Most Wanted Wednesday: Featuring some of SWFL’s most wanted suspects; July 27

This weekly WINK News segment features fugitives from justice right here in Southwest Florida. This is your chance to help out the community and give the tip that gets these people off the street. These suspects need to be found – and you can help. If you have seen them, reach out to Crime Stoppers […]

underground power lines

FPL working to bury power lines to protect them against strong storms

Florida Power and Light believes burying power lines could be a solution to help restore power quickly after a major storm. Undergrounding power is a part of Florida Power and Light’s plan for storm protection. The electric company is also strengthening above-ground lines. Not only does that mean a better look by not having power […]

Church

Collier County man accused of stealing almost $1K church donation box

One Collier County man, instead of giving, is accused of taking from Ave Maria Catholic Parish on Monday. The man accused of stealing a donation box worth about $1,000 was a volunteer. That’s how Timothy Brennan, 57, was able to get inside the church in the middle of the night. He went to the church […]

Mega Millions

Fourth-highest Mega Millions jackpot ever eclipses $800M

Imagine what you could do if you won Tuesday’s Mega Millions jackpot of $810,000,000, the fourth-largest lottery jackpot in history. “When the money is bigger, you have to dream bigger,” according to Adrienne Michelle Tafoya. “That type of money, you just don’t even know what you would do.” The thrill of turning $2 into life-changing […]

diver

Diver identified who drowned at Heritage Greens in Collier County

The diver’s body that was pulled out of a golf course pond Friday at Heritage Greens in Collier County has been identified. The diver was identified as EMT Nicholas Wardein. He was pursuing his hobby of retrieving golf balls during his off-duty hours when drowned unexpectedly. His friends and family are mourning the loss of […]

Saint Matthew’s House opens new food warehouse next week

A new 10,000-square-foot Collier County food warehouse managed by Saint Matthew’s House will begin feeding a community in need starting next week. Right now, the Saint Matthew’s House food bank serves around 6,000 families each week, and this warehouse, located at 4535 Domestic Ave., will help serve even more people struggling to make ends meet. […]

Southwest Florida voter registration deadline on Monday

Florida’s primary elections are on Aug. 23, and if you plan on voting, Monday is your last day to register or change your party affiliation. Florida is a closed primary state, so if you plan on voting for a person in a particular party in the primary elections, you need to be registered to that […]

Impact of Naples doctor submitting $2.6M fraudulent Medicare claims 

A physician in Naples is accused of submitting false and fraudulent Medicare claims, according to the Department of Justice. The DOJ said Dr. Omar Saleh submitted $2.6 million in false and fraudulent Medicare claims. He’s a part of a $1.2 billion fraud case with 36 defendants in 13 federal districts. Dr. Jeffrey Janeiro, a Medicare […]

Collier County man arrested, accused of keeping wild animals as pets

A Collier County man was arrested after authorities said he was keeping exotic animals as pets in violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act Ariam Rodriguez Diaz, 30, faces a second-degree misdemeanor charge of conservation-animals, according to an arrest report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. An FWC officer responded to a call […]

At least 6 officer-involved shootings across Southwest Florida this year

The officer-involved shooting at the Vistas at Eastwood in Fort Myers on Wednesday was at least the sixth of the year for Southwest Florida. On Jan. 9, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper shot a woman on I-75 in Collier County. Then on March 17, a Lee County deputy was shot in the shoulder during a […]