Florida insurer fined $1M over Hurricane Ian claimsOne Step at a Time: NAMI of Collier County Mental Health Walk
Florida insurer fined $1M over Hurricane Ian claims The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation issued the seven figure fine to Heritage Property and Casualty Insurance Company for violating a number of Florida laws when handling some of its Hurricane Ian- related claims.
NORTH NAPLES One Step at a Time: NAMI of Collier County Mental Health Walk Hundreds of people walked one mile with the goal of raising awareness of mental health challenges.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: A warm Sunday with lower humidity for Mother’s Day The Weather Authority has your Mother’s Day forecast. For Sunday, things heat up with highs in the 90s, but it is less humid out.
FORT MYERS BEACH Little League is back on Fort Myers Beach The crack of the bat is something these little league players never thought they’d get to see again here on Fort Myers Beach.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Aunt and father of Christopher Horne Jr. released from jail The aunt and father of Christopher Horne Jr. have been released Saturday afternoon.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Salad Knife, Fish, and Shooting Update This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a knife-wielding customer, a fish named ‘Bean,’ and an update on a double shooting.
The Weather Authority National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Take action today For Hurricane Preparedness Week, we are recapping the importance of taking action to be better prepared for when a storm develops.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Warm weekend but lower humidity briefly in the forecast The Weather Authority Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler said to expect a warm weekend, but there is a present for Mom on Sunday – lower humidity.
CAPE CORAL 3 family members of teen accused in murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller arrested New details have emerged surrounding the arrest of a woman whose 16-year-old son is accused of being involved in the murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller, and now her husband and sister are also in jail.
FORT MYERS Death investigation in Fort Myers after body is found in truck bed Fort Myers Police confirm that there is a death investigation at the corner of Market Street and brown street.
NAPLES Naples ‘celebrity bartender’ stirring up new cocktails at LoLa 41 Michael Slabach often researches ideas, finding a new balance of layers, color, texture and selective glassware to turn his drinks into art.
FORT MYERS New affordable housing program in Fort Myers begins Affordable housing is a rare sighting these days, but one city is making it a priority.
NAPLES ‘Live simply and never give up’ – Motto for Naples couple needing a helping hand A husband wants nothing more than to share the world with his wife while she is suffering from an illness determined to keep them separated.
NAPLES Music teacher dilemma at Gulf Coast High School leaves students anxious Parents are outraged, and students are unsure what the future holds after one of their two beloved music teachers was told they will have to transfer.
FORT MYERS Mom celebrates first Mother’s Day with cancer-free daughter We have one of the best weekends ahead, a time to celebrate mothers everywhere, and as any mother knows, celebrating with your family matters most.
Florida insurer fined $1M over Hurricane Ian claims The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation issued the seven figure fine to Heritage Property and Casualty Insurance Company for violating a number of Florida laws when handling some of its Hurricane Ian- related claims.
NORTH NAPLES One Step at a Time: NAMI of Collier County Mental Health Walk Hundreds of people walked one mile with the goal of raising awareness of mental health challenges.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: A warm Sunday with lower humidity for Mother’s Day The Weather Authority has your Mother’s Day forecast. For Sunday, things heat up with highs in the 90s, but it is less humid out.
FORT MYERS BEACH Little League is back on Fort Myers Beach The crack of the bat is something these little league players never thought they’d get to see again here on Fort Myers Beach.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Aunt and father of Christopher Horne Jr. released from jail The aunt and father of Christopher Horne Jr. have been released Saturday afternoon.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Salad Knife, Fish, and Shooting Update This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a knife-wielding customer, a fish named ‘Bean,’ and an update on a double shooting.
The Weather Authority National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Take action today For Hurricane Preparedness Week, we are recapping the importance of taking action to be better prepared for when a storm develops.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Warm weekend but lower humidity briefly in the forecast The Weather Authority Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler said to expect a warm weekend, but there is a present for Mom on Sunday – lower humidity.
CAPE CORAL 3 family members of teen accused in murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller arrested New details have emerged surrounding the arrest of a woman whose 16-year-old son is accused of being involved in the murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller, and now her husband and sister are also in jail.
FORT MYERS Death investigation in Fort Myers after body is found in truck bed Fort Myers Police confirm that there is a death investigation at the corner of Market Street and brown street.
NAPLES Naples ‘celebrity bartender’ stirring up new cocktails at LoLa 41 Michael Slabach often researches ideas, finding a new balance of layers, color, texture and selective glassware to turn his drinks into art.
FORT MYERS New affordable housing program in Fort Myers begins Affordable housing is a rare sighting these days, but one city is making it a priority.
NAPLES ‘Live simply and never give up’ – Motto for Naples couple needing a helping hand A husband wants nothing more than to share the world with his wife while she is suffering from an illness determined to keep them separated.
NAPLES Music teacher dilemma at Gulf Coast High School leaves students anxious Parents are outraged, and students are unsure what the future holds after one of their two beloved music teachers was told they will have to transfer.
FORT MYERS Mom celebrates first Mother’s Day with cancer-free daughter We have one of the best weekends ahead, a time to celebrate mothers everywhere, and as any mother knows, celebrating with your family matters most.
On an average day, it’s pretty common to see people fishing or swimming in a canal. One neighbor in Cape Coral saw something unusual in his backyard Friday afternoon. On Friday, April 26, Gene Fornecker was surprised to see a group of people on a boat pointing rifles in a residential canal. “I was putting up curtain rods in my dining room when I was looking out the window to the canal, and I saw a motorboat going by slowly,” said Fornecker. “When I looked closer, I saw every one of them had like a rifle with a scope on it.” In those moments, Gene took these pictures of the boaters with their rifles drawn. “All of a sudden, they all got up, and we’re pointing at something in the bushes, and I didn’t know what was going on,” said Fornecker. “It just seemed kind of odd to me, especially in a residential area.” Fornecker reached out to law enforcement with concern for his and his neighbor’s safety. “I did call the Cape Coral Police Department, and they said that they were probably iguana hunters and that it was legal for them to do that,” said Fornecker. “I don’t care if it’s an air rifle or not, it can hurt or shoot someone’s eye out, and I don’t want anyone to get hit.” While there are different variations of animal hunting across the U.S., Florida is known to be the only state where it is legal to hunt iguanas. “I don’t have anything against hunting, especially if it’s something that’s not native to the area, but people need to know that these people are legitimate in what they’re doing,” said Fornecker. According to state law, iguanas can be hunted using air rifles, pellet guns or non-exploding rimfire firearms that are not considered weapons. Green iguanas are not protected in Florida except by anti-cruelty laws and can be humanely killed on private property year-round with landowner permission. Members of the public may also remove and humanely kill iguanas from 32 Commission-managed lands without a license or permit under Executive Order 23-16, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Convservation. WINK News spoke with Aaron Forum, a firearms expert and consultant, to figure out the type of guns the boaters were using. “I’m 99% sure these are, in fact, Sig Sauer MCX Virtus PCP air rifles, and if I had to take a guess, I would say they were probably hunting iguanas,” said Forum. “Now that can still be lethal, potentially at close range, so you still have to be careful.” Forum says it’s always best to have the right safety equipment when hunting for iguanas. “If you’re out there shooting and especially, you know, you can tell they’re very close in proximity with a high-powered pellet rifle or BB gun and that stuff can ricochet,” said Forum. “It’s always best to have on eye protection at that range.” To learn more about the legality of iguana hunting in Florida, click here.