Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to registerExclusive: Florida Warriors president talks misunderstanding with city
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
FORT MYERS Exclusive: Florida Warriors president talks misunderstanding with city On Friday, the president of Florida Warriors Hockey got a letter saying that starting July 1, his program’s rink access at the Fort Myers Skatium would be cut from 48 hours a month to only eight hours a month.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) 3 law officers killed, 5 others wounded trying to serve warrant in North Carolina, authorities say Three law enforcement officers serving a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and five other officers were wounded Monday in a shootout at a Charlotte, North Carolina, home, police said.
CAPE CORAL Multiple units fighting structure fire in Cape Coral Several fire rescue trucks are responding to a structure fire at a commercial building in Cape Coral.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers residents concerned over abandoned boat A day out in the water turned into an alarming discovery for one North Fort Myers family.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers first responders stress safety after rollover crash Fort Myers fire department officials are pointing to safety and awareness following a recent rollover crash on Palm Beach Blvd. and Oasis Way.
NAPLES FSU pitcher Jacob Marlowe’s determined heart is on the mound Former Barron Collier ace, now FSU pitcher Jacob Marlowe is recovering from two open heart surgeries in five days.
Contrasting Lee, Collier and Charlotte homicide rates to nationwide numbers The Wall Street Journal says nationwide homicide rates have dropped by 20% compared to the numbers from 2023.
New program to make life more manageable for Parkinson’s patients A new program, backed by research, was created using the power of spin cycling to redefine the fight against Parkinson’s.
Medicaid class action gets go-ahead A federal judge has cleared the way for a class-action lawsuit that alleges Florida did not properly inform people before dropping them from the Medicaid program after a COVID-19 public health emergency ended.
FORT MYERS New downtown Fort Myers parking options coming soon Two new spots are coming for you to park on nights and weekends in downtown Fort Myers, but you’ll still have to pay.
LEHIGH ACRES Caught on Camera: Family ‘sucker-punched’ in Lehigh Acres brawl A woman is speaking out about a conflict she was involved in at Barefoot Lake.
Miracle Moment: Christina Soriero Doctors diagnosed 22-year-old Christina Soriero with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma when she was just 18. A time in her life when the only thing she should have been dealing with was senioritis and getting ready for life after high school.
DeSantis signs bill impacting new mothers and jury duty Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that will impact new mothers and their eligibility to serve on jury duty.
Genesis of Naples breaking ground on new car dealership A genesis—or new beginning—is under way for Genesis of Naples. The local franchise plans to break ground this summer on a new and expanded luxury auto dealership in North Naples.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
FORT MYERS Exclusive: Florida Warriors president talks misunderstanding with city On Friday, the president of Florida Warriors Hockey got a letter saying that starting July 1, his program’s rink access at the Fort Myers Skatium would be cut from 48 hours a month to only eight hours a month.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) 3 law officers killed, 5 others wounded trying to serve warrant in North Carolina, authorities say Three law enforcement officers serving a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and five other officers were wounded Monday in a shootout at a Charlotte, North Carolina, home, police said.
CAPE CORAL Multiple units fighting structure fire in Cape Coral Several fire rescue trucks are responding to a structure fire at a commercial building in Cape Coral.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers residents concerned over abandoned boat A day out in the water turned into an alarming discovery for one North Fort Myers family.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers first responders stress safety after rollover crash Fort Myers fire department officials are pointing to safety and awareness following a recent rollover crash on Palm Beach Blvd. and Oasis Way.
NAPLES FSU pitcher Jacob Marlowe’s determined heart is on the mound Former Barron Collier ace, now FSU pitcher Jacob Marlowe is recovering from two open heart surgeries in five days.
Contrasting Lee, Collier and Charlotte homicide rates to nationwide numbers The Wall Street Journal says nationwide homicide rates have dropped by 20% compared to the numbers from 2023.
New program to make life more manageable for Parkinson’s patients A new program, backed by research, was created using the power of spin cycling to redefine the fight against Parkinson’s.
Medicaid class action gets go-ahead A federal judge has cleared the way for a class-action lawsuit that alleges Florida did not properly inform people before dropping them from the Medicaid program after a COVID-19 public health emergency ended.
FORT MYERS New downtown Fort Myers parking options coming soon Two new spots are coming for you to park on nights and weekends in downtown Fort Myers, but you’ll still have to pay.
LEHIGH ACRES Caught on Camera: Family ‘sucker-punched’ in Lehigh Acres brawl A woman is speaking out about a conflict she was involved in at Barefoot Lake.
Miracle Moment: Christina Soriero Doctors diagnosed 22-year-old Christina Soriero with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma when she was just 18. A time in her life when the only thing she should have been dealing with was senioritis and getting ready for life after high school.
DeSantis signs bill impacting new mothers and jury duty Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that will impact new mothers and their eligibility to serve on jury duty.
Genesis of Naples breaking ground on new car dealership A genesis—or new beginning—is under way for Genesis of Naples. The local franchise plans to break ground this summer on a new and expanded luxury auto dealership in North Naples.
In this Wednesday, May 10, 2017 photo Derek Cote, a homeless man, panhandles in the median strip on a street in Portland, Maine. The city recently began a program to offer day jobs cleaning up parks and other light labor jobs to panhandlers for $10.68 an hour. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Cleaning trash and landscaping public parks might not be glamorous work, but Derek Cote says it beats begging for change in a traffic median at rush hour, and he’s looking forward to his hometown giving him a chance to do it. “As soon as I get an ID, I’ll be doing it,” Cote, 33, a panhandler in Maine’s largest city, said while holding a sign that read: “Homeless, spare a buck.” Cote’s home of Portland, Maine, is the latest city in the U.S. to try to cut down panhandling by taking people from curbside begging to municipal jobs such as cleaning walking trails and picking up litter. The city launched the “Portland Opportunity Crew” this month, and the program is employing panhandlers to do landscaping and clean up public areas at the minimum wage of $10.68 per hour. Cities including Albuquerque, New Mexico, and San Jose, California, and Chicago have tried similar programs with varying degrees of success. Portland is a city of about 67,000 people with a homeless population of a few hundred, making it much smaller than other cities that have tried similar programs. But panhandlers are a common sight on downtown streets and traffic medians around the city. The program launched May 4 and immediately signed up four people, said Jessica Grondin, a spokeswoman for the city. The effort is a pilot program that is expected to last until November, she said. “First and foremost, it’s to get people job training and employment support services so they can have good futures and long-term employment,” she said. “If the result of that is less panhandling, that’s all for the better.” The program will cost the city $42,000 this year. Social service workers have been reaching out to panhandlers to let them know about the program, and will set up signs at intersections to let them know that it’s underway. Workers will be paid via a debit card, so they will not need to cash paychecks, though the program hopes to link people with banks, Grondin said. Despite the high hopes, some in Portland’s homeless community have been resistant about the program. Officials are hopeful the program will get a good reputation in the community if they are able to link hundreds of people with jobs, as Albuquerque did last year. But for William Conley, a 57-year-old veteran who panhandles near the waterfront, not wanting to participate is a matter of pride. “I’m not cleaning trash up,” Conley said. “I’d rather suffer and go without.” Portland’s history with its homeless community includes a failed attempt to ban loitering and panhandling on street medians four years ago. The measure was deemed unconstitutional, and an infringement of free speech, by courts. But downtown merchants have kept looking for a solution to panhandling, and are supporting the jobs effort. Portland Downtown Executive Director Casey Gilbert said her group encouraged the city to try the program. “This program is going to provide for better outcomes for cleanliness in the city as well,” she said. “We’re hoping this is going to be a win-win.”