ESTERO 1 injured after shooting at Coconut Point Mall According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, one person has been injured after a shooting at the Coconut Point Mall on Friday.
CAPE CORAL CCPD cruiser damaged after officer involved crash An officer-involved crash leaves a Cape Coral police cruiser smashed.
PORT CHARLOTTE Sweet’s Diner in Port Charlotte reopens After months of fundraising and rebuilding, this diner, which had a car fly-through it, is back open.
FWC pushing to protect Florida’s endangered manatees Florida Fish and Wildlife is pushing to protect endangered manatees. One danger that animals face is when boats bash into them, leaving deep scars across their backs.
FORT MYERS The Fort Myers Fire Department looks towards new year Fighting fires is always top of mind for the Fort Myers Fire Department. The Fort Myers Fire Department leads the way when it comes to protecting your property when a fire breaks out.
WINK NEWS Palisades Wildfire devastates SWFL family Just hours after evacuating their Malibu home, the Wohl family learned they would never go back.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral expands with development The Cove at 47th The Cove sits in south Cape Coral between Cape Coral Parkway and Southeast 47th Terrace right next to Cork Soakers.
FORT MYERS ‘Operation Ghost Buster’: 16 arrested in Fort Myers drug operation The Fort Myers Police Department Narcotics Unit conducted an operation targeting drug traffickers and individuals unlawfully selling and possessing firearms in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS ‘A Distinctive Honor’: Bank of America award benefits FSW Nursing Program Bank of America has been awarded Florida Southwestern State College the 2024 Neighborhood Champion Award.
CAPTIVA One step closer to decision on South Seas building density After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge said he stood by his earlier decision in favor of the Captiva Civic Association.
Governor signs death warrant for man accused of 1997 killing of 2 in Charlotte County Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed the death warrant for a man accused of killing two people in Charlotte County in 1997.
Community input needed for renaming Challenger Boulevard While Lee Health continues construction on the area’s newest hospital, there are decisions to be made.
ESTERO SWFL Lady Hammerheads find community through rugby The southwest Florida Lady Hammerheads are the Florida Women’s Rugby Union’s newest team.
Heavy law enforcement presence near Arcadia Popeyes According to the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, there is a heavy law enforcement presence near a Popeyes restaurant.
Punta Gorda City Council searches for new home Punta Gorda City Council sought a temporary solution when it was unable to meet Jan. 9 at the Military Heritage Museum because elevators weren’t working, which would have been a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
ESTERO 1 injured after shooting at Coconut Point Mall According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, one person has been injured after a shooting at the Coconut Point Mall on Friday.
CAPE CORAL CCPD cruiser damaged after officer involved crash An officer-involved crash leaves a Cape Coral police cruiser smashed.
PORT CHARLOTTE Sweet’s Diner in Port Charlotte reopens After months of fundraising and rebuilding, this diner, which had a car fly-through it, is back open.
FWC pushing to protect Florida’s endangered manatees Florida Fish and Wildlife is pushing to protect endangered manatees. One danger that animals face is when boats bash into them, leaving deep scars across their backs.
FORT MYERS The Fort Myers Fire Department looks towards new year Fighting fires is always top of mind for the Fort Myers Fire Department. The Fort Myers Fire Department leads the way when it comes to protecting your property when a fire breaks out.
WINK NEWS Palisades Wildfire devastates SWFL family Just hours after evacuating their Malibu home, the Wohl family learned they would never go back.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral expands with development The Cove at 47th The Cove sits in south Cape Coral between Cape Coral Parkway and Southeast 47th Terrace right next to Cork Soakers.
FORT MYERS ‘Operation Ghost Buster’: 16 arrested in Fort Myers drug operation The Fort Myers Police Department Narcotics Unit conducted an operation targeting drug traffickers and individuals unlawfully selling and possessing firearms in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS ‘A Distinctive Honor’: Bank of America award benefits FSW Nursing Program Bank of America has been awarded Florida Southwestern State College the 2024 Neighborhood Champion Award.
CAPTIVA One step closer to decision on South Seas building density After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge said he stood by his earlier decision in favor of the Captiva Civic Association.
Governor signs death warrant for man accused of 1997 killing of 2 in Charlotte County Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed the death warrant for a man accused of killing two people in Charlotte County in 1997.
Community input needed for renaming Challenger Boulevard While Lee Health continues construction on the area’s newest hospital, there are decisions to be made.
ESTERO SWFL Lady Hammerheads find community through rugby The southwest Florida Lady Hammerheads are the Florida Women’s Rugby Union’s newest team.
Heavy law enforcement presence near Arcadia Popeyes According to the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, there is a heavy law enforcement presence near a Popeyes restaurant.
Punta Gorda City Council searches for new home Punta Gorda City Council sought a temporary solution when it was unable to meet Jan. 9 at the Military Heritage Museum because elevators weren’t working, which would have been a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
LEE COUNTY Lee County reduces time frame for 50% rule from five years to one Relief is on the way for homeowners facing FEMA’s 50% rule. Lee County voted to shorten the reach-back rule from five years to one. That could help people rebuild without the added cost of bringing their properties up to the current code. This is a relief for many families who’ve been on the fence about […]
WINK NEWS Lawsuits against Florida property insurers raising rates for everyone Homeowners insurance premiums are soaring in Florida. In some cases, homeowners are facing increases costing hundreds more annually. Judith Tynski of south Fort Myers is one of those people. Her rate in 2020 was $1,463. The renewal rate was $2,105. That’s more than a 40% jump. “I’ve never had anything go up that much,” Tynski […]
How to apply for housing insurance funds People who live in the six counties hardest hit by Hurricane Ian can get help paying their insurance deductibles. Those six counties include Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Hardee and Sarasota. The governor made an announcement on Saturday and WINK News dug in to see how to apply since the announcement may have come with little […]
LEE COUNTY Lee County evaluating all properties, federal government offers Hurricane Ian tax breaks The Lee County Property Appraiser’s office will be evaluating all the county’s 550,000 properties, getting assessments on the damage and redetermining the values during the next couple of months following Wednesday’s destruction wrought by Hurricane Ian. Residents could help streamline this process by submitting their own information, Lee County property appraiser Matt Caldwell said. On […]
NAPLES Southwest Florida residents feeling weight of property insurance crisis The Florida property insurance market is in freefall, according to the Insurance Information Institute, and Southwest Florida isn’t immune from the consequences: People’s policies are being dropped with hurricane season starting in just two weeks. It’s tough for those who are currently looking for property insurance. WINK News spoke with the Florida Association of Public […]
FORT MYERS Tips on how to work on your finances in the new year One in three Americans’ new year’s resolutions are money, according to personal finance website WalletHub. But almost all of them won’t stick to those resolutions by the end of the month. It’s time to figure out ways to not drop the ball on your financial goals this year. Start by looking at what happened in […]
CHARLOTTE COUNTY Roofing contractor arrested in Charlotte County for working without a license The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man they say was running a roofing business without a license. Terence Duque, 48, was arrested on Friday after the Charlotte County Economic Crimes Unit received a call from an investigator at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. An investigator with the sheriff’s office learned that […]
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents with homes built before 1981 should hold off repairing The City of Cape Coral advises residents whose homes were built before 1981 to hold off on any repairs. The city is asking residents to wait to make repairs until Dec. 1, 2022. The 50% Rule, a regulation of the National Flood Insurance Program, requires structures with damage exceeding 50% of their market value to […]
NAPLES How a special session on property insurance helps Southwest Florida Homeowners being squeezed by insurance premiums right before hurricane season hope Monday will be the start of relief, as state lawmakers go into a special session focused on property insurance. Gov. Ron DeSantis says his goal is to make changes to the Florida building code in order to make property insurance more affordable to residents, […]
WINK NEWS More than 150 laws will take effect in Florida in July; what to look out for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis traveled throughout the state during the 2024 legislative session to announce and sign dozens of bills.