LEHIGH ACRES Signs to stop the rise of human trafficking in SWFL Some of the most unsuspecting homes are in the quietest Southwest Florida neighborhoods and have hidden dark secrets. At one home in Lehigh Acres, Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a man last week accused of forcing at least two young girls to have sex with him and other men. That suspect, Jesus Francisco Santana […]
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Check out what the Harborside Event Center will look like after renovations The bare walls and concrete floors inside the Harborside Event Center will soon be bright and brand new. There will also be a new name: Caloosa Sound Convention Center and Amphitheater. Rhonda Decherd, the director of catering and convention services at the Luminary Hotel, knows what the old event center looked like, having worked there […]
NAPLES Naples ‘Care and Share’ program helps Harry Chapin feed seniors in need Thousands of seniors in Southwest Florida need help to get their meals. A program, which is called “Care and Share,” was created by the Harry Chapin Food Bank and is doing just that. But, WINK News and Harry Chapin are still well short of our fundraising goal to support programs like the Care and Share. […]
FORT MYERS Dunbar sludge lawsuit against City of Fort Myers tossed out by federal judge A federal lawsuit against the City of Fort Myers over the damages from Dunbar sludge has been tossed out on Monday afternoon. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs were demanding $500 million for dumping toxic sludge in the Dunbar community. Neighbors claimed the former sludge site made them sick. The sludge caused arsenic levels to rise […]
WINK NEWS Getting, staying financially fit in 2020 If your New Year’s resolutions include getting in better financial shape, you’re not alone. A new poll by Offers.com finds 27% in Florida want to save money in the new year. The experts we spoke to recommend using a banking app to track spending. They say doing that can keep you financially fit this year […]
FORT MYERS Fort Myers attorney pushes back against city’s ‘unauthorized termination’ Fireworks are flying at Fort Myers City Hall over the firing of Terry Cramer, chief administrative attorney, earlier this month. “That’s not fair to the taxpayers,” Terrolyn Watson said. “It’s not fair to the city leaders. All we know is he’s fired and that’s it.” Cramer’s attorney, Sawyer Smith, sent a letter to council member, […]
CAPE CORAL Why did I not receive an AMBER Alert in SWFL for the missing kids? Police believe two missing children could be anywhere in Florida. Unlike other AMBER Alert cases, our smartphones were not notified in Southwest Florida. Many people are now asking why. Maria and Richard Stanley have gotten plenty of AMBER Alerts on their cell phones over the years. Maria describes the alerts as “very loud” and “very […]
SANIBEL ISLAND Sanibel Island’s ‘Spider in the Sand’ sells for $920,000 Nestled next to palm trees and surrounded by sand, the Walter Guesthouse on Sanibel Island has been in Eve Konstantine’s family for decades. “We would all just pile into the guesthouse,” Eve said, “which I think my mother used as very clever leverage of having a larger house built.” The guesthouse was built in 1954. […]
LEE COUNTY Lee County ‘Officer of the Year’ awardees give money to favorite charities Five people in law enforcement received a $25,000 award on Monday. But they will not keep the money. Instead, it goes to each of their favorite charities. Cooking up meals at Buckingham Exceptional Student Center will soon get significantly easier for its special students. “It’s going to change lives,” said Donna Aiossa-McNally, of Lee County […]
FORT MYERS Mark Sievers trial: Long jury selection process continues: Day 5 After a long day of jury selection on Friday, ending at 9:35 p.m., the process continues on Monday as the list of possible jurors in the Mark Sievers murder trial is narrowed down. Mark Sievers diligently took notes at the defense table while the attorneys asked more potential jurors if they would be able to recommend […]