‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidationHomeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods
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.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
SARASOTA Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court A priest accused of sexually abusing four altar boys in Iowa nearly 40 years ago returned to Charlotte County court.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema prepares for opening at Mercato The newest movie theater in Southwest Florida opens April 29, and it does so with an array of entertainment offerings that go beyond the usual options across the region.
Let’s Waffle opens in Cape Coral Let’s Waffle is one of two businesses the Feix family launched locally, with the FMS Florida Boat Tours and Limousine Service owned and operated by Feix’s husband, Alexander.
Planned Punta Gorda hotel, pub, brewery faces construction delay Kevin Doyle, owner of Celtic Ray Public House Irish pub in downtown Punta Gorda, and his partner, S4 Global Investments, were found in violation of the city’s exposed soils code.
Three Sisters Spring Toast the manatee released by FWC, SeaWorld and Casey DeSantis near Crystal River A manatee named Toast was released back into the Florida waters after a final medical evaluation from wildlife officials.
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.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
SARASOTA Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court A priest accused of sexually abusing four altar boys in Iowa nearly 40 years ago returned to Charlotte County court.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema prepares for opening at Mercato The newest movie theater in Southwest Florida opens April 29, and it does so with an array of entertainment offerings that go beyond the usual options across the region.
Let’s Waffle opens in Cape Coral Let’s Waffle is one of two businesses the Feix family launched locally, with the FMS Florida Boat Tours and Limousine Service owned and operated by Feix’s husband, Alexander.
Planned Punta Gorda hotel, pub, brewery faces construction delay Kevin Doyle, owner of Celtic Ray Public House Irish pub in downtown Punta Gorda, and his partner, S4 Global Investments, were found in violation of the city’s exposed soils code.
Three Sisters Spring Toast the manatee released by FWC, SeaWorld and Casey DeSantis near Crystal River A manatee named Toast was released back into the Florida waters after a final medical evaluation from wildlife officials.
A general view of the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee. (Photo: AP) Democrats, voting rights advocates and the county officials responsible for running elections in Florida appeared powerless to halt moves by Republican lawmakers Tuesday to tighten the ways in which citizens can cast ballots. As Florida gears up for another round of elections in 2022 – headlined by nationally watched races for governor and U.S. Senate – the changes could be far from inconsequential in a state famous for razor-thin contests. A final Senate committee on Tuesday endorsed a measure that Republicans argue will make voting more secure by enacting new voter ID and signature requirements, restricting who can return completed ballots and placing new rules on ballot drop boxes – unnecessary changes, Democrats contend, that will only complicate the voting process. Florida Republicans are making the push even as neighboring Georgia faces a backlash over its new voting restrictions, which limit ballot drop boxes, impose tougher ID requirements and prohibit giving food and water to people in line. “A lot’s been said about this bill, and I understand that elections are controversial and I understand that there’s a fear we are trying to take away the right of people to vote. I also want you to know that is not the motivation of the bill,” said Sen. Dennis Baxley, the Republican bill sponsor. A similar House bill cleared its final committee Monday. Both versions now head for floor votes in chambers controlled by Republican majorities before negotiations begin to align the bills. The House bill, unlike the Senate’s, would ban groups from distributing food and water to voters waiting in line. The stakes could not be higher in a state that had been mired in election fiascos before touting itself as a national model last year. Millions of so-called absentee voters participated during the pandemic, casting ballots by mail or submitting their ballots at drop boxes outside elections offices or at early voting sites. In all, some 4.8 million Floridians voted by mail in November, a record number that accounted for about 44% of the 11 million votes cast. In the end, Florida Democrats outvoted Republicans by mail by 680,000 more absentee ballots. President Donald Trump still won Florida by about 3%, but the Democratic advantage prompted alarm among Republicans who long had the upper hand in absentee voting. “The right to vote should be encouraged, never imperiled. The right to vote should be promoted, not discouraged. We should feel that so many of the provisions in this bill don’t have any necessity behind them,” said Sen. Gary Farmer, the top Democrat in his chamber. The proposals would require those who use ballot drop boxes to present an ID before they can submit their completed ballot – a requirement that does not apply to ballots delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. They would also limit who can return absentee ballots for voters who cannot physically do so themselves, to prevent so-called “ballot harvesting” by groups who Republicans fear could tamper with ballots or not deliver them – assertions that Democrats and voter rights groups have called unfounded. “I think they are trying to complicate voting, they are tying to confuse voters. None of this was ever a concern before,” said Patricia Brigham, the president of the League of Women Voters of Florida. “One must wonder who do they want voting and who don’t they want voting,” Brigham added. “Who are they disenfranchising here?” Civil rights groups contend that the proposals, if signed into law, could reduce electoral participation by Black voters and those who are not regular voters. The new rules, if enacted, would require anyone conducting once-routine transactions, like updating registration information, to submit an identification number, such as a partial Social Security number. They would also limit what information elections officers use to match signatures, by requiring them to use the most recent ink signature on file, instead of using an array of previous signatures that might capture some of the variances in how people sign their names. That could lead to more ballots being rejected, according to elections officials. During Tuesday’s Senate committee hearing, a lone Republican voted against the proposal, noting that the group representing the state’s 67 county elections supervisors oppose the bill.