Road closures in Downtown Fort Myers due to Festival of TreesMicro Wrestling Federation makes its way to Fort Myers
FORT MYERS Road closures in Downtown Fort Myers due to Festival of Trees Due to the return of the Downtown Fort Myers Festival of Trees, First Street between Jackson and Lee Street will be closed on Friday and Saturday.
FORT MYERS Micro Wrestling Federation makes its way to Fort Myers Professionals with the “Micro Wrestling Federation” put on an amazing show at the ranch in Fort Myers on Thursday.
ESTERO Estero man claims his golf equipment burned on flight An Estero man claims Delta Airlines ruined his golf equipment. His golf bag was destroyed by fire and his clubs are charred.
Volunteers come together to deliver Christmas cards to veterans In an effort to make spirits bright this holiday season, volunteers came together to deliver Christmas cards to veterans.
NAPLES Dentists argue over fluoride in water at Naples City Council meeting Several dentists at the Naples City Council meeting gave their reasons why fluoride should be in the water on Wednesday.
Digging Deeper: Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget One Lee County Commissioner wants to change how taxpayers view the Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget following a possible federal investigation and a grand jury meeting.
A new way to identify snakes There’s a new tool to identify locations of the slithering beasts overtaking the Everglades and other invasive snakes.
Car crashes into canal in Lehigh Acres Authorities are investigating a crash after a car became fully submerged in a canal Thursday night.
SB lanes on US 27 shut down due to 3 vehicle crash Hendry County Deputies, along with first responders, are currently on the scene of a traffic crash near Sky Valley at the intersection of South US 27 and Bass Road.
FORT MYERS BEACH Times Square clock reinstalled on Fort Myers Beach The famous Times Square clock on Fort Myers Beach returns just in time for the holidays! It was removed before hurricanes Helene and Milton to protect it.
Flag planting debate takes over college football Flag planting at the end of rivalry college football games sparked fighting on the field and debates away from it.
FORT MYERS Daycare burglarized in Fort Myers One business owner is recovering after a burglar broke in and stole from her daycare.
Hurricane debris still lines road in Fort Myers Shores Over 70 feet of memories formed a giant pile of debris at the end of Aruba Avenue in Fort Myers Shores.
FORT MYERS Airline travel and Christmas gifts tips to get you through TSA If you plan to travel this Christmas with gifts for your loved ones, be prepared. Before you buy, make sure you can fly.
WINK NEWS SWFL stars ink with Division I programs during Early Signing Period Several Southwest Florida football standouts are taking their talents to Division I gridirons after signing during the Early Signing Period.
FORT MYERS Road closures in Downtown Fort Myers due to Festival of Trees Due to the return of the Downtown Fort Myers Festival of Trees, First Street between Jackson and Lee Street will be closed on Friday and Saturday.
FORT MYERS Micro Wrestling Federation makes its way to Fort Myers Professionals with the “Micro Wrestling Federation” put on an amazing show at the ranch in Fort Myers on Thursday.
ESTERO Estero man claims his golf equipment burned on flight An Estero man claims Delta Airlines ruined his golf equipment. His golf bag was destroyed by fire and his clubs are charred.
Volunteers come together to deliver Christmas cards to veterans In an effort to make spirits bright this holiday season, volunteers came together to deliver Christmas cards to veterans.
NAPLES Dentists argue over fluoride in water at Naples City Council meeting Several dentists at the Naples City Council meeting gave their reasons why fluoride should be in the water on Wednesday.
Digging Deeper: Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget One Lee County Commissioner wants to change how taxpayers view the Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget following a possible federal investigation and a grand jury meeting.
A new way to identify snakes There’s a new tool to identify locations of the slithering beasts overtaking the Everglades and other invasive snakes.
Car crashes into canal in Lehigh Acres Authorities are investigating a crash after a car became fully submerged in a canal Thursday night.
SB lanes on US 27 shut down due to 3 vehicle crash Hendry County Deputies, along with first responders, are currently on the scene of a traffic crash near Sky Valley at the intersection of South US 27 and Bass Road.
FORT MYERS BEACH Times Square clock reinstalled on Fort Myers Beach The famous Times Square clock on Fort Myers Beach returns just in time for the holidays! It was removed before hurricanes Helene and Milton to protect it.
Flag planting debate takes over college football Flag planting at the end of rivalry college football games sparked fighting on the field and debates away from it.
FORT MYERS Daycare burglarized in Fort Myers One business owner is recovering after a burglar broke in and stole from her daycare.
Hurricane debris still lines road in Fort Myers Shores Over 70 feet of memories formed a giant pile of debris at the end of Aruba Avenue in Fort Myers Shores.
FORT MYERS Airline travel and Christmas gifts tips to get you through TSA If you plan to travel this Christmas with gifts for your loved ones, be prepared. Before you buy, make sure you can fly.
WINK NEWS SWFL stars ink with Division I programs during Early Signing Period Several Southwest Florida football standouts are taking their talents to Division I gridirons after signing during the Early Signing Period.
MGN Online WASHINGTON (AP) – A Michigan boot-maker, potato farmers and more than 1,200 contractors that supply parts for a next-generation fighter plane are among the many winners in the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill passed by Congress. Supporters of manufacturers added a provision that would create public-private partnerships to accelerate the transition of new technologies from basic research to commercial applications. The travel and tourism industry won a six-year renewal of the Corporation for Travel Promotion, or Brand USA, to promote tourism in the United States. Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plans, which benefit from a unique tax break that’s threatened by the Affordable Care Act, won a provision that makes sure they keep it. The items were widely supported but had failed to advance in a Congress beset by feuding and stalemate. So they caught a ride on the unstoppable omnibus measure, the last major train leaving the Capitol Hill station this year. So too did a renewal of federal payments to support rural school districts surrounded by federal lands, which are deprived of property tax revenue. Medical marijuana dispensaries won new guarantees against harassment by federal authorities. And potato farmers finally won the inclusion of white potatoes in the market basket of foods that can be purchased under a federal food aid program for low-income pregnant women and mothers of young children. Another provision in the bill is aimed at protecting Bates Footwear, a Michigan-based manufacturer that supplies boots to the military, from new regulations that expand the definition of how big a small business can be in order to qualify for government set-asides. The standard went from 500 workers to 1,000 workers two years ago, making more manufacturers eligible. The Michigan delegation is the driving force behind a provision ordering the Defense Logistics Agency to examine the new rules and whether they will harm the footwear industry. The bill started out at a whopping 1,603 pages but grew by 161 more with the inclusion of legislation designed to shore up critically underfunded multiemployer pension plans. The bipartisan measure would, for the first time, allow such pension plans to reduce the pensions of current retirees, drawing fire from many unions and the powerful AARP. Such opposition blocked the bill from advancing as a stand-alone measure but couldn’t keep it out of the omnibus bill. The core of the bill is the $1.1 trillion to fund the one-third of the federal budget that Congress renews each year, typically making small adjustments. Such so-called discretionary appropriations have been held flat at current levels after being given relief from automatic spending cuts called sequestration last year. The sweeping measure extends its reach into every corner of government, from $5.4 billion to battle Ebola and another $5 billion to fight Islamic State militants, to funding for medical research and record funding for subsidies to airlines serving rural airports. Agencies winning increases include the FBI, NASA, the National Institutes of Health and a program to process a large backlog of rape kits used to gather evidence in sexual assault cases. The maximum Pell Grant would increase $100 to $5,830, and the Pentagon would be awarded 38 new F-35 aircraft, four more than requested, at a cost of almost a half-billion dollars. The plane is built chiefly by Lockheed Martin, which subcontracts to more than 1,200 domestic suppliers in 45 states and Puerto Rico, ensuring broad support on Capitol Hill. There’s more than $3 billion for weapons systems the Pentagon didn’t ask for, including $144 million in emergency war funds for top-to-bottom rebuilds of Apache attack helicopters – a boon to The Boeing Co., which does most of the work. Among the winners are Abrams tanks and an over-budget Pentagon space launch system produced by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. “A lot of these are ones that Congress has been keeping going for a long time, and there’s also money stuffed into (war accounts) so that is outside of the caps and a way to evade the caps, things like $1.2 billion for the National Guard and Reserve, which is really a base budget item,” said Steve Ellis, vice president of the Washington watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense. Agencies bearing cuts include the IRS, which will absorb a $346 million cut, and the Environmental Protection Agency, which will be cut by $60 million. Military members and Pentagon civilian workers would receive a 1 percent pay hike. Democrats blocked the most ambitious attempts by Republicans to thwart Obama administration regulations on clean water, ivory sales and the carbon emissions blamed for global warming. Republicans blocked the EPA from listing the sage grouse as an endangered species, which ensures swaths of land in the West will be available for oil and natural gas exploration and other development. Republicans also won a policy rider that exempts many agricultural projects from clean water rules. Taxpayers for Common Sense found a number of other gems, including a provision that reauthorizes $1 million in additional funding for the Wheeling National Heritage area to celebrate the city’s history and its role as the birthplace of West Virginia during the Civil War.