NAPLES Increasing amount of homeless seniors in SWFL Saint Matthew House told Wink News that 20% of the people they shelter are over 60 years old.
NAPLES Man suspected of threatening pickelballers with machete A man has been arrested after authorities say he chased a group of pickleball players off a Naples court. “I don’t know. It just seemed like he snapped,” said William Nehrkorn, father of one of the pickleball players. 53-year-old Pelican Marsh maintenance worker Joseph Devalle ran toward Nehrkorn’s son and friends, not with a paddle […]
NAPLES Turtle Club in Naples reopens Following a 19-month closure because of Hurricane Ian, the Turtle Club has reopened.
FORT MYERS BEACH Hurricane season preparations at Lee County construction sites Many already know the drill when hurricane season is around the corner.
SANIBEL Bones found on Sanibel concern beachgoers A husband and wife found what appeared to be bones. What type and where they came from is being investigated.
FGCU FGCU president reflects on first year with graduating class Alico Arena was packed this weekend as Florida Gulf Coast University graduated 1,900 students in four ceremonies.
Reverse shoulder replacement offers new approach to pain management Shoulder replacement is the third most common replacement in the US, following hip and knee replacement.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Lee County teachers bargain for new raises Kevin Daly is the voice of the Lee County Teachers Union, and he says he knows firsthand the struggle teachers experience across the state.
FORT MYERS New Starbucks off Colonial expected to add to traffic headaches It’s a venti-sized traffic nightmare. That’s how Gina O’Donnell envisions the future of this plaza.
NAPLES Feeding families through Meals of Hope They’re a Naples-based non-profit organization whose mission is to alleviate hunger both locally and throughout the country.
Family dealing with two losses in quick succession A teenager will not get to celebrate turning 21 years old with friends, can’t put a smile on his family member’s faces and will never get to see his mother again.
JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli leaders have approved a military operation into the Gaza Strip city of Rafah Israeli leaders approved a military operation into the Gaza Strip city of Rafah, and Israeli forces were striking targets in the area, officials announced Monday, hours after Hamas announced it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal.
FORT MYERS Middle school tech worker uses CPR skills to save pickleball player’s life It was the right place, at the right time, and that right place was near the pickleball court.
EVERGLADES Big Sugar’s lawsuit for control over Lake Okeechobee water A local non-profit is calling one lawsuit a battle for who controls the water in the State of Florida. Three major sugar companies filed a lawsuit in 2021 against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the design and intended use of the Everglades Agriculture Area (EAA) Reservoir.
NAPLES Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day program returns to Jewish Federation of Greater Naples Sunday was a day to remember the six million men, women and children lost in the Holocaust.
NAPLES Increasing amount of homeless seniors in SWFL Saint Matthew House told Wink News that 20% of the people they shelter are over 60 years old.
NAPLES Man suspected of threatening pickelballers with machete A man has been arrested after authorities say he chased a group of pickleball players off a Naples court. “I don’t know. It just seemed like he snapped,” said William Nehrkorn, father of one of the pickleball players. 53-year-old Pelican Marsh maintenance worker Joseph Devalle ran toward Nehrkorn’s son and friends, not with a paddle […]
NAPLES Turtle Club in Naples reopens Following a 19-month closure because of Hurricane Ian, the Turtle Club has reopened.
FORT MYERS BEACH Hurricane season preparations at Lee County construction sites Many already know the drill when hurricane season is around the corner.
SANIBEL Bones found on Sanibel concern beachgoers A husband and wife found what appeared to be bones. What type and where they came from is being investigated.
FGCU FGCU president reflects on first year with graduating class Alico Arena was packed this weekend as Florida Gulf Coast University graduated 1,900 students in four ceremonies.
Reverse shoulder replacement offers new approach to pain management Shoulder replacement is the third most common replacement in the US, following hip and knee replacement.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Lee County teachers bargain for new raises Kevin Daly is the voice of the Lee County Teachers Union, and he says he knows firsthand the struggle teachers experience across the state.
FORT MYERS New Starbucks off Colonial expected to add to traffic headaches It’s a venti-sized traffic nightmare. That’s how Gina O’Donnell envisions the future of this plaza.
NAPLES Feeding families through Meals of Hope They’re a Naples-based non-profit organization whose mission is to alleviate hunger both locally and throughout the country.
Family dealing with two losses in quick succession A teenager will not get to celebrate turning 21 years old with friends, can’t put a smile on his family member’s faces and will never get to see his mother again.
JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli leaders have approved a military operation into the Gaza Strip city of Rafah Israeli leaders approved a military operation into the Gaza Strip city of Rafah, and Israeli forces were striking targets in the area, officials announced Monday, hours after Hamas announced it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal.
FORT MYERS Middle school tech worker uses CPR skills to save pickleball player’s life It was the right place, at the right time, and that right place was near the pickleball court.
EVERGLADES Big Sugar’s lawsuit for control over Lake Okeechobee water A local non-profit is calling one lawsuit a battle for who controls the water in the State of Florida. Three major sugar companies filed a lawsuit in 2021 against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the design and intended use of the Everglades Agriculture Area (EAA) Reservoir.
NAPLES Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day program returns to Jewish Federation of Greater Naples Sunday was a day to remember the six million men, women and children lost in the Holocaust.
WINK NEWS Jacksonville chosen as host city for Republican Convention Ronna McDaniel, the Republican National Committee chairwoman, announced Thursday that Jacksonville has been selected as the host city to celebrate the re-nomination of President Donald J. Trump, per the national committee’s press release. “We are thrilled to celebrate this momentous occasion in the great city of Jacksonville,” said RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel in the press […]
WINK NEWS Florida watchdog group skeptical of state budget, looks for governor to veto Florida TaxWatch, a business-backed nonprofit, says $136 million dollars should be cut from the state’s budget. The watchdog group highlighted 180 member projects on the budget that were not properly checked by lawmakers and is asking the governor to veto those. TaxWatch says these oversights are just the beginning of what needs to be looked […]
‘Technology concerns’ may have caused missed unemployment payments, state says The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity said Thursday that 97 percent of unemployment claimants have been paid, but that doesn’t mean they’ve been paid in full. For weeks, you’ve been asking WINK News reporter Sara Girard, “where is my money?” Girard created a Facebook poll, and out of almost 1,500 people in Southwest Florida who […]
DeSantis on increase in COVID-19: More testing means more cases The number of positive COVID-19 cases continues to rise in Florida. Although many are concerned about the spike, Gov. Ron DeSantis said compared to other hotspots in the nation, Florida doesn’t compare. Why isn’t DeSantis worried? Because, he said, the hospitals aren’t overwhelmed. He argued Thursday that the increase in positive cases is directly linked […]
SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) Fla. commissioner gives middle fingers to mayor in online meeting A commissioner of a South Florida town displayed two middle fingers during an online meeting after the mayor muted her during a contentious discussion about a proposed anti-discrimination resolution. Commissioner Eliana Salzhauer made the gesture to Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett during the Zoom meeting on Tuesday. The mayor had been offering his views on the […]
MARTIN COUNTY AMBER Alert issued for 13-year-old Martin County girl has been canceled, child found safe The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has canceled an AMBER Alert for a 13-year-old girl from Martin County. Kimberly Newberry-Ohler has been found and is safe. She was last seen in the area of the 7500 block of Southeast Dove Street in Hobe Sound, Florida. She is described as having red hair and blue eyes, […]
(CNN) Disney fans say Splash Mountain, a ride inspired by ‘Song of the South,’ should be re-themed One of Disney’s best-loved rides is based on a film widely considered the studio’s most racist. Splash Mountain, a mainstay at both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California, stars the animated characters from “Song of the South,” the 1946 film long criticized for stereotypes of “spiritual” black men and its seemingly nostalgic […]
FORT MYERS Thursday’s Coronavirus Updates: Nearly 1,700 new cases reported in Florida, 167 in SWFL Thursday marks the second-highest number of reported positive COVID-19 cases in a single day in Florida. As of 11 a.m., there have been 69,069 positive cases of the coronavirus in the state. The case count includes 67,456 Florida residents and 1,613 non-Florida residents. There are 2,848 deaths reported and 11,571 hospitalizations, according to the Florida […]
ORLANDO (AP) SeaWorld parks reopen with masks, temperature checks Two more Florida theme parks were opening Thursday after being closed since mid-March to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay were opening their gates with new restrictions. Reservations are now required to enter the parks in order to limit capacity for social distancing. But SeaWorld Orlando will […]
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) DeSantis expands reading programs after coronavirus shutdown Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a $64 million spending plan Thursday aimed at improving the reading skills of Florida’s poorest performing elementary school students, an achievement gap he believes was exacerbated by the statewide school shutdown from the coronavirus outbreak. DOWNLOAD (pdf): Reopening Florida’s Schools and the CARES Act DeSantis also announced a $223 million spending […]