MANASOTA KEY Monitoring Red Tide in Charlotte County All eyes were on the Gulf waters Tuesday afternoon, where daily testing is underway to determine whether red tide is killing fish in the waters off Charlotte County.
NAPLES WINK Exclusive: First look inside a new Naples theater It’s curtain up in Naples for a newly renovated theater right downtown. People on the inside hope it will be a big part of the city’s future. In a WINK News exclusive, we get a first look inside.
matlacha Matlacha struggles to recover after hurricanes; wants answers and plan of action Is Matlacha forgotten? People in Matlacha still have questions following a civic association meeting Monday night that focused on rebuilding the island after recent storms.
CAPE CORAL Oasis Gator girls win first county crown For the first time in program history, the Oasis Middle School girls’ basketball team went undefeated and the history making didn’t stop there.
ARCADIA DeSoto County school resource officer becomes key in solving case A trusted school resource officer’s connection with students becomes the key to a difficult case.
FORT MYERS SWFL job seekers and employers feeling strain post hurricanes The recent hurricanes that hit Southwest Florida is having an impact on not only the number of people looking for jobs but also employers
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO steps in to help Shell Factory animals relocate after closure For 86 years, the Shell Factory served the people in North Fort Myers. It gave the community a chance to experience nature up close, but it closed down last month.
FORT MYERS New flight delay refund policies you should know If you plan to fly soon, you should know your rights because some big changes in the airline industry just went into effect.
NAPLES Gov. DeSantis campaigns in Naples against Amendment 4 Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference in Collier County where he made his case on why Floridians should vote against Amendment 4.
MIAMI Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. talks second season and Mexico City game Miami Heat second year standout guard Jaime Jaquez spoke with WINK News about his growth from his rookie season and the game in Mexico City.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Airport expansion adds space and amenities for flyers The Punta Gorda Airport is expanding to create a higher quality place for travelers with more space and modern upgrades.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Early voters cast their ballots ahead of the 2024 election Early voting is currently underway in southwest Florida. Signs urging people to vote are everywhere, and long lines of voters show that people are taking notice and casting their ballots in the presidential election
Heart-kidney health connection Vital organs work together to keep the body healthy, and that connection runs deep. When one isn’t working properly, it can negatively impact the other, leading to more health complications.
Youngquist Brothers rock mine sells for SWFL record $620M A $620 million land deal believed to be the most lucrative in Southwest Florida history became official Oct. 28, as about 2,000 acres, including an active rock mine, changed ownership.
Experts closely watch SWFL real estate market after Helene, Milton Realtors and analysts are monitoring recent residential real estate transactions in Southwest Florida to gauge whether prices will remain steady, decrease or increase in the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton.
MANASOTA KEY Monitoring Red Tide in Charlotte County All eyes were on the Gulf waters Tuesday afternoon, where daily testing is underway to determine whether red tide is killing fish in the waters off Charlotte County.
NAPLES WINK Exclusive: First look inside a new Naples theater It’s curtain up in Naples for a newly renovated theater right downtown. People on the inside hope it will be a big part of the city’s future. In a WINK News exclusive, we get a first look inside.
matlacha Matlacha struggles to recover after hurricanes; wants answers and plan of action Is Matlacha forgotten? People in Matlacha still have questions following a civic association meeting Monday night that focused on rebuilding the island after recent storms.
CAPE CORAL Oasis Gator girls win first county crown For the first time in program history, the Oasis Middle School girls’ basketball team went undefeated and the history making didn’t stop there.
ARCADIA DeSoto County school resource officer becomes key in solving case A trusted school resource officer’s connection with students becomes the key to a difficult case.
FORT MYERS SWFL job seekers and employers feeling strain post hurricanes The recent hurricanes that hit Southwest Florida is having an impact on not only the number of people looking for jobs but also employers
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO steps in to help Shell Factory animals relocate after closure For 86 years, the Shell Factory served the people in North Fort Myers. It gave the community a chance to experience nature up close, but it closed down last month.
FORT MYERS New flight delay refund policies you should know If you plan to fly soon, you should know your rights because some big changes in the airline industry just went into effect.
NAPLES Gov. DeSantis campaigns in Naples against Amendment 4 Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference in Collier County where he made his case on why Floridians should vote against Amendment 4.
MIAMI Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. talks second season and Mexico City game Miami Heat second year standout guard Jaime Jaquez spoke with WINK News about his growth from his rookie season and the game in Mexico City.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Airport expansion adds space and amenities for flyers The Punta Gorda Airport is expanding to create a higher quality place for travelers with more space and modern upgrades.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Early voters cast their ballots ahead of the 2024 election Early voting is currently underway in southwest Florida. Signs urging people to vote are everywhere, and long lines of voters show that people are taking notice and casting their ballots in the presidential election
Heart-kidney health connection Vital organs work together to keep the body healthy, and that connection runs deep. When one isn’t working properly, it can negatively impact the other, leading to more health complications.
Youngquist Brothers rock mine sells for SWFL record $620M A $620 million land deal believed to be the most lucrative in Southwest Florida history became official Oct. 28, as about 2,000 acres, including an active rock mine, changed ownership.
Experts closely watch SWFL real estate market after Helene, Milton Realtors and analysts are monitoring recent residential real estate transactions in Southwest Florida to gauge whether prices will remain steady, decrease or increase in the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton.
For 86 years, the Shell Factory served the people in North Fort Myers. It gave the community a chance to experience nature up close, but it closed down last month. That meant many of their animals needed to be relocated. Where some people saw a problem, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office saw an opportunity. RELATED: Shell Factory in North Fort Myers closes Credit: The Shell Factory & Nature Park They decided to take some of the animals and keep them local, staying at Sheriff Carmine Marceno‘s Nan’s Ranch. “Recently, with the Shell Factory closing, we’ve been in discussion a lot with the owner of the Shell Factory, and over 400 animals had to be really relocated, so we had an opportunity, and we wanted to help the Shell Factory,” Marceno said. Nan’s Ranch is a working animal ranch run by LCSO and maintained by non-violent inmates. The ranch took in eight animals from the shell factory: two lemurs, two kudamaundi, two albino turtles, one bare-eyed cockatoo and one three-banded armadillo. The program teaches inmates new skills, as they care for many animals. “They absolutely love it. They come out. They love the animals. They feed them every day. It is a prize for them to be able to come out and just work on the ranch,” said first-class deputy Angela Taylor, LCSO. Marceno spoke about the next steps for the animals. “We have to adapt them to their new environment and also have people that can understand how to work with them, to feed them, to take care of them, so it’s been a little bit of a process, but it’s been a great process. It’s been seamless, and again, to keep these animals home here in Lee County is the real win,” he said. Now, these former Shell Factory Nature Park residents have found their forever home at Nan’s Ranch.