Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forwardPort Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court
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.
Warm, dry and breezy Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a comfortable Friday morning start with dry and breezy afternoon conditions expected.
NAPLES Event held in Naples for National Crime Victims Week The City of Naples and Project HELP held an event in Baker Park for National Crime Victims Week.
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.
Warm, dry and breezy Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a comfortable Friday morning start with dry and breezy afternoon conditions expected.
NAPLES Event held in Naples for National Crime Victims Week The City of Naples and Project HELP held an event in Baker Park for National Crime Victims Week.
FILE – In this July 10, 2018, file photo, sheriff and chairperson, Bob Gualtieri, of Pinellas county, Fla., speaks during a state commission meeting as they investigate the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre and how Broward county school district and others access threats, in Sunrise, Fla. The state commission investigating the Florida high school massacre is learning about what happened before, during and after the shooting, but perhaps even more importantly what didn’t happen. Gualtieri said they are confident legislators will adopt the recommendations the committee’s report will make. It is due Jan. 1. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File) The state commission investigating the Florida high school massacre is learning about what happened before, during and after the shooting, but perhaps even more importantly what didn’t happen. Suspect Nikolas Cruz had an extensive school disciplinary and mental health record and may have received much leniency, but his diversion into a Broward County schools program for problem students didn’t make it possible for him to buy a gun. He perhaps should have been detained for a mental health evaluation, but that too wouldn’t have kept him from purchasing the AR-15 allegedly used to kill 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, officials have said. And problems with the county’s first-responder radio system made coordinating the initial police response difficult, but the victims were already dead or dying by the time the failures arose. “In the heat of the moment, things get reported, things become facts that with the benefit of some time and some understanding of the events you start to realize those weren’t as big a factor as you thought,” said commissioner Ryan Petty, whose 14-year-old daughter Alaina was killed. The 15-member Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission is composed of law enforcement officials, educators, mental health professionals, politicians and parents of student victims. Petty and Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, the commission’s chairman, said they are confident legislators will adopt the recommendations the committee’s report will make. It is due Jan. 1. “They are looking for real answers and true answers,” Gualtieri said. “They are going to act on it.” Highlights of what the commission has learned so far include: Cruz’s mental health The commission received details of Cruz’s mental health treatment behind closed doors Thursday – those records are protected by state and federal law – but glimpses emerged during open testimony. Gualtieri told members that counselors had at least 140 contacts with Cruz over the years trying to get him help, but his late mother frequently interfered. When a counselor objected to Cruz’s desire to buy a gun, Gualtieri said Lynda Cruz said he could purchase one and after he turned 18 helped him get the necessary state identification card. It is also known that Cruz spent years at a school for children with emotional and behavioral problems, but was allowed to attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas even though there were questions about his stability. Cruz, 19, is charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder. Gun laws The commission learned that Cruz’s February 2017 purchase of the AR-15 and other guns were legal under then-Florida law. Under the old law, Cruz could only have been blocked by a felony conviction or being adjudicated mentally ill – neither of those happened. Also, even if Cruz had been detained under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows a three-day involuntary mental health evaluation, he wouldn’t have been barred. Three weeks after the shooting, Florida raised the minimum age for buying a rifle or shotgun from 18 to 21, matching the age limit for handguns, with few exceptions. The new laws also allow law enforcement to petition a judge to block a person they believe dangerous from buying or owning guns for a year and request extensions. Promise program The commission concluded that Broward County schools’ Promise Program, which received significant criticism, played no role in the shooting. Under the program, students who commit petty crimes or rules violations are referred to the off-campus program for two-to-10 days instead of being suspended and possibly arrested. They are assessed, given a course of treatment, attend classes and receive counseling. Cruz was referred to the program once in 2013 for breaking a faucet in a middle school bathroom. And while records are unclear whether Cruz attended, Gualtieri said that even if Cruz had been charged criminally it would not have interfered with his ability to buy a gun four years later. The commission did say there are flaws in the program and Petty said it created an atmosphere of too much leniency for students like Cruz that needs to be addressed. Radio systems The shooting revealed flaws in the Broward County’s aging emergency radio system. As dozens of deputies tried to transmit in the minutes after the shooting, the system overloaded and began blocking new transmissions, including those of the area commander, Capt. Jan Jordan. She received extensive criticism for not taking charge immediately, but she couldn’t, Gualtieri said – her radio wouldn’t let her. Even if she had, no one who died would have been saved. Only former Deputy Scot Peterson, the school’s security officer, got to the building during the first three minutes when the killings happened and he did not go inside. The radio system failed after that. It is scheduled to be replaced next year.