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.
Monday’s meeting of the Naples City Council was a fiery one as people spoke out for and against a mask mandate, with at least one person being escorted away. (Credit: WINK News) The Naples City Council approved a mask mandate during a special meeting on Monday. The vote was 4-3 in favor of the mandate, which requires masks inside all businesses and public buildings and outside at events where social distancing isn’t possible. Monday’s meeting, the third on the mask issue, came after the council tabled a decision on masks last Wednesday. Naples Fire Chief Pete DiMaria said he felt encouraged by the direction the discussion had taken at the time. DiMaria has been asking for a mask mandate since July, when the council voted against one. He says this isn’t about taking away people’s rights, it’s about protecting each other. The virus hits close to home for his fire department, as they lost a member to it not long ago. “We’ve had a firefighter here in our agency that we lost to COVID; he was a young man in his 50s, in pretty good health,” DiMaria said. “And so I would say it’s real, it’s arbitrary, you don’t know what it’s gonna do to you. You may have no symptoms, you may be fine, you may have flu symptoms, or it may put you in the hospital, and worst-case scenario you may be facing a fatality with it, and there’s no doubt that this virus is real and it’s not to be reckoned with.” DiMaria believes the mandate gives assurance to people visiting the city that they are safe. As far as enforcement, he believes education will work, rather than the penalties seen in other counties. “We want to educate, we want to encourage, we want to make sure that everyone’s doing the right thing for them, and I think we’ll probably use enforcement as a tool to educate people,” DiMaria said. “I don’t see us slapping big fines or penalties onto people. I see us talking to people without masks, trying to encourage them to wear them.” DiMaria added that even though vaccines are rolling out, we still need to mask up in order to keep each other safe. The city’s third discussion on the topic was a fiery one, with a police officer having to step in twice and at least one person being escorted out. More than half of the people who spoke Monday came out strongly against the mandate, citing their civil liberties. “There are people who are not going to put the mask on. And you can’t arrest everybody,” one said. Some said we’re slipping into socialism. “You have to start thinking outside of all the hype, all the hype is for one reason: to bring socialism.” But the passion extended to both sides, with several medical professionals even giving their point of view. “When other people see everyone wearing masks, they’re more likely to do it,” one said. In the end, it went their way. The resolution will allow City of Naples code enforcement officers to fine businesses and event organizers who don’t comply with the mandate, which will expire April 13, unless Gov. Ron DeSantis rescinds the State of Emergency before then. Exceptions to the mandate include children 2 and under and those with medical conditions in which wearing a mask would cause impairment. https://winknews.com/wp-content/uploads/Resolution_for_face_covering-12-21-2020-Final.pdf