Gold Star Golf Tournament honors fallen veteranHow TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat
ESTERO Gold Star Golf Tournament honors fallen veteran Behind each putt and swing of a golf club at the Gold Star Golf Tournament is someone who knew John Wirka Junior.
NEW YORK (AP) How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
FORT MYERS Man wanted for armed robbery at Fort Myers convenience store Crime Stoppers is asking the public for help identifying an armed robber who held up a convenience store Saturday morning.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Rifles, inappropriate texts and Donut shop debacle This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a scary mall trip, an inappropriate coach, and a Dunkin Donuts assault.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
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.
PUNTA GORDA Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
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 raises 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.
ESTERO Gold Star Golf Tournament honors fallen veteran Behind each putt and swing of a golf club at the Gold Star Golf Tournament is someone who knew John Wirka Junior.
NEW YORK (AP) How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
FORT MYERS Man wanted for armed robbery at Fort Myers convenience store Crime Stoppers is asking the public for help identifying an armed robber who held up a convenience store Saturday morning.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Rifles, inappropriate texts and Donut shop debacle This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a scary mall trip, an inappropriate coach, and a Dunkin Donuts assault.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
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.
PUNTA GORDA Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
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 raises 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.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – A judge on Wednesday dismissed a manslaughter charge against a Florida deputy who claimed self-defense in the 2014 fatal shooting of a 33-year-old black man carrying what turned out to be an air rifle. Circuit Judge Michael Usan ruled in favor of suspended Deputy Peter Peraza of the Broward Sheriff’s Office, who sought dismissal of the case under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law that eliminates a requirement to retreat when facing a dire threat. The manslaughter charge carries a potential 30-year prison sentence. Usan’s decision can be appealed. Peraza, 37, a white Hispanic, testified during a hearing that Jermaine McBean initially refused commands from him and other deputies to drop the authentic-looking weapon and then turned and pointed it toward the deputies in July 2014. Peraza fired three shots, killing him. “I’ve never been so scared in my life,” Peraza testified. In his 36-page order, the judge called the shooting a “tragedy” and noted the ongoing national debate involving the shootings by police officers of black people and the hostility and threats sometimes directed at police. But Usan said that debate has “no place in this courtroom concerning this case.” “This case involves the tragic death of one man and the liberty of another. To allow the conflicting agenda of supporters of either side to invade this legal process would be a far greater injustice,” he said. McBean family attorney David Schoen said he will continue to pursue a federal civil rights lawsuit against the sheriff’s office over the shooting. “It is complete travesty and miscarriage of justice,” Schoen said of the ruling. Amid national debate over police tactics involving minorities, Peraza was the first Florida law enforcement officer in three decades charged with a crime for an on-duty shooting. On June 1, fired Palm Beach Gardens officer Nouman Raja was charged with manslaughter and attempted first-degree murder for killing stranded motorist and musician Corey Jones, who was black, while he waited for a tow truck. Raja, of South Asian descent, has pleaded not guilty. Witnesses during the Peraza hearing described how 911 callers were reporting a man carrying a rifle, possibly a shotgun, down a busy street in broad daylight. In previous hearings, McBean has been described as being bipolar and recently recovering from a serious mental episode. He had just purchased the air rifle at a nearby pawn shop. Peraza testified that McBean initially carrying the camouflage-designed rifle like a cane, and then put it across his shoulders behind his neck in a common military style as he approached his apartment complex, where families with children crowded a pool area. Suddenly, he said, McBean turned and pointed the gun at the officers. “Completely defenseless, you have all these women and children in the pool area trying to enjoy their day,” Peraza testified. “I don’t know if my heart can race any faster and my fear level can go any higher.” Peraza also testified he did not see earbuds in 33-year-old McBean’s ears before the shooting. McBean’s family says he likely did not hear police commands to drop the rifle because he was listening to music.