What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride alongThe Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
FORT MYERS Students affected by COVID-19 able to graduate for the first time For many young people, COVID stripped away one of their greatest rites of passage: graduation.
Deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County Authorities are at the scene of a deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County on Friday afternoon.
Celebrating Free Comic Book Day in SWFL JP Sports store manager Jonathan Powell said this is a generational event that brings families together to reminisce on comics and other hobby-related knickknacks.
FORT MYERS Group rescues dogs before getting put down in Lee County Our animal shelters are packed with amazing puppies who have the sole desire to be loved.
FORT MYERS FGCU student beats all odds and is able to graduate Nearly four years ago, Marisa Manning had her heart set on going to Florida Gulf Coast University but never thought she’d find her passion for studying parasites.
FORT MYERS Victim in MLK Blvd. shooting identified as social media influencer The victim of the Martin Luther King Boulevard shooting has been identified as a local social media influencer.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
FORT MYERS Students affected by COVID-19 able to graduate for the first time For many young people, COVID stripped away one of their greatest rites of passage: graduation.
Deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County Authorities are at the scene of a deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County on Friday afternoon.
Celebrating Free Comic Book Day in SWFL JP Sports store manager Jonathan Powell said this is a generational event that brings families together to reminisce on comics and other hobby-related knickknacks.
FORT MYERS Group rescues dogs before getting put down in Lee County Our animal shelters are packed with amazing puppies who have the sole desire to be loved.
FORT MYERS FGCU student beats all odds and is able to graduate Nearly four years ago, Marisa Manning had her heart set on going to Florida Gulf Coast University but never thought she’d find her passion for studying parasites.
FORT MYERS Victim in MLK Blvd. shooting identified as social media influencer The victim of the Martin Luther King Boulevard shooting has been identified as a local social media influencer.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. Snipers on a rooftop. Law enforcement officers roaming campus two-by-two, guns clearly visible. Armored vehicles parked around campus. All were signs in the hours leading up to a speech from a prominent white supremacist that the University of Florida is making a concerted effort not to become the next Charlottesville. The school has called in hundreds of law enforcement officers from federal, state, county and city sources with National Policy Institute president Richard Spencer scheduled to speak at 2:30 p.m. Thursday on campus. Following the August violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, that left one counter demonstrator dead, UF President W. Kent Fuchs said high security costs are required to ensure a reasonable amount of safety. MORE: 1 dead, 26 injured in downtown Charlottesville violent rally Streets will be blocked off, and movement around the campus tightly controlled. “It’s really different,” student Cole Neff said. “We had to show ID to get into the library. Never had to do that before.” Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency Monday, saying a “threat of a potential emergency is imminent” in Alachua County, where the school is located. The order allowed local law enforcement to partner with other agencies. No credible threat has been made against the university, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office said. Still, the school is committing major money to prepare. Fuchs estimates the school will spend $600,000 on security. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the government, in this case a public university, cannot charge speakers for security costs. Spencer’s National Policy Institute is paying $10,564 to rent space for the speaking event at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Fuchs said Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press that Spencer is “hijacking” public universities and forcing taxpayers to pay the resulting security costs. “I fully understand freedom of speech cannot be burdened legally with the full cost of this, but on the other hand we’re being burdened,” said Fuchs, sitting in his office on campus in Gainesville. “So taxpayers are subsidizing hate speech.” MORE: Univ. of Florida to students: ‘shun’ white nationalist event Cameron Padgett, a Georgia State University student who organized the event at University of Florida for Spencer, called the high security costs “discouraging,” and said anyone from either side who incites violence should be arrested. “That money should be used for scholarships, more research or stay with the taxpayers. But at the end of the day free speech needs to be protected,” he said. After Scott’s emergency declaration, Fuchs said the school received many calls from parents concerned about safety. Fuchs had told students prior to the governor’s announcement to go to class as usual, and said the campus would remain open. But student Mia Chrisostimo said her classes were canceled. “I’m planning on just staying in my dorm and trying not to go outside because I don’t really know what’s gonna happen,” she said. Fuchs said he supported the governor’s decision because it was requested by law enforcement, but admitted it created challenges for his administration. “Parents want to know, ‘Why is the governor declaring a state of emergency and yet you President Fuchs are saying my son or daughter should be going to class?’ That (announcement) elevated that tension, locally with parents and brought a national visibility to this,” Fuchs said. Fuchs said he hopes the event will end up bringing the community closer together, and that it can be used to create a dialogue about race. Student leaders are hosting a “virtual assembly” via Facebook during Spencer’s event to discuss race relations and diversity. Items prohibited from Spencer’s speech, according to the university: Weapons, firearms or simulated firearms, tasers, knives, sharp objects • Lighters, matches, torches or open flame • Any athletic equipment or other items which could be used as a weapon • Masks of any kind, goggles, bandanas/scarfs, neck gaiters • Flag Poles, bats, clubs, sticks (including sticks on signs) • Aerosol/pressurized cans, mace • Chains, padlocks, bicycle locks • Shields • Fireworks • Backpacks, bags, purses, clutches • Signs made of anything other than cloth, paper, foam core, cardboard • Cans, metal or glass containers, premixed beverages or alcoholic beverages • No water bottles of any kind • Pop-up tents, canopies or hammocks • Wagons or pull carts • Coolers • Drones or other unmanned aircraft systems • Pets (excluding ADA service animals) • Grills, propane tanks • Bicycles, scooters, skateboards • Tobacco products of any kind • Umbrellas • Laser pointers • Water balloons • Megaphones or other amplified sound devices • Any other items that campus police determine pose a risk to safety or a disruption of classes or vehicular or pedestrian traffic Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Trust WINK News to keep you up to date with team coverage from the University of Florida in Gainesville on air and online in this developing story.