Cape Coral’s new council eliminates stipend on day oneMan arrested for fatal hit-and-run crash with motorcyclist in Lehigh Acres
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral’s new council eliminates stipend on day one People in Cape Coral are getting what they voted for: the new city council members were just sworn in, and they eliminated the stipend.
LEHIGH ACRES Man arrested for fatal hit-and-run crash with motorcyclist in Lehigh Acres A man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist on Tuesday night.
Latest details on fatal Alligator Alley crash ; 1 killed According to the arrest report, a man told troopers he got a minivan from a pastor but did not get permission to take it out because he left in the middle of the night
Enforcing state law on street camping in Punta Gorda More than a month since the new state law banning sleeping in public places went into effect the city of Punta Gorda voted on if an ordinance change was needed.
Cape Coral home vandalized; homeowner calls it a “hate crime” A man returned to his unfinished Cape Coral home to find it’s been violated and vandalized. Cape Coral police are searching for the suspect.
SWFL organizations putting donated money to good use 41 Southwest Florida organizations are still in shock about the millions of dollars they received from philanthropist Tom Golisano.
Utility scams awareness day: what you need to know Wednesday is utility scams awareness day. These types of scams target customers by going door-to-door, sending phone calls or texts and using false information online.
NAPLES Salvation Army of Collier County kicks off annual Christmas toy drive The Salvation Army of Collier County has kicked off its annual Christmas toy drive, and you won’t have to travel far to get involved.
Record Store Day Black Friday: Where to go in SWFL Record Store Day Black Friday is approaching quickly, and if you’re not looking for a new TV or a video game console, go to your local record store, as they will have exclusive deals to expand your record collection.
Manasota Key residents concerned over new development on the island Residents of a small island community are expressing their concerns about potential changes to their neighborhood.
FORT MYERS Resident reacts to plan for new Amazon facility in Fort Myers Amazon has paid $66.5M for 143 acres in Fort Myers to build a new warehouse. A resident who lives by the property said she has reservations about the facility.
ESTERO Caught on Camera: Woman accused of stealing from Kate Spade outlet A Cape Coral woman has been arrested for grand theft after she was allegedly caught on camera shoplifting at a Kate Spade store in Estero.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers basketball player returns to the court after two years Fort Myers High School basketball player Karsten Schafer played his first game in two years Tuesday night after having a spinal surgery.
Southwest Florida Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 20, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 20, 2024.
Boy’s journey of overcoming short bowel syndrome The road can be long and difficult for children born with short bowel syndrome. Rare and sometimes fatal, the best shot at good quality of life involves a transplant.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral’s new council eliminates stipend on day one People in Cape Coral are getting what they voted for: the new city council members were just sworn in, and they eliminated the stipend.
LEHIGH ACRES Man arrested for fatal hit-and-run crash with motorcyclist in Lehigh Acres A man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist on Tuesday night.
Latest details on fatal Alligator Alley crash ; 1 killed According to the arrest report, a man told troopers he got a minivan from a pastor but did not get permission to take it out because he left in the middle of the night
Enforcing state law on street camping in Punta Gorda More than a month since the new state law banning sleeping in public places went into effect the city of Punta Gorda voted on if an ordinance change was needed.
Cape Coral home vandalized; homeowner calls it a “hate crime” A man returned to his unfinished Cape Coral home to find it’s been violated and vandalized. Cape Coral police are searching for the suspect.
SWFL organizations putting donated money to good use 41 Southwest Florida organizations are still in shock about the millions of dollars they received from philanthropist Tom Golisano.
Utility scams awareness day: what you need to know Wednesday is utility scams awareness day. These types of scams target customers by going door-to-door, sending phone calls or texts and using false information online.
NAPLES Salvation Army of Collier County kicks off annual Christmas toy drive The Salvation Army of Collier County has kicked off its annual Christmas toy drive, and you won’t have to travel far to get involved.
Record Store Day Black Friday: Where to go in SWFL Record Store Day Black Friday is approaching quickly, and if you’re not looking for a new TV or a video game console, go to your local record store, as they will have exclusive deals to expand your record collection.
Manasota Key residents concerned over new development on the island Residents of a small island community are expressing their concerns about potential changes to their neighborhood.
FORT MYERS Resident reacts to plan for new Amazon facility in Fort Myers Amazon has paid $66.5M for 143 acres in Fort Myers to build a new warehouse. A resident who lives by the property said she has reservations about the facility.
ESTERO Caught on Camera: Woman accused of stealing from Kate Spade outlet A Cape Coral woman has been arrested for grand theft after she was allegedly caught on camera shoplifting at a Kate Spade store in Estero.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers basketball player returns to the court after two years Fort Myers High School basketball player Karsten Schafer played his first game in two years Tuesday night after having a spinal surgery.
Southwest Florida Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 20, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 20, 2024.
Boy’s journey of overcoming short bowel syndrome The road can be long and difficult for children born with short bowel syndrome. Rare and sometimes fatal, the best shot at good quality of life involves a transplant.
Sign warning intruders the house has Xfinity Home Security. (Credit: WINK News) First-time homeowners are hit with a surprise bill. They said Cape Coral Police Dept. charged the for a false alarm on their new security system. Jessica Feickert moved to Cape Coral a few months ago with her 2-year-old son and fiance. It is their first home. For safety reasons, they got an alarm system with Xfinity. Feickert told WINK News the installer said she needed to register the alarm with Lee County. However, the company told her it would register for them. Turns out that did not happen. Cape Coral Police Dept. dispatcher answers the call for emergency services. (Credit: WINK News) The alarm went off while they were not home. Feickert told Xfinity to send police to the home. “It could’ve been life-threatening,” Feickert said. “Something could’ve been stolen.” The good news was that Cape Coral Police Dept. officers found nothing was wrong. But the bad news was a bill for $75 for not registering with the department. Sgt. Patrick O’Grady, from the CCPD, said if the home is registered then they know where it is within the city. “It shows that we have a contract with them,” Sgt. O’Grady added. Sgt. O’Grady told us CCPD officers respond to thousands of false alarms each year. The fine is designed to hold alarm owners accountable for false alarms. The registration allows them to get in contact with homeowners quicker. But that does not ease Feickert’s fears for the next time the alarm goes off. Now she worries about weighing the repercussions of an emergency that turns out to be a false alarm. “Do we pay the $75 for it to be a potential false alarm?” Feickert said. “Or do we just wait it out and hope that nothing was taken?” Xfinity response A spokesperson told us it had to be a miscommunication or the installer needs further training. Typically, it is the homeowners’ responsibility to register with the proper police agency. False alarm procedures for alarm systems and police agencies Xfinity: Call you first. Call all other contacts within about two minutes; then the police are notified if no one answers. ADT– Will call you and will only dispatch to the police if you answer. If not, it will try all other contacts. Within a minute to two minutes, then it will send the police. BRINK: Sends resident a text or email to hit a button to respond. No response in 45 seconds, then it will call the police. AT&T: Call you and other contacts first. Then, if no one answers, it dispatches police. VITEX: Sends an email and text alert to respond, too. If there is no response within a minute, it will contact the police. Ordinances Collier County New Collier policy: The county says, “the text or email of the false warning comes from the actual police department. When you get an alert or call when your alarm is going off, it is coming from the actual alarm system. (Usually, you have to download an app) That’s where you will get a call, text, or message. They used to do a written warning, so this is them trying to go paperless.” According to Collier County False Alarm Ordinance 2019-04, the fine schedule for false alarms occurring within 180 days is as follows: False alarm fine schedule: First false alarm response No fine Second false alarm response No fine if registered, $25 alarm fine if not registered, plus $25 registration fine Third and fourth false alarm response $75 false alarm fine Fifth and sixth false alarm response $100 false alarm fine Seventh and eighth false alarm response $150 false alarm fine Ninth and consecutive false alarm response $200 false alarm fine Naples First response is no charge; Second response within six months of a first response is $10.00; Third response within six months of a first response and each succeeding response within six months after the last response is $75.00. Charlotte County For the first two false activation, there is no fine. But, any additional false activation within a one-year period will result as follows: Third response is $35; Fourth response is $60; Fifth response is $85; Sixth response is a required court appearance. The Charlotte County Sheriff may impose and administrative fee not to exceed $10 in addition to the above described fines. Lee County First and second false alarms $25.00 each; however, if the alarm operator has a valid alarm permit, then there is no fine for the first false alarm; Third and fourth false alarms $50.00 each; Fifth and sixth false alarms $100.00 each; Seventh and eighth false alarms $200.00 each; Ninth and above false alarms $400.00 each. The additional fine for false alarms from a non-permitted alarm system or from an alarm system with a revoked permit is $200.00. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office may reduce this amount to $50.00 if the alarm system is permitted within 10 days of the false alarm. Fort Myers Registration fee is $25 Fees for registered burglar false alarm: First response is free; Second response is $50 or alarm school; Third response is $75; Fourth response is $100; Fifth response is $150; Six or more responses is $200. Fees for non registered burglar false alarm: First response is $50.00; Second response is $150.00; Third response is $175.00; Fourth response is $200.00; Fifth response is $250.00; Six or more responses is $300.00. Cape Coral Number of false alarms in 12 months and associated fine First incident is $25;* Second incident is $25;** Third incident is $50; Fourth incident is $50; Fifth incident is $100; Sixth incident is $100; Seventh incident is $200; Eight incident is $200; Ninth or more incidents are $400; Non-Permitted or alarms with revoked permits are $200 each incident. * Fine is waived for the 1st False Alarm for registered systems. ** There shall be no fine for the second false alarm If the alarm operator has a valid permit; and provides certification from a registered alarm contractor stating that the alarm operator received instruction regarding the proper operation and maintenance of the alarm system; and provides certification that the alarm contractor has inspected the offending alarm system and found it to be either free of defects or, if any defect has been found, that the alarm system has been repaired or replaced so that, if operated properly, the alarm system shall not falsely activate.