Pedestrian killed in crash on Ortiz Ave in Fort MyersVictim in Collier house party shooting identified, killer still at large
Pedestrian killed in crash on Ortiz Ave in Fort Myers Authorities are investigating a crash that killed a pedestrian Monday night in Fort Myers.
Victim in Collier house party shooting identified, killer still at large WINK News is learning the victim of a fatal house party shooting was a Collier County public school student.
ESTERO Hello Kitty Café truck coming to Estero Calling all Sanrio fans! The Hello Kitty Cafe truck will make its way to Estero in December.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react as Tropicana Park construction starts Crews broke ground at Tropicana Park in Cape Coral on Monday, the first step toward the park’s future.
Body camera footage released of deputy involved crash A driver not paying attention to the road slams into several deputy patrol cars.
PUNTA GORDA Tow company denies access to boat owner after Hurricane Milton A woman’s boat sank during Hurricane Milton while she was in Michigan, but the company allegedly will not let her collect her belongings.
CAPE CORAL New billboard asks for help in solving Cape Coral cold case A new billboard towering over a busy Cape Coral intersection asks for your help in solving a 10 year old cold case.
FORT MYERS BEACH FEMA’s deadline forces tough choices for Fort Myers Beach businesses FEMA’s deadline is Monday for temporary structures like shipping containers or trailers to get off the island.
NAPLES Naples tops the U.S. News & World Report list for places to retire in 2025 at number 1 spot If you could pick a place to retire, what city would you choose?
What are the impacts to southwest Florida if the U.S. Department of Education gets eliminated? A lot of changes are in store when President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. One of those changes is the possible dismantlement of the U.S. Department of Education.
Southwest Florida International Airport How is Spirit’s bankruptcy announcement affecting RSW travelers? Spirit Airlines is heading to bankruptcy court right as we head into the busy holiday travel season, so how would this impact Southwest Florida travelers?
Ultrasound technology shows promise for pain and depression treatment Chronic pain and treatment-resistant depression — both impact millions of people, both can be debilitating and both can leave people feeling hopeless.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Fire Department launches annual toy drive The Cape Coral Fire Department is collecting toys and gifts for children in need this holiday season.
Bruno’s of Brooklyn opens new downtown Fort Myers location The new Bruno’s of Brooklyn Italian Eatery opens the evening of Nov. 18 at 2149 First St. in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH FEMA deadline looms for Lee County: flood insurance discounts at risk FEMA will soon announce whether homeowners in five different areas of Lee County will keep that 25% discount on their flood insurance policies long term.
Pedestrian killed in crash on Ortiz Ave in Fort Myers Authorities are investigating a crash that killed a pedestrian Monday night in Fort Myers.
Victim in Collier house party shooting identified, killer still at large WINK News is learning the victim of a fatal house party shooting was a Collier County public school student.
ESTERO Hello Kitty Café truck coming to Estero Calling all Sanrio fans! The Hello Kitty Cafe truck will make its way to Estero in December.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react as Tropicana Park construction starts Crews broke ground at Tropicana Park in Cape Coral on Monday, the first step toward the park’s future.
Body camera footage released of deputy involved crash A driver not paying attention to the road slams into several deputy patrol cars.
PUNTA GORDA Tow company denies access to boat owner after Hurricane Milton A woman’s boat sank during Hurricane Milton while she was in Michigan, but the company allegedly will not let her collect her belongings.
CAPE CORAL New billboard asks for help in solving Cape Coral cold case A new billboard towering over a busy Cape Coral intersection asks for your help in solving a 10 year old cold case.
FORT MYERS BEACH FEMA’s deadline forces tough choices for Fort Myers Beach businesses FEMA’s deadline is Monday for temporary structures like shipping containers or trailers to get off the island.
NAPLES Naples tops the U.S. News & World Report list for places to retire in 2025 at number 1 spot If you could pick a place to retire, what city would you choose?
What are the impacts to southwest Florida if the U.S. Department of Education gets eliminated? A lot of changes are in store when President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. One of those changes is the possible dismantlement of the U.S. Department of Education.
Southwest Florida International Airport How is Spirit’s bankruptcy announcement affecting RSW travelers? Spirit Airlines is heading to bankruptcy court right as we head into the busy holiday travel season, so how would this impact Southwest Florida travelers?
Ultrasound technology shows promise for pain and depression treatment Chronic pain and treatment-resistant depression — both impact millions of people, both can be debilitating and both can leave people feeling hopeless.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Fire Department launches annual toy drive The Cape Coral Fire Department is collecting toys and gifts for children in need this holiday season.
Bruno’s of Brooklyn opens new downtown Fort Myers location The new Bruno’s of Brooklyn Italian Eatery opens the evening of Nov. 18 at 2149 First St. in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH FEMA deadline looms for Lee County: flood insurance discounts at risk FEMA will soon announce whether homeowners in five different areas of Lee County will keep that 25% discount on their flood insurance policies long term.
LEE COUNTY Governor says ‘call’ for unemployment help; claimants say there’s no answer Unemployment is top of mind for hundreds of thousands of people in Florida as the Department of Economic Opportunity scrambles to get payments out. The DEO’s dashboard on Tuesday showed that more than half of claims have not been paid, and Gov. Ron DeSantis said the DEO is looking on social media and watching the […]
DEO claims unemployment benefits paid, but some still in limbo Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is requesting an official investigation into the state’s unemployment system after countless problems have left people struggling during the pandemic. Fried said the state has spent 110 million in taxpayer dollars dealing with just some of the unemployment system’s failures. So many of you have reached out to WINK News, […]
WINK NEWS Many in SWFL wait for benefits, while governor says unemployment improving The state’s unemployment website continues to leave many people in the region and throughout the state frustrated and without any payments. Florida says it has paid over 425,000 claims, which is about 45% of all claims. We continue to look at what’s being done to get people their money. A Tallahassee judge recently received 1,081 […]
Lawyers file class-action lawsuit, emergency motion to get unemployment benefits paid immediately The latest numbers from the state of Florida show that more than 45 percent of claims have been paid out to people seeking unemployment benefits since March 15. Now, lawyers are turning to the court in hopes of getting money into the hands of people faster. Two Tallahassee lawyers filed two class-action motions last week: […]
‘Ineligible’ unemployment filers can apply for federal help If you filed for unemployment through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and were deemed ineligible, there may be some hope for you – but there’s a catch. You may still qualify for federal assistance, but you’ll have to reapply for benefits if you applied through the DEO on or before April 4. Tara Di […]
Some declared ineligible for unemployment without explanation The state of Florida says 387,000 people have received unemployment benefits since March 15, and more people can expect money soon. The unemployment website went down over the weekend to help the state process more payments, but some people are learning their claims are ineligible. Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday that more money is coming, […]
WINK NEWS Florida updates unemployment system to process self-employed claims Robert Kantor of Punta Gorda is a ride-share driver who’s been trying to apply for unemployment since March 16. “I cannot drive because I’m at high risk for coronavirus,” Kantor said. Friday, Kantor’s status finally changed from “completed” to “submitted.” As a gig worker, he’s supposed to be eligible for federal benefits. But he’s starting […]
Some early unemployment applicants still waiting as others receive benefits As of Thursday, 17 percent of unique unemployment claims submitted in Florida have been paid, but the rest are left waiting. What’s the holdup? And why are some people who applied later getting their money first? “I have logged over 6,432 calls to DEO since March 21,” said Heather Dickerson. The unemployment system is leaving […]
COLLIER COUNTY Retroactive payments approved, people still frustrated with shoddy unemployment website More than a month after massive layoffs and furloughs, people in Florida are still waiting for their unemployment benefits. Some progress has been made – more than 108,000 claims have been paid – but that’s only about 16 percent of the total claims submitted since March 15. People are upset and frustrated over the application […]
FORT MYERS New head of DEO working to revamp unemployment system, promises change There’s new oversight at the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity in an effort to revamp the unemployment system. WINK News Investigative Reporter Sara Girard spoke with Sec. Jonathan Satter, the person put in charge of making sure people are getting the assistance they are applying for. The governor asked Sec. Satter to get the results […]