Who is responsible for the Black Friday traffic nightmare at Miromar Outlets?FGCU volleyball heads to Salt Lake City for NCAA Tournament
Who is responsible for the Black Friday traffic nightmare at Miromar Outlets? Thousands of people were trapped in their cars for hours at Miromar Outlets in Estero on Black Friday. On Monday, WINK News obtained the contract between the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Miromar Outlets, which sheds light on how traffic got as bad as it did.
FGCU FGCU volleyball heads to Salt Lake City for NCAA Tournament FGCU volleyball is off to Salt Lake City to compete in its fourth straight NCAA Tournament, starting with fifth-seed Marquette in the first round.
New cameras crackdown on speeding in school zones Hendry County Schools has launched a program to crack down on speeding in school zones.
Online vs. in-store: How shoppers are tackling Cyber Monday Just when you thought it was safe to put your credit card away, Cyber Monday takes another bite out of your budget.
NAPLES Shy Wolf Sanctuary receives $150,000 donation The Shy Wolf Sanctuary, one of Naples’s hidden gems, is now benefiting from a healthy donation from Thomas Golisano.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers man arrested for shooting bicyclist with shotgun A man in Fort Myers has been arrested after he allegedly shot a bicyclist with a shotgun.
tice New details after woman stabbed, boyfriend beat up in late-night Tice home invasion Deputies have released details after arresting a Tice man after a reported stabbing that left a woman injured and a man assaulted in Lee County.
FORT MYERS Boy with autism drowns in Fort Myers pond We have learned that a child drowned in Lee County on Friday.
NAPLES Man arrested for sex crimes with underage girl on Naples Pier A Naples man has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a minor on the Naples Pier.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte man accused of storing child porn on Xbox A Port Charlotte man has been arrested and accused of storing child pornography on his Xbox.
FORT MYERS Man accused of stealing Twisted Tea from Fort Myers gas station Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man accused of stealing a 12-pack of Twisted Tea from a Fort Myers gas station.
Small-town LaBelle lands big-name franchise Culver’s That small-town feel continues for Culver’s, which just opened its first location in Hendry County’s LaBelle, a city that recently eclipsed 5,000 residents and is skyrocketing in growth.
Collier County Sheriff’s Office warns of voicemail scam The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is warning of a scam in which a fraudster leaves a voicemail advising their intended victim to contact a specific person at the sheriff’s office.
port charlotte Charlotte County opens cold weather shelter for the homeless The Charlotte CARE Center has opened its doors to displaced people needing shelter from the cold temperatures.
Who is responsible for the Black Friday traffic nightmare at Miromar Outlets? Thousands of people were trapped in their cars for hours at Miromar Outlets in Estero on Black Friday. On Monday, WINK News obtained the contract between the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Miromar Outlets, which sheds light on how traffic got as bad as it did.
FGCU FGCU volleyball heads to Salt Lake City for NCAA Tournament FGCU volleyball is off to Salt Lake City to compete in its fourth straight NCAA Tournament, starting with fifth-seed Marquette in the first round.
New cameras crackdown on speeding in school zones Hendry County Schools has launched a program to crack down on speeding in school zones.
Online vs. in-store: How shoppers are tackling Cyber Monday Just when you thought it was safe to put your credit card away, Cyber Monday takes another bite out of your budget.
NAPLES Shy Wolf Sanctuary receives $150,000 donation The Shy Wolf Sanctuary, one of Naples’s hidden gems, is now benefiting from a healthy donation from Thomas Golisano.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers man arrested for shooting bicyclist with shotgun A man in Fort Myers has been arrested after he allegedly shot a bicyclist with a shotgun.
tice New details after woman stabbed, boyfriend beat up in late-night Tice home invasion Deputies have released details after arresting a Tice man after a reported stabbing that left a woman injured and a man assaulted in Lee County.
FORT MYERS Boy with autism drowns in Fort Myers pond We have learned that a child drowned in Lee County on Friday.
NAPLES Man arrested for sex crimes with underage girl on Naples Pier A Naples man has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a minor on the Naples Pier.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte man accused of storing child porn on Xbox A Port Charlotte man has been arrested and accused of storing child pornography on his Xbox.
FORT MYERS Man accused of stealing Twisted Tea from Fort Myers gas station Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man accused of stealing a 12-pack of Twisted Tea from a Fort Myers gas station.
Small-town LaBelle lands big-name franchise Culver’s That small-town feel continues for Culver’s, which just opened its first location in Hendry County’s LaBelle, a city that recently eclipsed 5,000 residents and is skyrocketing in growth.
Collier County Sheriff’s Office warns of voicemail scam The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is warning of a scam in which a fraudster leaves a voicemail advising their intended victim to contact a specific person at the sheriff’s office.
port charlotte Charlotte County opens cold weather shelter for the homeless The Charlotte CARE Center has opened its doors to displaced people needing shelter from the cold temperatures.
U.S. Sugar Corporation Mill and Railroad, Clewiston, Hendry County. Credit South Florida Water Management District It’s become a major talking point in the race for governor. Some candidates are accusing each other of taking donations from the sugar industry, and others are even blaming that industry for causing the algae crisis. Candidates on both sides of the aisle accuse the sugar industry of contributing to the fertilizer runoff that makes algae grow. So we reached out to the National Institute for Money in State Politics, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that tracks campaign spending to find out who has accepted donations from the industry. They crunched the numbers and found that in this election cycle, the two largest sugar companies, U.S. Sugar Corporation and Florida Crystals Corporation, spent more than $7.5 million in Florida on a variety of races, including the governor’s race. We checked campaign finance records and found those same two companies donated $425,000 directly to Commissioner Adam Putnam’s political action committee, Florida Grown PC. DATABASE: Search the Florida Campaign Finance Records Our review of the financial disclosure data from the Florida Division of Elections showed that none of the other candidates, nor their political action committees, received donations from U.S. Sugar or Florida Crystals. While some people who live around Lake Okeechobee told us they blame the sugar industry for creating the algae crisis, others say their towns depend on the industry to survive. We reached out to both U.S. Sugar and Florida Crystals and have not heard back. Commissioner Adam Putnam sent us this statement: “Governor Rick Scott’s continued leadership to expedite federal funds so the state can accelerate repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee is critical to addressing the water issues facing our state. We must also ensure the Army Corps of Engineers does its job and reevaluates the discharge process. In Florida, I have led the fight to restore both the health and flow of our water resources in recent years. Measures adopted in the Everglades Agricultural Area have effectively reduced the phosphorus loads by 70 percent.” Statements from other candidates: FROM RON DESANTIS CAMPAIGN “Florida’s economy and our way of life is linked to our land, waterways and natural resources. Ron DeSantis is the only conservative in this race standing with the business owners and residents who are demanding clean water from Southwest Florida to the Treasure Coast.” FROM ANDREW GILLUM CAMPAIGN “We haven’t accepted sugar donations, and the Everglades deserves much more than a hollow campaign pledge — it’s not as if the industry was going to actually back any of our opponents. Andrew’s visited with workers in the industry; we need someone who is willing to bring all the sides together on a real solution that puts science first. Demonizing an industry that employs thousands of Floridians, including lots of people of color, does nothing to get us there.” FROM GWEN GRAHAM CAMPAIGN “The sugar industry gave to Graham’s congressional campaign but didn’t stop her from sponsoring legislation to protect the Everglades or signing the Now or Neverglades Pledge. In April, she donated the contribution to support the Indian Riverkeeper, a nonprofit that advocates for the Indian River Lagoon.” FROM JEFF GREENE CAMPAIGN “Jeff Greene isn’t accepting contributions over $100 from anyone, and isn’t taking money from any special interest — including Big Sugar. When he gets to Tallahassee, the only interest he will serve is that of the people of Florida.” FROM CHRIS KING CAMPAIGN “I’m running for governor to shake up conventional politics in Florida –– and that includes putting an end to the vise grip Big Sugar holds on Florida’s environment. I was proud to be the first candidate in a generation to stand up to sugar corporations and we’ve changed the debate in Florida, forcing our competitors from the political establishment to stand up to sugar and give back their campaign cash.” FROM PHILIP LEVINE CAMPAIGN “The Mayor has not, and will not accept any contributions from the Sugar industry.”