WINK News helps Charlotte County woman recover lost Christmas gifts19 heavy metal bands to perform at 119-year-old Arcadia opera house
PUNTA GORDA WINK News helps Charlotte County woman recover lost Christmas gifts Sheila Nicoloff from Charlotte County faced disappointment when the Christmas presents she sent to her family in Ohio did not arrive on time.
ARCADIA 19 heavy metal bands to perform at 119-year-old Arcadia opera house A 119-year-old opera house will host 19 local heavy metal bands as part of a two-day festival.
Florida officials seek tougher penalties for illegal arcades Experts say that illegal gaming places are like cockroaches: if you squash one of them, a bunch more pop up in their place.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood residents urged to stay vigilant as armed man eludes capture Authorities are still searching for a 20-year-old man considered armed and dangerous, who escaped from deputies during an attempted arrest.
CAPE CORAL Behind the scenes look at upcoming Sunplash upgrades Sunsplash Waterpark in Cape Coral is set to unveil its newest attraction, Paradise Cove, later this year.
little gasparilla island Relief for Little Gasparilla as barge begins debris removal after hurricanes Little Gasparilla Island is receiving much-needed assistance from Charlotte County to clear debris from hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Space research may unlock heart repair breakthroughs Researchers are exploring new frontiers in medical science by conducting experiments in space to address cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death.
PORT CHARLOTTE 911 call released of man who shot and killed wife in Port Charlotte home The 911 call of a man who called to report he had shot his wife while his two children were inside the home has been released.
NORTH PORT Gabby Petito documentary coming to Netflix The story of Gabby Petito’s murder captured the hearts and minds of Southwest Florida and the entire country. Now, Netflix is picking it up.
NAPLES Silver anniversary of the Naples Winter Wine Festival brings in lots of green – $34M The Naples Winter Wine Festival auction on Saturday struck a chord with patrons and inspired them to open their wallets.
BONITA SPRINGS Fort Myers woman accused of throwing brick through ex-husband’s window A woman has been arrested after allegedly throwing a brick through her ex-husband’s Bonita Springs house window.
NORTH PORT North Port man accused of staging scene after murdering wife A North Port man has been arrested after allegedly murdering his wife and staging the scene to make the incident look self-inflicted.
NAPLES Child abuse incident at Naples Pier leads to police officer’s arrest A police officer found himself on the other side of law after severely striking his child with a belt on Naples Pier.
the weather authority Chilly January wraps up; what to expect for February’s weather? With January wrapping up, Southwest Florida experienced quite a chilly month. Only two days throughout the entire month reached temperatures of 80 degrees or higher, the fewest since 2016.
downtown fort myers UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz to Grand Marshall Edison Festival of Light Former UFC Light Heavyweight World Champion and Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz has been announced as the grand marshall of the 87th annual Edison Festival of Light parade.
PUNTA GORDA WINK News helps Charlotte County woman recover lost Christmas gifts Sheila Nicoloff from Charlotte County faced disappointment when the Christmas presents she sent to her family in Ohio did not arrive on time.
ARCADIA 19 heavy metal bands to perform at 119-year-old Arcadia opera house A 119-year-old opera house will host 19 local heavy metal bands as part of a two-day festival.
Florida officials seek tougher penalties for illegal arcades Experts say that illegal gaming places are like cockroaches: if you squash one of them, a bunch more pop up in their place.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood residents urged to stay vigilant as armed man eludes capture Authorities are still searching for a 20-year-old man considered armed and dangerous, who escaped from deputies during an attempted arrest.
CAPE CORAL Behind the scenes look at upcoming Sunplash upgrades Sunsplash Waterpark in Cape Coral is set to unveil its newest attraction, Paradise Cove, later this year.
little gasparilla island Relief for Little Gasparilla as barge begins debris removal after hurricanes Little Gasparilla Island is receiving much-needed assistance from Charlotte County to clear debris from hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Space research may unlock heart repair breakthroughs Researchers are exploring new frontiers in medical science by conducting experiments in space to address cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death.
PORT CHARLOTTE 911 call released of man who shot and killed wife in Port Charlotte home The 911 call of a man who called to report he had shot his wife while his two children were inside the home has been released.
NORTH PORT Gabby Petito documentary coming to Netflix The story of Gabby Petito’s murder captured the hearts and minds of Southwest Florida and the entire country. Now, Netflix is picking it up.
NAPLES Silver anniversary of the Naples Winter Wine Festival brings in lots of green – $34M The Naples Winter Wine Festival auction on Saturday struck a chord with patrons and inspired them to open their wallets.
BONITA SPRINGS Fort Myers woman accused of throwing brick through ex-husband’s window A woman has been arrested after allegedly throwing a brick through her ex-husband’s Bonita Springs house window.
NORTH PORT North Port man accused of staging scene after murdering wife A North Port man has been arrested after allegedly murdering his wife and staging the scene to make the incident look self-inflicted.
NAPLES Child abuse incident at Naples Pier leads to police officer’s arrest A police officer found himself on the other side of law after severely striking his child with a belt on Naples Pier.
the weather authority Chilly January wraps up; what to expect for February’s weather? With January wrapping up, Southwest Florida experienced quite a chilly month. Only two days throughout the entire month reached temperatures of 80 degrees or higher, the fewest since 2016.
downtown fort myers UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz to Grand Marshall Edison Festival of Light Former UFC Light Heavyweight World Champion and Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz has been announced as the grand marshall of the 87th annual Edison Festival of Light parade.
Ricky Ligonde – Photo courtesy of Lee County Sheriff’s Office. A 20-year-old man arrested in connection with a weekend homicide will be held without bail Thursday. Ricky Ligonde of Lehigh Acres is accused of participating in the crime and faces charges of homicide and robbery with a firearm, according to a sheriff’s office booking sheet. Ligonde received a $50,000 bail for the robbery charge. “It appears that you did have a confession, or at least according to the narrative that you knew the robbery was going to occur,” said Lee County Judge Devin S. George. Ligonde was also on probation in Collier County for marijuana possession. Deputies responded Saturday to a crash at the intersection of 31st Street West and Ruth Avenue in Lehigh Acres and found a deceased man who suffered several gunshot wounds inside a silver Dodge Caravan. The man, later identified as Hinso Estreplit, was a self-employed taxi driver who was “simply a hard worker providing for his family,” said Undersheriff Carmine Marceno. The investigation later revealed this stemmed from a robbery and undercover detectives arrested Ligonde at a house off 26th Street Southwest. Marceno announced the details of the weekend crime at a press conference Thursday morning on 14750 Six Mile Cypress Parkway. The investigation later revealed this stemmed from a robbery. Marceno added the victim appeared to be “set up for this crime and then brutally and senselessly murdered.” This was an isolated incident not related to the other homicides that happened over the course of this week in Lee County, according to Marceno. Resident Phil Casey said he hasn’t seen something like this in his neighborhood before, but will be more cautious moving forward. “Actually a shock to this community because we’ve never had anything like this here,” Casey said. “The bottom line is it’s going to have us open our eyes a little bit more in the community.” It’s unclear what led up to the shooting and why Ligonde had access to a gun when he was on probation. The active investigation is ongoing. Ligonde’s next court appearance will take place at 8:30 a.m. on May 14 at the Lee County Clerk of Court on 1700 Monroe St. in Fort Myers. MORE: Deputies investigate crash, homicide that left one dead Saturday morning