Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in Southwest FloridaCraft supplier Joann to shutter 3 SWFL stores, 500 nationwide
Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in Southwest Florida A drug trafficker has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Southwest Florida.
Craft supplier Joann to shutter 3 SWFL stores, 500 nationwide The big box craft chain based in Hudson, Ohio, is closing its North Naples store at 6424 Naples Blvd., the Estero store at Coconut Point and the Fort Myers store in South Plaza on Cleveland Avenue.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Police Department Chaplin Rev. Bill Klossner passes away The Punta Gorda Police Department announced the passing of their Chaplin, Reverend Bill Klossner.
Man dies after struck by car while attempting to pick up trash bag on SR-80 The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash involving a pickup truck and a car that hospitalized one man on State Road 80 in Hendry County.
the weather authority Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking increased cloud coverage along with milder conditions this Tuesday afternoon.
WINK NEWS Shell Factory & Nature Park’s final auction begins The Shell Factory & Nature Park has launched its final auction, allowing fans of the now-closed Southwest Florida landmark to take home several valued items.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers to discuss fluoride in water during next city council meeting The debate over fluoride in drinking water has been reignited following an announcement by the Florida surgeon general urging cities to halt fluoride treatment.
ESTERO Gator stuck on Estero porch gives homeowner a wild surprise Sunday night Imagine glancing out your back door and seeing a gator sliding around on your deck. That’s exactly what happened to an Estero homeowner who found an unexpected visitor on their property.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers crash leaves motorcyclist with life-threatening injuries A motorcyclist is in critical condition following a collision with a sedan at the intersection of North East Pine Island Road and Judd Creek Boulevard in North Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH Hurricane Ian recovery delays impact tourism and local businesses Fort Myers Beach is still grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which struck over two years ago.
FORT MYERS Alliance for the Arts hosting Jazz on the Green, celebrating historic music genre Catch Grammy winners and jazz virtuosos at the Jazz on the Green event hosted by the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS Twins host fans for open house and first full squad workout The Minnesota Twins held their first full squad workout of Spring Training as well as hosted fans for an open house.
Potential changes to how shingle roofs are covered by insurance Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky recently made comments at the Florida Chamber Insurance Summit about the potential phasing out of shingle roofs in the state.
SANIBEL Sanibel islanders rally to restore beloved fishing pier after Ian damage The Sanibel Fishing Pier, a beloved spot for many, has been in disrepair since Hurricane Ian struck more than two years ago. Now, dedicated fishers are pushing to restore it using private funding.
PUNTA GORDA Gunfire erupts on US 41 bridge in Punta Gorda; bikers arrested A road rage incident escalated into gunfire on the U.S. 41 bridge connecting Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, causing fear among drivers.
Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in Southwest Florida A drug trafficker has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Southwest Florida.
Craft supplier Joann to shutter 3 SWFL stores, 500 nationwide The big box craft chain based in Hudson, Ohio, is closing its North Naples store at 6424 Naples Blvd., the Estero store at Coconut Point and the Fort Myers store in South Plaza on Cleveland Avenue.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Police Department Chaplin Rev. Bill Klossner passes away The Punta Gorda Police Department announced the passing of their Chaplin, Reverend Bill Klossner.
Man dies after struck by car while attempting to pick up trash bag on SR-80 The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash involving a pickup truck and a car that hospitalized one man on State Road 80 in Hendry County.
the weather authority Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking increased cloud coverage along with milder conditions this Tuesday afternoon.
WINK NEWS Shell Factory & Nature Park’s final auction begins The Shell Factory & Nature Park has launched its final auction, allowing fans of the now-closed Southwest Florida landmark to take home several valued items.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers to discuss fluoride in water during next city council meeting The debate over fluoride in drinking water has been reignited following an announcement by the Florida surgeon general urging cities to halt fluoride treatment.
ESTERO Gator stuck on Estero porch gives homeowner a wild surprise Sunday night Imagine glancing out your back door and seeing a gator sliding around on your deck. That’s exactly what happened to an Estero homeowner who found an unexpected visitor on their property.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers crash leaves motorcyclist with life-threatening injuries A motorcyclist is in critical condition following a collision with a sedan at the intersection of North East Pine Island Road and Judd Creek Boulevard in North Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH Hurricane Ian recovery delays impact tourism and local businesses Fort Myers Beach is still grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which struck over two years ago.
FORT MYERS Alliance for the Arts hosting Jazz on the Green, celebrating historic music genre Catch Grammy winners and jazz virtuosos at the Jazz on the Green event hosted by the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS Twins host fans for open house and first full squad workout The Minnesota Twins held their first full squad workout of Spring Training as well as hosted fans for an open house.
Potential changes to how shingle roofs are covered by insurance Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky recently made comments at the Florida Chamber Insurance Summit about the potential phasing out of shingle roofs in the state.
SANIBEL Sanibel islanders rally to restore beloved fishing pier after Ian damage The Sanibel Fishing Pier, a beloved spot for many, has been in disrepair since Hurricane Ian struck more than two years ago. Now, dedicated fishers are pushing to restore it using private funding.
PUNTA GORDA Gunfire erupts on US 41 bridge in Punta Gorda; bikers arrested A road rage incident escalated into gunfire on the U.S. 41 bridge connecting Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, causing fear among drivers.
CREDIT: WINK News Blue-green algae are toxic to humans and animals. The CDC has released the first round of nationally sourced data collected through its national reporting system One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System. The system provides an eletronic platform for state officials to submit information on illnesses to humans and animals due to exposure to blue-green algae. The system collected data from 18 states, including Florida. The data is from 2016 through 2018. Reporting the data is voluntary and the CDC hopes more states will join Florida and the program as time goes on. “There are a lot of questions, a lot of data gaps around cyanobacteria blooms and their health effects,” said Dr. Virginia Roberts, an epidemiologist with the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, part of the CDC. “It’s an emerging issue for sure.” One reason for the gap is that even as reports show the frequency, intensity and spread of harmful algal bloom no national public health system tracked the impact on human health prior to 2016. “Prior to 2016, there was no national platform for recording these events. So as a country, we weren’t collecting the data about these health events,” Roberts said. Roberts authored the report on harmful algal blooms and their effect on human and animal health. “Most of the harmful algal bloom reports that we received were related to cyanobacteria blooms, which people often call blue-green algae,” Roberts said. That’s the algae often found in Southwest Florida. The top symptoms include gastrointestinal distress, headaches, fever and lethargy. “It helps us understand a little bit more the magnitude of the problem in terms of who’s getting sick, when they’re getting sick, where these events are occurring,” Roberts said. The 18 reporting states reported 421 harmful algal blooms, leading to 389 cases of human illness, but not death were reported. The same can’t be said for animals. During that two-year period, algal blooms impacted 413 animals, killing 369 of them. MORE: What is the One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System Roberts’ report on the surveillance of harmful algal blooms