Expect more delays on Colonial and Fowler due to intersection projectLee County STET team protecting our schools with cameras
FORT MYERS Expect more delays on Colonial and Fowler due to intersection project Work on the Colonial Fowler intersection in Fort Myers is underway, and there are many moving parts.
FORT MYERS Lee County STET team protecting our schools with cameras There are cameras in our kid’s schools, dozens of them, but did you know that Lee County Schools sends those live video feeds to the sheriff’s office, and it’s someone’s job to watch them?
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Six-week abortion ban to take effect soon A stricter abortion ban will take effect in Florida on Wednesday.
Estero’s Golf Coast Driving Range shuts down, visitors devastated A place to relax, let loose and hit a few drives, has come to the end of an era for this community. “This is the first place we came to,” said Roxanne Henningsen, a Bonita Springs resident. “And it like became our second home. The people are wonderful. It’s just a great atmosphere. And we’ve […]
CAPE CORAL Business owners reeling after massive fire in Cape Coral “Very scary” are the words Denise Creacy used to describe what she felt when she saw plumes of black smoke, firefighters, and police fill her neighborhood.
LEHIGH ACRES Changing how you are represented in Lee County Leaders want to hear your thoughts this week at a town hall on how you elect county commissioners.
FORT MYERS Frontier Airlines announces nonstop flights from RSW to San Juan, PR These flights will take off on June 2 and run 3 times a week.
NAPLES Fight to save the trees in Naples neighborhood When Sue Canfield looks up in her front yard she sees light shining through the sprawling branches of a 25-year-old Oak towering above her. The trees, which line every road in the waterways of naples, is why she choose this neighborhood but soon those very trees will be taken down.
City of Naples hosts open house workshop for Naples road projects The City of Naples is hosting an open house workshop to hear from the public regarding road improvements.
CAPE CORAL Ollie’s Pub, the home of SWFL’s local music scene, closes after 4 memorable years Ollie’s Pub, once the center of local original music in Southwest Florida, is closing after a prosperous yet arduous four years.
New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis puts business degree to use Hargis began his new job at FGCU on April 29 knowing he would have about $15 million in annual funding—and also knowing the budget has more than doubled in the last decade.
Future unknown for Punta Gorda Waterfront Hotel site What’s to come of the Punta Gorda Waterfront Hotel and adjoining Hurricane Charley’s Sushi, Raw Bar & Grill after demolition is yet to be determined.
(CBS) Trump held in contempt for violating gag order in “hush money” trial. Here’s how much he owes. The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York held him in contempt of court on Tuesday for violating a gag order.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Shootout that killed 4 law officers began as task force tried to serve a warrant, police say A shootout that killed four law enforcement officers and wounded four others in North Carolina began as officers went serve a warrant.
WINK NEWS Semi-truck crash shuts down multiple lanes at Pine Ridge Road A crash involving a semi-truck caused lanes at Pine Ridge Road to close temporarily on Tuesday.
FORT MYERS Expect more delays on Colonial and Fowler due to intersection project Work on the Colonial Fowler intersection in Fort Myers is underway, and there are many moving parts.
FORT MYERS Lee County STET team protecting our schools with cameras There are cameras in our kid’s schools, dozens of them, but did you know that Lee County Schools sends those live video feeds to the sheriff’s office, and it’s someone’s job to watch them?
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Six-week abortion ban to take effect soon A stricter abortion ban will take effect in Florida on Wednesday.
Estero’s Golf Coast Driving Range shuts down, visitors devastated A place to relax, let loose and hit a few drives, has come to the end of an era for this community. “This is the first place we came to,” said Roxanne Henningsen, a Bonita Springs resident. “And it like became our second home. The people are wonderful. It’s just a great atmosphere. And we’ve […]
CAPE CORAL Business owners reeling after massive fire in Cape Coral “Very scary” are the words Denise Creacy used to describe what she felt when she saw plumes of black smoke, firefighters, and police fill her neighborhood.
LEHIGH ACRES Changing how you are represented in Lee County Leaders want to hear your thoughts this week at a town hall on how you elect county commissioners.
FORT MYERS Frontier Airlines announces nonstop flights from RSW to San Juan, PR These flights will take off on June 2 and run 3 times a week.
NAPLES Fight to save the trees in Naples neighborhood When Sue Canfield looks up in her front yard she sees light shining through the sprawling branches of a 25-year-old Oak towering above her. The trees, which line every road in the waterways of naples, is why she choose this neighborhood but soon those very trees will be taken down.
City of Naples hosts open house workshop for Naples road projects The City of Naples is hosting an open house workshop to hear from the public regarding road improvements.
CAPE CORAL Ollie’s Pub, the home of SWFL’s local music scene, closes after 4 memorable years Ollie’s Pub, once the center of local original music in Southwest Florida, is closing after a prosperous yet arduous four years.
New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis puts business degree to use Hargis began his new job at FGCU on April 29 knowing he would have about $15 million in annual funding—and also knowing the budget has more than doubled in the last decade.
Future unknown for Punta Gorda Waterfront Hotel site What’s to come of the Punta Gorda Waterfront Hotel and adjoining Hurricane Charley’s Sushi, Raw Bar & Grill after demolition is yet to be determined.
(CBS) Trump held in contempt for violating gag order in “hush money” trial. Here’s how much he owes. The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York held him in contempt of court on Tuesday for violating a gag order.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Shootout that killed 4 law officers began as task force tried to serve a warrant, police say A shootout that killed four law enforcement officers and wounded four others in North Carolina began as officers went serve a warrant.
WINK NEWS Semi-truck crash shuts down multiple lanes at Pine Ridge Road A crash involving a semi-truck caused lanes at Pine Ridge Road to close temporarily on Tuesday.
Andrew Gillum as he campaigned for governor in 2018. (Credit: CBS News) The Florida Commission on Ethics released documents Wednesday supporting the panel’s unanimous finding of probable cause that Andrew Gillum, last year’s Democratic nominee for governor and a former Tallahassee mayor, violated ethics laws with trips to Costa Rica and New York and tickets to the Broadway hit musical, “Hamilton.” In a 41-page report, the commission’s advocate, lawyer Elizabeth A. Miller, rebuked the former mayor for allegedly accepting gifts from Tallahassee entrepreneur Adam Corey and undercover FBI agents posing as developers. Corey had been a close friend of Gillum and lobbied the city commission. Failing to report the gifts “is an obvious attempt to either conceal the gifts from the public or hide the fact that he accepted gifts from a lobbyist and principals of a lobbyist — both prohibited donors,” Miller said. In a closed-door meeting Friday, the commission found probable cause that Gillum “accepted things of value based on an understanding his official action would be influenced and when he knew or should have known they were given to influence action in which he was expected to participate,” according to a news release distributed Wednesday. The panel also found probable cause to believe the former mayor “misused his position to accept things of value for himself and others in return for access and influence.” And the commission found probable cause to believe Gillum accepted gifts with a value of more than $100 from a lobbyist or vendor of the city and failed to report the gifts. No probable cause, however, was found that Gillum solicited gifts. The five charges carry potential sanctions of a public censure and reprimand and fines of up to $10,000 each. Gillum, who will request a hearing in the case, has steadfastly maintained that he hasn’t broken any laws or committed any wrongdoing. “I am confident that as we move through this and as a judge looks at the facts, they will determine that I have acted in complete compliance with the law,” Gillum told CNN host Chris Cuomo Tuesday night. Most of the communiqués revealed in Miller’s report had already been made public by Corey’s lawyer, Christopher Kise, in the days leading up to the November gubernatorial election, in which Republican Ron DeSantis narrowly defeated Gillum. An FBI investigation into city corruption dogged Gillum throughout the final months of the campaign despite his insistence that he was not a subject of the probe. The race against DeSantis placed Gillum, who had hoped to make history as the state’s first black governor, on the national stage, where the Democrat remains in the spotlight. The day before the ethics commission released the report about finding probable cause, Gillum joined CNN as a political commentator. When asked about the probable cause findings Wednesday, DeSantis said he’s “moved on.” “The fact of the matter is, if you’re doing that, you’re going to run afoul and there’s going to be a problem. But I’m not, like, rooting for him to fail. Look, the process will work, but I mean, I don’t have any ill will. I think he’s a talented guy. What I said in the campaign I think was accurate. But I’ve moved on,” he said. The ethics commission investigation was sparked by a complaint filed by Tallahassee businessman Erwin Jackson and focused on New York and Costa Rica journeys, both made in 2016 while Gillum was still the city’s mayor and as he was pondering a gubernatorial bid. Gillum and his wife, R. Jai, “accepted a ‘thing of value’ (i.e., gifts) when they received transportation, accommodation, services of a chef, and meals in regard to the Costa Rican trip with a value of $941.94,” Miller wrote in the advocate’s report. Gilllum claimed he paid Corey — who made the arrangements for a luxury villa — $480 in cash, or $120 per night, to cover his and his wife’s share of the trip. But Corey, who submitted an affidavit to the ethics commission but refused to appear before the panel because he had been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in the city corruption probe, swore that he never received any money from his onetime pal. Gillum also received a “thing of value” when he received a ticket to “Hamilton” and a private Statue of Liberty boat cruise, Miller found. The events totaled a minimum of $750, she wrote. The report shows that Corey told Gillum the Hamilton tickets were provided by “Mike Miller,” an undercover FBI agent who also arranged the boat cruise for Corey, Gillum, and the mayor’s brother, Marcus. In a sworn declaration to the commission, Gillum acknowledged he had received a text from Corey saying, “Mike Miller and the crew” had obtained tickets to “Hamilton” — which averaged around $750 each at the time. “He did not say that Miller was treating anyone to the show and, in keeping with our consistent practice, I assumed we would each pay for our tickets,” Gillum said. Gillum said his brother handed him the ticket, that the only information he had about Mike Miller paying for the tickets “is in the report of investigation filed in this matter,” which relies on information from Corey. The New York trip was “a social excursion and no business was discussed at any time,” the former mayor said. Gillum also said he not only paid Corey in cash for the Costa Rica lodging, but “left an additional $150 in cash on a table to cover my share of tips for the cooks and cleaning staff.” But the advocate Miller wrote that Corey and the undercover FBI agent courted Gillum with the hope that he would support their city-related endeavors. The two men “had the requisite intent to gain access, familiarity, influence, and possible indebtedness with respondent when they provided gifts to him, his wife, and his brother,” she wrote. “Respondent or his relatives were the recipients of those gifts while respondent simultaneously participated as a voting member on an entity that was approving issues that could benefit or harm the donors. Thus, the respondent either knew or should have known that the gifts were being provided to garner favor because respondent was in an official position to make decisions in matters directly involving Corey’s clients, Miller and Sweets,” she wrote, referring to another undercover FBI agent who went by the name of Mike Sweets. Gillum was legally required to publicly disclose certain gifts, Elizabeth Miller wrote, noting that he disclosed free tickets to a “Jazz and Blues Festival” as gifts worth more than $100 in September 2016. “Interestingly, respondent disclosed these tickets but chose not to report free transportation, services of a chef, meals, accommodations in a ‘beautiful mansion,’ Broadway tickets and a private boat cruise he accepted a month earlier and disclosable on the same form as the ‘Jazz and Blues Festival’ tickets. This omission is an obvious attempt to either conceal the gifts from the public or hide the fact that he accepted gifts from a lobbyist and principals of a lobbyist — both prohibited donors,” the advocate wrote. Accepting the gifts, concealing their acceptance or “alleging without substantiation” that he or his brother reimbursed their hosts “demonstrates a wrongful intent and actions inconsistent with the proper performance of his public duties,” Miller found. But, in a response to the advocate’s recommendation, Gillum’s lawyer Barry Richard wrote that the Gillums “did not, in fact, receive any gifts from Mr. Corey or any other lobbyist during the Costa Rican trip.” Richard said the allegations against Gillum “hang on a very slender thread,” backed up only by Corey. Gillum personally paid for airline tickets to and from Costa Rica and for expenses at restaurants and bars, and equipment rental while in the country, Richard wrote. Gillum’s lawyer disputed other allegations made by Corey regarding expenses the former lobbyist claimed to have covered during the trip. Richard accused Corey of a “false claim that the entire trip was a business expense of his corporation,” saying his accounting of the trip “is completely fictional.” The trip to Costa Rica “was strictly a social gathering of a disparate group of Mr. Corey’s friends” in which no business was discussed, Richard wrote. Gillum will have a public evidentiary hearing before an administrative law judge, Richard told The News Service of Florida on Wednesday. “I have a high level of confidence that ultimately he’ll be exonerated. I don’t believe he did anything wrong, and I don’t believe there is any evidence to support any wrongdoing,” Richard said. “There’s no evidence he ever did anything for anybody in return for a gift. … This is all, frankly, trivial stuff.”