WINK NEWS Best time to shop for Black Friday Long gone are the days of people camping out overnight, waiting for their favorite store to open after Thanksgiving.
WINK NEWS Thanksgiving events across Southwest Florida Thanksgiving in Southwest Florida is a blend of tradition, offering both classic holiday gatherings and unique local events.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Social media influencer arrested for theft at Cape Coral Target The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a woman accused of stealing items worth nearly $500 from a Target.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman pleads guilty to possessing loaded firearm as person with felony convictions Fort Myers woman pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded firearm and ammunition as a person with felony convictions.
CAPE CORAL What’s next for Cape Coral City Council after repealing stipend? The City of Cape Coral elected five new council members Wednesday night, and their first motion was to repeal the controversial self-imposed stipend.
FORT MYERS California man pleads guilty to distributing drugs to Lee County A California man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl to Lee County.
Holiday events scheduled in Lee County throughout December It is the most wonderful time of the year, as Lee County is preparing for several Christmas and holiday-themed events in December.
FORT MYERS BEACH 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Companionship begins on Fort Myers Beach The resilience of the Southwest Florida community is on display Thursday morning in the form of sand on Fort Myers Beach.
the weather authority Decreasing humidity and mostly sunny skies for your Thursday The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front dropping humidity and temperatures on this Thursday afternoon.
The Salvation Army of Collier County launches annual toy drive The annual Toys for Tots donation drive in Collier County has officially begun, aiming to bring Christmas joy through generosity.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral’s new council eliminates stipend on day one People in Cape Coral are getting what they voted for: the new city council members were just sworn in, and they eliminated the stipend.
LEHIGH ACRES Man arrested for fatal hit-and-run crash with motorcyclist in Lehigh Acres A man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist on Tuesday night.
Latest details on fatal Alligator Alley crash ; 1 killed According to the arrest report, a man told troopers he got a minivan from a pastor but did not get permission to take it out because he left in the middle of the night
Enforcing state law on street camping in Punta Gorda More than a month since the new state law banning sleeping in public places went into effect the city of Punta Gorda voted on if an ordinance change was needed.
Cape Coral home vandalized; homeowner calls it a “hate crime” A man returned to his unfinished Cape Coral home to find it’s been violated and vandalized. Cape Coral police are searching for the suspect.
WINK NEWS Best time to shop for Black Friday Long gone are the days of people camping out overnight, waiting for their favorite store to open after Thanksgiving.
WINK NEWS Thanksgiving events across Southwest Florida Thanksgiving in Southwest Florida is a blend of tradition, offering both classic holiday gatherings and unique local events.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Social media influencer arrested for theft at Cape Coral Target The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a woman accused of stealing items worth nearly $500 from a Target.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman pleads guilty to possessing loaded firearm as person with felony convictions Fort Myers woman pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded firearm and ammunition as a person with felony convictions.
CAPE CORAL What’s next for Cape Coral City Council after repealing stipend? The City of Cape Coral elected five new council members Wednesday night, and their first motion was to repeal the controversial self-imposed stipend.
FORT MYERS California man pleads guilty to distributing drugs to Lee County A California man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl to Lee County.
Holiday events scheduled in Lee County throughout December It is the most wonderful time of the year, as Lee County is preparing for several Christmas and holiday-themed events in December.
FORT MYERS BEACH 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Companionship begins on Fort Myers Beach The resilience of the Southwest Florida community is on display Thursday morning in the form of sand on Fort Myers Beach.
the weather authority Decreasing humidity and mostly sunny skies for your Thursday The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front dropping humidity and temperatures on this Thursday afternoon.
The Salvation Army of Collier County launches annual toy drive The annual Toys for Tots donation drive in Collier County has officially begun, aiming to bring Christmas joy through generosity.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral’s new council eliminates stipend on day one People in Cape Coral are getting what they voted for: the new city council members were just sworn in, and they eliminated the stipend.
LEHIGH ACRES Man arrested for fatal hit-and-run crash with motorcyclist in Lehigh Acres A man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist on Tuesday night.
Latest details on fatal Alligator Alley crash ; 1 killed According to the arrest report, a man told troopers he got a minivan from a pastor but did not get permission to take it out because he left in the middle of the night
Enforcing state law on street camping in Punta Gorda More than a month since the new state law banning sleeping in public places went into effect the city of Punta Gorda voted on if an ordinance change was needed.
Cape Coral home vandalized; homeowner calls it a “hate crime” A man returned to his unfinished Cape Coral home to find it’s been violated and vandalized. Cape Coral police are searching for the suspect.
Matt Caldwell is pictured. | AP Photo Republican state Rep. Matt Caldwell declared victory Tuesday night as he held a narrow advantage in the contest to succeed term-limited Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. Caldwell, a real-estate appraiser from North Fort Myers, gave an acceptance speech from an election watch party, according to WGCU Public Media. As of 11:30 p.m., Caldwell led Democrat Nikki Fried by about 41,000 votes out of 7.9 million ballots cast, and Fried, a lawyer and lobbyist from Fort Lauderdale, had not conceded. The campaign seemed to focus more on issues such as medical marijuana and guns than the agriculture aspects of the commissioner’s job, which includes serving on the state Cabinet and running the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. With about $7.5 million spent by the candidates, the contest had the lowest spending among the three Cabinet races. But unlike the races for attorney general and chief financial officer, Caldwell and Fried discussed issues and participated in a debate that voters across the state could see. Caldwell, 37, a graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University, was first elected to the House in 2010 and traces his family back seven generations in Florida. In the House, Caldwell has been a go-to lawmaker on a number of environmental issues for GOP leaders. If his lead in Tuesday’s election holds, he will take over the sprawling Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which assists farmers and ranchers, manages public lands, maintains the state’s “do-not-call” list, inspects amusement park rides, ensures food safety and oversees concealed-weapons licenses. A couple of key agriculture issues before the agency are citrus greening and the decline of the citrus industry, while also overseeing fruit imports at ports. During the campaign, Caldwell sought to appeal to conservative voters with a pro-gun and anti-tax record in the Legislature while stressing his family’s roots in Florida and ties to the agriculture industry. He considers “jobs and water” the priorities of the office. Caldwell, endorsed by the NRA, defended the department’s handling of concealed-weapons licenses under Putnam after a number of mistakes were found in conducting national background checks. Fried said a discussion needs to be held on moving the licensing process to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. And with the state experiencing problems with toxic algae and red tide, Fried contended water legislation by Caldwell “gutted” Department of Environmental Protection regulations and played a key role in degrading the state’s environment. Caldwell countered that his measures require farmers to implement “the most cutting-edge technology” related to the use of phosphates and didn’t roll back any water quality standards. Fried, 40, stressed the consumer protection side of the agency and appealed to progressives by focusing on expanding medical marijuana and the hemp industry. Fried said running a Cabinet agency is more about providing leadership and judgment and who can advocate for the office than having worked in the fields. Fried, who spent $2 million to the $5.5 million spent by Caldwell, drew some attention to the contest by announcing that two national banks — Wells Fargo and BB&T — terminated her campaign account because of contributions tied to the marijuana industry. The banking industry has cited federal laws that make the sale and use of marijuana illegal.