Naples man accused of hit-and-run crash on Cypress Way EProtecting Panthers: How Conservation Florida secured its latest 60 acre land acquistion
NORTH NAPLES Naples man accused of hit-and-run crash on Cypress Way E A hit-and-run incident in North Naples led to the arrest of a driver after a crash involving a Chevy pickup and a Mazda.
copeland Protecting Panthers: How Conservation Florida secured its latest 60 acre land acquistion Conservation efforts have been ongoing in Florida, as the native wildlife are at constant risk of being pushed out due to an influx of people moving to the state.
the weather authority Lots of sunshine for your Wednesday The Weather Authority is tracking plenty of sunshine and warmer temperatures ahead of a weak cold front.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up Mar. 19 While construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen, in this web-exclusive feature, knows the best way to traverse the roadways.
Collier County sees new funding to protect homes from hurricane damage A new grant program offers financial assistance to homeowners in Collier County to help protect their properties from hurricane damage.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman killed, 4 kids injured in rollover crash on Winkler Road A rollover crash at the intersection of Winkler Road and Sunset Drive in Fort Myers has left a woman dead.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers council vote blocks ICE deal, sparking protests and debate Controversy erupted in Fort Myers after a deadlocked vote led to the rejection of a proposed partnership between the Fort Myers Police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Southwest Florida braces for hurricane season with new tracking updates Hurricane season is approaching, and changes are coming to the way important storm information is shared.
Fort Myers council’s ICE decision could put state support in jeopardy The Fort Myers City Council is dealing with a deadlock on immigration policies, resulting in a heated debate that has reached beyond local borders.
Southwest Florida Jim Oberweis seeks SWFL seat as Byron Donalds plans governor campaign Southwest Florida is poised for a political shift as Byron Donalds eyes a run for governor.
LEHIGH ACRES Free and low cost mammogram screenings in Lehigh Acres for eligible women The Florida Department of Health in Lee County is bringing a 3D Mobile Mammography bus to Lehigh Acres.
NAPLES Hurricane resiliency forum hosted in Naples Naples residents are taking proactive steps to prepare for hurricane season.
FORT MYERS SHORES Fort Myers Shores teacher wins battle to save her hurricane-hit home A woman in Fort Myers Shores thought she had lost everything when Hurricane Milton wrecked her home, but now she has a second chance.
WINK NEWS Young pitcher returns to the mound after cancer battle Eleven-year-old Michael Misek is back on the pitcher’s mound after facing a challenging battle with cancer.
FORT MYERS Is your investment too good to be true? How to steer clear of scams If an investment opportunity feels too good to be true, then it probably is.
NORTH NAPLES Naples man accused of hit-and-run crash on Cypress Way E A hit-and-run incident in North Naples led to the arrest of a driver after a crash involving a Chevy pickup and a Mazda.
copeland Protecting Panthers: How Conservation Florida secured its latest 60 acre land acquistion Conservation efforts have been ongoing in Florida, as the native wildlife are at constant risk of being pushed out due to an influx of people moving to the state.
the weather authority Lots of sunshine for your Wednesday The Weather Authority is tracking plenty of sunshine and warmer temperatures ahead of a weak cold front.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up Mar. 19 While construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen, in this web-exclusive feature, knows the best way to traverse the roadways.
Collier County sees new funding to protect homes from hurricane damage A new grant program offers financial assistance to homeowners in Collier County to help protect their properties from hurricane damage.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman killed, 4 kids injured in rollover crash on Winkler Road A rollover crash at the intersection of Winkler Road and Sunset Drive in Fort Myers has left a woman dead.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers council vote blocks ICE deal, sparking protests and debate Controversy erupted in Fort Myers after a deadlocked vote led to the rejection of a proposed partnership between the Fort Myers Police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Southwest Florida braces for hurricane season with new tracking updates Hurricane season is approaching, and changes are coming to the way important storm information is shared.
Fort Myers council’s ICE decision could put state support in jeopardy The Fort Myers City Council is dealing with a deadlock on immigration policies, resulting in a heated debate that has reached beyond local borders.
Southwest Florida Jim Oberweis seeks SWFL seat as Byron Donalds plans governor campaign Southwest Florida is poised for a political shift as Byron Donalds eyes a run for governor.
LEHIGH ACRES Free and low cost mammogram screenings in Lehigh Acres for eligible women The Florida Department of Health in Lee County is bringing a 3D Mobile Mammography bus to Lehigh Acres.
NAPLES Hurricane resiliency forum hosted in Naples Naples residents are taking proactive steps to prepare for hurricane season.
FORT MYERS SHORES Fort Myers Shores teacher wins battle to save her hurricane-hit home A woman in Fort Myers Shores thought she had lost everything when Hurricane Milton wrecked her home, but now she has a second chance.
WINK NEWS Young pitcher returns to the mound after cancer battle Eleven-year-old Michael Misek is back on the pitcher’s mound after facing a challenging battle with cancer.
FORT MYERS Is your investment too good to be true? How to steer clear of scams If an investment opportunity feels too good to be true, then it probably is.
WALDO camera system on Marco Island CAP plane. If a picture is worth a thousand words, the images taken by the WALDO camera system are measured in lives saved. “It’s a magnitude of difference, because instead of using a camera hanging out the window, now WALDO actually can track the paths of tornadoes,” said Lt. Col. Robert Nager, commander of the Marco Island Civil Air Patrol. The Marco Island Civil Air Patrol got their WALDO camera system back in December, and WINK News reporter Amy Galo got a chance to see how it all works. “It can track the paths of the disaster, and it can give you real time, or near real time, information, which then can be uploaded into the national authorities for them to react,” explained Nager. It does all of this from thousands of feet up in the sky at 100 miles per hour. WALDO can take anywhere between 1500 and 2000 photos per mission. “The resolution of this camera is about two inches,” said 2nd Lt. Paul Hutchinson with Marco Island Civil Air Patrol. “It’s five centimeters, and that’s typically the lowest resolution we’ll go down to. If you were going to look at a Google Earth, that’s roughly 20 to 25 centimeters.” That means WALDO gets a five times better image that then turns into a near 3D model that can be combined with AI to provide critical information. An image taken by Marco Island Civil Air Patrol using WALDO compared to a Google Earth Image. “You can actually measure how much sand, how much dirt, how much fill you need to repair the road, and how much asphalt you need to bring there,” said Hutchinson as he showed WINK News reporter Amy Galo how the WALDO system works. “So there’s no wasted resources.” The Marco Island Civil Air Patrol can use this system to give first responders and FEMA near real-time data. “In previous events, the civil air patrol has been airborne within two hours,” said Hutchinson. “They’ve produced results within 24 hours, and the decision-makers have been able to make decisions within 24 to 48 hours.” The Marco Island CAP got their WALDO a few months back, and the squadron has been training hard since. They tell WINK News, they’re ready. “We take a lot of pride in the fact that we’ve learned this system, and we’ve put applications in there that will help the community, both local, state and federal,” said Hutchinson. The possibilities are truly endless. WALDO can be used for reconnaissance before or after a disaster. It can also be used to track wildlife, such as Florida Panthers. The Marco Island Civil Air Patrol is currently working to spread the word. They want to help local agencies with this new technology but need to be tasked first. The squadron is also always looking for volunteers, so if you find their mission interesting, give them a call, or click here. “The main mission is disaster response, emergency services, cadet programs and Aerospace Education,” said Nager. “With that, we work with cadets, we promote aviation, and for those that are enthused with aviation, we help them along, and eventually they have an opportunity to get their pilot’s license.”