Disaster tax relief bill passed after over 2 yearsElevate Social Lounge opens Kava bar at University Village near FGCU
WINK NEWS Disaster tax relief bill passed after over 2 years After more than two years of uncertainty, victims of Hurricane Ian and other disasters are getting some financial relief.
Elevate Social Lounge opens Kava bar at University Village near FGCU For almost four years, Mitra 9 has marketed itself as the Budweiser of Kava, trying to make mainstream a growing trend of Kava-infused drinks that are said to help reduce anxiety.
ESTERO Funeral procession held for former Lee County firefighter Hundreds joined to pay their respects to a beloved firefighter who passed away in November.
FORT MYERS Will new developments along SR 82 cause traffic problems? New developments are coming to State Road 82 near the Forum, the biggest of which is Amazon’s new robotics fulfillment center.
SANIBEL 36th annual Sanibel Luminary Festival begins It’s the holiday season, and there are events galore across Southwest Florida this weekend. One of those events is the Sanibel Luminary Festival.
FORT MYERS FGCU student arrested, accused of making social media threat against university Florida Gulf Coast University police have arrested a student accused of sending a threat to the university through Snapchat.
SANIBEL Sanibel annual 10K/5K race begins this weekend Sanibel’s annual food programs, island-based social services and Helping Hands “JOG N JAM” 10k/5k race will close several roads this Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Teen accused of stealing vehicle from Cape Coral driveway A 16-year-old with a history of stealing cars has been arrested after allegedly stealing a vehicle from a Cape Coral driveway.
Tim Aten Knows: Work begins for new Publix at Wiggins and U.S. 41 Work began in late November to prepare for a Publix supermarket at the Gateway Shoppes at North Bay on the northwest corner of U.S. 41 and Wiggins Pass Road in North Naples.
BONITA SPRINGS Woman wanted for credit card theft in Bonita Springs Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a woman wanted for credit card theft in Bonita Springs.
WINK NEWS Cold front brings stray showers this Friday afternoon and evening A cold front will bring in stray showers this Friday afternoon and evening with warmer temperatures in the upper 70s.
FORT MYERS House fire in downtown Fort Myers caused by smoking A house fire caused a massive scene overnight near downtown Fort Myers, with smoke visible from the home.
CAPE CORAL Veterans Memorial Parkway in Cape Coral reopens after pedestrian crash An access point to Midpoint Bridge getting into Fort Myers has reopened after a pedestrian crash early Friday morning.
FORT MYERS Road closures in Downtown Fort Myers due to Festival of Trees Due to the return of the Downtown Fort Myers Festival of Trees, First Street between Jackson and Lee Street will be closed on Friday and Saturday.
FORT MYERS Micro Wrestling Federation makes its way to Fort Myers Professionals with the “Micro Wrestling Federation” put on an amazing show at the ranch in Fort Myers on Thursday.
WINK NEWS Disaster tax relief bill passed after over 2 years After more than two years of uncertainty, victims of Hurricane Ian and other disasters are getting some financial relief.
Elevate Social Lounge opens Kava bar at University Village near FGCU For almost four years, Mitra 9 has marketed itself as the Budweiser of Kava, trying to make mainstream a growing trend of Kava-infused drinks that are said to help reduce anxiety.
ESTERO Funeral procession held for former Lee County firefighter Hundreds joined to pay their respects to a beloved firefighter who passed away in November.
FORT MYERS Will new developments along SR 82 cause traffic problems? New developments are coming to State Road 82 near the Forum, the biggest of which is Amazon’s new robotics fulfillment center.
SANIBEL 36th annual Sanibel Luminary Festival begins It’s the holiday season, and there are events galore across Southwest Florida this weekend. One of those events is the Sanibel Luminary Festival.
FORT MYERS FGCU student arrested, accused of making social media threat against university Florida Gulf Coast University police have arrested a student accused of sending a threat to the university through Snapchat.
SANIBEL Sanibel annual 10K/5K race begins this weekend Sanibel’s annual food programs, island-based social services and Helping Hands “JOG N JAM” 10k/5k race will close several roads this Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Teen accused of stealing vehicle from Cape Coral driveway A 16-year-old with a history of stealing cars has been arrested after allegedly stealing a vehicle from a Cape Coral driveway.
Tim Aten Knows: Work begins for new Publix at Wiggins and U.S. 41 Work began in late November to prepare for a Publix supermarket at the Gateway Shoppes at North Bay on the northwest corner of U.S. 41 and Wiggins Pass Road in North Naples.
BONITA SPRINGS Woman wanted for credit card theft in Bonita Springs Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a woman wanted for credit card theft in Bonita Springs.
WINK NEWS Cold front brings stray showers this Friday afternoon and evening A cold front will bring in stray showers this Friday afternoon and evening with warmer temperatures in the upper 70s.
FORT MYERS House fire in downtown Fort Myers caused by smoking A house fire caused a massive scene overnight near downtown Fort Myers, with smoke visible from the home.
CAPE CORAL Veterans Memorial Parkway in Cape Coral reopens after pedestrian crash An access point to Midpoint Bridge getting into Fort Myers has reopened after a pedestrian crash early Friday morning.
FORT MYERS Road closures in Downtown Fort Myers due to Festival of Trees Due to the return of the Downtown Fort Myers Festival of Trees, First Street between Jackson and Lee Street will be closed on Friday and Saturday.
FORT MYERS Micro Wrestling Federation makes its way to Fort Myers Professionals with the “Micro Wrestling Federation” put on an amazing show at the ranch in Fort Myers on Thursday.
FILE: President Donald Trump, second from right, speaks in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019, as he hosts a roundtable with conservative leaders to discuss the security and humanitarian crisis at the southern border. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Donald Trump said he is postponing his State of the Union address until the partial government shutdown ends, yielding after a weeklong showdown with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Following a high-stakes game of dare and double-dare, Trump conceded Wednesday night that “no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber.” He said he was not looking for an alternate option after Pelosi served notice earlier in the day that he wouldn’t be allowed to deliver the address to a joint session of Congress next week. Pelosi had taken the step after Trump said he planned to show up in spite of Democratic objections to the speech taking place with large swaths of the government shut down. Denied that grand venue, Trump promised to come up with some sort of alternative event. The White House scrambled to find a site matching the gravitas of the traditional address from the rostrum of the House to lawmakers from both parties, Supreme Court justices, invited guests and a television audience of millions. “As the Shutdown was going on, Nancy Pelosi asked me to give the State of the Union Address. I agreed,” Trump tweeted shortly after 11 p.m. EST. “She then changed her mind because of the Shutdown, suggesting a later date. This is her prerogative – I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over.” Fireworks over the speech shot back and forth between the Capitol and the White House as the monthlong partial government shutdown showed no signs of ending and about 800,000 federal workers faced the prospect of going without their second paycheck in a row come Friday. Pelosi told Trump the House wouldn’t approve a resolution allowing him to address Congress until the shutdown ended. Trump shot back that Pelosi was afraid of hearing the truth. “I think that’s a great blotch on the incredible country that we all love,” Trump said earlier Wednesday. “It’s a great, great horrible mark.” The drama surrounding the State of the Union address began last week when Pelosi asked Trump to make other plans but stopped short of denying him the chamber for his address. Trump called her bluff Wednesday in a letter, saying he intended to come anyway. A portion of a letter sent to President Donald Trump from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019 in Washington. (AP Photo/Wayne Partlow) “It would be so very sad for our Country if the State of the Union were not delivered on time, on schedule, and very importantly, on location,” he wrote. Pelosi quickly squelched the speech, writing back that the House “will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the President’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber until government has opened.” The president cannot speak in front of a joint session of Congress without both chambers’ explicit permission. A resolution needs to be approved by both chambers specifying the date and time for receiving an address from the president. The gamesmanship unfolded as the Senate prepared to vote this week on dueling proposals on the shutdown. A Republican one would give Trump money for the wall while one from Democrats would re-open government through Feb. 8, with no wall money, giving bargainers time to talk about it. Both proposals were likely to fail to reach the 60-vote threshold needed in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. As well, House Democrats were putting forward a new proposal, aiming to lure Trump away from his demand for a border wall by offering billions of new dollars for other border security measures. The Constitution states only that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union,” meaning the president can speak anywhere he chooses or give his update in writing. The address has been delayed before. Ronald Reagan’s 1986 State of the Union address was postponed after the Challenger space shuttle exploded in flight on Jan. 28 of that year. But there is no precedent for a State of the Union invitation being rescinded. Presidents Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower and Jimmy Carter issued their final messages in print. As Eisenhower recovered from a heart attack in 1956, he prepared a seven-minute, filmed summary of the message from his retreat in Key West, Florida, that was broadcast nationwide. Richard Nixon sent a printed message in 1973; his staff said an oral message would have come too soon after his second inaugural address. White House officials had been working on a backup plan to have Trump give the speech somewhere else if Democrats blocked access to the House chamber. Nevertheless, they were rattled by Pelosi’s move Wednesday and expressed concern it would further sour shutdown negotiations. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., responds to reporters after officially postponing President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address until the government is fully reopened, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Pelosi said that when she extended her Jan. 3 invitation to Trump to deliver the State of the Union address on Jan. 29, there was no thought that the government would still be shut down. She wrote Wednesday: “I look forward to welcoming you to the House on a mutually agreeable date for this address when government has been opened.” Moments after her letter became public, Trump told reporters he wasn’t surprised by Pelosi’s action. Democrats have become “radicalized,” he claimed. He expanded on those sentiments during a subsequent event at the White House, calling the cancellation a “disgrace” and asserting that Pelosi didn’t want to hear the truth about the need for better border security. The White House and Democratic lawmakers have been accusing one another of pettiness since Pelosi raised doubts about the speech. Trump followed up by revoking her use of a military plane for a congressional delegation visit to Afghanistan.