SWFL woman’s Wawa holiday story goes viral, reaches 80 million views

A Southwest Florida woman took social media by storm with her uncontrollable laugh after a holiday mix-up at a local Wawa. Mary Katherine Backstrom, a Fort Myers blogger, gained national attention after reaching millions of people. We sat down with Backstrom and learned she is known for more than her viral moment. In the spirit […]

Mugshot of Wisner Desmaret, 30, (Credit: Lee County Sheriff's Office)

Judge to decide if accused Fort Myers cop killer is competent to stand trial

A judge will soon decide if the man accused of gunning down a Fort Myers police officer is competent to stand trial. At a hearing on Thursday, attorneys for Wisner Desmaret, 30, argued that he has extensive mental health history. But prosecutors said competency is a legal term not a medical term. The suspect, Desmaret, […]

BABY EAGLET! The first of two eagle eggs have hatched at North Fort Myers nest

Pip, pip, hooray! A tiny eaglet just hatched from its shell. E14 hatched from the egg while Harriet the Eagle was sitting along its side. You can watch live from the nest in North Fort Myers, home to Southwest Florida’s celebrity couple, Harriet and her partner, M-15. They’re taking turns warming their eggs. We spoke […]

FGCU celebrates new graduates at its fall commencement ceremonies

Hundreds of students will celebrate at Florida Gulf Coast University on Sunday as they will become graduates. This will be one of the university’s biggest fall commencement ceremonies. FGCU will be awarding over 1,000 degrees to students this fall. University officials said this year is one of its larges classes, with 848 students walking across […]

Fire Union members walk in Lee County Heart Walk in support of one of their own

First responders see the devastating effects of heart disease first hand. On Saturday, they took a stand in support of one of their own. WINK News reporter Dannielle Garcia spoke to Fire Union Vice President Scott Davis ahead of the Lee County Heart Walk. Watch the video in the player above and below for the […]

Residents react to death investigation in their neighborhood

As usual, Fort Myers police aren’t saying much about what happened near Palm Beach Boulevard close to the intersection of Desoto Avenue and Alderman Street Friday morning. All they’ll say is that 24-year-old Andre Laquan Brown is dead, but not how or why. Around 12:20 a.m., Fort Myers Police and FDLE Crime Scene Units blocked […]

FMPD announces reduction of the crime rate in Fort Myers

Fort Myers Police Department held a news conference Thursday announcing that crime has dropped in the city. This was presented ahead of the release of the latest crime report. FMPD spoke about the reduction of crime in Fort Myers, but the announcement comes just days after a deadly shooting. From the 2017 and 2018 reports, […]

New bills would ensure 3 months of paid family leave for new Florida parents

New parents in Florida could soon spend more time with their newborns and get it paid for. Lawmakers are considering two bills that would give parents three months of paid leave. The bills (SB-1194 and HB-899) introduced Tuesday by Sen. Janet Cruz of Tampa and Rep. Tracie Davis of Jacksonville would guarantee the right for […]

Bus travels in the dark for an early morning pickups. (Credit: WINK News)

Cape Coral city leaders to vote on new sidewalks to keep students safe

Cape Coral city leaders are looking to add sidewalks to busy roads to keep your kids safe on their way to school. Students walking to and from school to their bus stop are dealing with an abundance of grass, dirt and sometimes traffic. The goal of the city is to change that to make it […]

Police continue death investigation of mother and son in NW Cape Coral

Tuesday, Cape Coral Police Department responded to a home where a mother and son were both found dead and began to conduct a death investigation. Police say they were initially called for a welfare check. Mother and son Joanne Lynn Walpole, 59, and Michael Edward Walpole, 37 were named by police as the victims. CCPD […]