Expert at Naples Botanical Garden speaks on prescribed burnsSawfish caught with fishing wire tied around rostrum and hooks in mouth; removed and released
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, all lanes blocked 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.
Law enforcement and City of Fort Myers warning residents about QR code scams Law enforcement and the city of Fort Myers are warning you to think twice before scanning QR codes so you can avoid “quishing.”
IMMOKALEE Is the Florida citrus industry on its way out? The orange is the iconic symbol of Florida. While the fruit may be on the state’s license plates, the citrus industry has been on the decline for more than a decade.
Arthrex showcase explores diverse careers for students A chance for young minds to get a crack at being a part of one of the biggest and most innovative companies in the world.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County to host 24th annual boat show The 24th Annual Charlotte County Boat Show is back in Port Charlotte.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 8, 2025 This weekly Most Wanted Wednesday WINK News segment features fugitives from justice in Southwest Florida.
ENGLEWOOD Suncoast Humane Society to hold grand opening for new location The Suncoast Humane Society will hold a grand opening for its new location on Thursday following hurricane damage to its previous location.
County commissioner reacts to Marceno’s comments on FBI A county leader is reacting to what Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno had to say about the FBI.
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, all lanes blocked 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.
Law enforcement and City of Fort Myers warning residents about QR code scams Law enforcement and the city of Fort Myers are warning you to think twice before scanning QR codes so you can avoid “quishing.”
IMMOKALEE Is the Florida citrus industry on its way out? The orange is the iconic symbol of Florida. While the fruit may be on the state’s license plates, the citrus industry has been on the decline for more than a decade.
Arthrex showcase explores diverse careers for students A chance for young minds to get a crack at being a part of one of the biggest and most innovative companies in the world.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County to host 24th annual boat show The 24th Annual Charlotte County Boat Show is back in Port Charlotte.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 8, 2025 This weekly Most Wanted Wednesday WINK News segment features fugitives from justice in Southwest Florida.
ENGLEWOOD Suncoast Humane Society to hold grand opening for new location The Suncoast Humane Society will hold a grand opening for its new location on Thursday following hurricane damage to its previous location.
County commissioner reacts to Marceno’s comments on FBI A county leader is reacting to what Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno had to say about the FBI.
FORT MYERS BEACH SWFL tourism industry slowly reopens; expert says comeback not far off People are back out on the beach. But that doesn’t mean tourists are heading to Southwest Florida to soak up the sun just yet. Tourism officials say getting back to pre-pandemic numbers in our state could take years. Tourism businesses in Southwest Florida continue to follow safety practices, as it continues to slowly reopen Friday. […]
LEE COUNTY Lee Health projects $85M in losses past couple months The region’s largest employer is projecting millions of dollars in losses for the past couple months and says it could take years to recover. We looked at what Lee Health’s projected $85 million in losses through March and April could mean for employees and the future of patient care. Making up $85 million is not […]
FORT MYERS Chico’s CEO discusses the company’s attempt to reopen and what that looks like for laid off employees Low stock prices and accusations of wrongdoing by employees recently laid off have been an issue at Chico’s FAS. Lee County-based Chico’s said it’s experiencing one of the fastest turnarounds in fashion retail with three consecutive quarters of unprecedented growth and a 9.4% increase in sales from Q1 to Q4 of fiscal year 2019 prior […]
ESTERO Hertz on the brink hires bankruptcy attorneys as bills come due, lenders agree to extension Hertz is reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy after missing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of payments that have come due. A Southwest Florida economist told WINK News, Hertz is likely making this move in advance of asking a judge for protection from its creditors. Those creditors expected a big payment Monday that never […]
FORT MYERS Former Chico’s employees laid off due to COVID-19 protest in front of retail stores On Monday, about a dozen former Chico’s employees participated in a protest outside one of the Southwest Florida stores because of the way they say the company treated them. They say hundreds of employees with years of experience were laid off. Just a few months ago—Chicos celebrated the opening of brand name stores. Former employees […]
LEE COUNTY Two new coronavirus testing sites to open in Lee County Lee County says testing is crucial in moving forward and monitoring the county as they continue to open up. They announced Friday they will be opening two new testing sites. One of the new testing sites will be a drive-through site at CenturyLink Sports Complex and you don’t need to be exhibiting any symptoms or […]
FORT MYERS Chico’s cuts jobs in ‘significant restructuring’ Chico’s confirmed deep job cuts on Thursday, both locally and nationwide. The Fort Myers-based fashion company filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission outlining what it calls a “significant restructuring.” In late January, Chico’s management celebrated the opening of brand new Chico’s, Soma, and White House Black Market stores in south Fort Myers. Weeks […]
Economist sees Florida bouncing back quicker than rest of country With businesses set to reopen next week, does that mean we’ll see Florida’s economy climb back up? The one-time chief economist for Wells Fargo believes so – and he thinks we’ll bounce back faster than much of the country. John Silvia, the founder of Dynamic Economic Strategy, sees what we see: an economy that looks […]
Dealing with infertility and pregnancy during the pandemic Pregnancy can be beautiful, but it’s a heartbreaking topic for others. IVF treatments are on hold because of the pandemic, and women who have become pregnant may be left to deal with some complications at their homes. One reproductive doctor said these women can’t get the surgery that would ease their pain or feel comfort […]
WINK NEWS WINK News moderates virtual debate for SWFL congressional candidates As Campaign Central in Southwest Florida, we hosted a virtual debate with eight candidates running for the U.S. House seat representing Florida’s 19th Congressional District Monday. The candidate who wins would assume the seat U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney plans to step down from upon the end of his term. During the debated we moderated over […]