School burglars in Collier County make off with gunsLocal veteran impresses Trump and Stallone with handcrafted flags
NAPLES School burglars in Collier County make off with guns The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying four people who broke into Golden Gate Middle School and stole guns that were locked in a safe.
NAPLES Local veteran impresses Trump and Stallone with handcrafted flags A local veteran has always had a passion for art. After serving in the military, he found a new mission through his hobby of wood cutting.
FORT MYERS Dunbar High cross-country runner makes history as first girl in state finals A Dunbar High senior is making history. Jennifer Gonzalez is the first girl from the school to reach the state finals in cross country.
NORTH NAPLES Meet the Kids Day! Big dollar donors hear how their money helps Tooday is Meet the Kids Day. People who bid on high-dollar auction items at the Naples Winter Wine Festival get to see who benefits.
CAPE CORAL American Legion Post 90 to hold Four Chaplains ceremony American Legion Post 90 is holding the Four Chaplains ceremony commemorating the sinking of an American troop ship during World War II.
SUV crashes into Hendry County canal Hendry County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating after an SUV crashed into a canal in Hendry County.
Falling back on New Year’s resolutions Here we are in the last half of January, but the majority of people who made New Year’s resolutions have already given up.
Charlotte County Sheriff: suspect shot 12 times in Englewood deputy-involved shooting The suspect in a deadly deputy-involved shooting was shot 12 times after deputies fired 17 rounds when the man charged them with a machete.
ESTERO Officials working to get Estero Sports Park on fast track The Estero Village Council is looking to speed up the development of the Estero Sports Park.
Punta Gorda’s City Marketplace hits market for $12M The vacant City Marketplace acreage in downtown Punta Gorda hit the market recently with a $12 million price tag and is being marketed as a mixed-use development opportunity that will blend residential, retail and hospitality for a live-work-play environment.
Sip & Sizzle aspires to elevate dining in downtown Fort Myers Sip & Sizzle first opened Jan. 6 at 2236 First St. at the corner of Hendry Street in downtown Fort Myers.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers man arrested for stolen gun and drug possession A man is in jail after he was arrested for lying about having a stolen gun and possessing illegal drugs.
Tim Aten Knows: Water tank, not tower, part of new school Passersby can’t miss the monumental tank and pine tree cell tower under construction at the intersection of Immokalee Road and Cornerstone Drive, about 3 miles east of Collier Boulevard.
the weather authority Morning mist moves out for a sunnier Friday afternoon As the clouds begin to clear, the Weather Authority is tracking Friday afternoon highs in the lower 60s after some morning mist moves out.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
NAPLES School burglars in Collier County make off with guns The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying four people who broke into Golden Gate Middle School and stole guns that were locked in a safe.
NAPLES Local veteran impresses Trump and Stallone with handcrafted flags A local veteran has always had a passion for art. After serving in the military, he found a new mission through his hobby of wood cutting.
FORT MYERS Dunbar High cross-country runner makes history as first girl in state finals A Dunbar High senior is making history. Jennifer Gonzalez is the first girl from the school to reach the state finals in cross country.
NORTH NAPLES Meet the Kids Day! Big dollar donors hear how their money helps Tooday is Meet the Kids Day. People who bid on high-dollar auction items at the Naples Winter Wine Festival get to see who benefits.
CAPE CORAL American Legion Post 90 to hold Four Chaplains ceremony American Legion Post 90 is holding the Four Chaplains ceremony commemorating the sinking of an American troop ship during World War II.
SUV crashes into Hendry County canal Hendry County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating after an SUV crashed into a canal in Hendry County.
Falling back on New Year’s resolutions Here we are in the last half of January, but the majority of people who made New Year’s resolutions have already given up.
Charlotte County Sheriff: suspect shot 12 times in Englewood deputy-involved shooting The suspect in a deadly deputy-involved shooting was shot 12 times after deputies fired 17 rounds when the man charged them with a machete.
ESTERO Officials working to get Estero Sports Park on fast track The Estero Village Council is looking to speed up the development of the Estero Sports Park.
Punta Gorda’s City Marketplace hits market for $12M The vacant City Marketplace acreage in downtown Punta Gorda hit the market recently with a $12 million price tag and is being marketed as a mixed-use development opportunity that will blend residential, retail and hospitality for a live-work-play environment.
Sip & Sizzle aspires to elevate dining in downtown Fort Myers Sip & Sizzle first opened Jan. 6 at 2236 First St. at the corner of Hendry Street in downtown Fort Myers.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers man arrested for stolen gun and drug possession A man is in jail after he was arrested for lying about having a stolen gun and possessing illegal drugs.
Tim Aten Knows: Water tank, not tower, part of new school Passersby can’t miss the monumental tank and pine tree cell tower under construction at the intersection of Immokalee Road and Cornerstone Drive, about 3 miles east of Collier Boulevard.
the weather authority Morning mist moves out for a sunnier Friday afternoon As the clouds begin to clear, the Weather Authority is tracking Friday afternoon highs in the lower 60s after some morning mist moves out.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
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.