Cape Coral speeds up safety with new school zone camera systemSouthwest Florida Reading Festival kicks off in Fort Myers
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral speeds up safety with new school zone camera system Cape Coral has implemented a new red speed camera system to enhance safety on its streets, particularly in school zones.
FORT MYERS Southwest Florida Reading Festival kicks off in Fort Myers The Southwest Florida Reading Festival, the biggest literary event of the year, will return to downtown Fort Myers on Saturday.
the weather authority Kicking off March with lots of sunshine and lower humidity The Weather Authority says Happy March 1st—the first day of Meteorological Spring!
IMMOKALEE Immokalee mom horrified by indecent act on her porch An Immokalee woman opened her front door to find a man lying on her porch, engaging in indecent exposure at her Charlie Court home.
FORT MYERS Lee County family’s lost ring found; brings closure and joy A family’s heartfelt search for a cherished wedding ring has come to a joyful end after an unexpected twist.
FGCU FGCU men’s hoops host first ASUN Tournament game since 2022 FGCU men’s basketball hosts Queens in the ASUN Tournament Quarterfinal on Monday, marking the first home postseason game since 2022.
FORT MYERS Women may be missing out on sleep for this reason Women may be missing out on quality sleep, and sleep apnea could be to blame.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police release new details of Publix stabbing attack The Fort Myers Police Department has released new details about the Publix stabbing that occurred Wednesday night.
Southwest Florida NOAA cuts raise concerns for Southwest Florida’s hurricane season Fewer eyes will be watching the next time a tropical system heads our way. The federal government has cut hundreds of jobs.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach Coast Guards rescue distressed boaters The Fort Myers Beach Coast Guard team conducted a rescue mission to help three individuals off the coast of Captiva.
FORT MYERS Five FSW Bucs sign Division I scholarships, two to FGCU Five Florida Southwestern Buccaneers signed to continue their athletic and academic careers on Friday and two of them are heading to FGCU.
Authors inspire kids at Southwest Florida Reading Festival in Fort Myers The 26th annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival is set to kick off this weekend in Lee County. The free, family-friendly event celebrates the power of reading.
FORT MYERS Plans to remove dead mangroves from McGregor Preserve underway The Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation is making progress in restoring its McGregor Preserve in Fort Myers.
BONITA SPRINGS 36th annual Bonita Springs Boat Show underway The 36th annual boat show is happening this weekend in Bonita Springs, offering opportunities for those looking for something to do.
WINK NEWS Southwest Florida Reading Festival begins on Saturday Reading enthusiasts are expected to gather together as the Southwest Florida Reading Festival will kick off on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral speeds up safety with new school zone camera system Cape Coral has implemented a new red speed camera system to enhance safety on its streets, particularly in school zones.
FORT MYERS Southwest Florida Reading Festival kicks off in Fort Myers The Southwest Florida Reading Festival, the biggest literary event of the year, will return to downtown Fort Myers on Saturday.
the weather authority Kicking off March with lots of sunshine and lower humidity The Weather Authority says Happy March 1st—the first day of Meteorological Spring!
IMMOKALEE Immokalee mom horrified by indecent act on her porch An Immokalee woman opened her front door to find a man lying on her porch, engaging in indecent exposure at her Charlie Court home.
FORT MYERS Lee County family’s lost ring found; brings closure and joy A family’s heartfelt search for a cherished wedding ring has come to a joyful end after an unexpected twist.
FGCU FGCU men’s hoops host first ASUN Tournament game since 2022 FGCU men’s basketball hosts Queens in the ASUN Tournament Quarterfinal on Monday, marking the first home postseason game since 2022.
FORT MYERS Women may be missing out on sleep for this reason Women may be missing out on quality sleep, and sleep apnea could be to blame.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police release new details of Publix stabbing attack The Fort Myers Police Department has released new details about the Publix stabbing that occurred Wednesday night.
Southwest Florida NOAA cuts raise concerns for Southwest Florida’s hurricane season Fewer eyes will be watching the next time a tropical system heads our way. The federal government has cut hundreds of jobs.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach Coast Guards rescue distressed boaters The Fort Myers Beach Coast Guard team conducted a rescue mission to help three individuals off the coast of Captiva.
FORT MYERS Five FSW Bucs sign Division I scholarships, two to FGCU Five Florida Southwestern Buccaneers signed to continue their athletic and academic careers on Friday and two of them are heading to FGCU.
Authors inspire kids at Southwest Florida Reading Festival in Fort Myers The 26th annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival is set to kick off this weekend in Lee County. The free, family-friendly event celebrates the power of reading.
FORT MYERS Plans to remove dead mangroves from McGregor Preserve underway The Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation is making progress in restoring its McGregor Preserve in Fort Myers.
BONITA SPRINGS 36th annual Bonita Springs Boat Show underway The 36th annual boat show is happening this weekend in Bonita Springs, offering opportunities for those looking for something to do.
WINK NEWS Southwest Florida Reading Festival begins on Saturday Reading enthusiasts are expected to gather together as the Southwest Florida Reading Festival will kick off on Saturday.
HEMPSTEAD, Texas (AP) – Police dashcam video shows a Texas state trooper trying to drag a motorist from her car after a minor traffic infraction, then drawing his stun gun and threatening her for refusing to follow his orders. The video shows the roadside encounter swiftly escalating into a shouting confrontation, with the officer holding a stun gun and warning 28-year-old Sandra Bland, “I will light you up,” for refusing to get out of her vehicle. Three days later, Bland was found dead in her jail cell. Authorities say she hanged herself with a black plastic garbage bag – a contention her family and supporters dispute. The video posted online Tuesday by the Texas Department of Public Safety shows the trooper stopping Bland for failing to signal a lane change. After he hands her a written warning, the trooper remarks that Bland seems irritated. The Illinois woman replies that she is irritated because she had changed lanes to make way for the trooper’s car. The conversation quickly turns hostile when the officer asks Bland to put out her cigarette and she asks why she can’t smoke in her own car. The trooper then orders Bland to get out of the vehicle. She refuses, and he tells her she is under arrest. Further refusals to get out bring a threat from the trooper to drag her out. He then pulls out a stun gun and makes the threat about lighting Bland up. When she finally steps out of the vehicle, the trooper orders her to the side of the road. There, the confrontation continues off-camera, but it is still audible. The two keep yelling at each other as the officer tries to put Bland in handcuffs and waits for other troopers to arrive. Still off camera, Bland can be heard protesting her arrest, repeatedly using expletives and calling the officer a “pussy.” She screams that he’s about to break her wrists and complains that he knocked her head into the ground. Her death comes after nearly a year of heightened national scrutiny of police and their dealings with black suspects, especially those who have been killed by officers or die in police custody. The case has resonated on social media, with posts questioning the official account and featuring the hashtags #JusticeForSandy and #WhatHappenedToSandyBland. Others referred to #SandySpeaks, the hashtag Bland used in monologues she posted on Facebook in which she talked about police brutality and said she had a calling from God to speak out against racism and injustice. In an affidavit released Tuesday, the trooper said that after handcuffing her for becoming combative, she swung her elbows at him and kicked him in his right shin. Trooper Brian Encinia said he then used force “to subdue Bland to the ground,” and she continued to fight back. He arrested her for assault on a public servant. The trooper, who has been on the force for just over a year, has been placed on administrative leave for violating unspecified police procedures and the Department of Public Safety’s courtesy policy. The agency would not address questions about whether the trooper acted appropriately by drawing his stun gun or pulling her out of the vehicle. “Regardless of the situation – it doesn’t matter where it happens – a DPS state trooper has got an obligation to exhibit professionalism and be courteous … and that wasn’t the case in this situation,” said Steven McCraw, the department director. A law enforcement expert from Maryland said he was troubled by the video “from start to finish.” Vernon Herron, a senior policy analyst with the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security, said if the trooper intended to give her a warning, that’s what he should have done, no matter what the woman said to him. “A person’s attitude or their demeanor is not probable cause to make an arrest,” said Herron, who has more than 35 years of experience in public safety and law enforcement. Court records show Bland had several encounters with police in Illinois and Texas over the past decade, including repeated traffic stops and two arrests for drunk driving, one of which was dismissed. Bland was taken to the Waller County Jail about 60 miles northwest of Houston on July 10 and found dead July 13. A Texas Rangers investigation into her death is being supervised by the FBI. Although a medical examiner has ruled Bland’s death a suicide, supporters insist she was upbeat and looking forward to a new job at Prairie View A&M University, where she graduated in 2009. Bland’s family and clergy members have called for a Justice Department probe, and an independent autopsy has been ordered. At a memorial service Tuesday night at Bland’s alma mater, her mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, reiterated that she doesn’t believe Bland took her own life. She also spoke of her grief, saying, “I have a baby to put in the ground.”