‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into colorCollier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate
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.
Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate The Golden Gate golf course has been closed for more than four years, but the future looks bright. “We’re just very honored to be a part of this, and the team, and we’re having fun and I can’t wait for the doors to open,” said Cindy Darland, executive producer at First Tee Naples/Collier. Collier commissioners […]
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.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Man arrested and charged with over 90 counts of fraud The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a man for allegedly stealing items from a business and then pawning them.
Man accused of pulling gun on someone ordering at Collier County Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru A man has been arrested after allegedly pulling a gun on someone ordering at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru in Collier County.
League Club of Naples awards record $683K in grants to Collier, Lee nonprofits At a mid-April breakfast event, the 35 area nonprofit agencies—chosen from a record number of applicants—were awarded grants from the women’s volunteer organization in areas ranging from arts education, to fighting hunger and homelessness, to providing bikes and wheelchairs to children in need
Tim Aten Knows: Chick-fil-A drive-thru proposal faces criticism in Naples Chick-fil-A is proposing a drive-thru restaurant at the site of the former Red Lobster restaurant on U.S. 41 in Naples, but the project is facing early criticism.
Man convicted for murder of 17-year-old girl will be in court for resentencing A convicted man will be in court for resentencing for a murder that he committed as a teenager almost 20 years ago.
NAPLES Friday’s Furry Friends: Holly, Slim For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Collier County Domestic Animal Services to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Dust Devil spotted spiraling in Fort Myers A dust devil was spotted and recorded by a WINK News viewer on Hanson Street in Fort Myers.
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.
Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate The Golden Gate golf course has been closed for more than four years, but the future looks bright. “We’re just very honored to be a part of this, and the team, and we’re having fun and I can’t wait for the doors to open,” said Cindy Darland, executive producer at First Tee Naples/Collier. Collier commissioners […]
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.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Man arrested and charged with over 90 counts of fraud The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a man for allegedly stealing items from a business and then pawning them.
Man accused of pulling gun on someone ordering at Collier County Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru A man has been arrested after allegedly pulling a gun on someone ordering at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru in Collier County.
League Club of Naples awards record $683K in grants to Collier, Lee nonprofits At a mid-April breakfast event, the 35 area nonprofit agencies—chosen from a record number of applicants—were awarded grants from the women’s volunteer organization in areas ranging from arts education, to fighting hunger and homelessness, to providing bikes and wheelchairs to children in need
Tim Aten Knows: Chick-fil-A drive-thru proposal faces criticism in Naples Chick-fil-A is proposing a drive-thru restaurant at the site of the former Red Lobster restaurant on U.S. 41 in Naples, but the project is facing early criticism.
Man convicted for murder of 17-year-old girl will be in court for resentencing A convicted man will be in court for resentencing for a murder that he committed as a teenager almost 20 years ago.
NAPLES Friday’s Furry Friends: Holly, Slim For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Collier County Domestic Animal Services to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Dust Devil spotted spiraling in Fort Myers A dust devil was spotted and recorded by a WINK News viewer on Hanson Street in Fort Myers.
LABELLE, Fla. – Accusations of a cover up involving a teenage girl, a man facing federal prison and a vehicle mirror has the Florida Department of Law Enforcement looking into how Hendry County Sheriff Steve Whidden handled the case, a WINK News investigation has unveiled. A 15-year-old girl was walking to a bus stop along Nobles Road in LaBelle on Sept. 11, 2015 when she was hit from behind by the passenger side view mirror of a white Ford F-150. She was knocked into a ditch. The truck kept going. The girl, bruised and swollen, still made it to school. A school nurse contacted her mother, who took her to a hospital. Then the mother contacted the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office. “The deputy who was initially assigned to the case did an excellent job of investigating the case for leaving the scene with personal injury, which is a felony in the state of Florida,” said Steve Ramunni, a Fort Myers attorney who is representing the teenager. She is suing the driver. Hendry County Deputy Vernon Speak, in an Aug. 10 deposition, testified that he began an extensive investigation into the hit and run case. A week after the incident, he went back to the scene. It was there that he saw a dirty white truck with a brand new passenger’s side mirror. The phone call Speak initiated a traffic stop. The driver, Richard Carlton Smith of LaBelle, called Whidden while Speak checked his license. “I did receive a phone call from this guy,” Whidden said in an interview with WINK News. “He said, ‘Hey, they’re trying to charge me, what’s going on?'” Smith, 58, said he thought he hit a mailbox or a garbage can, Whidden said. “He said when he reached his destination, he saw that his mirror was broke,” Whidden said. “He said, ‘Oh no, I must have hit something.’ He backtracked, he went all the way back. He said the only thing he saw on the road at that time was a school bus leaving, which led us to believe that he did come back. I said, ‘I don’t think it meets the elements of the crime.’ I said, ‘However, I said take everybody’s statements and lets forward it to the State Attorney’s Office.” Ramunni was surprised the phone call even happened. “To feel comfortable enough to call this guy at 6:45 in the morning is something like I’ve never seen before,” he said. “(Whidden) should have said ‘Okay. There’s really nothing I can do for you at this point.’” Two weeks before the incident, Smith was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit offenses and defraud the United States. He was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison, and along with two others, must repay over $23 million to the federal government. The Nobles Road incident happened prior to Smith reporting to prison. Whidden described Smith as an acquaintance who he has seen at a few restaurants, adding that he didn’t know Smith was about to go to prison. “I don’t even know where he lives,” he said. Speak, the deputy, let Smith go on the condition that he would stop by the sheriff’s office after work that day. Smith never showed up. Passing blame Speak, in his deposition, said he discussed the case with Whidden the next day. “He’s a good guy,” said Whidden, according to Speak. “He’s in a bad position. He’s about to go to prison. There’s no reason to go after this case.” Whidden claims otherwise. “I guess I’m gonna have to talk with the deputy because that did not happen,” he said. “That absolutely did not happen…why, why would we forward it to the State Attorney’s Office if I told him that? If I told him that, there would be nothing sent to the State Attorney’s Office.” A sheriff’s office lieutenant wrote in a report the next day that the case was closed and that all leads were exhausted, but Whidden said the department forwarded the case anyway. Web extra: Deputy Speak’s first incident report related to the hit and run case. “I told the deputy, ‘No, do the report, take everybody’s statements, let’s let the state attorney’s (office) decide because I’m not sure if it meets the elements,’ and that’s what we did,” Whitten said. “We did everything by the book.” But state prosecutors tell a different story of how they found out about the case. “The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office did not send us anything,” the office said in a statement. “We, the State Attorney’s Office, learned about the matter from a private attorney – Steve Ramunni. We then contacted the sheriff’s office and requested all materials it had on the incident.” Whidden, while shaking his head, said that’s not true. “Well, I’m not buying it…it sounds like the state is trying to throw blame elsewhere,” he said. Web extra: Sheriff Whidden’s full interview: Submit Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.