TALLAHASSEE (CBS) Governor DeSantis signs AI and vape bills Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed 28 bills, including a measure requiring disclaimers on certain political ads created using artificial intelligence and a bill about regulation of vape products.
ESTERO Gold Star Golf Tournament honors fallen veteran Behind each putt and swing of a golf club at the Gold Star Golf Tournament is someone who knew John Wirka Junior.
NEW YORK (AP) How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
FORT MYERS Man wanted for armed robbery at Fort Myers convenience store Crime Stoppers is asking the public for help identifying an armed robber who held up a convenience store Saturday morning.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Rifles, inappropriate texts and Donut shop debacle This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a scary mall trip, an inappropriate coach, and a Dunkin Donuts assault.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
PUNTA GORDA Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society raises concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
TALLAHASSEE (CBS) Governor DeSantis signs AI and vape bills Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed 28 bills, including a measure requiring disclaimers on certain political ads created using artificial intelligence and a bill about regulation of vape products.
ESTERO Gold Star Golf Tournament honors fallen veteran Behind each putt and swing of a golf club at the Gold Star Golf Tournament is someone who knew John Wirka Junior.
NEW YORK (AP) How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
FORT MYERS Man wanted for armed robbery at Fort Myers convenience store Crime Stoppers is asking the public for help identifying an armed robber who held up a convenience store Saturday morning.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Rifles, inappropriate texts and Donut shop debacle This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a scary mall trip, an inappropriate coach, and a Dunkin Donuts assault.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
PUNTA GORDA Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society raises concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
WINK NEWS Florida unemployment: Tracking numbers, continued problems with system Some people have been waiting now for more than a month to get their unemployment payments, and the state’s website used to apply for those benefits is still acting up despite recent upgrades. We continue to work toward new answers about how the state is trying to serve Floridians going through the unemployment process. The […]
NAPLES Naples group putting face to state’s unemployment problems with rally Roughly 5% of unemployment claims submitted after March 15 have been paid out. That’s based on numbers the DEO released Thursday night. Many of you say you’re in limbo, waiting for payments and need more to be done. Some in Naples have gotten together to put a face to the state’s unemployment problems. RALLY IN […]
WINK NEWS Florida unemployment woes continue; governor looks to fix things ‘quickly’ Bills are piling up and tensions are running high in Southwest Florida due to unemployment. For many community members, the unemployment process is failing. We continue to listen to those who reach out to us and press the state for answers. We have heard from hundreds of Southwest Florida community members the unemployment website isn’t […]
FORT MYERS Worries mount as unemployment site goes down for payment processing Wednesday has been a tough day for many of you who tell us because the unemployment website went down, you can’t continue your application, check your status or claim your benefits. The DEO says the website went down so they can process claims. But many of you say you’re still worried. We’ve received hundreds of […]
FORT MYERS Woman deemed ‘ineligible’ for unemployment, DEO addresses work search requirements One woman says she waited almost four weeks after submitting her unemployment application only to be denied. Another man says the system thinks he still has a job when he doesn’t. We spoke to many of you who are losing hope and want to show the state that their improvements haven’t been enough. The word […]
FORT MYERS FAQ: Unemployment Resources The WINK News newsroom has been flooded with questions from concerned Southwest Floridians over unemployment issues. We set out with a goal to get all of your questions answered. Below are the questions we have asked The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and Governor Ron DeSantis’ office. Some remain unanswered and we continue to […]
Small businesses wait for loans to stay afloat As businesses shut their doors or reduce their hours, many are hoping they can get a small business loan to stay afloat until the economy improves, but some business owners said the loans aren’t coming fast enough. Michael Fattah owns Ristorante Farfalla, an Italian restaurant in Estero. “It’s a bunch of good employees that I […]
FORT MYERS Floridians fed up with seemingly broken unemployment system So many of you are fed up, tired of dealing with a seemingly broken unemployment system online and over the phone. Mike Baroody’s patience is wavering. “When you get to a prompt, it says you need to speak to an agent. It tells you that if you want to wait more than 10 minutes, they […]
Is filing for unemployment improving with new website? The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity launched a mobile-friendly website for unemployment applicants after many struggled to file, but there are still plenty of questions unanswered. Robert Kantor of Punta Gorda finally got to apply, but he’s still confused. “The speed is great, it’s smooth. The questions are fewer,” he said. But … “When you’re […]
LEE COUNTY Unemployment applicants still struggling to file, but there is help People across the nation are struggling to file for unemployment, and Florida is no different. While the governor said they’ve made improvements to the system, people are still reporting problems. Paper applications were mailed out this week, allowing people to file for unemployment by mail – but those forms are actually only for people who […]