Trumparilla Boat Parade kicks off in Fort MyersThe Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics
FORT MYERS Trumparilla Boat Parade kicks off in Fort Myers The Lee County GOP is hosting the Trumparilla Boat Parade in support of the Republican nominee.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
FORT MYERS Trumparilla Boat Parade kicks off in Fort Myers The Lee County GOP is hosting the Trumparilla Boat Parade in support of the Republican nominee.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
Dorval family stands on a lot where their new home was supposed o be built. Credit: WINK News What should be a brand new home filled with children’s laughter is still an empty lot, all because one family says the builder they hired took their deposit and didn’t deliver. “It was a big deal for us to have that piece of the American dream,” Roselyne Dorval said. Instead of moving into their newly built dream home in Golden Gate Estates, the Dorval family of five is living in a cramped RV. And they’re just days away from giving birth to a new baby. “I didn’t expect to be doing this right now at all, but this is our reality,” said Dorval. Over a year ago, she and her husband, Terry, paid Jimmy Dean of J.D. Design Construction in Naples more than $25,000 to start on their dream home. Roselyne and her Terry chose the company because it was a family business. “When we went into their office his granddaughter was there, his daughter was there, so it was just like OK – this is another person living out the American dream,” said Roselyne. Now, instead of picking out furniture and paint colors, they’re fighting to get their money back. They say Dean gave excuse after excuse as to why he couldn’t start and selectively answered calls and messages. “I personally wrote the licensing board through the state, I sent them a big packet of all the evidence,” Dorval said. Despite filing a complaint with Collier County Licensing Department and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the Dorvals are still waiting for justice. And now they have to wait even longer. That’s because Dean filed for bankruptcy. That means the investigation by Collier’s licensing compliance department is on hold until his bankruptcy case plays out in federal court. The state does have a construction recovery fund the Dorvals could be eligible for, but that determination is also on hold because of the bankruptcy case. LINK: Florida Homeowners’ Construction Recovery Fund Information Sheet The Dorvals are not the only people with an issue. WINK News uncovered six other people who also have cases pending with the county. Between those people and a few more former clients on his bankruptcy filing, the claims total almost a half million dollars. We reached out to Dean and he declined to go on camera. When we asked about him about the Dorvals, he claims they threatened violence. The Dorvals say that’s not true. Dean added they received everything their money covered, and that a subcontractor the Dorvals recommended took money without doing any work. The Dorvals disagree saying Dean never got a permit nor sent the proper plans. They also say they never recommended any subcontractors. WINK sent the plans the Dorvals did receive from Dean to Collier County and they said they’d need to be ‘signed and sealed by an engineer’ and that ‘the plans are missing some structural details.’ We couldn’t find a record of a permit for the Dorvals property either. As for the other complaints, Dean says he didn’t commit any fraud and had two heart attacks preventing work from being done. Meanwhile, the Dorvals are frustrated. They’re out $25,000 and running out of hope they’ll ever see a dime. “He has a home, he has a family, he’s protected under some bankruptcy stuff where it’s like we worked hard, we gave this money and we lost this money. Who protects us?”