Skip to main content

LIVE TV

© 2026 WGCU News

News for all of Southwest Florida

LIVE TV

Donate

Play Live Radio

Next Up:

0:00

0:00

0:00 0:00

Available On Air Stations

1,000-Pound Pumpkin Takes California Contest

NPR

Published October 30, 2012 at 6:15 AM EDT

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. In the midst of a monster storm, let's take a moment to contemplate a monster pumpkin. Out in California, John Sach grew a pumpkin weighing just under 1,000 pounds. He calls it Sally, and it won Orange County's annual Pumpkinmania contest. Sach's pumpkin outgrew the runner-up, named Gourdita, which was downright slim at 795 pounds. According to the O.C. Register, Sally's secret is simple - a lot of food and water. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

More from WGCU

Environment

Gopher tortoises in SWFL, elsewhere, 'critically endangered'; Trump Administration removes habitat protections for endangered species

Tom Bayles

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has determined gopher tortoises are more at risk of extinction than ever before. The U.S. government does not agree. At the same time the nature union declared the gopher tortoises’ status more dire, the Trump Administration removed habitat protections for endangered species.
Arts & Culture

Melody Lane Theatre's production of 'Chicago' does legendary choreographer Bob Fosse proud

Tom Hall, Amanda Whittamore

When Melody Lane Theatre selected “Chicago” for its summer stock show, Sami Doherty knew the theater couldn’t afford the rights to Bob Fosse’s original choreography. So, she and Assistant Choreographer Athena Rose Belis did the next best thing. They created original choreography that would make Bob Fosse proud. The result is a splendiferous show guaranteed to razzle dazzle Southwest Florida audiences.
Immigration

Protest at Department of Homeland Security site in Fort Myers starts after local man taken into custody

WGCU Staff

A handful of people protested outside a U.S. Department of Homeland Security office in Fort Myers Friday after reports that a man arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents was related to a legal observer of ICE.