Gas line crash on U.S. 41 near Alico Road causes injuries, road closedFatal crash in Bonita Springs: Motorcyclist dies on U.S. 41
Gas line crash on U.S. 41 near Alico Road causes injuries, road closed All lanes of U.S. 41 near Alico Road are currently closed due to a crash involving a gas line that has left one vehicle engulfed in flames.
BONITA SPRINGS Fatal crash in Bonita Springs: Motorcyclist dies on U.S. 41 According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the motorcyclist was traveling on U.S. 41 when an SUV entered the intersection, cutting in front of the motorcyclist.
the weather authority A dry, seasonal Sunday is on tap with highs in the 70s The Weather Authority says that while it’s a comfortable and cool morning across Southwest Florida, it is going to warm right on up this afternoon into the mid to upper 70s.
FORT MYERS 1 injured in Fort Myers auto shop fire According to FMPD, one person is injured after two vehicles and a dumpster caught fire in an auto shop on Saturday afternoon.
Hendry County Sheriff’s Office seeks public’s help in deer poaching investigation The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office Agriculture Unit is seeking assistance from the public in its investigation into the illegal killing of approximately nine deer.
Deputy injured, suspect killed in shooting near State Road 72 in DeSoto County A suspect wanted on a child enticement charge out of Georgia was killed in a deputy-involved shooting early Saturday morning in DeSoto County.
ENGLEWOOD 1 dead in Englewood incident; authorities investigating There is an active investigation going on at the 3200 block of Smith Street in Englewood, where one person was found dead.
NAPLES Naples Winter Wine Festival kicks off to support Collier County children The Naples Winter Wine Festival, one of the largest charity wine auctions globally, is set to begin at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples on Saturday.
ESTERO Join the March to a Million Meals to combat hunger in Southwest Florida Food insecurity remains a significant issue in Southwest Florida, with one in eight adults and one in six children experiencing hunger.
NAPLES Last chance to enjoy Naples Boat Show’s yachts and waterfront fun The Naples Boat Show wraps up on Saturday, offering one last chance for visitors to explore an impressive lineup of boats, yachts, and waterfront fun.
CAPE CORAL SunSplash Waterpark hosts hiring event in Cape Coral As chilly temperatures linger, it might be hard to think about the hot, humid days of summer, but SunSplash Family Waterpark in Cape Coral is already preparing for the season.
the weather authority Cold Saturday morning, warmer afternoons on the way The Weather Authority says Southwest Florida woke up to the coldest temperatures in 3 years.
Neighbors react to deputy-involved shooting of man with machete New body camera footage shows the moment Charlotte County deputies opened fire on a man armed with a machete.
FORT MYERS 21st annual Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival underway in Fort Myers The 21st Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival is underway. Despite the colder weather, visitors are enjoying the festivities in Fort Myers.
New video shows alternate angle of I-75 multi-county chase A theft ring in Lee County led to a dramatic car chase involving Paul Fritzson, who allegedly carjacked a couple in Collier County.
Gas line crash on U.S. 41 near Alico Road causes injuries, road closed All lanes of U.S. 41 near Alico Road are currently closed due to a crash involving a gas line that has left one vehicle engulfed in flames.
BONITA SPRINGS Fatal crash in Bonita Springs: Motorcyclist dies on U.S. 41 According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the motorcyclist was traveling on U.S. 41 when an SUV entered the intersection, cutting in front of the motorcyclist.
the weather authority A dry, seasonal Sunday is on tap with highs in the 70s The Weather Authority says that while it’s a comfortable and cool morning across Southwest Florida, it is going to warm right on up this afternoon into the mid to upper 70s.
FORT MYERS 1 injured in Fort Myers auto shop fire According to FMPD, one person is injured after two vehicles and a dumpster caught fire in an auto shop on Saturday afternoon.
Hendry County Sheriff’s Office seeks public’s help in deer poaching investigation The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office Agriculture Unit is seeking assistance from the public in its investigation into the illegal killing of approximately nine deer.
Deputy injured, suspect killed in shooting near State Road 72 in DeSoto County A suspect wanted on a child enticement charge out of Georgia was killed in a deputy-involved shooting early Saturday morning in DeSoto County.
ENGLEWOOD 1 dead in Englewood incident; authorities investigating There is an active investigation going on at the 3200 block of Smith Street in Englewood, where one person was found dead.
NAPLES Naples Winter Wine Festival kicks off to support Collier County children The Naples Winter Wine Festival, one of the largest charity wine auctions globally, is set to begin at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples on Saturday.
ESTERO Join the March to a Million Meals to combat hunger in Southwest Florida Food insecurity remains a significant issue in Southwest Florida, with one in eight adults and one in six children experiencing hunger.
NAPLES Last chance to enjoy Naples Boat Show’s yachts and waterfront fun The Naples Boat Show wraps up on Saturday, offering one last chance for visitors to explore an impressive lineup of boats, yachts, and waterfront fun.
CAPE CORAL SunSplash Waterpark hosts hiring event in Cape Coral As chilly temperatures linger, it might be hard to think about the hot, humid days of summer, but SunSplash Family Waterpark in Cape Coral is already preparing for the season.
the weather authority Cold Saturday morning, warmer afternoons on the way The Weather Authority says Southwest Florida woke up to the coldest temperatures in 3 years.
Neighbors react to deputy-involved shooting of man with machete New body camera footage shows the moment Charlotte County deputies opened fire on a man armed with a machete.
FORT MYERS 21st annual Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival underway in Fort Myers The 21st Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival is underway. Despite the colder weather, visitors are enjoying the festivities in Fort Myers.
New video shows alternate angle of I-75 multi-county chase A theft ring in Lee County led to a dramatic car chase involving Paul Fritzson, who allegedly carjacked a couple in Collier County.
In this Sept. 9, 2018 photo, customers watch sports on a giant screen at the sports book of the Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. Panelists at a gambling conference in Atlantic City, on Thursday, June 13, 2019, predicted 90 percent of all US sports betting will be done online or over smart phones within the next 10 years. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) The Seminole Tribe on Monday quietly launched online sports betting in Florida, amid continuing legal challenges to a gambling deal approved by state lawmakers in May. The tribe’s highly anticipated rollout of sports betting in the state came with no fanfare, and a spokesman declined to comment when asked about the launch. But social media erupted Monday afternoon after the Seminoles’ Hard Rock Sportsbook allowed players in Florida to download an app enabling them to make deposits and place wagers on professional football, hockey and soccer games and make bets on other sports. The launch was first reported by radio talk-show host Andy Slater. Gov. Ron DeSantis this spring opened the door to sports betting in Florida — viewed as one of the nation’s most-fertile grounds for digital wagering — through a deal signed with tribe Chairman Marcelus Osceola Jr. The Legislature signed off on the agreement, known as a compact, in a May special session, but the deal is being challenged in federal court. Sports betting expert and attorney John Holden said he doesn’t think the app’s launch has anything to do with the state’s confidence in winning the pending lawsuits. “I think it’s simply this was the track, we weren’t told not to launch it. I don’t think it necessarily indicates how they’re feeling.” The “hub-and-spoke” sports-betting plan in the compact allows gamblers throughout the state to place bets online, with the bets run through computer servers on tribal property. The compact says bets made anywhere in Florida “using a mobile app or other electronic device, shall be deemed to be exclusively conducted by the tribe.” The tribe is ultimately expected to pay billions of dollars to the state because of sports betting and other benefits in the compact, such as being able to offer craps and roulette at tribal casinos. Part of the deal also requires the tribe to enter agreements to market sports betting with pari-mutuels that will receive a 60 percent cut of profits generated by the marketing. The tribe announced Thursday that it has contracted with the Palm Beach Kennel Club; Hialeah Park Casino; Ocala Gainesville Poker and Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.; Tampa Bay Downs; and TGT Poker & Racebook in Tampa to partner in the digital sports wagering. The terms of the deal call for the Seminoles to pay at least $2.5 billion to the state over the first five years of the 30-year agreement. The tribe said Thursday the state received a first payment of $37 million in October. DeSantis issued a statement describing the compact as “historic.” “Not only will this compact bring a guaranteed $2.5 billion in revenue over the next five years, but it also brings together Florida pari-mutuel businesses from across the state in a creative partnership with the Seminole Tribe providing increased access to safe and transparent sports betting in Florida,” DeSantis said. Sports betting expert and attorney John Holden said, “this is really sort of the modernization of not only sports betting, but sports fandom.” The tribe’s digital sportsbook went live just days before a federal judge is slated to hear arguments in a case filed by Florida pari-mutuel owners challenging parts of the compact. Owners of Magic City Casino in Miami-Dade County and Bonita Springs Poker Room in Southwest Florida contend in the lawsuit, filed against the U.S. Department of the Interior and Secretary Deb Haaland, that the sports-betting plan violates federal laws and will cause a “significant and potentially devastating” impact on their businesses. The Department of the Interior oversees Indian gambling issues and allowed the compact to move forward. The Havenick family, which has owned the Miami-Dade and Southwest Florida facilities for more than five decades, filed a similar lawsuit in July against the state in federal court in Tallahassee, but a judge dismissed the Florida case last month. Meanwhile, digital wagering platforms DraftKings and FanDuel each have contributed $10 million to a political committee backing a proposed constitutional amendment in Florida that would legalize sports betting at professional sports arenas, pari-mutuel facilities and statewide via online platforms. The proposal would go on the November 2022 ballot if the committee can collect enough signatures and get Florida Supreme Court approval of the wording. WINK News contributed to this report.