The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increasesSenior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night
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.
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.
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.
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.
LaBelle, Fla. — Concerns have been raised about the possible relationship between Hendry County Sheriff Steve Whidden and an accused drug dealer. Court records show that Jose Deahora was under investigation by the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office in January 2012. He was arrested in 2013 and charged with trafficking hydrocodone, a semi-synthetic opioid. He had a court hearing in Hendry County two weeks ago on Oct. 19. However, a debate ensued about whether Sheriff Whidden could testify at Deahora’s trial. “The idea that somebody would be accused of a first degree felony would be looking at a mandatory minimum penalty in prison and that that person, the defense, would call the sheriff as a witness is very unusual,” said Russel Kirshey, Charlotte County attorney who is unrelated to the case. Court transcripts show Diane Gonzalez, Deahora’s attorney, said in the Oct. 19 hearing that Deahora’s association with Sheriff Whidden would affect Whidden’s credibility. The state attorney deposed Whidden to find out if he had any information relevant to Deahora’s case and it turned out he didn’t. “The testimony that the sheriff gave during that deposition was solely that he knew the defendant as an acquaintance during the 2008 campaign for the sheriff’s election and the 2012 campaign election. The defendant happened to participate in that campaign,” the assistant state attorney said in court. Court records show that Deahora was already under investigation for drug trafficking during the 2012 campaign while he was an honorary deputy with the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office. “Honorary deputy cards are used to get people out of tickets,” Kirshney said. “You show the Honorary Deputy card. That is a hint to the officer who’s stopped you that you are a friend of the sheriff.” Judge James Sloan had an issue with Deahora having such a card. “It does concern the court that the sheriff’s department is issuing honorary IDs to someone that they currently have under investigation for criminal offenses,” Sloan said. “I find that to be very curious.” The judge granted the state’s motion to exclude Whidden from testifying in Deahora’s case if it went to trial, but Deahora pled no contest and will be sentenced next week. Whidden is currently the subject of a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation for potentially interfering with his department’s investigation of a September 2015 hit-and-run crash involving a 15-year-old girl. One of his deputies has been charged with contempt of court and three counts of perjury in a separate case. Whidden couldn’t be reached for comment.