ahead of heavy rain Fort Myers Beach is projected to receive inches of rain on Saturday, a little over a week after Helene. A Fort Myers Beach couple remains positive despite losing so much during Helene.
Lee County School District announces Helene makeup days Hurricane Helene canceled school days across Southwest Florida, and now schools are making up for the lost days.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors worried about future rain in Port Charlotte Flooded streets and road closure signs. These aren’t from a hurricane. Just an afternoon rain shower.
Charlotte Sheriff opposes Amendment 3 A highly debated topic that is going to be on the ballot in the state of Florida this November is Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana.
CAPTIVA Sanibel and Captiva picking back up after Helene It’s a race against the clock for all of Southwest Florida as communities pick up from Hurricane Helene. Rain is in the forecast again.
FORT MYERS BEACH A village helps a man rebuild on Fort Myers Beach With Helene on our minds, it’s hard to miss the impact Hurricane Ian still has on so many people two years later.
Charlotte County says they don’t have drainage issues in Port Charlotte A community left water logged over and over again is ready for it to end.
Bank of America says outages have been fixed Bank of America said an apparent glitch that caused widespread outages has been fixed.
TICE Second woman dead after September stabbing in Tice A second woman is dead after a stabbing. It happened on Sept. 20 on Montgomery Avenue in Tice.
VILLAS WINK News Game of the Week: Oasis at ECS Our WINK News Game of the Week brings us to Evangelical Christian School as the Sentinels host the Oasis High School Sharks.
FORT MYERS WINK News Player of the Week: Bishop Verot QB Carter Smith Our week six Wink News player of the week is one of the best in Lee County and the country: Bishop Verot High School quarterback Carter Smith.
FEMA offering disaster survivor assistance for those impacted by Helene If your home flooded during Hurricane Helene, you’re probably gutting the drywall and drying everything out as best you can, but what else do you need to do to get the help you need?
FORT MYERS Lee Health using newer screening methods to find early lung cancer Lee Health doubled the number of robot screenings to look for early stage lung cancer.
Adopt a Mangrove event helps protect Sanibel’s shoreline Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation invited you to adopt your very own mangrove tree. The program allows volunteers to adopt and grow mangrove seedlings to help the island’s storm surge defense.
BOKEELIA Community comes together to help Bokeelia fish house The owner of Capt’n Con’s Fish House recently said she didn’t think they would be able to keep their doors open.
Fort Myers Beach couple remains positive ahead of heavy rain Fort Myers Beach is projected to receive inches of rain on Saturday, a little over a week after Helene. A Fort Myers Beach couple remains positive despite losing so much during Helene.
Lee County School District announces Helene makeup days Hurricane Helene canceled school days across Southwest Florida, and now schools are making up for the lost days.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors worried about future rain in Port Charlotte Flooded streets and road closure signs. These aren’t from a hurricane. Just an afternoon rain shower.
Charlotte Sheriff opposes Amendment 3 A highly debated topic that is going to be on the ballot in the state of Florida this November is Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana.
CAPTIVA Sanibel and Captiva picking back up after Helene It’s a race against the clock for all of Southwest Florida as communities pick up from Hurricane Helene. Rain is in the forecast again.
FORT MYERS BEACH A village helps a man rebuild on Fort Myers Beach With Helene on our minds, it’s hard to miss the impact Hurricane Ian still has on so many people two years later.
Charlotte County says they don’t have drainage issues in Port Charlotte A community left water logged over and over again is ready for it to end.
Bank of America says outages have been fixed Bank of America said an apparent glitch that caused widespread outages has been fixed.
TICE Second woman dead after September stabbing in Tice A second woman is dead after a stabbing. It happened on Sept. 20 on Montgomery Avenue in Tice.
VILLAS WINK News Game of the Week: Oasis at ECS Our WINK News Game of the Week brings us to Evangelical Christian School as the Sentinels host the Oasis High School Sharks.
FORT MYERS WINK News Player of the Week: Bishop Verot QB Carter Smith Our week six Wink News player of the week is one of the best in Lee County and the country: Bishop Verot High School quarterback Carter Smith.
FEMA offering disaster survivor assistance for those impacted by Helene If your home flooded during Hurricane Helene, you’re probably gutting the drywall and drying everything out as best you can, but what else do you need to do to get the help you need?
FORT MYERS Lee Health using newer screening methods to find early lung cancer Lee Health doubled the number of robot screenings to look for early stage lung cancer.
Deysi Acosta Credit: The Collier County Sheriff’s Office On Friday, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office interviewed at least one more mom who sent her daughter to a daycare now under investigation for child abuse. On Wednesday, 54-year-old Deysi Acosta appeared in court. She’s free on a $10,000 bond, but her in-home daycare appears to be closed. WINK News searched and could not find a license for her daycare. This is a red flag for Jacqueline Stephens, CEO of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collier County. “A family unlicensed daycare–there’s not a lot of eyes there,” said Stephens. Not a lot of adult eyes, but a child’s eyes led to Acosta’s arrest. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office report says an “Unknown 6 to 8-year-old female child” hid an iPad “So she could show it to the police.” She mentions to another child how the victim is being abused. “It’s just so sad to see anything like that happen with children,” said Stephens. Stephens told WINK she knew about the case and had reviewed the video. Although the baby is just 11 months old, could abuse like this impact his development? “Yes, it can have an impact on children that young, particularly when it’s ongoing and chronic. Abuse, it actually interferes with brain development, and you can see a difference on CAT scans and MRIs,” said Stephens. “So it could have a really devastating effect on kids.” The arrest report lists just one instance of abuse in July, but it paints a picture of what could have been going on inside the daycare. Let’s keep in mind that a six-year-old girl knew enough in advance to record the spanking. That got the attention of WINK News safety and security specialist Kristen Ziman, a retired police chief. “Obviously, this child had had the instinct and wherewithal to record the video of this occurring, which is just remarkable in this case,” said Ziman. “I don’t know what to say about that. That’s amazing,” said Stephens. Stephens told WINK News that even witnessing that kind of abuse could be traumatic for the little girl and everyone else. “Because her child is in distress, or it’s just a chaotic environment, and that is just not the best atmosphere for children to grow and develop in,” said Stephens. Stephens advises that parents looking for childcare should only use a licensed daycare because it typically has more than one adult and cameras that parents can watch. In an unlicensed daycare, you get what you get. WINK News did a background check on Acosta and only found a few traffic tickets. Nothing criminal. CCSO will not say whether they have identified more victims. One mom told WINK News a detective interviewed her on Friday after seeing the story air on WINK.