Exclusive interview with cape leaders about families displaced through city projectDemolition begins on Bimini East properties
CAPE CORAL Exclusive interview with cape leaders about families displaced through city project Residents near Bimini Square in Cape Coral face displacement as bulldozers demolish buildings for a new development project.
CAPE CORAL Demolition begins on Bimini East properties Demolition has begun on the Bimini East properties that are part of the City of Cape Coral’s revitalization development.
Lee County Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 22, 2025 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 22, 2025.
Charlotte County sheriff: deputy-involved shooting suspect was on 68 medications Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell has revealed new details regarding a deputy-involved shooting on Eager Road last week.
Plans for Aquarius Hotel receive final design approval in Naples A proposed 18-unit boutique hotel with a restaurant received unanimous final design approval Jan. 22 by the Naples Design Review Board.
What you need to know for FEMA transitional sheltering assistance Many in Southwest Florida are dealing with unlivable conditions after a series of hurricanes hit the area last fall.
FORT MYERS BEACH Suspect wanted for stealing electric bike in Fort Myers Beach Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect who stole an electric bike in Fort Myers Beach.
Kelly’s Roast Beef, Oar & Iron continue SWFL expansion A Massachusetts-based restaurant company is bringing a taste of its home state to Southwest Florida, plus a new surf and turf concept aimed at people who call the region home.
GOLDEN GATE Investigation at Golden Gate Middle School after overnight burglary An overnight burglary at a middle school had deputies rushing to the scene, causing parents to have to wait to drop their children off.
Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann court date rescheduled Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann is set to appear in court after pleading not guilty to her drunk driving charge.
Bonita springs ‘Cold stunned’ evening bat rescued by CROW amid frigid Florida weather The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife rescued an evening bat in Bonita Springs suspected of being “cold-stunned.”
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Morning showers move out for your Wednesday afternoon plans The Weather Authority is tracking Wednesday morning showers, then chillier conditions remain throughout the afternoon.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
LEHIGH ACRES Lee County cousins arrested for street racing at 90 mph in Lehigh Acres Lee County deputies arrested two men after witnessing them racing down Lee Boulevard at nearly 90 mph.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers activist reacts to shutdown of government reproductive rights website The website ReproductiveRights.gov, which offered resources on abortion and reproductive rights, is no longer accessible.
CAPE CORAL Exclusive interview with cape leaders about families displaced through city project Residents near Bimini Square in Cape Coral face displacement as bulldozers demolish buildings for a new development project.
CAPE CORAL Demolition begins on Bimini East properties Demolition has begun on the Bimini East properties that are part of the City of Cape Coral’s revitalization development.
Lee County Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 22, 2025 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 22, 2025.
Charlotte County sheriff: deputy-involved shooting suspect was on 68 medications Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell has revealed new details regarding a deputy-involved shooting on Eager Road last week.
Plans for Aquarius Hotel receive final design approval in Naples A proposed 18-unit boutique hotel with a restaurant received unanimous final design approval Jan. 22 by the Naples Design Review Board.
What you need to know for FEMA transitional sheltering assistance Many in Southwest Florida are dealing with unlivable conditions after a series of hurricanes hit the area last fall.
FORT MYERS BEACH Suspect wanted for stealing electric bike in Fort Myers Beach Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect who stole an electric bike in Fort Myers Beach.
Kelly’s Roast Beef, Oar & Iron continue SWFL expansion A Massachusetts-based restaurant company is bringing a taste of its home state to Southwest Florida, plus a new surf and turf concept aimed at people who call the region home.
GOLDEN GATE Investigation at Golden Gate Middle School after overnight burglary An overnight burglary at a middle school had deputies rushing to the scene, causing parents to have to wait to drop their children off.
Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann court date rescheduled Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann is set to appear in court after pleading not guilty to her drunk driving charge.
Bonita springs ‘Cold stunned’ evening bat rescued by CROW amid frigid Florida weather The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife rescued an evening bat in Bonita Springs suspected of being “cold-stunned.”
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Morning showers move out for your Wednesday afternoon plans The Weather Authority is tracking Wednesday morning showers, then chillier conditions remain throughout the afternoon.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
LEHIGH ACRES Lee County cousins arrested for street racing at 90 mph in Lehigh Acres Lee County deputies arrested two men after witnessing them racing down Lee Boulevard at nearly 90 mph.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers activist reacts to shutdown of government reproductive rights website The website ReproductiveRights.gov, which offered resources on abortion and reproductive rights, is no longer accessible.
FILE – American John Walker Lindh is seen in this undated file photo obtained Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2002, from a religious school where he studied for five months in Bannu, 304 kilometers (190 miles) southwest of Islamabad, Pakistan. Lindh, the young Californian who became known as the American Taliban after he was captured by U.S. forces in the invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, is set to go free Thursday, May 23, 2019, after nearly two decades in prison. (AP Photo, File) John Walker Lindh, the young Californian who became known as the American Taliban after he was captured by U.S. forces in the invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, is set to go free after nearly two decades in prison. But conditions imposed recently on Lindh’s release, slated for Thursday, make clear that authorities remain concerned about the threat he could pose once free. Lindh converted to Islam as a teenager after seeing the film “Malcolm X” and went overseas to study Arabic and the Quran. In November 2000, he went to Pakistan and from there made his way to Afghanistan. He joined the Taliban, and was with them on Sept. 11, 2001, when al-Qaida terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The U.S. attacked Afghanistan after the country failed to turn over al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Lindh was captured in a battle with Northern Alliance fighters in late 2001. He was present when a group of Taliban prisoners launched an attack that killed Johnny Micheal “Mike” Spann, a CIA officer who had been interrogating Lindh and other Taliban prisoners. Television footage of a bearded, wounded Lindh captured among Taliban fighters created an international sensation, and he was brought to the U.S. to face charges of conspiring to kill Spann and providing support to terrorists. Eventually, he struck a plea bargain in which he admitted illegally providing support to the Taliban but denied a role in Spann’s death. Lindh received a 20-year prison sentence. He served roughly 17 years and five months, including two months when he was in military detention. Federal inmates who exhibit good behavior typically serve only 85 percent of their sentence. His probation officer asked the court to impose additional restrictions on Lindh while he remains on supervised release for the next three years. Lindh initially opposed but eventually acquiesced to the restrictions, which include monitoring software on his internet devices; requiring that his online communications be conducted in English and that he undergo mental health counseling; and forbidding him from possessing or viewing extremist material, holding a passport of any kind, or leaving the U.S. Authorities never specified their rationale for seeking such restrictions. A hearing on the issue was canceled after Lindh agreed to them. The Bureau of Prisons said Lindh rejected an interview request submitted by The Associated Press, and his lawyer declined comment. But there have been reports that Lindh’s behavior in prison has created cause for concern. Foreign Policy magazine reported in 2017 that an investigation by the National Counterterrorism Center found that Lindh “continued to advocate for global jihad and to write and translate violent extremist texts.” A former inmate who knew Lindh from the time they spent at the same federal prison said he never heard Lindh espouse support for al-Qaida or indicate he’d be a risk for violence, but he found Lindh to be antisocial and awkward around others, with an unyielding, black-and-white view of religion. The inmate spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he wanted to avoid further stigmatization from his time in Lindh’s prison unit. Michael Jensen, a terrorism researcher at the University of Maryland’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, said it’s clear the government has concerns about Lindh’s mindset. “For three years he’s going to be watched like a hawk,” Jensen said. He said Lindh represents an interesting test case, as he is on the leading edge of dozens of inmates who were convicted on terror-related offenses in the aftermath of Sept. 11 and are eligible for release in the next five years. He said there’s little research to indicate the efficacy of deradicalizing inmates with connections to radical Islam, but he said the research shows that recidivism rates for those connected to white supremacy and other forms of extremism are high. Lindh was housed in Terre Haute, Indiana, with other Muslim inmates convicted on terror-related charges. The rationale was to keep those inmates from radicalizing others in the general prison population, Jensen said. Those inside the unit were supposed to be limited in their ability to communicate with each other. “But the reality is these guys still talk to each other,” he said. Lindh, for his part, admitted his role and his wrongdoing in supporting the Taliban, but he and his family have bristled at any notion that he should be considered a terrorist. When he was sentenced, Lindh said he never would have joined the Taliban if he fully understood what they were about. He also issued a short essay condemning acts of violence in the name of Islam that kill or harm innocent civilians. Lindh’s time in prison has provided only a few clues about his current outlook. He filed multiple lawsuits, which were largely successful, challenging prison rules he found discriminatory against Muslims. In the more recent lawsuits he used the name Yahya Lindh. One lawsuit won the right to pray in groups at the prison in Terre Haute. A second lawsuit reversed a policy requiring strip searches for inmates receiving visitors, and a third won the right to wear prison pants above the ankle, which Lindh said is in accordance with Islamic principles. Some have criticized Lindh’s pending release. In March, the legislature in Alabama, where Spann grew up, adopted a resolution calling it “an insult to Agent Johnny Micheal Spann’s heroic legacy and his remaining family members.” In addition, Republican Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby and Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan wrote a letter last week to the Bureau of Prisons expressing concern. “We must consider the security and safety implications for our citizens and communities who will receive individuals like John Walker Lindh who continue to openly call for extremist violence,” they wrote.