Charlotte County kicks off their 24th annual boat showLee County man accused of driving the wrong way while intoxicated on US 41
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County kicks off their 24th annual boat show Charlotte County will celebrate its 24th annual boat show, featuring hundreds of boats from major dealers, marine accessories, and services.
Lee County man accused of driving the wrong way while intoxicated on US 41 The Florida Highway Patrol has arrested a man accused of driving on the wrong side of US-41 while intoxicated in Lee County.
LEHIGH ACRES Lee County elementary student accused of swatting call A Lee County elementary student has been arrested after allegedly calling about a school shooting incident that never happened.
Deputies confirm 1 dead in Charlotte County house fire Several fire departments and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office are investigating an overnight fire that broke out in a neighborhood and killed one person.
Save Energy: LCEC urges customers to forego heaters as temperatures drop The Lee County Electric Cooperative is encouraging people to conserve energy as temperatures drop throughout Southwest Florida.
the weather authority Cold and sunny for your Thursday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a frigid Thursday with more sunshine expected this afternoon.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads-Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
NAPLES Expert at Naples Botanical Garden speaks on prescribed burns There’s no need to sound the alarms for this smoke in the air, as Southwest Florida is actually seeing many controlled or ‘prescribed’ fires.
Sawfish caught with fishing wire tied around rostrum and hooks in mouth; removed and released An endangered smalltooth sawfish was not what Mac expected to be at the end of his fishing line after fishing with buddies New Year’s Day.
Florida Power and Light Set to potentially raise prices in 2026 Florida Power and Light has announced their proposal for a need to increase rates from 2026 – 2029.
PORT CHARLOTTE Home of Port Charlotte couple destroyed due to mold from Hurricane Ian A Port Charlotte couple inherited a home after the wife’s parents died. The home is now destroyed because of mold from Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Update on the Naples Pier construction The Naples Pier has been destroyed since Hurricane Ian. Since then, the city has considered ways to restore the pier but questions linger over the work, especially on how long it will take to complete.
FORT MYERS BEACH Pink Shell resort expansion project moves onto final vote The future for the expansion of a Fort Myers Beach staple comes down to one vote.
PUNTA GORDA Fatal crash on Burnt Store Road stops traffic for 4 hours A crash on Burnt Store Road near Charlee Road in Charlotte County has reportedly resulted in a fatality.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral’s school zone safety plan hits a speed bump Thanks to new cameras, speeders in Cape Coral school zones would be facing fines this week, but due to delays in the contractor’s schedule, they will not.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County kicks off their 24th annual boat show Charlotte County will celebrate its 24th annual boat show, featuring hundreds of boats from major dealers, marine accessories, and services.
Lee County man accused of driving the wrong way while intoxicated on US 41 The Florida Highway Patrol has arrested a man accused of driving on the wrong side of US-41 while intoxicated in Lee County.
LEHIGH ACRES Lee County elementary student accused of swatting call A Lee County elementary student has been arrested after allegedly calling about a school shooting incident that never happened.
Deputies confirm 1 dead in Charlotte County house fire Several fire departments and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office are investigating an overnight fire that broke out in a neighborhood and killed one person.
Save Energy: LCEC urges customers to forego heaters as temperatures drop The Lee County Electric Cooperative is encouraging people to conserve energy as temperatures drop throughout Southwest Florida.
the weather authority Cold and sunny for your Thursday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a frigid Thursday with more sunshine expected this afternoon.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads-Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
NAPLES Expert at Naples Botanical Garden speaks on prescribed burns There’s no need to sound the alarms for this smoke in the air, as Southwest Florida is actually seeing many controlled or ‘prescribed’ fires.
Sawfish caught with fishing wire tied around rostrum and hooks in mouth; removed and released An endangered smalltooth sawfish was not what Mac expected to be at the end of his fishing line after fishing with buddies New Year’s Day.
Florida Power and Light Set to potentially raise prices in 2026 Florida Power and Light has announced their proposal for a need to increase rates from 2026 – 2029.
PORT CHARLOTTE Home of Port Charlotte couple destroyed due to mold from Hurricane Ian A Port Charlotte couple inherited a home after the wife’s parents died. The home is now destroyed because of mold from Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Update on the Naples Pier construction The Naples Pier has been destroyed since Hurricane Ian. Since then, the city has considered ways to restore the pier but questions linger over the work, especially on how long it will take to complete.
FORT MYERS BEACH Pink Shell resort expansion project moves onto final vote The future for the expansion of a Fort Myers Beach staple comes down to one vote.
PUNTA GORDA Fatal crash on Burnt Store Road stops traffic for 4 hours A crash on Burnt Store Road near Charlee Road in Charlotte County has reportedly resulted in a fatality.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral’s school zone safety plan hits a speed bump Thanks to new cameras, speeders in Cape Coral school zones would be facing fines this week, but due to delays in the contractor’s schedule, they will not.
State, hospitals get ready for predicted busy hurricane season amid virus concerns The Atlantic basin has recorded two named storms this year and we aren’t even into hurricane season – but it starts Monday and now is the time to prepare. We’ve seen what hurricanes like Irma can do to our area, and it should serve as a reminder of what could happen in the coming months. […]
LEE COUNTY Lee Health CEO says care won’t suffer as system struggles financially Lee Health said it’s in deeper financial trouble than first reported, but its CEO has promised the quality of health care won’t suffer. The hospital system is cutting labor costs with buyout programs for employees and won’t rule out additional cuts. CEO Dr. Larry Antonucci said that despite the system’s financial troubles, those who depend […]
JACKSONVILLE Gov. DeSantis announces reopening of youth activities with no restrictions At a briefing in Jacksonville Friday morning, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida would be allowing youth activities to reopen with no restrictions. The governor said he believes kids have been stuck inside long enough and that we need to allow them to be kids again, while still keeping them safe. He said he trusts […]
FORT MYERS Relaxing liquor laws could rescue restaurants Bars and some restaurants are still shut down, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t drinking. Many states are loosening liquor laws for restaurants to give them a financial boost, and lawmakers, including Florida’s, are debating if these relaxed laws should remain in place. Florida’s law in particular allows for customers to get alcohol to-go or […]
Trump signs executive order on deregulation in hopes of helping economy President Donald Trump said the coronavirus has attacked our nation’s economy and health, so he signed an executive order Tuesday on regulatory relief. He said it will help support economic recovery. It’s too early to know how the order will affect Southwest Florida, but relaxing regulations has been the president’s practice during the pandemic. For […]
FORT MYERS Rooney misses 52% of House votes so far this year. Reason: coronavirus Where’s Congressman Francis Rooney? Since the first of the year, he has missed 52 percent of votes in the House of Representatives. The last time Rooney went to Washington to cast a vote was Feb. 13. Since then, he has missed nearly 40 votes, so WINK News asked Rooney why he has been absent. In short: […]
FORT MYERS District 19 Democratic candidates debate WINK News hosted a debate for Democratic candidates looking to fill the Congressional District 19 seat, which covers a large area in Southwest Florida. Reporter Morgan Rynor moderated Monday afternoon’s debate on Zoom. WATCH the full debate above.
Restaurants allowed to go to 50% capacity Southwest Florida is now in “full phase one” reopening, which means restaurants can increase capacity to 50 percent with social distancing still in place. Even so, business owners say the move could save them. For the last couple of months, stacks of chairs and empty tables were the norm at Wise Guys Deli in downtown […]
ESTERO What would a Hertz bankruptcy mean for Southwest Florida? Hertz is in deep financial trouble. A new filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission questions whether the Estero company can last another year. If it goes bankrupt, it could have a big impact on our community. The rental car giant put Estero on the map. “It’s our brand name. Anyone that hears about Hertz […]
FORT MYERS DeSantis holds a press conference at Gulf Coast Medical Center; elective surgeries to continue Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press briefing Monday at Gulf Coast Medical Center on in south Fort Myers. The big takeaway – elective surgeries are coming back to the hospitals. DeSantis has allowed elective surgeries to continue in counties in Phase I, but lee Health says they’re only getting half the number patients they used […]