Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the legExclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
NAPLES Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
NAPLES Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
MGN PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Oregon’s recreational marijuana consumers, at least those who opt to shop in dispensaries, seem to be taking a new state sales tax in stride, many dispensary owners say. On Jan. 1, after a three-month tax holiday, Oregon imposed a 25 percent sales tax on recreational marijuana sales. The tax will eventually be replaced with a 17 percent state tax once the Oregon Liquor Control Commission assumes control over recreational marijuana sales later this year. Matt Price, who owns a chain of dispensaries called Cannabliss, said some customers have shrugged off the tax. “And then,” he said, “we have people that say they would rather go back to their ‘guy,’ so to speak, and walk out.” At Glisan Buds and Foster Buds, general manager Nathan Krytenberg took the radical step of absorbing the tax. Krytenberg is betting on his “strategic decision” to generate enough additional sales to cover the added cost. He also hopes the gesture builds customer loyalty in a city where more than 100 shops compete not just with each other but with the well-established black market. The company spread its message on social media and lets customers know about it when they come through the doors. “To be quite honest with you, if we even take a small hit, I believe the fact that we are doing this will put us in a better market position,” said Krytenberg, whose shops sell marijuana for $9 and $15 a gram. Oregon’s marijuana enthusiasts have historically enjoyed some of the cheapest prices, particularly when compared with Colorado and Washington, both home to taxed and regulated marijuana markets. Yet even in Portland, where dispensaries routinely compete for recreational dollars by slashing prices on flowers, the move at Glisan Buds and Foster Buds raised eyebrows among other in the industry. “If you can do it and make any kind of profit, God bless you,” said Sam Heywood, an owner of Farma, a dispensary on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard where a sign at the entrance reminds customers about the sales tax. “It’s aggressive. Is it sustainable? I don’t know.” Officials with the Oregon Department of Revenue, the agency charged with collecting the new sales tax, said shops are free to absorb the tax or spread it among the grower, shop and consumer. Ultimately, the agency’s chief interest is ensuring the tax is paid in full. “We have no authority over pricing,” said Julia Dodson, a spokeswoman for the agency. “Dispensaries can charge whatever they decide.” The agency won’t begin collecting the tax until February. On Friday, officials said only about half of dispensaries selling recreational marijuana have registered with the Department of Revenue, a state requirement. At Cannadaddy’s, a dispensary in outer Southeast Portland, owner Brad Zusman said he’s asked the cannabis growers who supply his store about the possibility of sharing some of the tax burden, but the idea hasn’t gone anywhere. He’s not keen on absorbing the tax on his own since it would represent a major chunk of profits; his store on one day alone this week generated $1,400 in sales taxes, he said. While he’s determined to attract recreational consumers, Zusman said he’s redoubled his focus on medical marijuana patients, offering bargain-basement prices on popular concentrates. Recreational shoppers at his store spend, on average, $38 to $45 per transaction, compared with $100 to $110 among medical marijuana patients who don’t pay any tax, he said. Medical marijuana patients can also purchase pricier concentrates and edibles — sought-after products that remain off limits to recreational shoppers for now. “It’s really hard for any dispensary to survive just on recreational sales,” he said.