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.
Natural habitat seen in Big Cypress Preserve. Credit: via WINK News. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is warning about the potential environmental impacts on Southwest Florida ahead of a Texas-based company, Burnett Oil CO., intending to drill in Big Cypress National Preserve in Collier County. “Protecting Florida’s waters, wetlands, and ecosystems has always been a top priority for me, which is why I strongly opposed the state taking over wetlands permitting and ending crucial federal oversight,” Fried was quoted in a press release from her office. “Now, we’re already beginning to see exactly what we hoped to avoid — potential giveaways of our pristine environment to the fossil fuel industry. I called earlier this week to permanently prohibit oil drilling off Florida’s coasts, and we don’t need drilling in our wetlands, either. These folks can look for oil somewhere else — keep your drilling in Texas, and don’t mess with Florida.” Per the Agriculture commissioner’s press release, according to environmental conservation groups, there were no public notices listed for the permit applications on the state’s wetlands permitting database. MORE: Comm. Nikki Fried: Reject Oil Drilling Permit in Big Cypress National Preserve From the coast to the wetlands, there is no shortage of beauty in Southwest Florida. “Florida relies on tourism, and most of that tourism comes from people wanting to be here to explore the outdoors, and that includes Big Cypress,” said Jaclyn Lopez, the Florida director of Center for Biological Diversity. Big Cypress also captured the eye Burnett Oil. It has applied for permits to start preparing for oil drilling in the preserve, including access roads. “With oil and gas clearly on the decline and renewed efforts to just totally transition us to sustainable renewable energies, it simply doesn’t seem worth the possibility of damaging this area,” Lopez said. A Burnett Oil spokesperson told us, in part, “We are committed to utilizing the least impactful methods for extracting the private minerals underlying the preserve.” While the mineral resources are privately owned, the preserve is protected. For Don Duke, an FGCU environmental studies professor, it’s a matter of choice for land use. “Do we use it in a sustainable way to promote the quality of life that we’d like to see here in South Florida?” Duke said. “Do we use it for economic gain and especially for economic gain that is relatively short term such as petroleum extraction?” The choice to drill or not to drill is one that could determine the future of the preserve. Burnett Oil says it’s working with the National Park Service and Florida Department of Environmental Protection to come up with a plan to compensate for the wetland impacts connected with its project. Burnett Oil Co statement “The purpose of the recent applications filed with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which were submitted in January, is to request approval for the construction of two small limestone pads accessed by single-lane limestone roads to access privately-owned mineral prospects located within the Big Cypress National Preserve. It is important to note that although the surface of the Big Cypress National Preserve is owned by the federal government, the underlying minerals are privately-owned. Our permit application is currently undergoing a rigorous technical review consistent with NEPA regulations. The environmental specialists engaged in the project do not foresee an adverse effect on the ecosystem or wildlife in the Preserve, but we await formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a final determination. As stated in our permit applications, we are committed to utilizing the least impactful methods for extracting the private minerals underlying the Preserve. In addition to minimizing impacts, we are working closely with the National Park Service and Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection to formulate a compensatory mitigation plan with the goal of compensating for the wetland impacts associated with the project – effectively creating a net zero impact on wetlands in the Preserve.”