FORT MYERS BEACH 67th annual Shrimp Festival on Fort Myers Beach The Fort Myers Beach Lions Club is gearing up for the 67th Annual Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival.
NAPLES Naples family scammed $30K in hurricane repair fraud Whitney Christy and her family fell victim to a contractor impersonation scheme, losing over $30,000 in supposed hurricane repairs.
Hot spots remain at brush fire near homes in Charlotte County A brush fire threatened dozens of homes as it burned through 12 acres between Myakka State Forest and the Myakka River in Charlotte County.
Rising colorectal cancer rates in young adults Young people are increasingly being diagnosed with colorectal cancer at ages younger than standard screening recommendations, raising major concerns among doctors.
Florida veteran creates non-profit to help homeless A Vietnam veteran in Florida is on a mission to provide a home for his fellow veterans who are experiencing homelessness.
DeSantis targets Florida’s red flag law, sparking debate post-Parkland Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing to repeal Florida’s red flag law, which allows courts to seize guns from individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others.
Florida troopers arrest street racing duo for going over 100 mph on SR-82 The Florida Highway Patrol has arrested two men accused of speed racing and driving above the speed limit on State Road 82 in Lee County.
NAPLES Collier County’s Sun-N-Fun Lagoon reopens Sun-N-Fun Lagoon in Collier County is ready to make a splash as it reopens after nearly a year and a half of closure.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up Mar. 7 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.
Charlotte County pushes for statewide animal abuse registry law A new bill introduced to the Florida Senate aims to create a statewide registry of individuals convicted of animal abuse.
FGCU Chelsea Lyles named ASUN Coach of the Year ahead of ASUN Tourney FGCU women’s basketball head coach Chelsea Lyles wins ASUN Coach of the Year in first year as Eagles go for conference tournament title.
Upscale women’s boutique opens in Fishermen’s Village Friends Shaune Freeland and Julie Price realized their dream when they presided over a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their Monkee’s fashion boutique in Fishermen’s Village in Punta Gorda.
CAPE CORAL Juveniles’ fishing trip in Cape Coral ends with fine Officers with the Cape Coral Police Department responded to a criminal mischief incident involving two juveniles
My Shower Door blankets spring training in signage with Twins, Red Sox My Shower Door signs can be seen all over both of Lee County’s spring training ballparks, and Bill Daubmann said he enjoys the fun factor in further building his company’s brand.
COLLIER COUNTY FC Naples set for inaugural home opener Saturday night FC Naples is set to play its inaugural home opener Saturday night, which marks the culmination of the past year of building this club.
FORT MYERS BEACH 67th annual Shrimp Festival on Fort Myers Beach The Fort Myers Beach Lions Club is gearing up for the 67th Annual Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival.
NAPLES Naples family scammed $30K in hurricane repair fraud Whitney Christy and her family fell victim to a contractor impersonation scheme, losing over $30,000 in supposed hurricane repairs.
Hot spots remain at brush fire near homes in Charlotte County A brush fire threatened dozens of homes as it burned through 12 acres between Myakka State Forest and the Myakka River in Charlotte County.
Rising colorectal cancer rates in young adults Young people are increasingly being diagnosed with colorectal cancer at ages younger than standard screening recommendations, raising major concerns among doctors.
Florida veteran creates non-profit to help homeless A Vietnam veteran in Florida is on a mission to provide a home for his fellow veterans who are experiencing homelessness.
DeSantis targets Florida’s red flag law, sparking debate post-Parkland Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing to repeal Florida’s red flag law, which allows courts to seize guns from individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others.
Florida troopers arrest street racing duo for going over 100 mph on SR-82 The Florida Highway Patrol has arrested two men accused of speed racing and driving above the speed limit on State Road 82 in Lee County.
NAPLES Collier County’s Sun-N-Fun Lagoon reopens Sun-N-Fun Lagoon in Collier County is ready to make a splash as it reopens after nearly a year and a half of closure.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up Mar. 7 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.
Charlotte County pushes for statewide animal abuse registry law A new bill introduced to the Florida Senate aims to create a statewide registry of individuals convicted of animal abuse.
FGCU Chelsea Lyles named ASUN Coach of the Year ahead of ASUN Tourney FGCU women’s basketball head coach Chelsea Lyles wins ASUN Coach of the Year in first year as Eagles go for conference tournament title.
Upscale women’s boutique opens in Fishermen’s Village Friends Shaune Freeland and Julie Price realized their dream when they presided over a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their Monkee’s fashion boutique in Fishermen’s Village in Punta Gorda.
CAPE CORAL Juveniles’ fishing trip in Cape Coral ends with fine Officers with the Cape Coral Police Department responded to a criminal mischief incident involving two juveniles
My Shower Door blankets spring training in signage with Twins, Red Sox My Shower Door signs can be seen all over both of Lee County’s spring training ballparks, and Bill Daubmann said he enjoys the fun factor in further building his company’s brand.
COLLIER COUNTY FC Naples set for inaugural home opener Saturday night FC Naples is set to play its inaugural home opener Saturday night, which marks the culmination of the past year of building this club.
A sea turtle swims over corals on Moore Reef in Gunggandji Sea Country off the coast of Queensland in eastern Australia on Nov. 13, 2022. For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty on Saturday, March 4, 2023, to protect biodiversity in the high seas — nearly half the planet’s surface. (AP Photo/Sam McNeil, File) For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas – representing a turning point for vast stretches of the planet where conservation has previously been hampered by a confusing patchwork of laws. The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea came into force in 1994, before marine biodiversity was a well-established concept. The treaty agreement concluded two weeks of talks in New York. An updated framework to protect marine life in the regions outside national boundary waters, known as the high seas, had been in discussions for more than 20 years, but previous efforts to reach an agreement had repeatedly stalled. The unified agreement treaty, which applies to nearly half the planet’s surface, was reached late Saturday. “We only really have two major global commons — the atmosphere and the oceans,” said Georgetown marine biologist Rebecca Helm. While the oceans may draw less attention, “protecting this half of earth’s surface is absolutely critical to the health of our planet.” Nichola Clark, an oceans expert at the Pew Charitable Trusts who observed the talks in New York, called the long-awaited treaty text “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect the oceans — a major win for biodiversity.” The treaty will create a new body to manage the conservation of ocean life and establish marine protected areas in the high seas. And Clark said that’s critical to achieve the U.N. Biodiversity Conference’s recent pledge to protect 30% of the planet’s waters, as well as its land, for conservation. Treaty negotiations initially were anticipated to conclude Friday, but stretched through the night and deep into Saturday. The crafting of the treaty, which at times looked in jeopardy, represents “a historic and overwhelming success for international marine protection,” said Steffi Lemke, Germany’s environment minister. “For the first time, we are getting a binding agreement for the high seas, which until now have hardly been protected,” Lemke said. “Comprehensive protection of endangered species and habitats is now finally possible on more than 40% of the Earth’s surface.” Nations agree to protect marine life on high seas For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas – representing a turning point for vast stretches of the planet where conservation has previously been hampered by a confusing patchwork of laws. (March 5) The treaty also establishes ground rules for conducting environmental impact assessments for commercial activities in the oceans. “It means all activities planned for the high seas need to be looked at, though not all will go through a full assessment,” said Jessica Battle, an oceans governance expert at the Worldwide Fund for Nature. Several marine species — including dolphins, whales, sea turtles and many fish — make long annual migrations, crossing national borders and the high seas. Efforts to protect them, along with human communities that rely on fishing or tourism related to marine life, have long proven difficult for international governing bodies. “This treaty will help to knit together the different regional treaties to be able to address threats and concerns across species’ ranges,” Battle said. That protection also helps coastal biodiversity and economies, said Gladys Martínez de Lemos, executive director of the nonprofit Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense focusing on environmental issues across Latin America. “Governments have taken an important step that strengthens the legal protection of two-thirds of the ocean and with it marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of coastal communities,” she said. The question now is how well the ambitious treaty will be implemented. Formal adoption also remains outstanding, with numerous conservationists and environmental groups vowing to watch closely. The high seas have long suffered exploitation due to commercial fishing and mining, as well as pollution from chemicals and plastics. The new agreement is about “acknowledging that the ocean is not a limitless resource, and it requires global cooperation to use the ocean sustainably,” Rutgers University biologist Malin Pinsky said.