ESTERO Black Friday traffic frustrates Estero shoppers Black Friday at Miromar Outlets turned into a nightmare as shoppers faced endless traffic jams.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Ways to give back this holiday season For those looking to get on the nice list, here are a few ways to spread holiday cheer in your community by helping those in need.
CAPE CORAL Kitchen propane tank explodes in Cape Coral home Authorities responded to a Cape Coral home after a gas tank exploded inside a kitchen Friday afternoon.
lehigh acres Lehigh Acres man accused of shooting into vehicle, injuring driver The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man who they said fired shots into a vehicle and injured a man in Lehigh Acres on Thanksgiving night.
FORT MYERS Multi-vehicle crash involving Publix truck on I-75 in Lee County A crash involving multiple vehicles, including a Publix semi-truck, has occurred in Lee County.
FEMA extends flood insurance renewal deadlines in Charlotte County FEMA policyholders in Charlotte County have until Dec. 10 to renew certain flood insurance policies.
Sanibel city contractors to begin final storm debris pick-up The City of Sanibel has announced its final storm debris pick-up date for residents.
Stay safe shopping this holiday season: Advice from local law enforcement As the holiday shopping season heats up, Southwest Florida’s sheriffs are reminding the community to stay vigilant, whether shopping in-store or online.
Sanibel National Shell Museum & Aquarium in Sanibel showcases new exhibit A plethora of international shells is currently on display for tourists and shell enthusiasts to enjoy.
WINK NEWS How to support small businesses on Small Business Saturday in Southwest Florida After hitting the big Black Friday sales at major retailers, the Better Business Bureau encourages consumers to check out small, local and independent businesses participating in Small Business Saturday (SBS).
Money saving apps that should be on your phone this holiday season Black Friday has begun, and an estimated 74% of people are expected to turn out for holiday deals; however, inflation may dampen plans this season.
Making Melodies: How a SWFL teen is putting her musical talents to charitable use The moment Thanksgiving is over, the Christmas music begins, as WINK News speaks with a talented teenager about how she’s putting her musical talents to good use.
the weather authority Cold front brings a few showers this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front accompanied by showers throughout this Friday afternoon and evening.
Black Friday store hours for 2024 Stores will offer some of the best deals of the year on Black Friday. Here are some of the store hours for Black Friday.
FORT MYERS Southwest Florida shoppers shopping last minute for Thanksgiving Last-minute Thanksgiving shoppers, we’ve all been there. Someone forgot the egg nog, the cranberry sauce or wine to deal with the in-laws.
ESTERO Black Friday traffic frustrates Estero shoppers Black Friday at Miromar Outlets turned into a nightmare as shoppers faced endless traffic jams.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Ways to give back this holiday season For those looking to get on the nice list, here are a few ways to spread holiday cheer in your community by helping those in need.
CAPE CORAL Kitchen propane tank explodes in Cape Coral home Authorities responded to a Cape Coral home after a gas tank exploded inside a kitchen Friday afternoon.
lehigh acres Lehigh Acres man accused of shooting into vehicle, injuring driver The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man who they said fired shots into a vehicle and injured a man in Lehigh Acres on Thanksgiving night.
FORT MYERS Multi-vehicle crash involving Publix truck on I-75 in Lee County A crash involving multiple vehicles, including a Publix semi-truck, has occurred in Lee County.
FEMA extends flood insurance renewal deadlines in Charlotte County FEMA policyholders in Charlotte County have until Dec. 10 to renew certain flood insurance policies.
Sanibel city contractors to begin final storm debris pick-up The City of Sanibel has announced its final storm debris pick-up date for residents.
Stay safe shopping this holiday season: Advice from local law enforcement As the holiday shopping season heats up, Southwest Florida’s sheriffs are reminding the community to stay vigilant, whether shopping in-store or online.
Sanibel National Shell Museum & Aquarium in Sanibel showcases new exhibit A plethora of international shells is currently on display for tourists and shell enthusiasts to enjoy.
WINK NEWS How to support small businesses on Small Business Saturday in Southwest Florida After hitting the big Black Friday sales at major retailers, the Better Business Bureau encourages consumers to check out small, local and independent businesses participating in Small Business Saturday (SBS).
Money saving apps that should be on your phone this holiday season Black Friday has begun, and an estimated 74% of people are expected to turn out for holiday deals; however, inflation may dampen plans this season.
Making Melodies: How a SWFL teen is putting her musical talents to charitable use The moment Thanksgiving is over, the Christmas music begins, as WINK News speaks with a talented teenager about how she’s putting her musical talents to good use.
the weather authority Cold front brings a few showers this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front accompanied by showers throughout this Friday afternoon and evening.
Black Friday store hours for 2024 Stores will offer some of the best deals of the year on Black Friday. Here are some of the store hours for Black Friday.
FORT MYERS Southwest Florida shoppers shopping last minute for Thanksgiving Last-minute Thanksgiving shoppers, we’ve all been there. Someone forgot the egg nog, the cranberry sauce or wine to deal with the in-laws.
Black Friday at Miromar Outlets turned into a nightmare as shoppers faced endless traffic jams. Frustrated drivers spent hours trying to leave. Some without even stepping foot in a store. Imagine heading out to Miramar outlets in Estero for some black Friday shopping.You start searching for a parking spot but Instead, you are met with intense traffic. That’s the reality for thousands of shoppers on Friday evening. “I’ve been in line two and a half hours. I couldn’t find a spot to begin with and then I said, ‘Well, I must just leave’,” said Diane. “And two and a half hours I’ve been sitting in this one line trying to get out of here.” “This is very frustrating. I came at 1:30. I haven’t gotten out of my car since. I haven’t even shopped,” said another driver named Jan. For many, after having tough luck finding parking, they decided they’d be better off leaving and forgetting about shopping. So, they sat in their cars in traffic just trying to leave the mall for hours. “Went over on the north end to see if I could find a spot, and then I gave up from there and came down this road here, and that’s when the bottleneck started. But I think the bottleneck is everywhere,” said Jan. WINK News crews were in the same boat, after no luck with parking, reporter Olivia Jean decided to leave and sat in traffic for 4 plus hours. Miromar Outlets traffic Miromar Outlets traffic The pictures above were taken hours apart by our WINK News crew. The first photo was taken around 2 p.m. Friday and the second was taken after 6:30 p.m. “I wouldn’t do it again. I never thought it would be like this or I wouldn’t have come,” said Diane. Many say the hassle is not worth it and they won’t be back. “I won’t come here again next year. It’s just too crazy,” said Jan. “We haven’t moved it’s it’s been horrible,” said another group. “So not worth the Black Friday. It’s not worth it, not at all. I’ve never seen it like this. I feel like last year it was nothing like this.” Our WINK News crew is still in that traffic. They got to the mall around 1:30 p.m. and never even parked. Stay tuned to WINKNews.com, WINK News App, streaming, and on-air for any new developments on this story.