Trump considers DeSantis for the Pentagon with Hegseth under pressure over allegations: AP sources2 indicted in unrelated Collier County cases for fentanyl distribution death
WASHINGTON (AP) Trump considers DeSantis for the Pentagon with Hegseth under pressure over allegations: AP sources Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s Pentagon pick, was fighting to hold on to his Cabinet nomination amid growing questions Wednesday about his personal conduct as the president-elect’s team considers alternatives, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
COLLIER COUNTY 2 indicted in unrelated Collier County cases for fentanyl distribution death The State Attorney’s Office announced two unrelated indictment cases involving the distribution of fentanyl that led to death.
LEHIGH ACRES Lee County woman wins $1M playing Loteria Grande Scratch-Off game The Florida Lottery has announced a Lee County woman claimed a $1 million top prize from the Loteria Grande Scratch-Off game at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee.
NORTH FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Lee County man arrested for assault after using saw-like weapon The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man who is accused of assault with a saw-like weapon.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Huge warm up as we head into the 70s this Wednesday The Weather Authority is tracking increased temperatures, as Wednesday afternoon highs are expected to be in the lower 70s.
CAPE CORAL Police respond to home invasion in Cape Coral neighborhood The Cape Coral Police Department deployed police and forensics to a scene located on Southeast 5th Place.
FORT MYERS Advocates urge safety measures for retention ponds after boy drowns The tragic drowning of a little boy in Fort Myers is starting a conversation.
NAPLES Naples Winter Wine Festival kicks off Wine, music and making a difference! On Tuesday evening 40 couples joined together to kick off the 25th annual Naples Winter Wine Festival.
PUNTA GORDA Blue Angels returning for 2025 Florida International Air Show The Blue Angels will finally return for the first time in over 12 years to next year’s Florida International Air Show at Punta Gorda Airport.
Lee County Commissioners discuss LCSO budget and Sheriff Marceno federal investigation In light of recent investigations into Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, a Lee County commissioner proposed a change at Tuesday’s commission meeting that would separate the county budget from the sheriff’s.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers cheerleaders push for Nationals with community’s help The North Fort Myers Pop Warner cheer team has the talent to compete on the biggest stage but lacks the money.
Victim identified in Charlotte County shooting A victim has been identified after a shooting on Nasturtium Drive early Monday morning.
Advanced care for lung cancer patients in Lee County The outlook for lung cancer is typically not good, mostly because it’s often picked up in late stages. However, Lee Health hopes to change that trajectory by launching a new advanced care center focusing on lung disease.
CHARLOTTE PARK After the storm: Harbor Belle RV Resort faces a slow path to recovery Here on WINK News, we have told you about the devastation at the Harbor Belle RV Resort in Charlotte Park and how, for months, many people did not have power.
New K-9 honors fallen Fort Myers officer A Fort Myers police officer who made the ultimate sacrifice serving southwest Florida gets a unique honor.
WASHINGTON (AP) Trump considers DeSantis for the Pentagon with Hegseth under pressure over allegations: AP sources Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s Pentagon pick, was fighting to hold on to his Cabinet nomination amid growing questions Wednesday about his personal conduct as the president-elect’s team considers alternatives, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
COLLIER COUNTY 2 indicted in unrelated Collier County cases for fentanyl distribution death The State Attorney’s Office announced two unrelated indictment cases involving the distribution of fentanyl that led to death.
LEHIGH ACRES Lee County woman wins $1M playing Loteria Grande Scratch-Off game The Florida Lottery has announced a Lee County woman claimed a $1 million top prize from the Loteria Grande Scratch-Off game at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee.
NORTH FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Lee County man arrested for assault after using saw-like weapon The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man who is accused of assault with a saw-like weapon.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Huge warm up as we head into the 70s this Wednesday The Weather Authority is tracking increased temperatures, as Wednesday afternoon highs are expected to be in the lower 70s.
CAPE CORAL Police respond to home invasion in Cape Coral neighborhood The Cape Coral Police Department deployed police and forensics to a scene located on Southeast 5th Place.
FORT MYERS Advocates urge safety measures for retention ponds after boy drowns The tragic drowning of a little boy in Fort Myers is starting a conversation.
NAPLES Naples Winter Wine Festival kicks off Wine, music and making a difference! On Tuesday evening 40 couples joined together to kick off the 25th annual Naples Winter Wine Festival.
PUNTA GORDA Blue Angels returning for 2025 Florida International Air Show The Blue Angels will finally return for the first time in over 12 years to next year’s Florida International Air Show at Punta Gorda Airport.
Lee County Commissioners discuss LCSO budget and Sheriff Marceno federal investigation In light of recent investigations into Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, a Lee County commissioner proposed a change at Tuesday’s commission meeting that would separate the county budget from the sheriff’s.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers cheerleaders push for Nationals with community’s help The North Fort Myers Pop Warner cheer team has the talent to compete on the biggest stage but lacks the money.
Victim identified in Charlotte County shooting A victim has been identified after a shooting on Nasturtium Drive early Monday morning.
Advanced care for lung cancer patients in Lee County The outlook for lung cancer is typically not good, mostly because it’s often picked up in late stages. However, Lee Health hopes to change that trajectory by launching a new advanced care center focusing on lung disease.
CHARLOTTE PARK After the storm: Harbor Belle RV Resort faces a slow path to recovery Here on WINK News, we have told you about the devastation at the Harbor Belle RV Resort in Charlotte Park and how, for months, many people did not have power.
New K-9 honors fallen Fort Myers officer A Fort Myers police officer who made the ultimate sacrifice serving southwest Florida gets a unique honor.
[FILE] Fire at MW Horticulture facility in south Fort Myers. (Credit: WINK News) Businesses and commuters are sick of the smoke as a mulch fire burns at MW Horticulture in south Fort Myers for the fourth day. Fire crews have been working around the clock to contain the flare-ups. Business owners are concerned because this smoke is pushing away customers. They are also concerned about the health of their employees. They say the smoke is a health hazard. It travels, and it affects everybody around the area. “Four days in, and obviously you see there’s a lot less personnel out here. A lot less apparatus here so we are making progress,” said San Carlos Park Fire Protection & Rescue Service District Public Information Officer Alexis McLellan. McLellan said firefighters have worked tirelessly to put out a mulch fire that sparked Sunday at MW Horticulture. It is the 23rd fire they’ve responded to at this location this year. “Everybody’s facing the same problems with the smoke and in the. In the fact that we were closed Monday. So it really affected a lot of business people on the street,” said Jim Goodall, owner of Jim Goodall Equipment. Jim Goodall owns a business on Old US-41. It was one of the roads shut down on Monday. He said the smoke in the air was so bad that he couldn’t come to work. Customers couldn’t get there either. Goodall is not alone. Two employees who work across the street from MW Horticulture were also impacted. One said she’d lost count of how many fires there have been at the recycling facility since she started her job three years ago. “I don’t even. I couldn’t count them. There’s been several over the year, some somewhere the fire department have had to come. But this is the worst, you know, a missed two days of work this week,” said Jessica Jolly, a sales representative at Suncoast Furniture. “More importantly, it’s almost impossible for me to make up for lost wages for the employees. They lose out, so we have 35 employees, that means 35 families are being impacted negatively. Negatively by this,” said Suncoast Furniture President Rajiv Varshney. Now, all they want to see is a silver lining. “MW Horticulture just needs to start processing this waste and move it offsite. They just need to do the work,” said Varshney. “I would just like to see if we could somehow figure out not to have any more fires,” said Goodall. San Carlos fire said it would likely take about a week to put this fire completely out. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection released the following statement about MW Horticulture: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has been engaged in extensive enforcement with MW Horticulture Recycling Facility, Inc., since 2018, culminating in the most recent legal action to compel compliance and closure of this facility for the protection of the environment and health and safety of the community. Nevertheless, the owners of MW Horticulture have repeatedly failed to meet the required rules and regulations and are now operating without a state license, despite an administrative order requiring them to cease operations. DEP remains committed to enforcing all applicable Florida statutes and regulations and holding MW Horticulture accountable for the effects of these recent fires as well as previous violations. The department is fully engaged in pursuing closure of this facility through the legal remedies available. As of the publishing of this article, MW Horticulture is operating without a state license.