LCSO confirms fatal deputy-involved shooting in North Fort MyersMeteorologist’s dream of joining Thanksgiving parade comes true
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO confirms fatal deputy-involved shooting in North Fort Myers A 21-year-old man has been killed after a deputy-involved shooting at a Sunoco gas station near Suncoast Drive in North Fort Myers.
Meteorologist’s dream of joining Thanksgiving parade comes true Wink News Weather Authority meteorologist Lauren Kriedler is usually doing her thing in front of the green screen, but behind the scenes, she has her eyes on more than just the ten-day forecast.
FORT MYERS Residents choosing to order pizza on the night before Thanksgiving The night before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest business days for pizza places like McGregor Pizza Company.
‘Everybody needs oversight’ State lawmakers backed calls for audit of Lee County Sheriff’s Office A state lawmaker is backing the high-ranking Lee County leader who went public on WINK News Tuesday with his warning about possible money trouble inside the sheriff’s office.
Celebrate the holidays on SWFL beaches The beaches are a big draw for anyone in southwest Florida and with the extended weekend due to the holiday, it could be a good time to hit the sand.
Excitement begins for Black Friday The deals for holiday shopping have been going on for days already, but there is still a large group of you who still love the thrill of getting to the store on Black Friday.
CAPE CORAL Social media influencer donates land for burrowing owls A social media influencer who used to live in southwest Florida has donated a plot of land she owned where burrowing owls live.
FORT MYERS Building a clear future for the Sanibel Outlets The question of what will happen to the Sanibel outlets has been top of mind for many years now.
CAPE CORAL 16-year-old accused of stealing car and leading troopers on chase According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a trooper attempted to stop a car on Pondella Road, but the car, being driven by a 16-year-old, then took off.
PORT CHARLOTTE Women’s workout group in Port Charlotte gives back for the holidays Women Warriors, a workout group located in Port Charlotte, is lifting heavy weights, and not just dumbbells.
Hurricane debris still sitting in Bonita Springs neighborhood Since Hurricane Milton, a pile of debris has been ticking off residents in one Bonita Springs neighborhood.
Collier and Lee counties host mass adoption hearings in time for the holidays Lee and Collier Counties celebrated National Adoption Month by bringing together over 20 Southwest Florida families.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 27, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 27, 2024.
NORTH NAPLES First Baptist goes for fourth straight regional title First Baptist goes for its fourth straight regional championship Friday night when they travel to West Palm Beach to face Cardinal Newman.
FORT MYERS Local church hands out thanksgiving meals to the community and hosting SC Gamecocks Mildred’s to-go and Catering on Michigan Ave. is having a giveaway of Thanksgiving meals.
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO confirms fatal deputy-involved shooting in North Fort Myers A 21-year-old man has been killed after a deputy-involved shooting at a Sunoco gas station near Suncoast Drive in North Fort Myers.
Meteorologist’s dream of joining Thanksgiving parade comes true Wink News Weather Authority meteorologist Lauren Kriedler is usually doing her thing in front of the green screen, but behind the scenes, she has her eyes on more than just the ten-day forecast.
FORT MYERS Residents choosing to order pizza on the night before Thanksgiving The night before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest business days for pizza places like McGregor Pizza Company.
‘Everybody needs oversight’ State lawmakers backed calls for audit of Lee County Sheriff’s Office A state lawmaker is backing the high-ranking Lee County leader who went public on WINK News Tuesday with his warning about possible money trouble inside the sheriff’s office.
Celebrate the holidays on SWFL beaches The beaches are a big draw for anyone in southwest Florida and with the extended weekend due to the holiday, it could be a good time to hit the sand.
Excitement begins for Black Friday The deals for holiday shopping have been going on for days already, but there is still a large group of you who still love the thrill of getting to the store on Black Friday.
CAPE CORAL Social media influencer donates land for burrowing owls A social media influencer who used to live in southwest Florida has donated a plot of land she owned where burrowing owls live.
FORT MYERS Building a clear future for the Sanibel Outlets The question of what will happen to the Sanibel outlets has been top of mind for many years now.
CAPE CORAL 16-year-old accused of stealing car and leading troopers on chase According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a trooper attempted to stop a car on Pondella Road, but the car, being driven by a 16-year-old, then took off.
PORT CHARLOTTE Women’s workout group in Port Charlotte gives back for the holidays Women Warriors, a workout group located in Port Charlotte, is lifting heavy weights, and not just dumbbells.
Hurricane debris still sitting in Bonita Springs neighborhood Since Hurricane Milton, a pile of debris has been ticking off residents in one Bonita Springs neighborhood.
Collier and Lee counties host mass adoption hearings in time for the holidays Lee and Collier Counties celebrated National Adoption Month by bringing together over 20 Southwest Florida families.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 27, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 27, 2024.
NORTH NAPLES First Baptist goes for fourth straight regional title First Baptist goes for its fourth straight regional championship Friday night when they travel to West Palm Beach to face Cardinal Newman.
FORT MYERS Local church hands out thanksgiving meals to the community and hosting SC Gamecocks Mildred’s to-go and Catering on Michigan Ave. is having a giveaway of Thanksgiving meals.
Members raise their hands during a vote in a joint board meeting of the Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., to establish new guidelines limiting gender-affirming care in Florida. Members have signaled support for prohibiting puberty blockers, cross-hormonal treatment and gender-affirming surgery as methods to treat gender dysphoria in patients under the age of 18. Critics say the rules, urged by Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, would have potentially life-or-death consequences for transgender youth. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Lake Buena Vista Sentinel via AP) Transgender children in Florida will be barred from receiving hormones or undergoing surgeries to treat gender dysphoria under a rule approved Friday by state medical officials at the urging of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Florida Board of Medicine and the state Board of Osteopathic Medicine voted at a joint meeting in Lake Buena Vista to finalize rules governing gender affirming health care for minors. The rule is set to take effect after a weekslong public input period. The ban comes as DeSantis and Republicans in other states move to limit access to the treatments for minors, often characterizing them as medically unproven and potentially dangerous in the long term, as another political battle against liberal ideologies. Many doctors, mental health specialists and medical groups have argued that treatments for transgender youth are safe and beneficial, though rigorous long-term research is lacking. Federal health officials have described the gender-affirming care as crucial to the health and well-being of transgender children and adolescents. DeSantis has made criticizing such treatments for minors a routine part of his reelection campaign, often referring to the procedures in graphic terms during rallies and speeches. The new policy, finalized days before the election, marks another example of DeSantis’ ability to leverage the power of government to accomplish controversial political goals, bolstering his national reputation as a combative GOP culture warrior. The rule prohibits doctors from prescribing puberty-blocking, hormone and hormone antagonist therapies to treat gender dysphoria in minors. It bans sex reassignment surgeries or other surgical procedures that alter primary or secondary sexual characteristics in minors. “Today’s vote from the Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine will protect our children from irreversible surgeries and highly experimental treatments. I appreciate the integrity of the Boards for ruling in the best interest of children in Florida despite facing tremendous pressure to permit these unproven and risky treatments. Children deserve to learn how to navigate this world without harmful pressure, and Florida will continue to fight for kids to be kids,” Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said in a statement. Florida health officials banned state Medicaid insurance coverage for gender dysphoria treatments this year and issued a report that said the treatments have not been proven safe or effective. After the report’s publication, Ladapo, a DeSantis appointee, called for the adoption of new rules around the treatments. Florida has also clashed with federal health officials who advocate for providing the treatments for young people. Gender-affirming health care for youths has been a target for Republicans in recent years. Last year, the American Medical Association issued a letter urging governors to block any legislation prohibiting the treatment, calling such action “a dangerous intrusion into the practice of medicine.” Arkansas was the first state to enact such a ban on gender affirming care, with Republican lawmakers in 2021 overriding GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s veto of the legislation. Alabama Republicans this year approved legislation to outlaw gender-affirming medications for transgender youths. Both laws have been paused amid unfolding legal battles. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, signed a bill last month that bars federal funds earmarked for the University of Oklahoma Medical Center from being used for gender reassignment treatments for minors. Stitt also called for the Legislature to ban some of those gender reassignment treatments statewide when it returns in February. Top Tennessee Republicans also have vowed to push for strict anti-transgender policies. The state already bans doctors from providing gender-confirming hormone treatment to prepubescent minors. To date, no one has legally challenged the law as medical experts maintain no doctor in Tennessee does so. In Florida, DeSantis signed a law last year barring transgender girls and women from playing on public school teams intended for student athletes identified as girls at birth.