GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament The FGCU softball team couldn’t keep up with the No. 4 Florida Gators as the Eagles drop their first Regional game 6-0 to the Gators.
Summer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer The pool is warming up to be the hot spot for kids and families this summer. It’s now also the number one leading cause of drowning deaths for children ages 1-4 in the state.
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over four and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
FORT MYERS FMPD honors 7 officers and 2 K-9s who died in the line of duty dating back to 1930 Nine lives were given, and all nine will remain remembered. A lifetime of gratitude for the fallen officers.
Firefighter recovering from heat exhaustion after battling flames in Collier County It happened at Progress Rail, a transit corporation on Mercantile Avenue just before 5am on Friday.
FORT MYERS How do SWFL graduation rates compare to the state average? How do graduation rates for Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties stack up against the state? WINK News crunched the numbers.
FORT MYERS Community divisive over ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan A detective who killed an unarmed black man in a controversial shooting will be back at work on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Family submits civil complaint against Cape Coral Police Department The family of a 13-year-old boy who was struck and killed while riding his scooter has officially filed a civil complaint.
FORT MYERS Community reacts to ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan Leaders with the NAACP are saying there is a divide between the black community and Fort Myers police.
NAPLES Inside look at $21 million Naples Players Theater, set to open at the end of May On Friday, as the theater’s 70th season approached, leaders and organizers invited WINK News for a ‘hard-hat-tour’ to showcase the new additions and construction updates.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament The FGCU softball team couldn’t keep up with the No. 4 Florida Gators as the Eagles drop their first Regional game 6-0 to the Gators.
Summer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer The pool is warming up to be the hot spot for kids and families this summer. It’s now also the number one leading cause of drowning deaths for children ages 1-4 in the state.
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over four and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
FORT MYERS FMPD honors 7 officers and 2 K-9s who died in the line of duty dating back to 1930 Nine lives were given, and all nine will remain remembered. A lifetime of gratitude for the fallen officers.
Firefighter recovering from heat exhaustion after battling flames in Collier County It happened at Progress Rail, a transit corporation on Mercantile Avenue just before 5am on Friday.
FORT MYERS How do SWFL graduation rates compare to the state average? How do graduation rates for Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties stack up against the state? WINK News crunched the numbers.
FORT MYERS Community divisive over ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan A detective who killed an unarmed black man in a controversial shooting will be back at work on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Family submits civil complaint against Cape Coral Police Department The family of a 13-year-old boy who was struck and killed while riding his scooter has officially filed a civil complaint.
FORT MYERS Community reacts to ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan Leaders with the NAACP are saying there is a divide between the black community and Fort Myers police.
NAPLES Inside look at $21 million Naples Players Theater, set to open at the end of May On Friday, as the theater’s 70th season approached, leaders and organizers invited WINK News for a ‘hard-hat-tour’ to showcase the new additions and construction updates.
The iconic phrase “Take me out to the ballgame” has lost meaning as baseball attendance and television ratings have noticeably dropped in recent years. With passion waning for the American tradition, how will it financially impact spring training in Southwest Florida? Jessamy Finet and Erin Nanstad have visited Lee County from Boston for 25 years to watch the spring training. “We come for baseball, we enjoy it,” said Finet. “We enjoy the weather, we get our drink on, we go see people that we’ve met for the past 20 years.” Unfortunately, baseball in Lee County hasn’t had a clean offseason in five years. The events of COVID-19, Hurricane Ian, and a major league baseball lockout have thrown a curveball at the spring training experience, impacting Lee County in the process. Attendees at Jet Blue Park. Credit: WINK Jeff Mielke, Executive Director of Sports Development, says that despite the recent obstacles, the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins, the two teams that call Lee County home, are still receiving first-place support. “It’s a testament to these strong fan bases that they both represent because they’re always in the top two to five of the Grapefruit League in attendance,” said Mielke. Data gathered from Major League Baseball shows that spring training attendance has decreased across the last 10 years, with the Red Sox and Twins seeing dips in Lee County. Despite the statistics, Lee County Officials claim that the tourism impact and the money generated from the two fanbases are financially successful. The latest economic study of 2018 reveals nearly $69 million in revenue generated by spring training. “They’ve been here a long time, the fans love our destination, they’re buying second homes here, there are a lot of folks who have annualized this occurrence, and it’s ingrained in their family experiences,” said Mielke. Finet and Nanstad have had first-hand experience as their 4-day trip 25 years ago has grown into a 16-day vacation. While spring training has sustained a significant presence in Lee County, the same cannot be said for Charlotte County. The Tampa Bay Rays is the only other team that holds its spring training in Southwest Florida; however, attendance has not reached more than 5,000 people since 2016. The most recent financial impact report from Charlotte County in 2022 shows the team generated almost $7 million. The interconnectedness between Lee County and the professional baseball teams has stemmed from the early 1990s. Mielke has pointed out the deep-rooted relationship between scholarships provided by the teams and local schools, with six-figure donations made after the impacts of Hurricane Ian. “They’re not just here in February and March. They have a presence in our community. They’re doing good things beyond the baseball field,” said Mielke. “The public and private partnerships between the three of us are. I don’t know of another destination that has that.” The Twins lease in Lee County runs through 2042, and the Red Sox’s lease is set to end in 2038.