Man wanted for armed robbery at Fort Myers convenience storeWINK Neighborhood Watch: Rifles, innapropriate texts and Donut shop debacle
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, innapropriate 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.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
PUNTA GORDA Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society raises concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
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, innapropriate 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.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
PUNTA GORDA Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society raises concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
Credit: Florida Department of Agriculture. They’re hard to miss. Retailers all over Southwest Florida sell CBD and hemp products. And hemp is a hot topic this week, as the state holds what it calls “hemp rules workshops.” We looked at the hemp industry in our area and what these state meetings are set up to accomplish. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said it wants to get the hemp industry right in our state during its first go-around. That’s why the department is listening to scientists, farmers, retailers, investors and anyone with an opinion to help create the polices for hemp production in Florida. Line-by-line, FDAC leaders answered questions and addressed public comment regarding improvements for rules on the incoming hemp industry. One commenter asked FDAC officials about the addition of an auto renew system on the annual license if growers are producing the same strain, same crop and the same processes on an annual basis. Steven Hall, general counsel for the agriculture department, said that is something that can be considered. Rules on growing, testing, inspecting, using hemp in foods and animal feeds were all discussed, and the list goes on. “We understand there’s going to be insecticide, nematodes, mites,” said David Daiker, assistant director of Division of Agricultural Environmental Services. “So I’m going to talk a little bit about what we’re doing today to help you guys out.” Hemp comes from the plant cannabis sativa, the same plant marijuana comes from. Found in hemp is the chemical CBD, known to help fight pain, symptoms of anxiety and other ailments — all without getting users high. In May, Florida lawmakers approved SB 1020 to begin a statewide hemp program. Our investigation in March revealed, without this program in place, it’s technically illegal to sell hemp or CBD in Florida. MORE: SB 1020: State Hemp Program “We hope this is something that in a year or two becomes just another agriculture commodity you see as you’re driving down the road,” Hall said. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said hemp could be a $20-$30 billion industry for Florida. And people are eager to jump in on the potential cash crop. “If anyone has any great ideas, we’d love to hear them,” Hall said. Gov. Ron DeSantis has until July 29 to sign or veto the bill from the state Senate. If approved, it will go into effect July 1. Fried’s goal is to see crops go in the ground by next year. The FDAC designed a web page to educate consumers about CBD and hemp. It explains current legality in the state and offers consumers a place to report an bad CBD or hemp products encountered. The department will hold a total of three hemp rules workshops. More than 300 people showed up to observe and ask questions in Broward County Thursday. Organizers believe more were in Tamp Friday. The final workshop will be held in Tallahassee Monday, June 24. Anyone who might have becomes sick or suspects a product has been mislabeled can enter information on that page. MORE: FDACS: Hemp/CBD in Florida The Florida Channel: Hemp Rules Workshops PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS: Great-grandmother arrested at Disney World for having CBD oil; but is it really illegal? FDA holds first public hearing on legalizing CBD in food and drinks Confusion Over Cannabidiol: Is CBD legal? It depends who you ask