Homeowners bring Christmas cheer to Cape Coral with dazzling light displaysFire takes over trailer in St. James City
CAPE CORAL Homeowners bring Christmas cheer to Cape Coral with dazzling light displays We might not have snow but we do have some amazing Christmas lights. If you plan to hit the road with your family and check out the displays, WINK News has you covered.
ST. JAMES CITY Fire takes over trailer in St. James City Authorities responded to a fire in St. James City after a trailer became engulfed in flames.
Charlotte County man arrested for shooting person with flare gun A man has been arrested after shooting someone with a flare gun.
SAN CARLOS PARK Lee County School District approves bus service after mother’s fight The school district said Shannan Santiago’s kids can have a school bus because they live more than two miles away from their school.
SANIBEL Bigger and better beaches; Sanibel gets fresh sand If you haven’t been to Sanibel lately you might not recognize it. Just in time for the holidays, the island is celebrating bigger, better and more beautiful beaches.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral twins together for holidays after congenital heart defect scare Everyone together at home for Christmas. That’s the wish for one Cape Coral family since they were blessed with twins in the spring.
PORT CHARLOTTE Meeting held for future of Beach Park in Port Charlotte Beach Park in Port Charlotte has been closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton. Last week county leaders held a special meeting to come up with a solution to finally reopen the park to neighbors.
PUNTA GORDA Downtown Punta Gorda restaurant rebuilding after back-to-back storms In downtown Punta Gorda, the back-to-back hurricanes spared no one. For one restaurant, it meant starting over, cutting up the walls and redoing the floors not once but twice.
Valerie’s House offers support to those grieving this holiday season Christmas is considered a magical time for many families, but many also struggle with the loss of a loved one this time of year. Valerie’s House is opening its doors for the holidays to help struggling families deal with that grief.
Local beauty editor impacting community through Beauty Holiday event A local beauty editor turned beauty elf is using her event for the better. Wink news anchor Lindsey Sablan talked to Lindsay Peragallo, founder of Beauty Holiday. With brands such as Mac and CoverGirl, table after table was packed with self-care items at the Beauty Holiday event. It was like the elves quit the toy […]
ESTERO Study shows rent prices dropping in areas of SWFL According to national data, rent is slowly dropping in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. A new study with Florida Gulf Coast University shows the price drop might be more drastic than we think.
Ways to help with an aching head Imagine waking up with a headache so strong you can’t think, a neck pain so severe you can’t move and your eyesight suddenly turning blurry.
Novelist Randy Wayne White plans experimental citrus farming at historic Bokeelia property White just closed on a real estate deal that’s short on price but big on history with a positive outlook on the future of citrus framing.
Deadline approaching for FEMA assistance after hurricanes Milton and Helene Floridians affected by hurricanes Milton and Helene have just two weeks left to apply for federal assistance, with the deadline set for Jan. 7, 2025.
FORT MYERS Man wanted for stealing over $7K in items from Fort Myers business Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man wanted for stealing over $7,000 in items from a Fort Myers business.
CAPE CORAL Homeowners bring Christmas cheer to Cape Coral with dazzling light displays We might not have snow but we do have some amazing Christmas lights. If you plan to hit the road with your family and check out the displays, WINK News has you covered.
ST. JAMES CITY Fire takes over trailer in St. James City Authorities responded to a fire in St. James City after a trailer became engulfed in flames.
Charlotte County man arrested for shooting person with flare gun A man has been arrested after shooting someone with a flare gun.
SAN CARLOS PARK Lee County School District approves bus service after mother’s fight The school district said Shannan Santiago’s kids can have a school bus because they live more than two miles away from their school.
SANIBEL Bigger and better beaches; Sanibel gets fresh sand If you haven’t been to Sanibel lately you might not recognize it. Just in time for the holidays, the island is celebrating bigger, better and more beautiful beaches.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral twins together for holidays after congenital heart defect scare Everyone together at home for Christmas. That’s the wish for one Cape Coral family since they were blessed with twins in the spring.
PORT CHARLOTTE Meeting held for future of Beach Park in Port Charlotte Beach Park in Port Charlotte has been closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton. Last week county leaders held a special meeting to come up with a solution to finally reopen the park to neighbors.
PUNTA GORDA Downtown Punta Gorda restaurant rebuilding after back-to-back storms In downtown Punta Gorda, the back-to-back hurricanes spared no one. For one restaurant, it meant starting over, cutting up the walls and redoing the floors not once but twice.
Valerie’s House offers support to those grieving this holiday season Christmas is considered a magical time for many families, but many also struggle with the loss of a loved one this time of year. Valerie’s House is opening its doors for the holidays to help struggling families deal with that grief.
Local beauty editor impacting community through Beauty Holiday event A local beauty editor turned beauty elf is using her event for the better. Wink news anchor Lindsey Sablan talked to Lindsay Peragallo, founder of Beauty Holiday. With brands such as Mac and CoverGirl, table after table was packed with self-care items at the Beauty Holiday event. It was like the elves quit the toy […]
ESTERO Study shows rent prices dropping in areas of SWFL According to national data, rent is slowly dropping in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. A new study with Florida Gulf Coast University shows the price drop might be more drastic than we think.
Ways to help with an aching head Imagine waking up with a headache so strong you can’t think, a neck pain so severe you can’t move and your eyesight suddenly turning blurry.
Novelist Randy Wayne White plans experimental citrus farming at historic Bokeelia property White just closed on a real estate deal that’s short on price but big on history with a positive outlook on the future of citrus framing.
Deadline approaching for FEMA assistance after hurricanes Milton and Helene Floridians affected by hurricanes Milton and Helene have just two weeks left to apply for federal assistance, with the deadline set for Jan. 7, 2025.
FORT MYERS Man wanted for stealing over $7K in items from Fort Myers business Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man wanted for stealing over $7,000 in items from a Fort Myers business.
Christmas is considered a magical time for many families, but many also struggle with the loss of a loved one this time of year. Valerie’s House is opening its doors for the holidays to help struggling families deal with that grief. When Maya Greenberg lost her dad suddenly in 2021, she felt lost and hopeless. “I just really didn’t know how to deal with everything. I was having a lot of trouble in school and just a lot of trouble with everything,” said Greenberg. “I was 13, so not at a great point, and I went to my counselor one day I was just having a bad day. She was like, ‘Have you ever heard about Valerie’s house? Have you ever tried any therapy?'” Greenberg said no, but was willing to talk. “I was like, ‘You sure? Like it just, it’s a very depressing’… just a very sad theme, like, ‘Let’s get all of you guys together, put you in a room, you guys can talk about it’,” said Greenberg. “I was so scared. I didn’t want to do it. I thought it was kind of stupid.” “Scared and stupid” turned into the support Greenberg needed. “I’ve met so many people, even people that don’t even go here, like I’ve met a good friend of mine, and then he’s introduced me to people that he knows, and it’s just been a great time,” said Greenburg. Valerie’s House opens its doors to families struggling with the death of a loved one. Caretakers come in to shop for kids ranging from elementary to high schoolers. New this year: kids taking part in the program could choose gifts for their caretakers. RELATED: Southwest Florida celebrates Giving Tuesday RELATED: Mentoring program at Valerie’s House Naples helping people grieve Sean Sorrick first visited Valerie’s House as a freshman in high school. Now he’s a group leader pursuing a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. “I was just going through so much. I didn’t really have many memories, but I will say being a group facilitator was far more fulfilling and helped me more than it did as a child, in the group. So that was really cool,” said Sorrick. Emily Calderon is another group member turned graduate. She lost her mom but persevered and is now pursuing her bachelor’s degree in social work. All thanks to the people at Valerie’s house. “I met so many good social workers, and they would tell me a little bit about the field, and I would be like, this sounds like something I want to do,” said Calderon. “I know that social workers do so good for the community, and seeing them work here, and seeing like so many different social workers, I want to be able to do that.” Greenberg is not nearly as far along as Calderon and Sorrick but like them, she knows what she wants to do moving forward. “I’m actually going to start volunteering and working here next year,” said Greenburg. Greenburg wants to help people like the people at Valerie’s House who helped her.