Punta Gorda scraps plan for new $16M City Hall buildingJaycee Park Renovations — There’s no going back now
Punta Gorda scraps plan for new $16M City Hall building Prior to the hurricane in September 2022 causing City Hall’s closure, the previous City Council, including three incumbents who were unseated in the Nov. 5 election, planned to build a new City Hall on its current site at 326 W. Marion Ave.
CAPE CORAL Jaycee Park Renovations — There’s no going back now Where there’s talk of Jaycee Park in Cape Coral Council meetings, there is turmoil.
CAPE CORAL NRG Wrestling slams its way into Cape Coral NRG wrestling is hosting its first live event of 2025 with NRG Fully Charged on Saturday, Jan. 18, at Scotty Bierwerks.
Backlash over new state law banning kids from social media From body image issues to bullying and, even worse, depression and suicide.
orlando Gov. DeSantis appoints Ashley Moody for Florida Senator Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has named Attorney General Ashley Moody the next Florida Senator, replacing Marco Rubio.
sanibel Volunteer Expo to be held at Sanibel Community House; nearly 50 organizations in attendance The City of Sanibel is set to hold its Volunteer Expo, an event with nearly 50 organizations aiming to give back to the community.
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.
the weather authority Cooler-than-average with a few showers possible this afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking cooler-than-average temperatures with a possible afternoon shower this Thursday.
PORT CHARLOTTE Community grieves as investigation continues into fatal Port Charlotte fire The state fire marshal has yet to confirm whether 70-year-old Roseanne Cantasano was the victim of a devastating house fire on Monday night.
Local influencer reacts to potential TikTok ban TikTok is more than just a place to dance, learn something new or just scroll. For the Manella family, the app is a place where they can be themselves.
Protecting the Florida Panther from urban expansion The endangered Florida Panther is the king of the Everglades but new developments could rip apart their core territory.
Local Rabbi reacts to Israel and Hamas ceasefire agreement While the news of hostages being freed has brought relief, one local rabbi who has been speaking with WINK News since the war broke out expressed mixed feelings
Tiger dams in Collier County new defense system to stop flooding Collier County is now on board with a new defense system to stop flooding.
CAPE CORAL Plans for Cape Coral airport presented to City Council An airport in Cape Coral? The idea was presented to the city council on Wednesday as part of a broader report addressing the city’s rapid growth.
CAPE CORAL Lake Kennedy Racquetball Center gets new name and logo The Lake Kennedy Racquetball Center in Cape Coral is rebranding.
Punta Gorda scraps plan for new $16M City Hall building Prior to the hurricane in September 2022 causing City Hall’s closure, the previous City Council, including three incumbents who were unseated in the Nov. 5 election, planned to build a new City Hall on its current site at 326 W. Marion Ave.
CAPE CORAL Jaycee Park Renovations — There’s no going back now Where there’s talk of Jaycee Park in Cape Coral Council meetings, there is turmoil.
CAPE CORAL NRG Wrestling slams its way into Cape Coral NRG wrestling is hosting its first live event of 2025 with NRG Fully Charged on Saturday, Jan. 18, at Scotty Bierwerks.
Backlash over new state law banning kids from social media From body image issues to bullying and, even worse, depression and suicide.
orlando Gov. DeSantis appoints Ashley Moody for Florida Senator Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has named Attorney General Ashley Moody the next Florida Senator, replacing Marco Rubio.
sanibel Volunteer Expo to be held at Sanibel Community House; nearly 50 organizations in attendance The City of Sanibel is set to hold its Volunteer Expo, an event with nearly 50 organizations aiming to give back to the community.
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.
the weather authority Cooler-than-average with a few showers possible this afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking cooler-than-average temperatures with a possible afternoon shower this Thursday.
PORT CHARLOTTE Community grieves as investigation continues into fatal Port Charlotte fire The state fire marshal has yet to confirm whether 70-year-old Roseanne Cantasano was the victim of a devastating house fire on Monday night.
Local influencer reacts to potential TikTok ban TikTok is more than just a place to dance, learn something new or just scroll. For the Manella family, the app is a place where they can be themselves.
Protecting the Florida Panther from urban expansion The endangered Florida Panther is the king of the Everglades but new developments could rip apart their core territory.
Local Rabbi reacts to Israel and Hamas ceasefire agreement While the news of hostages being freed has brought relief, one local rabbi who has been speaking with WINK News since the war broke out expressed mixed feelings
Tiger dams in Collier County new defense system to stop flooding Collier County is now on board with a new defense system to stop flooding.
CAPE CORAL Plans for Cape Coral airport presented to City Council An airport in Cape Coral? The idea was presented to the city council on Wednesday as part of a broader report addressing the city’s rapid growth.
CAPE CORAL Lake Kennedy Racquetball Center gets new name and logo The Lake Kennedy Racquetball Center in Cape Coral is rebranding.
FILE – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Heritage Foundation 50th Anniversary Celebration leadership summit, Friday, April 21, 2023, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking that a federal judge be disqualified from the First Amendment lawsuit filed by Disney against the Florida governor and his appointees, claiming the jurist’s prior statements in other cases have raised questions about his impartiality on the state’s efforts to take over Disney World’s governing body. DeSantis ‘ attorney filed a motion in federal court in Tallahassee on Friday seeking to disqualify Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker from overseeing the lawsuit filed by Disney last month. The lawsuit alleges that DeSantis and his appointees violated the company’s right to free speech, as well as the contracts clause, by taking over the special governing district that previously had been controlled by Disney supporters after Disney opposed Florida legislation that critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” The Republican governor’s motion was filed a day after Disney announced that it was scrapping plans to build a new campus in central Florida and relocate 2,000 employees from Southern California to work in digital technology, finance and product development, amid an ongoing feud with DeSantis. DeSantis’ motion said Walker referenced the ongoing dispute between his administration and Disney during hearings in two unrelated lawsuits before him dealing with free speech issues and fear of retaliation for violating new laws championed by DeSantis and Republican lawmakers. One of those was a First Amendment lawsuit filed by Florida professors that challenged a new law establishing a survey about “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” on state campuses. Walker, who was nominated to the federal bench in 2012 by President Barack Obama and is now chief judge of the district, tossed out that lawsuit on the grounds that the professors didn’t have standing to challenge the law championed by DeSantis and Florida lawmakers. In the first case, Walker said, “What’s in the record, for example – is there anything in the record that says we are now going to take away Disney’s special status because they’re woke?” In the second case, the judge said, “And then Disney is going to lose its status because-arguably because they made a statement that run afoul-ran afoul of state policy of the controlling party,” according to the DeSantis motion. Disney and DeSantis have been engaged in a tug-of-war for more than a year that has engulfed the GOP governor in criticism as he prepares to launch an expected presidential bid next week. The feud started after Disney, in the face of significant pressure, publicly opposed the state concerning lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades that critics called “Don’t Say Gay.” As punishment, DeSantis took over Disney World’s self-governing district through legislation passed by lawmakers and appointed a new board of supervisors. Before the new board came in, the company signed agreements with the old board stripping the new supervisors of design and construction authority. In response, the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature passed legislation allowing the DeSantis-appointed board to repeal those agreements and made the theme park resort’s monorail system subject to state inspection, when it previously had been done in-house. Disney filed the First Amendment lawsuit against the Florida governor and the DeSantis-appointed board last month in federal court in Tallahassee, and it landed in Walker’s court. The DeSantis-appointed board earlier this month sued Disney in state court in Orlando seeking to void the deals the company made with the previous board. The creation of Disney’s self-governing district by the Florida Legislature was instrumental in the company’s decision in the 1960s to build near Orlando. Disney told the state at the time that it planned to build a futuristic city that would include a transit system and urban planning innovations, so the company needed autonomy. The futuristic city never materialized, however, and instead morphed into a second theme park that opened in 1982.