Bonita Springs residents alarmed after car break-insLee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs residents alarmed after car break-ins A Bonita Springs homeowner is sleeping with one eye open after her social security card was stolen from her car, an incident caught on video.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
FORT MYERS Exclusive: Florida Warriors president talks misunderstanding with city On Friday, the president of Florida Warriors Hockey got a letter saying that starting July 1, his program’s rink access at the Fort Myers Skatium would be cut from 48 hours a month to only eight hours a month.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) 3 law officers killed, 5 others wounded trying to serve warrant in North Carolina, authorities say Three law enforcement officers serving a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and five other officers were wounded Monday in a shootout at a Charlotte, North Carolina, home, police said.
CAPE CORAL Massive fire leaves Cape Coral businesses in shambles Several fire rescue trucks are responding to a structure fire at a commercial building in Cape Coral.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers residents concerned over abandoned boat A day out in the water turned into an alarming discovery for one North Fort Myers family.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers first responders stress safety after rollover crash Fort Myers fire department officials are pointing to safety and awareness following a recent rollover crash on Palm Beach Blvd. and Oasis Way.
NAPLES FSU pitcher Jacob Marlowe’s determined heart is on the mound Former Barron Collier ace, now FSU pitcher Jacob Marlowe is recovering from two open heart surgeries in five days.
Contrasting Lee, Collier and Charlotte homicide rates to nationwide numbers The Wall Street Journal says nationwide homicide rates have dropped by 20% compared to the numbers from 2023.
New program to make life more manageable for Parkinson’s patients A new program, backed by research, was created using the power of spin cycling to redefine the fight against Parkinson’s.
Medicaid class action gets go-ahead A federal judge has cleared the way for a class-action lawsuit that alleges Florida did not properly inform people before dropping them from the Medicaid program after a COVID-19 public health emergency ended.
FORT MYERS New downtown Fort Myers parking options coming soon Two new spots are coming for you to park on nights and weekends in downtown Fort Myers, but you’ll still have to pay.
LEHIGH ACRES Caught on Camera: Family ‘sucker-punched’ in Lehigh Acres brawl A woman is speaking out about a conflict she was involved in at Barefoot Lake.
Miracle Moment: Christina Soriero Doctors diagnosed 22-year-old Christina Soriero with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma when she was just 18. A time in her life when the only thing she should have been dealing with was senioritis and getting ready for life after high school.
DeSantis signs bill impacting new mothers and jury duty Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that will impact new mothers and their eligibility to serve on jury duty.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs residents alarmed after car break-ins A Bonita Springs homeowner is sleeping with one eye open after her social security card was stolen from her car, an incident caught on video.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
FORT MYERS Exclusive: Florida Warriors president talks misunderstanding with city On Friday, the president of Florida Warriors Hockey got a letter saying that starting July 1, his program’s rink access at the Fort Myers Skatium would be cut from 48 hours a month to only eight hours a month.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) 3 law officers killed, 5 others wounded trying to serve warrant in North Carolina, authorities say Three law enforcement officers serving a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and five other officers were wounded Monday in a shootout at a Charlotte, North Carolina, home, police said.
CAPE CORAL Massive fire leaves Cape Coral businesses in shambles Several fire rescue trucks are responding to a structure fire at a commercial building in Cape Coral.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers residents concerned over abandoned boat A day out in the water turned into an alarming discovery for one North Fort Myers family.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers first responders stress safety after rollover crash Fort Myers fire department officials are pointing to safety and awareness following a recent rollover crash on Palm Beach Blvd. and Oasis Way.
NAPLES FSU pitcher Jacob Marlowe’s determined heart is on the mound Former Barron Collier ace, now FSU pitcher Jacob Marlowe is recovering from two open heart surgeries in five days.
Contrasting Lee, Collier and Charlotte homicide rates to nationwide numbers The Wall Street Journal says nationwide homicide rates have dropped by 20% compared to the numbers from 2023.
New program to make life more manageable for Parkinson’s patients A new program, backed by research, was created using the power of spin cycling to redefine the fight against Parkinson’s.
Medicaid class action gets go-ahead A federal judge has cleared the way for a class-action lawsuit that alleges Florida did not properly inform people before dropping them from the Medicaid program after a COVID-19 public health emergency ended.
FORT MYERS New downtown Fort Myers parking options coming soon Two new spots are coming for you to park on nights and weekends in downtown Fort Myers, but you’ll still have to pay.
LEHIGH ACRES Caught on Camera: Family ‘sucker-punched’ in Lehigh Acres brawl A woman is speaking out about a conflict she was involved in at Barefoot Lake.
Miracle Moment: Christina Soriero Doctors diagnosed 22-year-old Christina Soriero with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma when she was just 18. A time in her life when the only thing she should have been dealing with was senioritis and getting ready for life after high school.
DeSantis signs bill impacting new mothers and jury duty Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that will impact new mothers and their eligibility to serve on jury duty.
An image of the accused predator. (Credit: Sun Chronicle) A man said a camp counselor in Charlotte County sexually abused him when he was 15-years-old. The incident took place 30-years ago. His retelling might explain why so many victims never get past the trauma or get help. The victim of the abuse, Aaron Averhart, said it took place during four consecutive summers between 1986 to 1989. The Boy Scouts of America Charlotte County camp counselor, William Sheehan, whom many called Uncle Bill, was a popular member. Like any boy, the victim wanted to believe the abusive behavior would cease. But it was two weeks into the second summer when the counselor “started to rape me.” The victim was 13-years-old that summer. “And it just got progressively worse from there.” The accused predator, Sheehan, is now dead. Sheehan is accused of molesting children in Massachusets but was never arrested. In the third and fourth summers, “he had started to choke me,” the victim said. Sheehan would dunk him into the waterfront to the point where the victim thought he would not return to the surface alive. When Sheehan choked him, “sometimes to the point before unconsciousness,” he said, “sometimes fully unconscious.” The horrid behavior led the victim to consider cutting his wrist while at the camp. So far in Southwest Florida, only Averhart has come forward. He finally, at 15-years-old, had the courage to tell someone. The person took him straight to the camp director, Keith Briggs. Briggs told WINK News that the victim informed him the suspect was going to his tent, “putting a pillow over my face” until the point of passing out. That the suspect has “been molesting me.” Briggs called the cops and the Boy Scouts. But Averhart said, his interview with deputies did not help a all. He said before they asked what happened, there was a vocabulary lesson. The traumatic experience started with one of the detectives, grilling Averhart about 15 minutes before the interview started about the word, “perjury,” and if the victim knew what it meant. “If I knew that what I was saying wasn’t going to perjure myself,” Averhart said. “I was under the impression that anything I said that couldn’t be proven would be held against me as a legal charge.” So Averhart did not say much in the interview and not much happened. Sheehan lost his teaching certificate and his job at San Carlos Park Elementary. But the suspect was never arrested. Averhart said Briggs was the only one who did the right thing. But Briggs was transferred away and told us that he could never find out about what happened to Averhart. Right now, Advehart suffers from Post-traumatic stress disorder. His marriage is breaking up. He said it is all because of this. “Did anybody ever care what happened to you?” said Chris Cifatte, WINK News evening anchor. “Never heard a peep about it from the boy scouts,” Averhart said. “And still, to this point, they refuse to discuss anything with me.” But, Averhart now knows he is not alone. He said he has been in contact with one survivor from his scout troop. That victim asked to remain anonymous. Now, as an adult, he has a message for other victims, which is people do care. “The support has been overwhelming and amazing,” Averhart said. “More than I could anticipate.” ______ Another victim has formed a survivor’s network. The number to contact is (508) 479-8352.