Florida Prepaid open enrollment deadline approachesFew showers this Monday afternoon after a pleasant and dry morning
WINK NEWS Florida Prepaid open enrollment deadline approaches All parents fear the expense of college for their children; however, the state offers a great option in the Florida Prepaid Plan.
The Weather Authority Few showers this Monday afternoon after a pleasant and dry morning The Weather Authority is tracking a cool and pleasant Monday morning start with the possibility of afternoon rain showers.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead, and 1 arrested after North Fort Myers shooting While details are limited, what is available is that Lee County Sheriff’s deputies are actively investigating a shooting that killed one man.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Bishop of the Diocese of Venice releases statement following sexual abuse allegations by SWFL priest The Bishop of the Diocese of Venice is speaking out after Charlotte County Reverend Leo Riley was arrested on five counts of sexual battery stemming from his past work as a priest in Iowa.
NEW YORK (AP) Biden officials indefinitely postpone ban on menthol cigarettes amid election-year pushback President Joe Biden’s administration is indefinitely delaying a long-awaited menthol cigarette ban, a decision that infuriated anti-smoking advocates but could avoid a political backlash from Black voters in November.
FORT MYERS Gone but not forgotten: Traveling Vietnam Memorial pays tribute to veterans A powerful symbol of honor and remembrance is standing proudly here in Southwest Florida. The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall is open to the public, a reminder of those we lost who served our country.
LEE COUNTY Two arrested for street racing in Lee County Two people have been arrested for street racing in Lee County according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
CAPE CORAL Boaters with rifles seen in Cape Coral canal On an average day, it’s pretty common to see people fishing or swimming in a canal. One neighbor in Cape Coral saw something unusual in his backyard Friday afternoon.
FORT MYERS Car flips, one sent to hospital after two car crash in Fort Myers A crash involving at least two vehicles sent one person to the hospital.
The Weather Authority: Clouds, sunshine, wind, and the possibility of a brief shower for your Sunday Clouds and occasional sunshine this Sunday. A few brief showers are possible late in the afternoon and this evening.
TALLAHASSEE (CBS) Governor DeSantis signs AI and vape bills Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed 28 bills, including a measure requiring disclaimers on certain political ads created using artificial intelligence and a bill about regulation of vape products.
ESTERO Gold Star Golf Tournament honors fallen veteran Behind each putt and swing of a golf club at the Gold Star Golf Tournament is someone who knew John Wirka Junior.
NEW YORK (AP) How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
FORT MYERS Man wanted for armed robbery at Fort Myers convenience store Crime Stoppers is asking the public for help identifying an armed robber who held up a convenience store Saturday morning.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Rifles, inappropriate texts and Donut shop debacle This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a scary mall trip, an inappropriate coach, and a Dunkin Donuts assault.
WINK NEWS Florida Prepaid open enrollment deadline approaches All parents fear the expense of college for their children; however, the state offers a great option in the Florida Prepaid Plan.
The Weather Authority Few showers this Monday afternoon after a pleasant and dry morning The Weather Authority is tracking a cool and pleasant Monday morning start with the possibility of afternoon rain showers.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead, and 1 arrested after North Fort Myers shooting While details are limited, what is available is that Lee County Sheriff’s deputies are actively investigating a shooting that killed one man.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Bishop of the Diocese of Venice releases statement following sexual abuse allegations by SWFL priest The Bishop of the Diocese of Venice is speaking out after Charlotte County Reverend Leo Riley was arrested on five counts of sexual battery stemming from his past work as a priest in Iowa.
NEW YORK (AP) Biden officials indefinitely postpone ban on menthol cigarettes amid election-year pushback President Joe Biden’s administration is indefinitely delaying a long-awaited menthol cigarette ban, a decision that infuriated anti-smoking advocates but could avoid a political backlash from Black voters in November.
FORT MYERS Gone but not forgotten: Traveling Vietnam Memorial pays tribute to veterans A powerful symbol of honor and remembrance is standing proudly here in Southwest Florida. The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall is open to the public, a reminder of those we lost who served our country.
LEE COUNTY Two arrested for street racing in Lee County Two people have been arrested for street racing in Lee County according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
CAPE CORAL Boaters with rifles seen in Cape Coral canal On an average day, it’s pretty common to see people fishing or swimming in a canal. One neighbor in Cape Coral saw something unusual in his backyard Friday afternoon.
FORT MYERS Car flips, one sent to hospital after two car crash in Fort Myers A crash involving at least two vehicles sent one person to the hospital.
The Weather Authority: Clouds, sunshine, wind, and the possibility of a brief shower for your Sunday Clouds and occasional sunshine this Sunday. A few brief showers are possible late in the afternoon and this evening.
TALLAHASSEE (CBS) Governor DeSantis signs AI and vape bills Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed 28 bills, including a measure requiring disclaimers on certain political ads created using artificial intelligence and a bill about regulation of vape products.
ESTERO Gold Star Golf Tournament honors fallen veteran Behind each putt and swing of a golf club at the Gold Star Golf Tournament is someone who knew John Wirka Junior.
NEW YORK (AP) How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
FORT MYERS Man wanted for armed robbery at Fort Myers convenience store Crime Stoppers is asking the public for help identifying an armed robber who held up a convenience store Saturday morning.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Rifles, inappropriate texts and Donut shop debacle This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a scary mall trip, an inappropriate coach, and a Dunkin Donuts assault.
Drone footage of algae at Clipper Bay in Cape Coral, on Aug. 10, 2018 The federal government needs to catch up in helping Florida manage water and prevent harmful algal blooms. That’s the message Congressman Francis Rooney delivered on Capitol Hill this week. As he asks for billions of dollars in federal support, he’s catching flack back in his district for keeping the public out of an important roundtable discussion. When you ask Southwest Floridians, many will agree water is our life-blood, and no one questions that. So the question is raised, why is a roundtable discussion set up to save our water closed to the public? The summer of 2018 was a disaster for Southwest Florida. Lee County District 4 Commissioner Brian Hamman says, “The tourists see the algae on TV and they stop coming, and they stop booking their hotel rooms … We need Washington to pay attention to our water issues.” Business owners like Millennial Brewing’s Kyle Cebull agree that water quality is the most important local issue, calling it the “lifeblood of this area,” and “clearly a huge huge issue.” He is one of the members of the public shut out of a roundtable meeting of federal, state and local leaders at Florida Gulf Coast University to discuss the issue next week. The event is closed to the public. Cebull thinks it should be an open meeting, “Transparency is critical. It’s just going to help improve everything, everyone hearing it first hand what’s being discussed and what everybody in that room thinks we should do.” Congressman Rooney said in an email it’s important the agencies meet face-to-face, and that “We provide a private forum conducive to be an open technical discussion.” “If they are concerned about,” Cebull said. “Members of the public getting out of hand, activists that can be a little more rambunctious then fine, but give us a way to see what’s going on and let us in on the conversations.” But the media is shut out of the meeting as well, and there’s no planned online streaming, so there will be no record of what happens behind closed doors. Our WINK News attorney believes it’s a violation of Florida’s Sunshine Law. WINK News sent Rooney and other participants in the meeting a letter stating in part “The right of access is embedded in Florida’s constitution,” and the reasons for closing the meeting “do not exist in Florida law.” LINK: Read our full legal argument why this meeting should be open to the public Hamman says he would like to see a degree of transparency to find water quality solutions, hoping when Rooney does speak with the press after the meeting he is “open about what was discussed at the meeting, so we can get good information out there.” Hamman also says amid the controversy over the closed-door meeting, we shouldn’t lose sight of what we need our federal leaders to do, “The federal government promised to be a 50/50 partner in building the comprehensive Everglades restoration plan but they are a billion dollars behind the state of Florida.” This week in Washington, Rooney urged the House Appropriations Committee to fund Everglades and Lake Okeechobee watershed projects, emphasizing the area accounts for $1.3 trillion in real estate value in our state. But Southwest Floridians want to know what the participants at next week’s roundtable will learn to help get us federal funding. Rooney’s office has not responded to our attorney’s letter despite multiple follow-up attempt to have a discussion Friday. For a full list of attendees at the roundtable, click here.