Precautionary boil water notice for small portion of Lee County Utilities customers8 dead, at least 40 hurt after bus transporting farm workers overturns
SOUTH FORT MYERS Precautionary boil water notice for small portion of Lee County Utilities customers Repair work is expected to be completed overnight and water service will be restored before early morning Wednesday.
NEAR DUNNELLON 8 dead, at least 40 hurt after bus transporting farm workers overturns At least eight people have been killed, and dozens of others have been hurt in a bus crash near Dunnellon after it was hit by a pickup truck.
LEHIGH ACRES Could tiny homes be coming to Lee County? Miniopolis Builders, a company with a vision to revolutionize affordable housing, is facing challenges in bringing their innovative concept to life in Lee County.
ARCADIA Fifteen-year-old beat up during basketball game A pick-up game of basketball at Desoto County High School turned into a physical beating for fifteen-year-old Jeremiah Ward.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte man found guilty for role in January 6 riots John Joseph Richter is now convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding.
Commissioners react to colleague living outside of his district The first Glades Commissioners meeting since Florida Department of Law Enforcement released their investigation findings happened on Tuesday.
NAPLES Former News-Press Food Critic writes powerful memoir, “The Mango Tree” For 15 years, Annabelle Tometich wrote under the famous byline Jean Le Beouf as a food critic for the News-Press. Now, she tells her personal story in her book, “The Mango Tree.”
SAN CARLOS BAY ‘It was incredible’ Couple has close encounter with shark while kayaking on San Carlos Bay Sandrine Fontaine and Arnaud Fontaine come to Southwest Florida twice a year from France, and they try to spend every day kayaking out on the water.
FORT MYERS AI: Friend or Foe for local businesses? Artificial intelligence, otherwise known as AI, has the power to maximize a product. Including local businesses like Vectra Digital.
Protest erupts before Glades Commissioners meeting Early on Tuesday morning, a group of people stood outside of the Glades County Commissioners meeting protesting Commissioner Whidden.
GOLDEN GATE Deputies investigating stabbing at home in Golden Gate Deputies are outside of a house for a stabbing investigation. Collier County deputies said there is one person hurt.
Is there an arsonist on the loose in Lehigh Acres? Fire investigators are looking into a series of suspicious fires in Lehigh Acres that have them wondering if there is an arsonist on the loose.
Collier commissioners push plan to allow rental of guesthouses in Urban Estates The 4-1 vote, which includes a review after one year and a Code Enforcement report, involves homesteaded properties in an area of North Naples west of Collier Boulevard.
Gulf Citrus Growers Association shuts down The association’s closure means farmers across the region no longer have a group that can provide them support with local governments in lobbying for citrus-friendly public policies.
FORT MYERS Maintenance work to temporarily shut down section of Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve boardwalk The section of the boardwalk trail along Gator Lake at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers will temporarily close on Monday for maintenance.
SOUTH FORT MYERS Precautionary boil water notice for small portion of Lee County Utilities customers Repair work is expected to be completed overnight and water service will be restored before early morning Wednesday.
NEAR DUNNELLON 8 dead, at least 40 hurt after bus transporting farm workers overturns At least eight people have been killed, and dozens of others have been hurt in a bus crash near Dunnellon after it was hit by a pickup truck.
LEHIGH ACRES Could tiny homes be coming to Lee County? Miniopolis Builders, a company with a vision to revolutionize affordable housing, is facing challenges in bringing their innovative concept to life in Lee County.
ARCADIA Fifteen-year-old beat up during basketball game A pick-up game of basketball at Desoto County High School turned into a physical beating for fifteen-year-old Jeremiah Ward.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte man found guilty for role in January 6 riots John Joseph Richter is now convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding.
Commissioners react to colleague living outside of his district The first Glades Commissioners meeting since Florida Department of Law Enforcement released their investigation findings happened on Tuesday.
NAPLES Former News-Press Food Critic writes powerful memoir, “The Mango Tree” For 15 years, Annabelle Tometich wrote under the famous byline Jean Le Beouf as a food critic for the News-Press. Now, she tells her personal story in her book, “The Mango Tree.”
SAN CARLOS BAY ‘It was incredible’ Couple has close encounter with shark while kayaking on San Carlos Bay Sandrine Fontaine and Arnaud Fontaine come to Southwest Florida twice a year from France, and they try to spend every day kayaking out on the water.
FORT MYERS AI: Friend or Foe for local businesses? Artificial intelligence, otherwise known as AI, has the power to maximize a product. Including local businesses like Vectra Digital.
Protest erupts before Glades Commissioners meeting Early on Tuesday morning, a group of people stood outside of the Glades County Commissioners meeting protesting Commissioner Whidden.
GOLDEN GATE Deputies investigating stabbing at home in Golden Gate Deputies are outside of a house for a stabbing investigation. Collier County deputies said there is one person hurt.
Is there an arsonist on the loose in Lehigh Acres? Fire investigators are looking into a series of suspicious fires in Lehigh Acres that have them wondering if there is an arsonist on the loose.
Collier commissioners push plan to allow rental of guesthouses in Urban Estates The 4-1 vote, which includes a review after one year and a Code Enforcement report, involves homesteaded properties in an area of North Naples west of Collier Boulevard.
Gulf Citrus Growers Association shuts down The association’s closure means farmers across the region no longer have a group that can provide them support with local governments in lobbying for citrus-friendly public policies.
FORT MYERS Maintenance work to temporarily shut down section of Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve boardwalk The section of the boardwalk trail along Gator Lake at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers will temporarily close on Monday for maintenance.
Robert Ganassin (CCSO) A maintenance man has been charged with molesting a dementia patient at a senior living facility in Naples, according to a report from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. Collier County Sheriff’s Office arrested Robert D. Ganassin, 79, of Naples after being accused of abusing an elderly patient at his place of work. Deputies say an initial report was filed against Terrancina Grand Senior Living following a “suspicious incident against the elderly,” the report states. The adult daughter of the elderly victim expressed much concern over the “numerous incidents” that had occurred in regard to her mother. Deputies say the daughter told them a ripped off pair of Depends adult diapers that her mother wears were found under the bed as well as under the bathroom sink, on a separate occasion. She claimed her mother suffers from dementia and “does not like to remove her clothing at any time.” Ganassin was employed by the facility as a maintenance man. According to the report, Ganassin was found in the victim’s room with the door locked on multiple occasions. On another day, he was found hiding under the bathroom sink. The victim’s daughter told deputies that she had concerns for her mother’s safety, so she installed a CCTV camera in the residence. The camera captured disturbing video showing Ganassin inappropriately touching the victim. Deputies say he was also seen attempting to sexually assault the victim, but she was able to prevent him from doing so. CCSO says Director Tracy Hooks and other staff of Terracina Grand were contacted in regards to the case. They said an internal investigation was conducted, but found some inconsistency in one of the reported statements, so they closed the case. Deputies said they contacted Hooks again this month and advised her of the recent investigation. Hooks also found that the camera system in the building had been tampered with. Once the system was restored, it was discovered that Ganassin was the only one entering or leaving the area right after the camera system was disturbed. This past Sunday, Ganassin was made aware of the investigation and suspended from his job at the facility pending the outcome of the investigation. In speaking with the responding deputy, Ganassin admitted to knowing that the victim suffers from dementia and said that he tries to help her. He denied ever having sexual relations of any kind with the victim. Ganassin was arrested based on the probable cause developed during the investigation, according to the responding deputy. Ganassin was charged with Lewd and Lascivious Molestation of an Elderly and/or Disabled Adult and Criminal Mischief, according to CCSO, and was transported to Naples Jail Center. WINK News reached out to Terracina Grand in reference to the incident. Director Hooks released the following statement: The safety and well-being of our residents is our highest priority. We are fully committed to providing a safe and caring environment for our residents. We are aware criminal charges were filed against a former employee of Terracina Grand. We are fully cooperating with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office in their investigation. As investigation is ongoing, we cannot comment further.