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.
It’s no secret that the cost of everything is rising for people in Southwest Florida; the job hunt is even harder following the devastation the area saw from hurricanes Helene and Milton. Patti Teal worked for the SWFL Agency on Aging as a hurricane coordinator during Hurricane Ian. She saw firsthand the help people needed and was happy to be able to help. Now, she’s looking for a job herself. “I think more people have moved here, and that didn’t have to do with the storms, but then they’ve had to deal with the storms. And it seems to me, I’m seeing on local forums and things that there are a lot of people that are having a hard time finding jobs, and a lot of it, I think, is due to the recurring expenses from hurricanes,” Teal said. 2024 Joblink Job fair in Lee County. CREDIT: WINK News 2024 Joblink Job fair in Lee County. CREDIT: WINK News On Tuesday, the JobLink 2024 job fair was held in Lee County with the aim of helping both employers and job seekers recover from hurricanes Helene and Milton. Stephanie Sims, the director of JobLink, said the damage left behind by the storms has even impacted the number of employers they had show up to this fair. “Some employers, unfortunately, were so devastated that they couldn’t didn’t have a reason anymore to come today because maybe their facilities had taken on water or otherwise been damaged,” Sims said. The hurricanes didn’t just impact people in Southwest Florida on the job hunt, but also across the country. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a total of 10,574 initial unemployment claims were filed for the week of Oct. 19, marking the highest weekly total since the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in 2022. Sims said that JobLink plans to host another job fair in December due to the impact that the recent storms had on this one.