Sugarshack, a haven for live music, food and community, coming to Bonita SpringsFC Naples holds first practice in club history
BONITA SPRINGS Sugarshack, a haven for live music, food and community, coming to Bonita Springs Sugarshack, a haven for live music, food and community, coming soon to Downton Bonita Springs.
COLLIER COUNTY FC Naples holds first practice in club history Another first in a year of first for FC Naples as the club held its first practice in its history Wednesday morning.
FORT MYERS BEACH Rick on the Roof gets the ending he fought for The man with a plan and the courage to stand up for what he believed in is finally getting the happy ending he fought for.
Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 15, 2025 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 15, 2025
Arthrex plans 1 million-square-foot facility at RSW’s Skyplex project Arthrex, the orthopedic surgical instruments company headquartered in North Naples, has been in negotiations to build a 1 million-square-foot facility as part of Southwest Florida International Airport’s Skyplex project.
Lujacks All-American Grill kicks off in North Naples Lujacks All-American Grill celebrated its North Naples launch Jan. 9, the same day Notre Dame won the Orange Bowl to advance the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff National Championship game Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
NORTH FORT MYERS Crime Stoppers increases cash reward for man missing since 2020 Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers has announced an increased cash reward regarding the case of a missing person from North Fort Myers.
Collier County creates food truck park policy Food trucks have become increasingly popular due to their convenience, affordability and unique offerings, especially for employees seeking a quick breakfast or lunch at businesses and commercial areas.
SWFL celebrates MLK Day with community gatherings and service In Southwest Florida, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is marked with parades, rallies, and community service events that honor the civil rights leader’s legacy.
Fatal multi-vehicle crash temporarily closes all lanes on SR-82 in Lehigh Acres The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash involving multiple vehicles on SR-82 west of 40th Street in Lehigh Acres.
port charlotte Tribute breakfast held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio Diaz A tribute breakfast was held for Charlotte County Deputy Sgt. Elio Diaz, who was killed in the line of duty in December.
winter haven Gov. DeSantis calls for stricter immigration reform Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference in Winter Haven to discuss stricter immigration laws while cracking down on illegal immigration.
FORT MYERS Shell Factory & Nature Park announces online auction liquidation of remaining inventory Fans of the now-closed Shell Factory & Nature Park will have a final chance to own a piece of nostalgia with two virtual auctions.
the weather authority More clouds than sun for your Wednesday The Weather Authority is tracking an increased cloud coverage along with cooler conditions this Wednesday afternoon.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads-Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
BONITA SPRINGS Sugarshack, a haven for live music, food and community, coming to Bonita Springs Sugarshack, a haven for live music, food and community, coming soon to Downton Bonita Springs.
COLLIER COUNTY FC Naples holds first practice in club history Another first in a year of first for FC Naples as the club held its first practice in its history Wednesday morning.
FORT MYERS BEACH Rick on the Roof gets the ending he fought for The man with a plan and the courage to stand up for what he believed in is finally getting the happy ending he fought for.
Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 15, 2025 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 15, 2025
Arthrex plans 1 million-square-foot facility at RSW’s Skyplex project Arthrex, the orthopedic surgical instruments company headquartered in North Naples, has been in negotiations to build a 1 million-square-foot facility as part of Southwest Florida International Airport’s Skyplex project.
Lujacks All-American Grill kicks off in North Naples Lujacks All-American Grill celebrated its North Naples launch Jan. 9, the same day Notre Dame won the Orange Bowl to advance the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff National Championship game Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
NORTH FORT MYERS Crime Stoppers increases cash reward for man missing since 2020 Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers has announced an increased cash reward regarding the case of a missing person from North Fort Myers.
Collier County creates food truck park policy Food trucks have become increasingly popular due to their convenience, affordability and unique offerings, especially for employees seeking a quick breakfast or lunch at businesses and commercial areas.
SWFL celebrates MLK Day with community gatherings and service In Southwest Florida, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is marked with parades, rallies, and community service events that honor the civil rights leader’s legacy.
Fatal multi-vehicle crash temporarily closes all lanes on SR-82 in Lehigh Acres The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash involving multiple vehicles on SR-82 west of 40th Street in Lehigh Acres.
port charlotte Tribute breakfast held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio Diaz A tribute breakfast was held for Charlotte County Deputy Sgt. Elio Diaz, who was killed in the line of duty in December.
winter haven Gov. DeSantis calls for stricter immigration reform Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference in Winter Haven to discuss stricter immigration laws while cracking down on illegal immigration.
FORT MYERS Shell Factory & Nature Park announces online auction liquidation of remaining inventory Fans of the now-closed Shell Factory & Nature Park will have a final chance to own a piece of nostalgia with two virtual auctions.
the weather authority More clouds than sun for your Wednesday The Weather Authority is tracking an increased cloud coverage along with cooler conditions this Wednesday afternoon.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads-Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
HENDRY COUNTY, Fla.- A former Hendry County monkey farm worker says what he was asked to do was so horrific, he had to quit his job after only two days. “When I got involved in that, I knew I just couldn’t live with myself if I was going to be doing that,” former Primate Products vet tech David Roebuck said. “I couldn’t do it.” Roebuck says workers at Primate Products’ “Panther Tracks” facility located near Immokalee were regularly told to perform C-section abortions on pregnant female monkeys, remove the dead fetus, then package it for sale to buyers. Roebuck said milk was then extracted from the female cytomologus monkeys using human breast pumps, which was also sold to laboratories. “The internal organs were then taken from the fetuses and freeze dried and sold to pharmaceutical companies,” Roebuck said. “After that was done, the mothers were still lactating so they collected their milk and sold them to another pharmaceutical company” Roebuck said Primate Products is much more than just a breeder. He said it is a research facility. “The point of it is to make money,” Roebuck said. “They had financial contracts with pharmaceutical companies, to provide a certain amount of milk for a certain amount of money.” Exclusive documents obtained by WINK News corroborate the practice. The documents are allegedly a part of Primate Products standard operating procedure manual which instructs the person performing the surgery how to slice open the primate and remove the fetus, then freeze organs should the female monkey die in the process. “If you know what a deep freezer looks like, there were two of those, filled with parts,” Roebuck said. “Internal organs, that had to be taken out of the fetuses surgically.” This new insight into the alleged practices of Primate Products comes only days before Hendry County officials said they will decide if it will take action against the company for possibly operating outside of the perimeter of its zoning. The more than 600-acre property is agriculturally zoned for animal husbandry. Hendry County administrator Charles Chapman told WINK News last week if the company is conducting animal tests or experiments it is violating the agricultural zoning code. Chapman said he had no idea the company was doing anything but breeding monkeys until an exclusive WINK News investigation revealed USDA documents detailing hundreds of tests and experiments were performed at the facility. Primate Products representative Ed Mashburn told county officials there was no testing or experiments happening at the facility during a 2012 development-permit pre-application meeting. Primate Products president Thomas Rowell tells WINK News the company’s practices are “hardly” testing or research, and claims there is a reason for the procedures. “The idea being we can provide tissue from one animal to be used for in-vitro research,” Rowell wrote in an email response. “Possibly eliminating the need to use hundred[s] of live animals for in-vivo research in the future.” Rowell emailed the following statement: “Primate Products provides bioproducts for use in biomedical research consistent with the guiding principles of humane use of animals in scientific research which we refer to the 3 R’s: replace, reduce, and refine.” Rowell told WINK News last week that tests reported to the USDA were cases of animal “usage.” He said usage means obtaining bodily fluids, including spinal fluid and blood from the monkeys, then selling the samples to laboratories. Rowell did not mention C-section abortions or fetus removal. Primate Products expanded its facility over the past two years and is leasing some of its newly-built property to foreign monkey breeder BioCulture, Hendry County officials confirmed. Hendry County officials did not return calls prior to broadcast or publication of this report Monday evening. Primate Products has been operating in Hendry County for more than 15 years and is the county’s largest and oldest monkey farm.