BONITA SPRINGS Local treatment for prostate cancer Prostate cancer is a growing problem in men, and advanced cases are rising for the first time in twenty years, which is why screening is so important.
Veterans Day ceremony at Cambier Park in Naples Neighbors gathered in Naples at Cambier Park to honor the people who protect and serve our country.
NAPLES Raymond Lutgert sculpture unveiled in Naples There was an unveiling of another Raymond l Lutgert sculpture in Naples this weekend.
Suspect, victim identified in fatal Collier County shooting Deputies have arrested a man in connection to a fatal shooting outside a Burlington in Collier County.
FORT MYERS Former Hendry County deputy, Tyler Williams, to appear in court Former Hendry County deputy Tyler Williams is scheduled to appear before a federal judge, and it’s all centered around a video.
CLEWISTON 2 teens accused of Hendry homicide scheduled to appear in court The family of a 16-year-old girl is one step closer to getting justice today as the two suspects in her murder are scheduled in court.
NAPLES USPS workers rally for higher pay and benefits Southwest Florida Postal Service workers have gathered to rally for higher pay and benefits.
Restaurant deals for vets this Veteran’s Day If you’re a veteran and want to enjoy a meal deal, some restaurants are having offers.
FORT MYERS Lee County Domestic Animal Services pauses cat intakes Lee County Domestic Animal Services announced it has temporarily paused cat intake due to a rise in ringworm cases.
NAPLES Great Wolf Lodge grand opening set this Thursday, Rob Gronkowski in attendance The Great Wolf Lodge is set to open its doors, and celebrity guest Rob Gronkowski will kick off the festivities during a private event.
FEMA faces scrutiny after message sent to skip Trump supporter homes in Florida FEMA is facing accusations of bias as a message sent by an employee emerged telling them to skip Trump supporter homes following a hurricane.
Florida panther struck by vehicle in Collier County; 27th death in 2024 A 2-year-old female panther was killed by a vehicle in Collier County, increasing the death total of the endangered species to 27 for 2024.
the weather authority Warm and mainly dry for your Veterans Day The Weather Authority is tracking a warm and dry Veterans Day with the possibility of stray showers in the afternoon and evening.
CAPE CORAL Man electrocuted in Cape Coral near LCEC substation A man was taken to the hospital after being electrocuted at a Lee County Electric Cooperative station in Cape Coral.
WINK NEWS Veterans Day events across Southwest Florida Veterans Day is a time to honor and celebrate the sacrifices and bravery of those who have served in the military.
BONITA SPRINGS Local treatment for prostate cancer Prostate cancer is a growing problem in men, and advanced cases are rising for the first time in twenty years, which is why screening is so important.
Veterans Day ceremony at Cambier Park in Naples Neighbors gathered in Naples at Cambier Park to honor the people who protect and serve our country.
NAPLES Raymond Lutgert sculpture unveiled in Naples There was an unveiling of another Raymond l Lutgert sculpture in Naples this weekend.
Suspect, victim identified in fatal Collier County shooting Deputies have arrested a man in connection to a fatal shooting outside a Burlington in Collier County.
FORT MYERS Former Hendry County deputy, Tyler Williams, to appear in court Former Hendry County deputy Tyler Williams is scheduled to appear before a federal judge, and it’s all centered around a video.
CLEWISTON 2 teens accused of Hendry homicide scheduled to appear in court The family of a 16-year-old girl is one step closer to getting justice today as the two suspects in her murder are scheduled in court.
NAPLES USPS workers rally for higher pay and benefits Southwest Florida Postal Service workers have gathered to rally for higher pay and benefits.
Restaurant deals for vets this Veteran’s Day If you’re a veteran and want to enjoy a meal deal, some restaurants are having offers.
FORT MYERS Lee County Domestic Animal Services pauses cat intakes Lee County Domestic Animal Services announced it has temporarily paused cat intake due to a rise in ringworm cases.
NAPLES Great Wolf Lodge grand opening set this Thursday, Rob Gronkowski in attendance The Great Wolf Lodge is set to open its doors, and celebrity guest Rob Gronkowski will kick off the festivities during a private event.
FEMA faces scrutiny after message sent to skip Trump supporter homes in Florida FEMA is facing accusations of bias as a message sent by an employee emerged telling them to skip Trump supporter homes following a hurricane.
Florida panther struck by vehicle in Collier County; 27th death in 2024 A 2-year-old female panther was killed by a vehicle in Collier County, increasing the death total of the endangered species to 27 for 2024.
the weather authority Warm and mainly dry for your Veterans Day The Weather Authority is tracking a warm and dry Veterans Day with the possibility of stray showers in the afternoon and evening.
CAPE CORAL Man electrocuted in Cape Coral near LCEC substation A man was taken to the hospital after being electrocuted at a Lee County Electric Cooperative station in Cape Coral.
WINK NEWS Veterans Day events across Southwest Florida Veterans Day is a time to honor and celebrate the sacrifices and bravery of those who have served in the military.
Citrus greening impacting Florida citrus production. CREDIT: WINK News Florida prides itself on its juicy oranges, but because of citrus greening and powerful storms, the citrus industry is experiencing its lowest production levels since 1936. Between the last hurricane season, diseases impacting crops, and increased costs to keep operations productive, growers are feeling beaten down by the stress. WINK News spoke with Wayne Simmons, the president and owner of Labelle Fruit Company about the issues. “Farmers as a whole are eternal optimists. But there’s not a lot of optimism left,” said Simmons. LaBelle Fruit Company sign. CREDIT: WINK News Citrus growing and cultivation is what Simmons is particularly passionate about. “We like to call Florida-Orange-Juice ‘Florida gold,'” said Simmons. Although, that ‘Florida gold’ hasn’t grown like it used to. A decade ago, during its peak, Simmons’ grove produced 50,000 boxes of oranges a year. This past season that number shrunk down to 4,000 boxes. Tamiami Citrus had just completed its crop estimate in August. “We were really comfortable and felt good about the crop we had on the trees at the time. But then Ian hit,” said Ron Mahan, the CFO and vice president of Tamiami Citrus. Due to Ian, Mahan says their four groves suffered a crop loss totaling $4 or $5 million dollars. The sunshine state as a whole produced just under 16,000,000 boxes of oranges this year. “Ten years ago, we were producing, we produced 103 million boxes. 20 years ago, we were producing 242 million boxes,” said Mahan. Asian citrus psyllid. CREDIT: Photograph by Douglas L. Caldwell, University of Florida. Mahan explained that Hurricane Ian knocked out around half the state’s production, but the major obstacle for growers for the time being is citrus greening. Citrus greening is a bacterial disease brought on by a bug called a psyllid that’s no larger than a grain of rice. In Florida, every grove has it, and once it’s on the tree, it spreads. “Neighbor next door, he’s, he’s thrown in the towel,” said Simmons. Simmons’s neighbor is growing mangos and avocadoes. 20 years ago, Florida, with oranges on its license plate, had 900,000 acres of citrus groves, but in 2023, there are only 400,000 acres. Nevertheless, Simmons said he’s a little more hard-headed and won’t be throwing in the towel anytime soon. Sally Scalera is an urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences. She explained citrus greening is caused by a bacterium spread by the Asian citrus psyllid. Citrus greening impacting oranges. CREDIT: WINK News “They just fly around and they find citrus trees or citrus-related plants, and then you know, they feed on those,” Scalera said. The bug feeds on the sap and passes that bacterium into the citrus tree. One predator helping to control the psyllid population is a special wasp, the Tamarixia radiate. Tamarixia radiata. CREDIT: Angel Hoyte and Jamie D. Yates, University of Florida, Citrus Research and Education Center. Tamarixia radiata. CREDIT: Angel Hoyte and Jamie D. Yates, University of Florida, Citrus Research and Education Center. “It lays an egg on the psyllid and then the egg hatches and eats the psyllid out from the inside. And then it pupates and comes out of the psyllid body as an adult,” explained Scalera. While the wasps cannot cure greening, they can help lessen the psyllid population and reduce the amount of citrus greening. Trees with citrus greening produce leaves with a mottled or blotchy appearance. If you have citrus trees and want some of the wasps offered by the state, you need to apply through the Florida Department of Agriculture.