2 women arrested in Port Charlotte, allegedly part of retail theft ringHabitat for Humanity and Fort Myers team up to build affordable housing
PORT CHARLOTTE 2 women arrested in Port Charlotte, allegedly part of retail theft ring According to the Port Charlotte Sheriff’s Office, a pair of women have been arrested for stealing over $400 worth of merchandise from a Burlington Store in Port Charlotte.
FORT MYERS Habitat for Humanity and Fort Myers team up to build affordable housing Jaylen Watkins Street is about to change, as the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency will transform a plot of land into an affordable housing community.
CAPE CORAL Death penalty or life in prison: what’s next for Wade Wilson? We are waiting to hear if a judge will take the recommendation from the jury and sentence Wilson to death.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for June 26, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for June 26, 2024.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man arrested for sexually molesting a 7-year-old A Cape Coral man has been arrested after authorities say he sexually molested a child in his care.
Collier teachers ask district for salary increase; parents agree Collier teachers presented a counteroffer to the district Wednesday on what they believe they deserve to get paid.
WINK NEWS Jury recommends death for man who killed 5 women at Sebring bank The jury is recommending the judge consider the death penalty for the man who executed five women in a Sebring bank.
MARCO ISLAND 6-month-long project for water replacement in Marco Island The City of Marco Island is replacing the existing water, wastewater, and reuse mains at the North Collier Boulevard Bridge.
Visitors to Charlotte County up 26% amid plans to entice more There was a 26% increase in visitors to Charlotte County for the second fiscal quarter, January through March 2024, and the Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau is planning ways to direct more to the county’s attractions.
Herc Rentals expands with new Fort Myers location As construction projects across Southwest Florida continue, Herc Rentals needed to expand to meet the demand for its equipment.
Beware of Scam: Fraud Alert for Collier County The Collier County Sheriff’s Office wants the public to be aware of a scam that is circulating and misrepresenting the law enforcement department.
IMMOKALEE Immokalee man accused of leaving dog tied up outside in rain An Immokalee man has been arrested after allegedly leaving his dog tied up outside with only his partially inundated doghouse for shelter.
SWFL criminals on death row With the recent cases of Wade Wilson and Zephen Xaver, who both potentially face death sentences for their crimes of random murder, one might wonder who else from Southwest Florida is awaiting execution.
MARCO ISLAND Woman wanted for stealing hundreds of dollars worth of items from Marco Island store A woman is wanted after being caught on video stealing hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from a Marco Island retail store.
Collier workforce housing, vet nursing home inching forward An affordable workforce housing project on the Golden Gate Golf Course that was granted an extension in May by Collier County commissioners received Department of Housing and Urban Development approval, with construction expected to begin this fall.
PORT CHARLOTTE 2 women arrested in Port Charlotte, allegedly part of retail theft ring According to the Port Charlotte Sheriff’s Office, a pair of women have been arrested for stealing over $400 worth of merchandise from a Burlington Store in Port Charlotte.
FORT MYERS Habitat for Humanity and Fort Myers team up to build affordable housing Jaylen Watkins Street is about to change, as the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency will transform a plot of land into an affordable housing community.
CAPE CORAL Death penalty or life in prison: what’s next for Wade Wilson? We are waiting to hear if a judge will take the recommendation from the jury and sentence Wilson to death.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for June 26, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for June 26, 2024.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man arrested for sexually molesting a 7-year-old A Cape Coral man has been arrested after authorities say he sexually molested a child in his care.
Collier teachers ask district for salary increase; parents agree Collier teachers presented a counteroffer to the district Wednesday on what they believe they deserve to get paid.
WINK NEWS Jury recommends death for man who killed 5 women at Sebring bank The jury is recommending the judge consider the death penalty for the man who executed five women in a Sebring bank.
MARCO ISLAND 6-month-long project for water replacement in Marco Island The City of Marco Island is replacing the existing water, wastewater, and reuse mains at the North Collier Boulevard Bridge.
Visitors to Charlotte County up 26% amid plans to entice more There was a 26% increase in visitors to Charlotte County for the second fiscal quarter, January through March 2024, and the Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau is planning ways to direct more to the county’s attractions.
Herc Rentals expands with new Fort Myers location As construction projects across Southwest Florida continue, Herc Rentals needed to expand to meet the demand for its equipment.
Beware of Scam: Fraud Alert for Collier County The Collier County Sheriff’s Office wants the public to be aware of a scam that is circulating and misrepresenting the law enforcement department.
IMMOKALEE Immokalee man accused of leaving dog tied up outside in rain An Immokalee man has been arrested after allegedly leaving his dog tied up outside with only his partially inundated doghouse for shelter.
SWFL criminals on death row With the recent cases of Wade Wilson and Zephen Xaver, who both potentially face death sentences for their crimes of random murder, one might wonder who else from Southwest Florida is awaiting execution.
MARCO ISLAND Woman wanted for stealing hundreds of dollars worth of items from Marco Island store A woman is wanted after being caught on video stealing hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from a Marco Island retail store.
Collier workforce housing, vet nursing home inching forward An affordable workforce housing project on the Golden Gate Golf Course that was granted an extension in May by Collier County commissioners received Department of Housing and Urban Development approval, with construction expected to begin this fall.
MGN BALTIMORE (AP) – Less than three years ago, Anthony Batts was hand-picked by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to combat crime and reform a troubled law enforcement department in one of America’s most violent cities. On Wednesday, Batts was fired as police commissioner amid the worst crime spike in the city since the 1970s and plummeting morale among officers who complained their boss was failing to provide the support and leadership they needed to do their jobs in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray. The 25-year-old man died in April of injuries he received in police custody. Six police officers have been criminally charged in Gray’s death, but before charges were filed, the city saw demonstrations, looting and arson. “We cannot continue to debate the leadership of the department,” Rawlings-Blake told a news conference she called to announce her decision. “We cannot continue to have the level of violence we’ve seen in recent weeks in this city.” Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, who has only been with the department since January, will serve as interim commissioner, Rawlings-Blake said. Batts and Rawlings-Blake are African-American, as is the city’s top prosecutor, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. Davis is white. Sixty percent of the city’s population is black, while the police department is 48 percent African-American. Mosby said her office has already met with Davis and she looks forward to working with him. The U.S. Justice Department is conducting a civil rights review of the department, and Batts announced Tuesday that an outside organization would review the police response to the unrest. But the Baltimore police union released a scathing post-mortem report Wednesday accusing Batts and other top brass of instructing officers not to engage with rioters and to allow looting and destruction to occur. “The officers repeatedly expressed concern that the passive response of the Baltimore police commanders to the civil unrest allowed the disorder to grow into full-scale rioting,” Gene Ryan, president of the Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3, wrote in the report. “The riots were preventable.” In the weeks after the riots, homicides and other violent crimes spiked and arrests began to plummet as word spread that police officers were afraid that they, too, would be charged with crimes if something went wrong during the course of their duties. Baltimore’s homicide total this year is 156, according to police. That’s a 48 percent increase compared with the same time last year. Shootings have increased 86 percent. In the latest example, gunmen jumped out of two vans and fired at a group of people a few blocks from an urban university campus Tuesday night, killing three people. The startling spike stands in stark contrast to Batts’ promise to fight violent crime when he arrived in Baltimore in 2012. At a swearing-in ceremony in November of that year, Batts pledged to “continue our progress at reducing violent crime and holding accountable those that perpetrate violence in our good streets.” Batts took over from Fred Bealefeld, who resigned after five years as commissioner and 31 in the Baltimore Police Department. Batts too was a veteran officer, though new to the city of Baltimore: He spent three decades in California, two as commissioner of the embattled Oakland Police Department and seven as commissioner of the Long Beach police department, where he’d served as a law enforcement officer for 20 years. “I worked closely with Commissioner Batts and always found him open to my ideas for reforming the department,” said Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young. “He was engaging, experienced, and served our city to the best of his ability.” But Young said that when he talked recently with citizens and police officers, “it became increasingly clear that a growing lack of confidence in the direction of our city’s crime-fighting strategy had the potential to severely damage the long-term health of our city.” The Rev. Jamal Bryant, who delivered the fiery eulogy at Gray’s funeral, called Batts’ firing a first step toward healing police-community relations. “It’s no secret there’s been great strain and stress since the uprising,” he said. “It became not just a disconnect between police and the community but between the police and their commissioner.” In the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood of West Baltimore, where Gray was arrested, residents praised the mayor’s decision. Keonna Stokes, 22, said she was glad to see Batts removed from his position, and hopes a new commissioner will have a lower tolerance for police misconduct. “The police wouldn’t do the things they do if the commissioner didn’t allow it,” she said. “He should have been fired. We call the police when we really need them, when people hurt us. But now we don’t call them, because they hurt us. If they didn’t, Freddie would still be here.” Batts’ contract with the city paid him $190,000 and was to run through June 2020. It includes a provision for a severance payment equal to his annual salary if he is terminated without cause. In a statement to The Baltimore Sun on Wednesday, Batts said he was honored to serve Baltimore residents. “I’ve been proud to be a police officer for this city,” he said.