Families visit Santa’s Village in Port Charlotte for ChristmasCape Coral Animal Shelter volunteers distribute gifts to cats and dogs
PORT CHARLOTTE Families visit Santa’s Village in Port Charlotte for Christmas The holiday magic is in full swing at Santa’s Village. There are holiday lights, food, and plenty of families making some holiday memories
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Animal Shelter volunteers distribute gifts to cats and dogs Christmas is meant to be merry, but for dogs and cats waiting for their forever homes it can be anything but.
NAPLES Dozens volunteer to feed over 500 people at St. Matthew’s House The St. Matthews House fed nearly 500 people hot and traditional holiday meals at their Naples shelter on Wednesday.
CAPE CORAL Project Siren; Cape Coral chaplain praying for first responders The sound of sirens, life and death hang in the balance. A cape coral chaplain bows his head and says a prayer.
FORT MYERS Residents celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas on the same day Hanukkah begins Wednesday with the lighting of the first candle. Each night, another candle will be lit until all eight shine bright.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood residents still recovering from hurricanes on Christmas Neighbors on Lemon Bay Drive in Englewood said their homes had never seen a drop of a water from a hurricane until 2024.
FORT MYERS Dr. Piper Center hosts annual Christmas Celebration Dozens of children are enjoying new bicycles on Christmas day thanks to the generosity of the Dr. Piper Center.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 25, 2024 This weekly Most Wanted Wednesday WINK News segment features fugitives from justice in Southwest Florida.
Spending the holidays with first responders For most of us, Christmas is about spending time with family, but one group is making sure our families are staying safe.
More clouds and a few showers for your Christmas Day plans The Weather Authority is tracking more clouds on Christmas day than we saw on Christmas Eve and the chance for a few showers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Adoptive family spends first Christmas together Family come in all shapes and sizes but all share one common thing, their love for each other. One southwest Florida woman couldn’t have kids, so she built her family through adoption and fostering.
PUNTA GORDA Man accused of shooting man at Punta Gorda motel A man has been arrested after allegedly shooting another man during a physical dispute at a Punta Gorda motel.
What’s open and closed on Christmas Day in SWFL On Christmas Day, many businesses and services are closed, including most retail stores, offices, and government buildings.
NAPLES Celebrating Christmas Eve with the Magic of Lights Across southwest Florida, people have been feeling the Christmas spirit. In Collier County, families at the Magic of Lights experience counted down the minutes to Santa’s arrival in awe of the spectacular display.
FORT MYERS BEACH Beachgoers enjoy Fort Myers Beach on Christmas Eve Whether you’re a full-time Floridian, a snowbird or just vacationing here for Christmas, it was a great day to go to the beach.
PORT CHARLOTTE Families visit Santa’s Village in Port Charlotte for Christmas The holiday magic is in full swing at Santa’s Village. There are holiday lights, food, and plenty of families making some holiday memories
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Animal Shelter volunteers distribute gifts to cats and dogs Christmas is meant to be merry, but for dogs and cats waiting for their forever homes it can be anything but.
NAPLES Dozens volunteer to feed over 500 people at St. Matthew’s House The St. Matthews House fed nearly 500 people hot and traditional holiday meals at their Naples shelter on Wednesday.
CAPE CORAL Project Siren; Cape Coral chaplain praying for first responders The sound of sirens, life and death hang in the balance. A cape coral chaplain bows his head and says a prayer.
FORT MYERS Residents celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas on the same day Hanukkah begins Wednesday with the lighting of the first candle. Each night, another candle will be lit until all eight shine bright.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood residents still recovering from hurricanes on Christmas Neighbors on Lemon Bay Drive in Englewood said their homes had never seen a drop of a water from a hurricane until 2024.
FORT MYERS Dr. Piper Center hosts annual Christmas Celebration Dozens of children are enjoying new bicycles on Christmas day thanks to the generosity of the Dr. Piper Center.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 25, 2024 This weekly Most Wanted Wednesday WINK News segment features fugitives from justice in Southwest Florida.
Spending the holidays with first responders For most of us, Christmas is about spending time with family, but one group is making sure our families are staying safe.
More clouds and a few showers for your Christmas Day plans The Weather Authority is tracking more clouds on Christmas day than we saw on Christmas Eve and the chance for a few showers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Adoptive family spends first Christmas together Family come in all shapes and sizes but all share one common thing, their love for each other. One southwest Florida woman couldn’t have kids, so she built her family through adoption and fostering.
PUNTA GORDA Man accused of shooting man at Punta Gorda motel A man has been arrested after allegedly shooting another man during a physical dispute at a Punta Gorda motel.
What’s open and closed on Christmas Day in SWFL On Christmas Day, many businesses and services are closed, including most retail stores, offices, and government buildings.
NAPLES Celebrating Christmas Eve with the Magic of Lights Across southwest Florida, people have been feeling the Christmas spirit. In Collier County, families at the Magic of Lights experience counted down the minutes to Santa’s arrival in awe of the spectacular display.
FORT MYERS BEACH Beachgoers enjoy Fort Myers Beach on Christmas Eve Whether you’re a full-time Floridian, a snowbird or just vacationing here for Christmas, it was a great day to go to the beach.
LEHIGH ACRES Commissioners look to speed up start date for Lehigh Acres road project Lee County Board of County Commissioners is trying to fast track a project that will take thousands of cars off a very busy road, and the news is very exciting for those who live in Lehigh Acres. It would create a new road to connect State Road 82 and Sunshine Boulevard with the Alico Road […]
FORT MYERS SWFL Christmas tree farm owner continues to meet demand after 50 years For one Southwest Florida Christmas Tree farm owner, demand is already through the roof. But, he’s doing his best to keep up. “Tree lot. Bob speaking?” Bob Heath says whenever he answers the phone. At Christmas 50 years ago, Heath wasn’t taking these calls, he was burning money. “The first year I came here, I […]
NORTH FORT MYERS Eighth-graders step up when bus driver goes unconscious, save the day A group of students received a big thank you after they stepped up to help their bus driver and look after fellow students. When a school bus driver felt light headed at the wheel, she had no choice but to pull over. We know the driver pulled over the bus at an extremely busy intersection. […]
FORT MYERS Threats against Lee County high school take emotional toll, even days later Threats were taken so seriously at a Lee County school that the response terrified kids and forced them to learn from home the following week. Now, parents say they feel safer with their children in sight, but the lockdown is taking an emotional toll on them. Investigators are still working to find out who made […]
FORT MYERS Gateway Charter High school moves to online instruction amid threat investigation Gateway Charter High School let parents pick up their students early on Tuesday and will go to a fully-mobile learning model on Wednesday amid the investigation into a threat made last week. The school was locked down for hours Friday, and with security ramped up, it’s causing an “unnecessary distraction” to students, the school said. […]
LEE COUNTY Students return to calm Gateway Charter campus after school threat Days after deputies swarmed a charter school in Southwest Florida due to a text threat, things began to return to normal. Students at the campus for Gateway Intermediate Charter School & Charter High School (grades 6-12) in Lee County watched as their parents stood outside for hours worried this past Friday. There is a question […]
OKEECHOBEE Lake Okeechobee’s new cutoff wall adding an extra layer of safety On Wednesday, the equivalent of 260-million bathtubs full of water flowed into Lake Okeechobee as Eta moved over Florida. We flew the WINK News drone above Lake Okeechobee to see the changes, and the lake’s water level now stands at 16.39 (Feet-NGVD29) as of 4 p.m. The Herbert Hoover Dike system consists of 143 miles of […]
LEE COUNTY Lee County focuses on flexible plan for flood mitigation in neighborhoods We spoke to Lee County officials about the plan the county is designing to mitigate flooding and standing water issues after Eta, as a tropical storm, brought lots of it to areas such as Lehigh Acres and Buckingham to start the week. For families in Lehigh Acres, Eta is to blame for its latest round […]
Eta halting plans to slow Lake Okeechobee releases The Army Corps is now saying that releases need to continue at the same rate due to the amount of rain expected this weekend. This comes as plans were originally to reduce discharge soon. The Army Corps says it’s using its research and experience from Hurricane Dorian in preparation for Eta. “Last week, about this […]
LEE COUNTY What impacts could Tropical Storm Eta have on Lake O and water releases? As we continue to watch Tropical Storm Eta’s track, we’re looking at the impact it could have on Southwest Florida water. If Eta dumps a lot of rain on us, it could mean more water releases from Lake Okeechobee. Lake O releases started last month and are changing the color of water along Lee County’s […]