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.
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.
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.
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.
American musician Prince performs in concert, New York, New York, circa 1989. (Photo by Larry Busacca/WireImage) The Minnesota town where one of the most famous scenes from Prince’s movie “Purple Rain” was filmed has unveiled a life-sized bronze statue of The Purple One in a garden filled with purple flowers and other tributes to the artist. A mural of Prince leaning on a Little Red Corvette looks down on the statue, which was installed on June 28 in Henderson, Minnesota. Fans of the 1984 film will recognize Henderson from the Lake Minnetonka scene where actress Apollonia Kotero’s character jumped into the frigid water only to learn that it was not Lake Minnetonka. The spot is on a banks of the Minnesota River, about 45 minutes from Minneapolis and Prince’s Paisley Park Studios. The statue cost $40,000, with most of the money coming from fans, who gave $100 to have their names included on a bronze donor plaque, according to Joel King of the Prince Legacy Henderson Project. King, a retired cinematographer and camera operator, worked on Prince’s “Graffiti Bridge” movie and some video projects. “It’s kind of giving back to Prince what Prince gave me,” King said. King says fans have been coming to Henderson for years because of “Purple Rain.” The project started with a granite bench carved with doves and Prince’s famous symbol guitar, and then it added the mural. There is a guest book in a purple mailbox with the address 1999. King says it’s been signed by more than 4,000 people from all over the world. He expects the statue to be an even bigger draw. Tour operator Randy “Capt. Randy” Luedtke was impressed when he came to see the statue. “It was such a beautiful commemorative opportunity for Prince’s legacy to continue to live on,” he said. His company has been taking fans to see landmarks from Prince’s rise to fame in Minneapolis for about four years. Luedtke says the company typically does two tours a week, plus smaller VIP tours. One popular stop is the real Lake Minnetonka, Luedtke said. “People just want to grab a vial of water, they want to baptize themselves,” he said. Luedtke hasn’t been able to run tours because of the coronavirus pandemic, but he says he’s adding Henderson to the itinerary once he is back in business. King says the Prince connection has been great for the community, and local businesses have embraced the garden and the tourists it attracts. They even host a music festival on his birthday called “Prince Fest.” King feels like it was the perfect time to unveil the statue, since so many controversial monuments are being taken down. “It’s kind of cool to have the statue now, especially when they’re tearing down all the statues in America, and then to have a Black man on a statue is pretty cool,” he said. “I think it’s kind of the right time, and Prince deserves it.”