Negotiations between NCH and Florida Blue could impact SWFL residentsCape Coral’s Darrion Jones ready to go from Seahawk to Jayhawk
Teenage boys suspected of car stealing spree According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, two 16-year-old boys have been connected to 5 stolen cars and 28 vehicle break-ins.
naples Negotiations between NCH and Florida Blue could impact SWFL residents A high-stakes healthcare negotiation is hanging in the balance as Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) and Florida Blue are at odds over how to handle the rising cost of health.
Cape Coral’s Darrion Jones ready to go from Seahawk to Jayhawk Cape Coral senior safety Darrion Jones reflects on his time in high school and looks ahead to playing for the Kansas Jayhawks in college.
Preserving paradise: protecting our water quality There’s a local effort underway to protect what many believe is our most precious resource: our water.
NORTH FORT MYERS What will happen to the Shell Factory’s animals after it closes? The Shell Factory in North Fort Myers is set to close after nearly ninety years of business. The owner plans to sell the property, but what will happen to the hundreds of animals?
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New details about Lee County man arrested for animal abuse A newly updated Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrest report details a troubling past for a new animal abuse arrest of a Lee County resident.
EVERGLADES CITY Museum of Everglades opens Python Hunters exhibit A new exhibit gives us a closer look at how bad the Burmese python invasion really is. The exhibit opened on Tuesday in the Museum of the Everglades.
NORTH FORT MYERS Habitat for Humanity receives $50 million grant for over 200 new homes The Lee and Hendry County non-profit applied for a grant back in April, and on Tuesday, the Lee County Board of Commissioners approved them for $50 million.
FORT MYERS BEACH Matanzas Pass Bridge shrimp boat makes it under on 3rd attempt The Florida Department of Transportation has reported that the Matanzas Pass Bridge was hit again by the same passing shrimp boat that struck it a day before.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors upset over constant flooding in Port Charlotte A couple living in Port Charlotte says they’ve been dealing with flooding issues for years, every single time it rains.
LEHIGH ACRES Roundabout approved for intersection at Gunnery Road and Buckingham Road Lee County officials are looking to improve safety and make traffic smoother with a roundabout at the intersection of Gunnery Road and Buckingham Road.
Local man falls victim to rare Guillain-Barré syndrome One day, a local man was happy and healthy, and the next day, he was paralyzed and needed breathing and feeding tubes. That’s how fast Guillain-Barré syndrome can strike.
CAPE CORAL 5 vehicle crash in Cape Coral near Pine Island Rd. and Chiquita Blvd. Authorities are investigating a multi-car crash that occurred in Cape Coral on Tuesday afternoon.
2024 python challenge winner caught 20 pythons The 2024 Florida Python Challenge has concluded, and we have a winner.
WINK NEWS Lee commission awards $39.2M contract to nourish Lovers Key and Bonita Beach shoreline The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to award a nearly $39.2 million contract to nourish the beaches on Lovers Key and Bonita Beach.
Teenage boys suspected of car stealing spree According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, two 16-year-old boys have been connected to 5 stolen cars and 28 vehicle break-ins.
naples Negotiations between NCH and Florida Blue could impact SWFL residents A high-stakes healthcare negotiation is hanging in the balance as Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) and Florida Blue are at odds over how to handle the rising cost of health.
Cape Coral’s Darrion Jones ready to go from Seahawk to Jayhawk Cape Coral senior safety Darrion Jones reflects on his time in high school and looks ahead to playing for the Kansas Jayhawks in college.
Preserving paradise: protecting our water quality There’s a local effort underway to protect what many believe is our most precious resource: our water.
NORTH FORT MYERS What will happen to the Shell Factory’s animals after it closes? The Shell Factory in North Fort Myers is set to close after nearly ninety years of business. The owner plans to sell the property, but what will happen to the hundreds of animals?
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New details about Lee County man arrested for animal abuse A newly updated Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrest report details a troubling past for a new animal abuse arrest of a Lee County resident.
EVERGLADES CITY Museum of Everglades opens Python Hunters exhibit A new exhibit gives us a closer look at how bad the Burmese python invasion really is. The exhibit opened on Tuesday in the Museum of the Everglades.
NORTH FORT MYERS Habitat for Humanity receives $50 million grant for over 200 new homes The Lee and Hendry County non-profit applied for a grant back in April, and on Tuesday, the Lee County Board of Commissioners approved them for $50 million.
FORT MYERS BEACH Matanzas Pass Bridge shrimp boat makes it under on 3rd attempt The Florida Department of Transportation has reported that the Matanzas Pass Bridge was hit again by the same passing shrimp boat that struck it a day before.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors upset over constant flooding in Port Charlotte A couple living in Port Charlotte says they’ve been dealing with flooding issues for years, every single time it rains.
LEHIGH ACRES Roundabout approved for intersection at Gunnery Road and Buckingham Road Lee County officials are looking to improve safety and make traffic smoother with a roundabout at the intersection of Gunnery Road and Buckingham Road.
Local man falls victim to rare Guillain-Barré syndrome One day, a local man was happy and healthy, and the next day, he was paralyzed and needed breathing and feeding tubes. That’s how fast Guillain-Barré syndrome can strike.
CAPE CORAL 5 vehicle crash in Cape Coral near Pine Island Rd. and Chiquita Blvd. Authorities are investigating a multi-car crash that occurred in Cape Coral on Tuesday afternoon.
2024 python challenge winner caught 20 pythons The 2024 Florida Python Challenge has concluded, and we have a winner.
WINK NEWS Lee commission awards $39.2M contract to nourish Lovers Key and Bonita Beach shoreline The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to award a nearly $39.2 million contract to nourish the beaches on Lovers Key and Bonita Beach.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump listens at a business roundtable discussion at a campaign event at Precision Components Group, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in York, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. (AP) — Donald Trump refused on Friday to weigh in on recent racist and conspiratorial comments from right-wing provocateur Laura Loomer, who traveled with him earlier this week to the debate and several 9/11 memorial events. “Laura’s been a supporter of mine,” Trump told reporters at a press conference near Los Angeles, where he was pressed on concerns from Republican allies about his ongoing association with Loomer. “I don’t control Laura,” Trump said. “I can’t tell Laura what to do. She’s a supporter.” Laura Loomer. CREDIT: AP Photo/Chris Szagola Trump said Loomer has “strong opinions,” but said he was unaware of her recent comments, including a post on X in which she played on racist stereotypes by writing that “the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center” if his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, wins in November. Harris is the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants. Loomer’s appearances on the campaign trail with Trump have alarmed many top supporters of the former president who worry he is hurting his chances of winning in November, particularly as Harris has driven up Democratic enthusiasm and repeatedly put Trump on the defensive in Tuesday’s debate. Harris was campaigning Friday across Pennsylvania. Loomer’s comments have drawn rebuke from Trump allies including Republican firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The Georgia congresswoman, herself known for spreading conspiracies, called the post about curry “appalling and extremely racist” and said it did not represent Trump’s movement. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., called Loomer “a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans. A DNC plant couldn’t do a better job than she is doing to hurt President Trump’s chances of winning re-election. Enough.” Trump’s comments came at a news conference at his Los Angeles-area golf club after days of criticism of his performance at this week’s debate. Trump, in remarks, unleashed against Harris a litany of attacks his aides had suggested he would focus on during the debate, including accusing her of having been soft on crime in her previous positions. Before she served as vice president, Harris represented California in the Senate and also served as the state’s attorney general and the district attorney of San Francisco. “She destroyed San Francisco and she destroyed the state,” Trump charged. He also assailed the ABC anchors who moderated the debate. He’ll travel later Friday to northern California for a fundraiser, followed by a rally in Las Vegas, the largest city in swing state Nevada. Harris has not publicly addressed Trump’s association with Loomer. But White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre this week called Loomer’s comments “repugnant.” “No leader should ever associate with someone who spreads this kind of ugliness, this kind of racist poison,” Jean-Pierre told reporters. Harris headed to Johnstown and Wilkes-Barre on Friday, campaigning in counties where Trump won in 2016 and 2020, as she tries to capitalize on her momentum after Tuesday night’s debate. In Johnstown, she dropped in to meet with owners and supporters at Classic Elements, a bookstore and cafe, to discuss her plans to support small businesses if elected. It was her second day of back-to-back rallies after holding two events in North Carolina, another swing state, on Thursday. Her campaign is aiming to hit every market in every battleground state over four days, with stops by Harris, her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and other surrogates in Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and Georgia. While speaking in Charlotte, Harris took a victory lap for her debate performance in which she needled Trump and kept him on the defensive. Recounting one moment while campaigning in North Carolina, she mocked Trump for saying he had “concepts of a plan” for replacing the Affordable Care Act. “Concepts. Concepts. No actual plan. Concepts,” she said as the crowd roared with laughter. Her campaign said she raised $47 million from 600,000 donors in the 24 hours after her debate with Trump. After appearing at his golf club in upscale Rancho Palos Verdes, Trump will head to a fundraiser in the afternoon in the Bay Area town of Woodside that is being hosted by billionaire software developer Tom Siebel and his wife, Stacey Siebel. Tom Siebel is the second cousin once removed of Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and surrogate for Harris. Attendees will pay at least $3,300 per person or raise $10,000 for the campaign, according to an invitation. Top-tier donors will get a photo, reception and roundtable, paying $500,000 for a couple to be on the host committee or $150,000 per person to be a co-host. It’s Trump’s second fundraising stop in California in as many days as he tries to make up fundraising ground against Harris. Even before she raked in cash after the debate, the vice president reported raising $361 million in August from nearly 3 million donors, her first full month as a candidate after replacing President Joe Biden. Trump brought in $130 million over the same period. Harris’ campaign reported that it started September with $109 million more on hand than Trump’s did. On Friday night, Trump heads to Las Vegas, where he’ll have a rally in the city’s downtown area. Trump was in the city last month for a brief stop to promote his proposal to end federal taxes on workers’ tips, something that’s expected to especially resonate in the tourist city, where much of the service-based economy includes workers who rely on tips. He announced a new proposal Thursday to end taxes on overtime pay. The swing state is one that Trump narrowly lost in 2016 and 2020 and is among about half a dozen that both campaigns are heavily focused on. Madhani reported from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and Colvin from New York. Associated Press writers Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles, Chris Megerian in Washington and Tom Verdin in Sacramento contributed to this report.