As Tammy Drake climbs into the cab of this excavator, and prepares to level her Fort Myers Beach home, she’s feeling… a mix of emotions.
You pay property insurance—thousands of dollars a year—expecting to get money to rebuild your home when disaster strikes. Five months after Hurricane Ian, one Cape Coral family lives in limbo. They say they followed all the rules, but can’t get their claim paid, so they contacted WINK investigates reporter Céline McArthur for help. If Ian […]
Can the character of pre-Hurricane Ian Fort Myers Beach be saved? In our special series, “A Man With a Plan,” we’re profiling the rebuild of the barrier island town through the eyes and experiences of a local builder. He says the answer is yes—one family at a time.
It’s a common site on Fort Myers Beach: Homes gutted thanks to Hurricane Ian. One homeowner says his home security company wouldn’t stop charging him for its service, even though his home is uninhabitable.
WINK News is taking a closer look at our state animal, the Florida panther, which is one of the rarest animals in North America. There are fewer than 200 left in Southwest Florida. Investigative Reporter Celine McArthur looked into the impact of development on their survival. Now, she is sitting down with the son of […]
The population explosion and housing shortage in Florida are intensifying the demand for solutions. In Collier County, leaders say there’s room to develop enough housing to more than double its current population. But critics say plans in the pipeline don’t leave a pathway for the panther — Florida’s state mascot. WINK News investigative reporter Céline […]
An iconic piece of Fort Myers Beach lost in Hurricane Ian will be replaced. We’re talking about the big blue clock. In our special series “A Man With a Plan,” WINK news investigative reporter Céline McArthur sits down with the beach builder behind the project to get the story. The last thing this man has […]
It’s been just over three months since Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida. For some in Fort Myers Beach, the aftermath has been the most challenging time of their lives. WINK News is profiling the rebuild of the barrier island town through the eyes and experiences of a local builder. In part one of the series, […]
It’s a frightening thought: your child taken away in handcuffs and charged with a felony for texting a joke to a friend. That’s what Daniel Marquez says happened to him at the end of 5th grade. While his family is fighting the charges in court, we dig into the Florida law used to arrest at […]
For nearly seven months, a Cape Coral family has waited to prove their son’s innocence. At the age of ten, Daniel Marquez was charged with threatening violence at his elementary school during Memorial Day weekend. Hours after that arrest, video of the boy was posted by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook, with commentary […]