Georgia man found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with minor in Port CharlotteNew recreational marijuana amendment proposed for 2026 Florida ballot
PORT CHARLOTTE Georgia man found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with minor in Port Charlotte A Georgia man has been found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a minor and possessing a firearm as a person with felony convictions.
New recreational marijuana amendment proposed for 2026 Florida ballot Smart & Safe Florida, the political action committee primarily funded by Trulieve – the state’s largest medical marijuana company and fourth largest in the U.S. – this week filed a new proposal to put an amendment on the ballot in Florida in 2026 that would legalize adult recreational use of marijuana.
NAPLES Naples Pride releases statement on city council’s vote Naples Pride has issued a statement on the Naples City Council’s decision to approve this year’s festival but with a caveat.
Punta Gorda scraps plan for new $16M City Hall building Prior to the hurricane in September 2022 causing City Hall’s closure, the previous City Council, including three incumbents who were unseated in the Nov. 5 election, planned to build a new City Hall on its current site at 326 W. Marion Ave.
CAPE CORAL Jaycee Park Renovations — There’s no going back now Where there’s talk of Jaycee Park in Cape Coral Council meetings, there is turmoil.
CAPE CORAL NRG Wrestling slams its way into Cape Coral NRG wrestling is hosting its first live event of 2025 with NRG Fully Charged on Saturday, Jan. 18, at Scotty Bierwerks.
Backlash over new state law banning kids from social media From body image issues to bullying and, even worse, depression and suicide.
orlando Gov. DeSantis appoints Ashley Moody for Florida Senator Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has named Attorney General Ashley Moody the next Florida Senator, replacing Marco Rubio.
sanibel Volunteer Expo to be held at Sanibel Community House; nearly 50 organizations in attendance The City of Sanibel is set to hold its Volunteer Expo, an event with nearly 50 organizations aiming to give back to the community.
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.
the weather authority Cooler-than-average with a few showers possible this afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking cooler-than-average temperatures with a possible afternoon shower this Thursday.
PORT CHARLOTTE Community grieves as investigation continues into fatal Port Charlotte fire The state fire marshal has yet to confirm whether 70-year-old Roseanne Cantasano was the victim of a devastating house fire on Monday night.
Local influencer reacts to potential TikTok ban TikTok is more than just a place to dance, learn something new or just scroll. For the Manella family, the app is a place where they can be themselves.
Protecting the Florida Panther from urban expansion The endangered Florida Panther is the king of the Everglades but new developments could rip apart their core territory.
Local Rabbi reacts to Israel and Hamas ceasefire agreement While the news of hostages being freed has brought relief, one local rabbi who has been speaking with WINK News since the war broke out expressed mixed feelings
PORT CHARLOTTE Georgia man found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with minor in Port Charlotte A Georgia man has been found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a minor and possessing a firearm as a person with felony convictions.
New recreational marijuana amendment proposed for 2026 Florida ballot Smart & Safe Florida, the political action committee primarily funded by Trulieve – the state’s largest medical marijuana company and fourth largest in the U.S. – this week filed a new proposal to put an amendment on the ballot in Florida in 2026 that would legalize adult recreational use of marijuana.
NAPLES Naples Pride releases statement on city council’s vote Naples Pride has issued a statement on the Naples City Council’s decision to approve this year’s festival but with a caveat.
Punta Gorda scraps plan for new $16M City Hall building Prior to the hurricane in September 2022 causing City Hall’s closure, the previous City Council, including three incumbents who were unseated in the Nov. 5 election, planned to build a new City Hall on its current site at 326 W. Marion Ave.
CAPE CORAL Jaycee Park Renovations — There’s no going back now Where there’s talk of Jaycee Park in Cape Coral Council meetings, there is turmoil.
CAPE CORAL NRG Wrestling slams its way into Cape Coral NRG wrestling is hosting its first live event of 2025 with NRG Fully Charged on Saturday, Jan. 18, at Scotty Bierwerks.
Backlash over new state law banning kids from social media From body image issues to bullying and, even worse, depression and suicide.
orlando Gov. DeSantis appoints Ashley Moody for Florida Senator Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has named Attorney General Ashley Moody the next Florida Senator, replacing Marco Rubio.
sanibel Volunteer Expo to be held at Sanibel Community House; nearly 50 organizations in attendance The City of Sanibel is set to hold its Volunteer Expo, an event with nearly 50 organizations aiming to give back to the community.
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.
the weather authority Cooler-than-average with a few showers possible this afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking cooler-than-average temperatures with a possible afternoon shower this Thursday.
PORT CHARLOTTE Community grieves as investigation continues into fatal Port Charlotte fire The state fire marshal has yet to confirm whether 70-year-old Roseanne Cantasano was the victim of a devastating house fire on Monday night.
Local influencer reacts to potential TikTok ban TikTok is more than just a place to dance, learn something new or just scroll. For the Manella family, the app is a place where they can be themselves.
Protecting the Florida Panther from urban expansion The endangered Florida Panther is the king of the Everglades but new developments could rip apart their core territory.
Local Rabbi reacts to Israel and Hamas ceasefire agreement While the news of hostages being freed has brought relief, one local rabbi who has been speaking with WINK News since the war broke out expressed mixed feelings
WINK News A new trend has people turning off their faucets and heading to the woods to forage their own water. It’s a fad sparking major concern for doctors, as people are leaving filtered water behind for untreated spring water, also known as raw water. “Honestly, my first reaction was of concern,” said Jaime Cook, spokeswoman for Collier Department of Health. “Raw water is obviously not treated, not filtered, so you don’t know what is in that water and the public health implications of that could be very significant.” Despite health concerns, some people are not only collecting the water themselves but are even buying the raw water from a company called “Live Water,” who is selling it for more than $30 a bottle. According to CBS News, the bottles are sold at a San Francisco, California co-op called Rainbow Grocery. In a marketing campaign for Live Water on YouTube, the founder, Mukande Singh, is seen drinking water from a spring and gathering it in glass containers. “A surge of energy and peacefulness entered my being,” he said in the video. Drinkers of this water say it is free of “industrial toxins.” According to CBS News, Live Water claims their spring water is rich in healthy microbes because it is not processed. Despite the exotic footage seen in the videos, Live Water sources from the same monitored spring that feeds the municipal tap in Madras, Oregon. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say water is filtered for a reason, according to CBS News. But it is a trend Fort Myers shop owner Whitney Hackett is interested in learning more about. She heard about raw water when listening to podcasts. She said she drank from a spring when working on a farm years ago, and is going to look into possibly starting to drink it again. “People are saying it’s really healthy, it’s really natural,” Hackett, who owns Quartz and Clover in downtown Fort Myers, said. “If it is healthy then, you know, it perks my interest, but I think you have to be wary of where you are getting it.” There are 22 natural springs in Florida, according to Findaspring.com, a website that helps people find springs where they can collect water to drink. We visited one of those springs, located in North Port, to find out if people were drinking the water. “We do not allow anyone to bottle the water,” said the City of North Port spokeswoman Erin Bryce. “It is a natural spring and we really want to maintain and protect the natural resource of Warm Mineral Springs.” We asked bathers at the spring if they would ever drink the water. “Never,” they said. Warm Mineral Springs has one of the highest mineral contents in the world, according to Bryce. Findaspring.com has a disclaimer on their website that reads: “Please independently test all spring water before you make the decision to consume it. This website is simply a source for locating springs, we do not validate water safety. You take full responsibility for your decision. Any spring listing on this site does not mean that the publishers and authors of this site condone the consumption of the water from said spring. Your use of this site indicates that you assume full responsibility for any adverse effects of consuming water from any source on this site and will not hold the publishers, authors, webmasters, administrators or maintainers of this site liable for any damages stemming from the use or misuse of this information.” We asked the website authors why Warm Mineral Springs was listed as a place to gather water, but have not heard back. Cook said she hasn’t heard of anyone locally drinking raw water. With waterborne illness being one of the easiest preventable diseases, she says she is not sure why anyone would want to put themselves at risk by drinking unfiltered water. “Anything could be in that water from pesticides, fertilizers, animal feces, human feces,” Cook said. “Experts say raw water may contain beneficial minerals,” according to CBS News. “But a healthy diet can provide the same health benefits, and it may not be worth the risk of the harmful bacteria and parasites often found in unfiltered water.”