Fire breaks out at Naples condo tower

Some units at Vistas in Naples had to be evacuated on Wednesday after a fire broke out. Units were called to the condos at 4651 Gulf Shore Blvd N. No injuries were reported. Firefighters from Naples Fire Rescue and North Collier Fire arrived to find smoke in the area. Collier County EMS was also at […]

How the SWFL tourism season might take a hit after Ian

One of the big driving forces behind Southwest Florida’s economy is the season, which is rapidly approaching. Many destination cities are still reeling from Hurricane Ian making life a bit different lately in Southwest Florida. Paul Beirnes is the executive director of the Everglades Convention Visitors Bureau in Naples and Marco Island and he shared […]

Getting Hurricane Ian debris permanently off the streets

The aftermath of Ian continues to pile up as people try to pick up the destruction left behind from the storm. Trash piles all around Southwest Florida have become the site as FEMA opened temporary places to dump debris. While Florida lacks natural mountains, if you drive down Tamiami Trail in Bonita you’ll find trash […]

Son saves parents from Ian’s flood water with pool floats

There have been a number of stories from Hurricane Ian of people making daring rescues to save loved ones, neighbors, and even complete strangers. This is a story of two Matts. The Matt the Ginocchio’s say they should have listened to is WINK News Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt. The other Matt is the Ginocchio’s son. […]

Anxiety building as people continue to wait for the FEMA trailers

People who are searching for a roof to put over their heads want to know where the trailers are that FEMA said they were providing. Fear and frustration are how I would sum up what people are feeling. Time and money becoming people’s biggest concerns. The idea behind the meeting was pretty straightforward, “Help is […]

debris

Cleaning debris in SWFL left behind from Hurricane Ian

We are two weeks past Hurricane Ian but in many ways, the cleanup is just beginning. Piles of debris start to clutter outside people’s homes who just want to leave Ian in the past. Collecting all of the storm debris mostly falls on the county, and they’re doing a lot to get it done. Picture […]

FILE: 5th Ave in Naples. (Credit: Wikipedia Commons/FILE)

Businesses on 5th Avenue in Naples trying to bounce back from Ian

Businesses hurt by Hurricane Ian face plenty of obstacles before they can open their doors to customers. If 5th Avenue in Naples looks like it’s back up and running, that’s because restaurants are open, but the majority of shops are still closed. “We’re very busy… extremely busy,” Daniel Secu said about S.D. Flooring LLC. Well, […]

national merit scholarship

Naples student becomes national merit scholarship semifinalist

A Naples high school senior is a national merit scholarship semifinalist and the first ever for Village School of Naples. Joseph Weaver, 18, took the PSATs like thousands of other seniors. But, unlike thousands of others who took the standardized test, Joseph scored in the top one percent nationwide. “My PSAT score was a 1490,” […]

Baseball coach Charles Maurer

Baseball Coach Charlie Maurer hired at St. John Neumann

A former Barron Collier baseball coach, whose firing upset parents and students, now has a new job. Charlie Maurer has been hired as head coach at St. John Neumann High School in Golden Gate. Athletics Director Damon Jones said he was very excited to have Maurer coaching the baseball team. Maurer found out in August […]

Artis-Naples

Lawsuit against Artis-Naples firing three unvaccinated musicians

Three musicians who used to be in the Naples Philharmonic were fired for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine and are now suing Artis-Naples in federal court. Florida state law is on the musicians’ side, as Gov. DeSantis preached against vaccine mandates throughout the pandemic. DeSantis even provided workers with religious exemptions from such mandates, which […]