Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the legExclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
NAPLES Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
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.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘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.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
NAPLES Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
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.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘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.
An image of smoke billowing from Lee County Jail complex on Ortiz Avenue in Fort Myers Wednesday, May 20, 2021. It was determined to be an electrical fire that started on the rooftop of the jail. Credit: Fort Myers Fire Department. The NAACP Executive Committee, along with Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, held a press conference regarding a fire emergency and incident that happened Monday at the Lee County Jail Core Facility, 2501 Ortiz Avenue. The Lee County NAACP has requested Sheriff Carmine Marceno to join the news conference. After reports of poor conditions by inmates and families of inmates, the NAACP requested a walkthrough tour of the facility, which was granted by the sheriff. Inmates also claim that excessive force was used. NAACP President James Muwakkil said, “When doing the walkthrough, they were very thorough in pointing out everything. We went to where the fire started on the top of the roof. We went to the different floors where the inmates were being housed … There was no excessive force.” He went on to add that no one was denied medical attention or denied use of the phone. Muwakkil said while seeing inmates in the common area during the tour, no inmates said their rights were violated. They are confident the sheriff’s office did everything it could to keep inmates from the fire and smoke. But the families of the inmates were disturbed after the roof of the Lee County jail caught fire on Wednesday evening. Muwkkil says many of those families contacted him. “Probably like maybe, a couple of dozen,” Muwakkil said. All of them were anxious to hear that their loved ones were okay. Muwakkil says incarcerated or not, you deserve care. “One of the things you never lose, whether you’re incarcerated or not, is the right to healthcare,” Muwakkil said. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office actually encouraged the NAACP to request that tour and ask questions about what happened when those fire alarms went off. Sheriff Carmine Marceno said, “Deputies began moving inmates to a secure recreation yard obviously out of the way of any kind of harm and that was done immediately.” Sheriff Marceno says, within one hour they were able to relocate 268 inmates and provided medical treatment to those in need. Two inmates and two officers were treated for smoke inhalation at the hospital and quickly released. The sheriff credits the fire drills that are conducted quarterly for an orderly evacuation. The NAACP wants to reassure families about what they saw with their own eyes and what they heard for themselves, that their loved ones are okay. A few of the families say while it is good news that their loved ones are safe, some say they still haven’t heard from their loved ones inside the jail since the fire happened. President Muwakkil says there’s no reason to worry. “No reason for concern at all. We want to make sure we’re very clear no inmates ran to the windows trying to get our attention, regarding any type of violation of the rights of their physical bodies or their health,” Muwakkil said. MORE: 2 inmates, 2 deputies evaluated after fire on Lee County Jail rooftop Watch below or click here.