20th annual Hibiscus Festival begins in Punta GordaLehigh Acres senior caretaker accused of stealing over $70K of patients’ jewelry
PUNTA GORDA 20th annual Hibiscus Festival begins in Punta Gorda The 20th annual Hibiscus Festival at Gilchrist Park in Punta Gorda begins Friday morning and runs all weekend.
WINK NEWS Lehigh Acres senior caretaker accused of stealing over $70K of patients’ jewelry A senior caretaker has been arrested for allegedly stealing over $70,000 of her patients’ jewelry and pawning it.
Tim Aten Knows: Next phase of Restaurant Row Naples under way Construction of the final phase of Restaurant Row Naples was stalled for months because of financial issues but the three-building project was recently revived.
NAPLES Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s first Florida theater opens in Naples The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has now opened at the company’s first-ever Florida location at Mercato in Naples.
FORT MYERS Friday’s Furry Friends: Rhett, Tag For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Gulf Coast Humane Society to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
WINK NEWS Recall issued for ground beef sold with possible E. coli at Walmart The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a recall for several ground beef products distributed from Pennsylvania to Walmart’s nationwide.
The Weather Authority Hotter and more humid this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild Friday morning with dry afternoon conditions and isolated storms appearing in the evening.
PUNTA GORDA ‘Party’s Over’: Dirt biking ends at Barefoot Lake The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has made it clear, the party at Barefoot Lake is over.
ESTERO Crews battle brushfire near Alico Road and Eagle Village Drive San Carlos Park Fire District is on the scene fighting a 2.5-acre brushfire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive.
FORT MYERS Jake’s story: A mother’s mission to share her son’s story and help other young people One Fort Myers mom is turning her pain into purpose after her son, who she refers to as her “heavenly Angel,” took his own life.
CAPE CORAL New renderings for the Cape Coral Yacht Club promise a bright future The Cape Coral Yacht Club, which has been part of this community since the 1960s, will now have a new look after Hurricane Ian’s devastating effects.
LEHIGH ACRES Owner bars public from Barefoot Lake, LCSO installs Watch Tower Every weekend, roughly 200 people go to Barefoot Lake in Lehigh Acres to relax, fish, swim and have a good time.
CAPE CORAL Concern over water shortage in Cape Coral Concern is flowing through Cape Coral as neighbors are seeing their canal levels low and their wells run dry.
FORT MYERS FSW softball swinging for success in the postseason Now their focus shifts to states which means the newbies are looking to the experienced sophomores for advice.
BONITA SPRINGS Young SWFL tennis player competing with professionals You may not know her name now, but you might want remember it because 16-year-old Cookie Jarvis-Tredgett is already competing with professionals.
PUNTA GORDA 20th annual Hibiscus Festival begins in Punta Gorda The 20th annual Hibiscus Festival at Gilchrist Park in Punta Gorda begins Friday morning and runs all weekend.
WINK NEWS Lehigh Acres senior caretaker accused of stealing over $70K of patients’ jewelry A senior caretaker has been arrested for allegedly stealing over $70,000 of her patients’ jewelry and pawning it.
Tim Aten Knows: Next phase of Restaurant Row Naples under way Construction of the final phase of Restaurant Row Naples was stalled for months because of financial issues but the three-building project was recently revived.
NAPLES Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s first Florida theater opens in Naples The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has now opened at the company’s first-ever Florida location at Mercato in Naples.
FORT MYERS Friday’s Furry Friends: Rhett, Tag For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Gulf Coast Humane Society to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
WINK NEWS Recall issued for ground beef sold with possible E. coli at Walmart The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a recall for several ground beef products distributed from Pennsylvania to Walmart’s nationwide.
The Weather Authority Hotter and more humid this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild Friday morning with dry afternoon conditions and isolated storms appearing in the evening.
PUNTA GORDA ‘Party’s Over’: Dirt biking ends at Barefoot Lake The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has made it clear, the party at Barefoot Lake is over.
ESTERO Crews battle brushfire near Alico Road and Eagle Village Drive San Carlos Park Fire District is on the scene fighting a 2.5-acre brushfire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive.
FORT MYERS Jake’s story: A mother’s mission to share her son’s story and help other young people One Fort Myers mom is turning her pain into purpose after her son, who she refers to as her “heavenly Angel,” took his own life.
CAPE CORAL New renderings for the Cape Coral Yacht Club promise a bright future The Cape Coral Yacht Club, which has been part of this community since the 1960s, will now have a new look after Hurricane Ian’s devastating effects.
LEHIGH ACRES Owner bars public from Barefoot Lake, LCSO installs Watch Tower Every weekend, roughly 200 people go to Barefoot Lake in Lehigh Acres to relax, fish, swim and have a good time.
CAPE CORAL Concern over water shortage in Cape Coral Concern is flowing through Cape Coral as neighbors are seeing their canal levels low and their wells run dry.
FORT MYERS FSW softball swinging for success in the postseason Now their focus shifts to states which means the newbies are looking to the experienced sophomores for advice.
BONITA SPRINGS Young SWFL tennis player competing with professionals You may not know her name now, but you might want remember it because 16-year-old Cookie Jarvis-Tredgett is already competing with professionals.
State attorney candidates Chris Crowley and Amira Fox participate in a debate hosted by WINK News Reporter Oliver Redsten. All new at six: The guy who wants to decide who gets prosecuted for crimes says the people doing it now are corrupt. But, he used to work for them, and they say he was a poor prosecutor. Before you vote in three weeks, WINK News reporter Oliver Redsten investigates, who’s telling the truth. “This is corruption at the state attorney’s office and it needs to stop,” Crowley said. From the steps of the Lee County Courthouse Tuesday, Chris Crowley condemned the office he soon hopes to lead. The former assistant state attorney accused his opponent, Amira Fox of having him arrested for speaking out against her boss and the current State Attorney Steve Russell, even though they recused themselves from the case. “It’s no coincidence that a month ago I said ‘remove this corrupt official’ and then a month later I’m booked in the jail,” Crowley said. “That’s no coincidence folks. That’s corruption.” Crowley turned himself in Monday on two felony charges stemming from a fundraising raffle at his June campaign event. He’s entered a diversion program, meaning the case won’t go to trial if he completes it. Criticizing the state attorney’s office has been a theme of Crowley’s campaign. He’s railed against what he calls “the low conviction rate” of the SAO and promised to better train prosecutors to improve their trial skills. But a review of Crowley’s personnel file during his time as a prosecutor shows his direct supervisor raised concerns about his skills. In the 2008 performance review, his supervisor writes Crowley could not “adjust” during trial when “facts and circumstances changed.” Six years later, she wrote his courtroom skills had improved, but he still struggled elsewhere. He now says his supervisor had a grudge against him. “I succeeded at trial,” Crowley said. “I succeeded better than my supervisor and she resented it.” But according to that supervisor, the concern went far beyond her. In this memo —also from 2008— she says two female employees approached her about Crowley. One claimed his behavior created a hostile work environment and another said it negatively impacted her self-esteem. “That never happened. OK? That is just nonsense,” Crowley said. “That’s an angry supervisor who butted heads with a lot of people she supervised.” Crowley also referred us to Rachael Lazorik, his former colleague at the state attorney’s office. She was fired from the office in 2011 for poor attendance. “Chris is pushy and tenacious,” Lazorik said. “Maybe if somebody is a little more sensitive they’ll take it the wrong way, but not intimidating to me at all.” But the former director of human resources and the state attorney’s office called Crowley one of the most difficult employees she worked with in her 45-year career. And said all the claims made by his supervisor are true. “Everything in that statement is absolutely correct,”said Margie McNear, the former director of human resources at the state attorney’s office. I personally interviewed both the female attorney and the female support staff regarding the incident in this memo that’s dated Nov. 24th.” “He is lying. It was absolutely correct,” McNear said. “This is exactly what the employees felt. What took place. This is not fabricated.” We also reviewed the personnel file of Crowley’s opponent and the current Chief Assistant Attorney Fox. It did not contain any negative performance reviews or disciplinary action. But Crowley says that doesn’t surprise him. “People just quit because she was the supervisor. A lot of good people quit the state attorney’s office because of that woman,” Crowley said. Russell fired Crowley in 2014 for poor job performance. Crowley says it’s because of his military service. The state attorney denies that claim. Records show the office paid Crowley a few months ago to avoid a lawsuit. Crowley’s supervisor Cynthia Ross was not available for comment.