NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO searching for missing endangered adult Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a missing person.
The Weather Authority: Scattered storms for your Saturday The Weather Authority is tracking afternoon scattered storms for Saturday this Labor Day weekend.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 2 The Golden Eagles took down the Cougars 64-7 to win the Crosstown Showdown for the 26th year in a row.
NAPLES Naples mayor speaks out after DUI arrest Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann has sent a statement to WINK News after being charged with a DUI.
FORT MYERS Woman stabbed at Fort Myers gas station Authorities responded to an active scene at a 7-eleven in Fort Myers after a woman was stabbed early Friday evening.
FORT MYERS FMPD investigating a van that followed a student from bus stop Police said a suspicious van followed a middle school student home from the bus stop on Thursday and yelled, “Get in the van.”
CAPE CORAL Report: Teen was on crosswalk when she was hit The driver of the box truck told officers he didn’t see Kendra as she rode in front of him, and he started to go.
FORT MYERS BEACH Celebration of Jimmy Buffet Day at Margaritaville Friday was Jimmy Buffett Day at Margaritaville and Fort Myers Beach is gearing up for a fun party all weekend long.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County deputies hold training for mental health encounters Charlotte County deputies are entering the community equipped with a new tool for handling mental health: the crisis initiative training.
Neighbors worried about flooding in Rotonda Heights Neighbors in Rotonda Heights are fed up with the flooding and they want to see it fixed.
ORLANDO Smart living moms reclaim their careers Betsy Gardner president and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce started Relaunch, a program to help stay-at-home moms.
FORT MYERS BEACH A closer look at the gas leak that killed 2 men at Fort Myers Beach home A closer look at the gas leak that killed two men in Fort Myers Beach has revealed some new details leading up to the deaths.
SANIBEL Sanibel CVS Pharmacy reopening after Hurricane Ian The CVS Pharmacy in Sanibel is reopening nearly two years after Hurricane Ian caused severe damage to it.
FORT MYERS Woman transported after boat hits large wake under Midpoint Bridge A woman had to be transported to the hospital after suffering an injury when the boat she was in struck the wake of a yacht.
NEW YORK (AP) Trump has history sparking outrage for incidents around veterans even as military voters backed him The reported altercation at Arlington National Cemetery involving Donald Trump’s staff was far from the first time that veterans or the families of service members have criticized the former president for words or behavior they saw as disparaging.
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO searching for missing endangered adult Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a missing person.
The Weather Authority: Scattered storms for your Saturday The Weather Authority is tracking afternoon scattered storms for Saturday this Labor Day weekend.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 2 The Golden Eagles took down the Cougars 64-7 to win the Crosstown Showdown for the 26th year in a row.
NAPLES Naples mayor speaks out after DUI arrest Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann has sent a statement to WINK News after being charged with a DUI.
FORT MYERS Woman stabbed at Fort Myers gas station Authorities responded to an active scene at a 7-eleven in Fort Myers after a woman was stabbed early Friday evening.
FORT MYERS FMPD investigating a van that followed a student from bus stop Police said a suspicious van followed a middle school student home from the bus stop on Thursday and yelled, “Get in the van.”
CAPE CORAL Report: Teen was on crosswalk when she was hit The driver of the box truck told officers he didn’t see Kendra as she rode in front of him, and he started to go.
FORT MYERS BEACH Celebration of Jimmy Buffet Day at Margaritaville Friday was Jimmy Buffett Day at Margaritaville and Fort Myers Beach is gearing up for a fun party all weekend long.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County deputies hold training for mental health encounters Charlotte County deputies are entering the community equipped with a new tool for handling mental health: the crisis initiative training.
Neighbors worried about flooding in Rotonda Heights Neighbors in Rotonda Heights are fed up with the flooding and they want to see it fixed.
ORLANDO Smart living moms reclaim their careers Betsy Gardner president and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce started Relaunch, a program to help stay-at-home moms.
FORT MYERS BEACH A closer look at the gas leak that killed 2 men at Fort Myers Beach home A closer look at the gas leak that killed two men in Fort Myers Beach has revealed some new details leading up to the deaths.
SANIBEL Sanibel CVS Pharmacy reopening after Hurricane Ian The CVS Pharmacy in Sanibel is reopening nearly two years after Hurricane Ian caused severe damage to it.
FORT MYERS Woman transported after boat hits large wake under Midpoint Bridge A woman had to be transported to the hospital after suffering an injury when the boat she was in struck the wake of a yacht.
NEW YORK (AP) Trump has history sparking outrage for incidents around veterans even as military voters backed him The reported altercation at Arlington National Cemetery involving Donald Trump’s staff was far from the first time that veterans or the families of service members have criticized the former president for words or behavior they saw as disparaging.
Testing new foam pads to cleanup algae in SWFL. Photo credit: Scott Smith Representative Francis Rooney is hosting a roundtable of federal, state and local leaders to discuss harmful algal blooms at Florida Gulf Coast University on Tuesday. Representatives from the CDC, EPA and NOAA will attend the event, which is not open to the public or press. “I am encouraged that these key agency officials are coming together to help our community prepare for future algae outbreaks,” wrote Rooney in a press release. However, emails obtained by WINK News show a more specific purpose of the meeting. Dr. Michael Parsons, a marine scientists at FGCU taking part in the panel, suggested in April to Rooney senior legislative aide Ken Clifford that the roundtable include other agencies like Fish and Wildlife, the Florida Department of Agriculture, The Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District and the Florida Department of Health. Clifford wrote back, “We left the USACOE, SFWMD and FL Ag out of this because they get so much coverage on the issue. The Congressman really wants to focus on human health effects and future recovery.” The email went on to explain, “We wanted to bring in the (Florida Department of Health) but with the confirmation delay, we have held off.” The meeting has generated a lot of attention on social media because it is closed to the public. “Sniff sniff. Closed meetings always smell funny. They may well be above board, but easier for the press and public to digest when the meetings are open. Closed meetings never generate trust,” wrote a WINK News viewer on Facebook. On Friday, an attorney for WINK News wrote a letter to Rooney and the confirmed participants in the meeting laying out arguments for why holding the meeting in private is a violation of the state’s sunshine law. MORE: Read our full legal argument why this meeting should be open to the public Rooney’s office has not responded to that letter or multiple requests from WINK News. Some in southwest Florida are in favor of the private meeting. “Every meeting shouldn’t be open to the public. It makes it a dog and pony show rather than a real meeting to discuss many ideas and issues,” wrote another WINK News viewer on Facebook. It’s important to point out that a publicly accessible meeting does not have to be held as a town hall style meetings where the public is asked to speak. For example, Representative Charlie Crist held a meeting in August with scientists and local Tampa-Bay area leaders on red tide. The meeting was in a small conference room, and members of the public were not in attendance, but the media was invited to document the outcome of the meeting. Rooney’s office has not responded to that letter or multiple requests from WINK News. Some in Southwest Florida are in favor of the private meeting. “Every meeting shouldn’t be open to the public. It makes it a dog and pony show rather than a real meeting to discuss many ideas and issues,” wrote another WINK News viewer on Facebook. It’s important to point out that a publicly accessible meeting does not have to be held as a town-hall-style meeting where the public is asked to speak. For example, Representative Charlie Crist held a meeting in August with scientists and local Tampa Bay area leaders on red tide. The meeting was in a small conference room, and members of the public were not in attendance, but the media was invited to document the outcome of the meeting. Held roundtable on #redtide with local scientists and community leaders. Clear need for robust research investments and common-sense environmental protections to help prevent the kind of crisis plaguing Florida’s waters this summer. pic.twitter.com/8orE1bdwWh — Rep. Charlie Crist (@RepCharlieCrist) August 27, 2018 Rooney’s office invited the media for a press conference following Tuesday’s close-door meeting. However, staffers did not respond to questions from WINK News about whether or not a transcript or any record of the private meeting would be made available to the public following the actual roundtable. The roundtable discussion will take place at 12 p.m. at FGCU’s Emergent Technology Institute. For a full list of attendees, click here.