ALVA Woodpeckers build home in woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
The Florida Supreme Court has given the power to the people. So far, recreational marijuana is legal in 24 states. Florida may be the next one. Right now, only medical marijuana is legal in the state. RELATED: Florida voters will decide whether to protect abortion rights and legalize marijuana in November WINK News was curious about your take on legalizing recreational marijuana. On Tuesday morning, we put a poll on X. Go ahead and place your vote to see where you stand with fellow Floridians. If the vote is over 60% yes in November, anyone will be able to buy the drug, probably dependent only on age. WINK News talked with Florida Gulf Coast University Professor of Neuroscience and Physiology Martha Rosenthal. She has studied drugs for over 30 years. She describes some of the benefits of marijuana. “It can improve appetite and decrease nausea, vomiting, cancer and aids patients,” Rosenthal said. Rosenthal said it is safer than alcohol; however, there are also risks, she noted. “The levels of THC are getting higher and higher, and that is more risky,” Rosenthal said. Ellen Snelling almost lost her daughter to drugs. “It’s a lifelong struggle, and it all started with marijuana,” Snelling said. She is a longtime member of a drug prevention coalition, and she will not vote in favor of recreational marijuana in November. “I feel like there’s another side to marijuana legalization that a lot of people may not be thinking about. They’re thinking about all the positive benefits and that you won’t be arrested for having a joint,” Snelling said. Kim Rivers, the CEO of Trulieve, Florida’s largest and first medical marijuana operator, told WINK this is a great thing if passed. “I think Florida is very much ready for this,” Rivers said, “and again, it’s about creating a safe, regulated market, and that, you know, is with products that have been quality tested, grown here in Florida.” People say legalization means it will be regulated, which is why some say out of all of the drug overdoses last year, zero of them were from cannabis. “One thing to consider is it will be safer because it will be controlled,” Rosenthal said. According to a Pew Research study, only 10% of Americans don’t support legalizing marijuana. “The marijuana industry is absolutely growing, and it’s growing within the state of Florida, and it’s growing nationally,” Rivers said. “I think we just have to have the total picture of what could happen in our state, and people need to be educated on that before they go to the polls,” Snelling said. WINK News reached out to the sheriff’s office to see how this change may impact law enforcement. They said, “The Lee County Sheriff’s Office recognizes that laws and regulations are continually changing. Any adjustments or updates are added to the continual training deputies receive and implemented as needed.”