Arthrex plans 1 million-square-foot facility at RSW’s Skyplex projectLujacks All-American Grill kicks off in North Naples
Arthrex plans 1 million-square-foot facility at RSW’s Skyplex project Arthrex, the orthopedic surgical instruments company headquartered in North Naples, has been in negotiations to build a 1 million-square-foot facility as part of Southwest Florida International Airport’s Skyplex project.
Lujacks All-American Grill kicks off in North Naples Lujacks All-American Grill celebrated its North Naples launch Jan. 9, the same day Notre Dame won the Orange Bowl to advance the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff National Championship game Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
NORTH FORT MYERS Crime Stoppers increases cash reward for man missing since 2020 Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers has announced an increased cash reward regarding the case of a missing person from North Fort Myers.
Collier County creates food truck park policy Food trucks have become increasingly popular due to their convenience, affordability and unique offerings, especially for employees seeking a quick breakfast or lunch at businesses and commercial areas.
SWFL celebrates MLK Day with community gatherings and service In Southwest Florida, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is marked with parades, rallies, and community service events that honor the civil rights leader’s legacy.
Fatal multi-vehicle crash closes all lanes on SR-82 in Lehigh Acres The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash involving multiple vehicles on SR-82 west of 40th Street in Lehigh Acres.
port charlotte Tribute breakfast held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio Diaz A tribute breakfast was held for Charlotte County Deputy Sgt. Elio Diaz, who was killed in the line of duty in December.
winter haven Gov. DeSantis calls for stricter immigration reform Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference in Winter Haven to discuss stricter immigration laws while cracking down on illegal immigration.
FORT MYERS Shell Factory & Nature Park announces online auction liquidation of remaining inventory Fans of the now-closed Shell Factory & Nature Park will have a final chance to own a piece of nostalgia with two virtual auctions.
the weather authority More clouds than sun for your Wednesday The Weather Authority is tracking an increased cloud coverage along with cooler conditions this Wednesday afternoon.
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.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘It’s devastating’: Neighbor reflects on fatal fire in Port Charlotte A devastating house fire Monday night in Port Charlotte has left one person dead and another hospitalized while neighbors mourn the possible loss of a beloved member of their community.
‘The sound of death;’ Neighbors concerned by amount of crashes on Joel Blvd. A woman is heartbroken from witnessing crash after crash outside her Lehigh Acres home.
Fort Myers get 15% increase on flood insurance discount WINK News is finding out what led to the city of Fort Myers going from just a 5% FEMA flood insurance discount to a 20% discount.
FORT MYERS Locals house California wildfire victims The effects of the California wildfires are being felt worldwide, and as people evacuate, some are in Southwest Florida.
Arthrex plans 1 million-square-foot facility at RSW’s Skyplex project Arthrex, the orthopedic surgical instruments company headquartered in North Naples, has been in negotiations to build a 1 million-square-foot facility as part of Southwest Florida International Airport’s Skyplex project.
Lujacks All-American Grill kicks off in North Naples Lujacks All-American Grill celebrated its North Naples launch Jan. 9, the same day Notre Dame won the Orange Bowl to advance the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff National Championship game Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
NORTH FORT MYERS Crime Stoppers increases cash reward for man missing since 2020 Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers has announced an increased cash reward regarding the case of a missing person from North Fort Myers.
Collier County creates food truck park policy Food trucks have become increasingly popular due to their convenience, affordability and unique offerings, especially for employees seeking a quick breakfast or lunch at businesses and commercial areas.
SWFL celebrates MLK Day with community gatherings and service In Southwest Florida, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is marked with parades, rallies, and community service events that honor the civil rights leader’s legacy.
Fatal multi-vehicle crash closes all lanes on SR-82 in Lehigh Acres The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash involving multiple vehicles on SR-82 west of 40th Street in Lehigh Acres.
port charlotte Tribute breakfast held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio Diaz A tribute breakfast was held for Charlotte County Deputy Sgt. Elio Diaz, who was killed in the line of duty in December.
winter haven Gov. DeSantis calls for stricter immigration reform Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference in Winter Haven to discuss stricter immigration laws while cracking down on illegal immigration.
FORT MYERS Shell Factory & Nature Park announces online auction liquidation of remaining inventory Fans of the now-closed Shell Factory & Nature Park will have a final chance to own a piece of nostalgia with two virtual auctions.
the weather authority More clouds than sun for your Wednesday The Weather Authority is tracking an increased cloud coverage along with cooler conditions this Wednesday afternoon.
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.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘It’s devastating’: Neighbor reflects on fatal fire in Port Charlotte A devastating house fire Monday night in Port Charlotte has left one person dead and another hospitalized while neighbors mourn the possible loss of a beloved member of their community.
‘The sound of death;’ Neighbors concerned by amount of crashes on Joel Blvd. A woman is heartbroken from witnessing crash after crash outside her Lehigh Acres home.
Fort Myers get 15% increase on flood insurance discount WINK News is finding out what led to the city of Fort Myers going from just a 5% FEMA flood insurance discount to a 20% discount.
FORT MYERS Locals house California wildfire victims The effects of the California wildfires are being felt worldwide, and as people evacuate, some are in Southwest Florida.
Gelder Perez, 10, center, carries a protest flag as he walks with his uncle Leonel Perez, center right, on the first day of a five-day trek aimed at highlighting the Fair Food Program, in an effort to pressure retailers to leverage their purchasing power to improve conditions for farmworkers, Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Pahokee, Fla. The younger Perez, who was on a school break, said he planned to try to walk the whole 45-mile trek along with his uncle, who worked 15 seasons on watermelon farms before becoming an organizer with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Farmworkers were leading a five-day, 45-mile (72-kilometer) trek on foot this week from one of the poorest communities in Florida to a mansion-lined, oceanfront town that is one of the richest in an effort to pressure retailers to leverage their purchasing power for better worker pay and working conditions. The farmworkers said they were marching to highlight the Fair Food Program, which has enlisted companies like McDonald’s, Walmart, Taco Bell and Whole Foods to use their clout with growers to ensure better working conditions and wages for farmworkers. They hoped to use the march to pressure other companies, like Publix, Wendy’s and Kroger, to join the program that started in 2011. The march began Tuesday from the farming community of Pahokee, one of the poorest in Florida, where the median household income is around $30,000. The march’s launching point was a camp where farmworkers were coerced into working for barely any pay by a labor contractor who was convicted and sentenced last year to almost 10 years in prison. The contractor confiscated the Mexican farmworkers’ passports, demanded exorbitant fees from them and threatened them with deportation or false arrest, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The marchers were on schedule to arrive Saturday in the town of Palm Beach, which has a median household income of almost $169,000 and is lined with the mansions of the rich and famous, including billionaire Nelson Peltz, who is Wendy’s chairman, and former President Donald Trump. In this photo taken with a drone, farmworkers and allies march through agricultural land on the first day of a five-day trek aimed at highlighting the Fair Food Program, which has enlisted food retailers to use their clout with growers to ensure better working conditions and wages for farmworkers, Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Pahokee, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) According to the Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers, which organized the march, the program has ensured that farmworkers are paid for the hours they work; guaranteed them on-the-job safety measures such as shade, water and access to bathrooms; and has reduced the threats of sexual assault, harassment and forced labor under armed guards in the fields where tomatoes and other crops are harvested. Immokalee is a southwest Florida farming town in the heart of the state’s tomato-growing area. Growers have benefitted since it reduces turnover and improves productivity, according to the coalition. Wendy’s said in a statement that it didn’t participate in the Fair Food Program because it sources its tomato supply from indoor hydroponic greenhouse farms, while the program operates for farmworkers predominantly in outdoor fields, so “there is no nexus between the program and our supply chain.” The fast-food chain said it requires third-party reviews to make sure no abuses are involved in the harvesting of the tomatoes it gets from suppliers. “The idea that joining the Fair Food Program, and purchasing field-grown, commodity tomatoes, is the only way that Wendy’s can demonstrate responsibility in our supply chain is not true,” Wendy’s said. The coalition on Friday in a statement described Wendy’s response as a “dodge.” Officials from Publix and Kroger didn’t respond to emailed inquiries. The idea to pressure retailers to use their clout with growers to improve pay and conditions for Florida tomato pickers took off in the early 2000s when the Coalition of Immokalee Workers led a four-year, nationwide boycott of Taco Bell. The boycott ended in 2005 when the company agreed to pay a penny more per pound for tomatoes purchased from Florida growers in order to raise farmworkers’ wages. Farmworkers and allies set off on a five-day trek aimed at highlighting the Fair Food Program, which has enlisted food retailers to use their clout with growers to ensure better working conditions and wages for farmworkers, Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Pahokee, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) The Fair Food Program followed several years later in an agreement with Florida tomato growers, and it now includes more than a dozen participating corporations. Leaders of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Fair Food Program have been recognized with a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, a Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights award and presidential award presented by then-Secretary of State John Kerry. “So now workers enjoy the right to complain without fear of retaliation. Workers also have water and shade as part of these agreements,” said Gerardo Reyes Chavez, a coalition official, at the start of the march in Pahokee. “The perfect program has proven to be the solution, the antidote to the problem of modern day slavery, the problem of sexual assault, and the problems that have always plagued the agricultural industry.” ___ Daniel Kozin in Pahokee, Florida contributed to this report. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP