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.
Danielle Ripley-Burgess is a two-time survivor of colorectal cancer. (Image via Danielle Ripley-Burgess) It’s estimated one out of every 20 people will develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime. If that number isn’t startling enough, a new study finds this may become the No. 1 cancer-related death for younger people. The problem? The disease often goes undiagnosed until it’s too late. Danielle Ripley-Burgess hid her symptoms for a long time. “I was probably in eighth grade when I started seeing blood in the stool, and it got worse and worse.” She finally spoke up at 17, and despite her age, her doctor didn’t rule out colorectal cancer. “I showed up, 17 years old, with rectal bleeding, and my GI didn’t hesitate to say, ‘Well, she needs a colonoscopy ASAP,'” she said. “I look back and think his decision helped save my life.” Most young colorectal patients aren’t so fortunate – and the delay can be deadly. “It really lights a fire under me, because this is a preventable cancer,” Ripley-Burgess said. “It’s a nasty disease, especially when you catch it late. And so I wish it works that way – younger, healthier people can have a better chance at survivorship. But that’s just not exactly been what we see.” New research finds youth is no longer something doctors should overlook when it comes to colorectal cancer. “It’s often misdiagnosed for so long, a lot of early age onset patients are diagnosed at a later stage when the disease is much more difficult to treat,” said Molly McDonnell, Fight Colorectal Cancer’s director of advocacy. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association predicts it will be the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for people ages 20 to 49 in less than a decade. “It’s often looked at as something that is kind of an old man’s disease. And clearly, that’s not the case anymore,” McDonnell said. “This is just probably the starkest indication that we’ve had to date that more and more young people are getting colorectal cancer, and that we have to do more.” McDonnel said research into why this is happening and how to stop it needs funding now. Her group said the Department of Defense can get it done. “A lot of people don’t realize that the Department of Defense does medical research as well, but they conduct a lot of medical research through their congressionally directed medical research program.” The group is asking for $20 million for colorectal cancer research that could answer questions, like those Ripley-Burgess has, and save lives. “Why did I get cancer so young? And what’s going on? And what can I do so that this doesn’t happen again?” Colorectal cancer symptoms include blood in your stool, persistent abdominal discomfort like cramps, gas or pain, or unexplained weight loss. It can be diagnosed with a colonoscopy or a stool-based test you can do at home.