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.
Video from Access Medical Equipment on Country Lakes Drive in Lee County shows two people get out of an SUV, put on gloves, and get to work stealing the catalytic converters off three trucks Sunday, July 25. (Photo from surveillance video provided by Crime Stoppers) The search is on for two people who stole some pricey catalytic converters from a Lee County business, costing the company $15,000 in repairs. The stolen converters sell for hundreds of dollars and likely end up for sale online because there are a lot of regulations in place at reputable scrap metal places. If you know what you’re doing, you can saw the parts off under trucks quickly and easily. Three trucks at Access Medical Equipment, a division of Lee Health, were hit Sunday morning. Video from the business shows two people get out of an SUV, put on gloves, and get to work stealing the catalytic converters off those trucks. “Seeing as how we don’t know who these individuals are, at this point, they got away with it. And that’s a pretty profitable business for a crook. So until they get caught, there’s definitely the likelihood that they’re going to hit another business,” said Trish Routte, coordinator of Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers. Robert Weber, owner of Garden Street Iron & Metal, said these converters can go for up to or even over a thousand dollars because of the valuable metals inside. Not just any scrapyard will take them, though. “The restrictions are you have to have the driver’s license, can’t pay in cash, thumbprint, have to mail them a check,” Weber explained. He was part of the Florida Recyclers Association in 2012 when they passed statewide legislation to curb these types of thefts. However, people are finding ways around it. An ad on Craigslist claimed the poster would buy converters for $222 in cash. The owners of the stolen parts get stuck with footing the bill. Lee Health said the theft cost $15,000 in repairs to the trucks, and it isn’t only businesses being hit. Kathie Fann had the converter stolen off her RV while it was parked in storage. “It was $1,344,” to repair the damage, she said. “We had a trip planned to leave Monday, this past Monday, and my husband went over there and when he started it, he thought a bomb went off because it was so loud, and so he quickly turned it off, and then he realized it was the catalytic converter.” To give you another example of how valuable these converters are, Weber said he received 2,500 vehicles from last year’s fire at an airport lost. When he sold the converters, it brought in well over a million dollars. Some tips: If you have trucks, keep a good security and surveillance system in place, and have good lighting. Tracking down these thieves is hard because the parts don’t have serial numbers, so Crime Stoppers is hoping someone who sees this story will know something. If you do, give them a call at 800-780-TIPS. You could get a cash reward. Crime Stoppers said the suspects are male and they were in a blue-in-color SUV, which is missing its front grill, has dark-tinted windows, aftermarket rims and a sticker on the bottom left corner of its rear window.