Port Charlotte Beach Park faces delays, residents seek faster reopeningDietitian advises on healthy eating with weight loss meds
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte Beach Park faces delays, residents seek faster reopening Port Charlotte Beach Park is making strides to fully reopen after the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.
WINK NEWS Dietitian advises on healthy eating with weight loss meds Weight loss drugs are changing the game for those looking to shed pounds. However, they come with an important consideration: while they help curb appetite, maintaining proper nutrition is crucial.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers metal plant fire cleanup underway, business resumes A large fire erupted at Mome Metals Recycling on Veronica Shoemaker Boulevard in Fort Myers, leaving significant damage but not halting operations for long.
Evacuations underway due to brush fire near mm 110 off I-75 According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a brush fire is present at mile marker 110 on I-75 southbound in Collier County.
NORTH FORT MYERS Crime Stoppers seeks suspect in North Fort Myers theft Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is asking for the public’s help identifying a person suspected of grand theft in North Fort Myers.
BONITA SPRINGS FWC: Manatee killed by head-on boat crash on Big Hickory Island The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is conducting a necropsy on a manatee that washed ashore on Big Hickory Island.
Junior Achievement of SWFL inducts 4 into Hall of Fame A who’s who of the local business community celebrated four regional leaders March 25 at Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida’s annual banquet honoring this year’s Business Hall of Fame inductees.
fort myers beach Fort Myers Beach to implement temporary emergency traffic measure to assist EMS response The Town of Fort Myers Beach and the FMB Fire District have implemented a temporary emergency measure due to response time concerns with first responders and traffic.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County woman out on bond arrested again for drug trafficking, possession The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman who allegedly violated her bond as she was caught trafficking and possessing several forms of drugs.
FORT MYERS Florida Southwestern State College to hold free Spring Concert series Florida Southwestern State College is set to hold a series of free concerts throughout April.
the weather authority Mostly sunny, warmer for your Wednesday afternoon plans The Weather Authority is tracking mostly sunny conditions, bringing warmer temperatures throughout this Wednesday.
Collier County teen injured in violent parking lot incident A teenager is fighting for his life after a violent confrontation in Collier County.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers recycling facility catches fire; smoke visible for miles Thick smoke erupted from a Fort Myers recycling facility on Tuesday evening as flames tore through the building.
ROTONDA Rotonda residents worry as legal battle over bridge closure heats up Charlotte County is gearing up for a legal battle over the Rotonda Bridge, which has been closed since Hurricane Ian.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers’ Howard Sapp seeks to break GOP hold in district 19 race Howard Sapp has announced his candidacy to represent Southwest Florida in Washington, D.C. Sapp, a Democrat, aims to succeed Republican Congressman Byron Donalds, who is running for governor of Florida.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte Beach Park faces delays, residents seek faster reopening Port Charlotte Beach Park is making strides to fully reopen after the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.
WINK NEWS Dietitian advises on healthy eating with weight loss meds Weight loss drugs are changing the game for those looking to shed pounds. However, they come with an important consideration: while they help curb appetite, maintaining proper nutrition is crucial.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers metal plant fire cleanup underway, business resumes A large fire erupted at Mome Metals Recycling on Veronica Shoemaker Boulevard in Fort Myers, leaving significant damage but not halting operations for long.
Evacuations underway due to brush fire near mm 110 off I-75 According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a brush fire is present at mile marker 110 on I-75 southbound in Collier County.
NORTH FORT MYERS Crime Stoppers seeks suspect in North Fort Myers theft Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is asking for the public’s help identifying a person suspected of grand theft in North Fort Myers.
BONITA SPRINGS FWC: Manatee killed by head-on boat crash on Big Hickory Island The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is conducting a necropsy on a manatee that washed ashore on Big Hickory Island.
Junior Achievement of SWFL inducts 4 into Hall of Fame A who’s who of the local business community celebrated four regional leaders March 25 at Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida’s annual banquet honoring this year’s Business Hall of Fame inductees.
fort myers beach Fort Myers Beach to implement temporary emergency traffic measure to assist EMS response The Town of Fort Myers Beach and the FMB Fire District have implemented a temporary emergency measure due to response time concerns with first responders and traffic.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County woman out on bond arrested again for drug trafficking, possession The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman who allegedly violated her bond as she was caught trafficking and possessing several forms of drugs.
FORT MYERS Florida Southwestern State College to hold free Spring Concert series Florida Southwestern State College is set to hold a series of free concerts throughout April.
the weather authority Mostly sunny, warmer for your Wednesday afternoon plans The Weather Authority is tracking mostly sunny conditions, bringing warmer temperatures throughout this Wednesday.
Collier County teen injured in violent parking lot incident A teenager is fighting for his life after a violent confrontation in Collier County.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers recycling facility catches fire; smoke visible for miles Thick smoke erupted from a Fort Myers recycling facility on Tuesday evening as flames tore through the building.
ROTONDA Rotonda residents worry as legal battle over bridge closure heats up Charlotte County is gearing up for a legal battle over the Rotonda Bridge, which has been closed since Hurricane Ian.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers’ Howard Sapp seeks to break GOP hold in district 19 race Howard Sapp has announced his candidacy to represent Southwest Florida in Washington, D.C. Sapp, a Democrat, aims to succeed Republican Congressman Byron Donalds, who is running for governor of Florida.
NAPLES, Fla. — Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution announced Tuesday that two more arrests were made in connection to an ongoing investigation and prosecution of a human trafficking network operating from South to Central Florida. Joaquin Perez-Urbano, 42, and Paula Rojas-Zarate, 34, of Fort Myers, have been accused of human trafficking in connection to Operation Human Freedom, a prostitution ring that operated in Collier, Lee, Hendry, Polk and Miami-Dade counties. The Southwest Florida organization is accused of illegally smuggling women into the country and forcing them to perform hundreds of sex acts a week. Fifteen people were also arrested last March as part of this prostitution ring. “This organization targeted vulnerable women desperate to find a better life and reunite with loved ones, forcing victims to perform hundreds of sex acts a week,” Bondi said. “We will not tolerate human trafficking in Florida, and my Office of Statewide Prosecution continues to work tirelessly to prosecute traffickers and protect the victims of this atrocious crime.” The multi-agency investigation began in 2013 after authorities discovered a human trafficking victim during a traffic stop. The investigation revealed multiple victims smuggled into the United States with the promise of legal jobs and reuniting with family. However, the organization forced the women, whose ages ranged from 25 to 35, to work as commercial sex slaves and perform sex acts on 25 to 45 men a day, six days a week. The victims earned between $190,000 and $320,000 a year for their captors while they received a pittance. The suspects forced the victims to reimburse them for food and rent while subjecting the victims to substandard living conditions. Urbano and Zarate are both being held in the Collier County Jail on $200,000 bond on charges including human trafficking, conspiracy to commit human trafficking and deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution.