Heavy police presence on Capitol Street home in North Fort MyersDeputies investigating death at Bonita Springs home
NORTH FORT MYERS Heavy police presence on Capitol Street home in North Fort Myers Several Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Myers Fire Department units were seen outside of a home in North Fort Myers.
BONITA SPRINGS Deputies investigating death at Bonita Springs home Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating a death at a home in Bonita Springs.
Fifth Third Bank branch to be built on former SunTrust Punta Gorda site According to project plans sent to the city, the current building will be demolished, and a single-story Fifth Third Bank branch will stand in its place. Assuming approval, the branch is expected to open in the second half of 2025, a banks spokesperson said.
WINK NEWS Gov. DeSantis signs tax relief package for Floridians Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has renewed the Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday among other tax-free incentives for Floridians.
Fort Myers debates future of police review board A new law signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will change oversight with local police departments and the citizens they protect.
FORT MYERS Lifting weights brings Bishop Verot’s football team together Football teams are spending their days in the iron paradise as spring practice is on for high school football.
NORTH FORT MYERS Van catches fire after crash with trailer in North Fort Myers Several crews are responding to a crash that involved a work van and a truck pulling a trailer in North Fort Myers this morning.
CAPE CORAL 2nd teen accused in Kayla Rincon-Miller murder case to be arraigned A 16-year-old is facing adult charges for his alleged role in the murder of 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller.
the weather authority Hotter and drier day ahead with isolated storms staying inland The Weather Authority is tracking a hot and dry Tuesday morning with inland isolated storms expected in the afternoon.
WINK News Lee County School Board to hold a transportation workshop With one month left for the academic year, parents’ concerns have turned to frustration as buses struggle to get kids to and from school.
Readying for hurricane season with Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday Hurricane season is rapidly approaching as Floridians prep for potential storms with the upcoming Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday.
NAPLES Increasing amount of homeless seniors in SWFL Saint Matthew House told Wink News that 20% of the people they shelter are over 60 years old.
NAPLES Man suspected of threatening pickelballers with machete A man has been arrested after authorities said he chased a group of pickleball players off a Naples court.
NAPLES Turtle Club in Naples reopens Following a 19-month closure because of Hurricane Ian, the Turtle Club has reopened.
FORT MYERS BEACH Hurricane season preparations at Lee County construction sites Many already know the drill when hurricane season is around the corner.
NORTH FORT MYERS Heavy police presence on Capitol Street home in North Fort Myers Several Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Myers Fire Department units were seen outside of a home in North Fort Myers.
BONITA SPRINGS Deputies investigating death at Bonita Springs home Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating a death at a home in Bonita Springs.
Fifth Third Bank branch to be built on former SunTrust Punta Gorda site According to project plans sent to the city, the current building will be demolished, and a single-story Fifth Third Bank branch will stand in its place. Assuming approval, the branch is expected to open in the second half of 2025, a banks spokesperson said.
WINK NEWS Gov. DeSantis signs tax relief package for Floridians Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has renewed the Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday among other tax-free incentives for Floridians.
Fort Myers debates future of police review board A new law signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will change oversight with local police departments and the citizens they protect.
FORT MYERS Lifting weights brings Bishop Verot’s football team together Football teams are spending their days in the iron paradise as spring practice is on for high school football.
NORTH FORT MYERS Van catches fire after crash with trailer in North Fort Myers Several crews are responding to a crash that involved a work van and a truck pulling a trailer in North Fort Myers this morning.
CAPE CORAL 2nd teen accused in Kayla Rincon-Miller murder case to be arraigned A 16-year-old is facing adult charges for his alleged role in the murder of 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller.
the weather authority Hotter and drier day ahead with isolated storms staying inland The Weather Authority is tracking a hot and dry Tuesday morning with inland isolated storms expected in the afternoon.
WINK News Lee County School Board to hold a transportation workshop With one month left for the academic year, parents’ concerns have turned to frustration as buses struggle to get kids to and from school.
Readying for hurricane season with Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday Hurricane season is rapidly approaching as Floridians prep for potential storms with the upcoming Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday.
NAPLES Increasing amount of homeless seniors in SWFL Saint Matthew House told Wink News that 20% of the people they shelter are over 60 years old.
NAPLES Man suspected of threatening pickelballers with machete A man has been arrested after authorities said he chased a group of pickleball players off a Naples court.
NAPLES Turtle Club in Naples reopens Following a 19-month closure because of Hurricane Ian, the Turtle Club has reopened.
FORT MYERS BEACH Hurricane season preparations at Lee County construction sites Many already know the drill when hurricane season is around the corner.
Press conference announces the Florida senate panel vote. (News Service Florida photo) A Florida Senate panel tasked with shaping statewide education policies advanced a sweeping school-security package on Tuesday that would make it easier for school districts to participate in a controversial “guardian” program and would allow classroom teachers to be armed. The Senate Education Committee approved the proposal (SPB 7030) with a 5-3 vote along party lines. The vote came after the panel agreed to amend the measure to allow law enforcement officers to serve as school safety specialists instead of requiring school district employees to fill that role. The revised bill also puts school superintendents in charge of appointing school “guardians.” The changes came after Republicans on the committee swatted down a proposal by Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach, that would have barred classroom teachers from carrying concealed weapons on school grounds. “My eight grandchildren, and their generation, they deserve to have someone ready to protect them if they are available,” Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, said. “I am asking you to understand that we want to empower those people who can do something, they are the only ones who will be there in a narrow amount of time to save those lives.” The school guardian program, part of a sweeping law created in response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting last February, allows school personnel to carry concealed weapons on campus after going through extensive training. Under current law, county sheriffs must sign off on the guardian program for school districts to implement it. The Senate measure approved Tuesday would give school districts the authority to implement the program. While most of Tuesday’s two-hour debate focused on the contentious guardian program, the proposed package includes an overhaul of other school-safety measures. Senate Education Committee Chairman Manny Diaz called the proposal “monumental” and said it was crafted to include most of the recommendations made in a 458-page report by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission. The commission overwhelmingly favored expanding the “guardian” program and recommended strengthening school requirements to report crimes and other safety-related incidents, as well as sanctions for superintendents who under-report such incidents. “One year ago this week, we made a commitment to the students and families of Parkland that we would do everything in our power to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. … So I am very pleased this critical school safety legislation gets to the heart of the commission recommendations,” Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said in a press release following Tuesday’s committee action. But Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat who is the CEO of the Florida Association of School Superintendents, questioned the policy of arming teachers. “We’re at the verge of considering a monumental change in public education,” Montford said. “We are shifting the mission of public education from being one of teaching to being one of teaching and law enforcement.” Most members of the public who addressed the committee focused on lawmakers’ efforts to have more armed teachers in schools. Dozens of individuals — including several members of the gun-control advocacy group, Moms Demand Action — spoke against that part of the proposal. Berman argued that the guardian program is less than a year old and that “there is no evidence that the program works.” “We haven’t seen an instance where the guardian program has proven to be effective, so why are we expanding it?” she asked. Diaz acknowledged there are no studies that show the guardian program has worked since it went into effect less than a year ago. But the Hialeah Republican he wants “to go with the work of the commission.” “We had members in that commission who were totally opposed to any armed personnel and, after serving on this commission, they have come to us with this recommendation,” he said. The proposal is still in its early drafting stages and will likely be reviewed by the Senate Appropriations Committee to iron out funding issues before it is ready for a full Senate vote, Diaz said. Galvano’s office on Tuesday also said a separate piece of legislation, expected to be filed in the coming weeks, would seek to implement the commission’s recommendations about enhancing 911 emergency services’ duty to warn school districts when a threat is made.