Naples couple makes 3-hour journey to get vaccinated, one of many

One Southwest Florida couple is happy and relieved Wednesday morning after finally getting vaccinated, but it wasn’t easy. While getting the vaccine at a Lee or Collier County site might have been more convenient, Terri Lynn and Mark Young of Naples could only secure a spot at a Publix location three hours away in Spring […]

Pandemic Academics: How SWFL students are performing one year later

Whether online or in-person, learning looks different in the age of COVID-19, and parents in Southwest Florida are worried about their kids’ education. How have our kids been coping with the pandemic and performing in school? And what does it mean for their futures? WINK News surveyed parents in our area to gauge what the […]

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Marco Island residents fed up with overcrowding by strangers

A group in Southwest Florida is complaining that their island has become overcrowded with strangers. Some on Marco Island believe short-term renters are turning their usually quiet island into a party town. To some long-time Marco Island residents, these Indiana vacationers represent the ideal visitors. Shari Fletcher is one of those Indiana visitors. “Pretty much […]

Collier County hopes to be part of statewide vaccine pre-registration system soon

The delays in the coronavirus vaccines are not the only thing frustrating many. It’s also the process of scheduling appointments for first and second doses. A Southwest Florida county is still not part of the state’s latest initiative. The State’s COVID-19 vaccine pre-registration website is supposed to help get people signed up, but Collier County […]

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Collier County homes sales continue strong in 2021

Home sales continue to succeed during the pandemic. There has been a large uptick of activity in the real estate market in Collier County. That came months after many people expected the worst with the housing market. Among numerous factors boosting the local housing market included people who wanted to move away from cities up […]

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Season may look different for hotels in Collier County this year

The last two weeks of February are normally the busiest time of year for hotel bookings. But will rooms in Collier County actually be filled this year due to the pandemic? Hotels are doing their best to make sure people are still booking. Joanna Manning and her two daughters are from Los Angeles and enjoy […]

Group calls Collier County deputy-involved shooting an ‘outrage’

“Outrage” is the only word being used to describe a deadly deputy-involved shooting in Collier County. A civil rights group says they dispute claims that Nicholas Morales-Bessannia charged at deputies with a gardening tool, and they want to know why it took so long for deputies to pull the K-9 off. The Coalition of Immokalee […]

State Attorney: Collier County deputy justified in shooting death of Immokalee man

A Collier County sheriff’s deputy has been cleared in the shooting death of an Immokalee man that occurred last year. Nicolas Morales Besanilla, 37, was killed on Sept. 17, 2020 when he had a run-in with Corporal Pierre Jean. The officer-involved shooting investigation was under review by the 20th Judicial Circuit. “Based upon the investigative […]

March to a Million Meals: Why do people give?

Some people simply give because they can. Bob and Karen Nagy said they watch the news every night and sees the images of people lining up for food drives. “It’s really … heart-wrenching,” Karen said. “We’re the lucky ones. We don’t have to worry about where our next meal is coming from.” That’s why Bob […]