Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the legCaught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood
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.
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.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
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.
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.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
Credit: WINK News. A woman was killed in a crash while she was riding her bike in Collier County over the weekend. She was hit by a car that didn’t stop at a stop sign. Now, fellow bicyclists are outraged the driver will not face criminal charges. Sunday, a driver hit and killed 62-year-old Cathleen P. Ragone while she was crossing an intersection on her bike in Collier County. Florida Highway Patrol confirms the driver will not face any charges and will instead be served a traffic citation for failing to stop at a stop sign. Ragone was heading north along Livingston Road and crossing the intersection with Marbella Lakes Drive when a driver in a Jeep was heading west on Marbella toward Livingston and hit Ragone on her bike as she was crossing the street. State troopers say the driver never stopped before proceeding through a stop sign, but the driver remained at the scene. Credit: WINK News. The FHP report says the driver hit Ragone and dragged her from the crosswalk over there to a median in the roadway. Still, investigators say the crash wasn’t criminal. “It’s just horrific,” bicyclist Linda Lynch said. “It’s right at the end of our street … We ran into it yesterday riding our bikes and saw it after the fact. They were there all night last night.” Other bicyclists like Lynch were riding by the scene over the weekend, and they expressed their equal sorrow and fear about the deadly crash. “We saw kind of the evidence of the incident, and it was really horrifying,” bicyclist Kenneth Abdo said. “It really stuck with us for the rest of the day to see something so brutal happen right here.” Abdo was riding his bike with his daughter when he saw the crash aftermath. He told us the crash is a scary reminder bicyclists face on the road. “I never cross this intersection specifically without getting eye contact with the person driving,” Abdo said. “Knowing that somebody could be not as aware environmentally and just blow through that stop sign makes you a little worried.” In Florida, driving through a stop sign is not automatically considered reckless. Instead it’s more subjective. Recklessness is considered willful disregard for safety. Every year, Florida leads the nation in bicyclist fatalities, with more than 110 annually. The driver doesn’t face criminal charges currently; however, the state attorney’s office has the power to elevate charges if it sees fit. Because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, there are no employees at the office to ask if that’s under consideration. Abdo expressed anger toward the current punishment the driver responsible will receive, feeling it’s at the minimum currently. “A lot of people’s lives were ruined,” Abdo said. “And, so in order for that to be a little more balanced, I feel like it should be a little more severe.”