The 52nd annual Fort Myers Boat Show beginsTracking Tropical Depression 19, expected to become Tropical Storm Sara
FORT MYERS The 52nd annual Fort Myers Boat Show begins An annual Fort Myers tradition has returned as the region’s premier display of boats and boating products, which will be on full display for enthusiasts to enjoy.
the weather authority Tracking Tropical Depression 19, expected to become Tropical Storm Sara The Weather Authority is tracking Tropical Depression 19, which is forecast to strengthen into Tropical Storm Sara in the Caribbean later this Thursday afternoon.
the weather authority Gorgeous Thursday afternoon with highs in the mid 80s The Weather Authority is tracking pleasant afternoon conditions with temperatures in the mid-80s this Thursday.
SANIBEL Failed air quality tests push back reopening date for The Sanibel School The tentative reopening of The Sanibel School has been pushed back once again after being closed since Hurricane Milton.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police respond to rollover crash; driver flees scene The Fort Myers Police Department responded to a crash involving one vehicle on Colonial Gardens Circle and Colonial Boulevard.
FORT MYERS West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response A nearly $64 million luxury apartment complex that close to 500 people call home, but somehow, security seems to fall through the cracks.
NAPLES Collier County nearly doubles tourism budget On Tuesday, Collier County Commissioners approved a nearly $12 million budget for a tourism marketing campaign.
Florida policyholders urged to contact OIR if policies are canceled or nonrenewed If your insurance has been canceled or is not being renewed due to this year’s storms, the state of Florida wants you to reach out to the Office of Insurance Regulation.
BAREFOOT BEACH Woman thinks QR code got hacked A Fort Myers woman says a fraudulent QR code at Barefoot Beach caused her credit card to be hacked. She’s on a mission to warn others.
CAPE CORAL Sticker shock: Cape Coral residents hit with unexpected property tax hikes This is the time of year when people start paying their property taxes, but what happens when you get your bill and it’s more than you expected?
SANIBEL Sanibel workshop teaches residents benefits of elevating homes and businesses With each hurricane that brings damage to our area, many people rush to be more resilient. On Sanibel, more than 300 people have RSVP’d to learn about raising their homes and businesses.
SANIBEL Sanibel Causeway construction causing confusion and costing local business Repairing the Sanibel Causeway after recent storms has caused more than just traffic back-ups.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Speakeasy in downtown Fort Myers honors local historic figures Everything inside the Escondido Lounge whispers an authentic speakeasy, from the dim red lights to the fancy vintage glasses.
ESTERO Caught on camera: Man steals money from tip jar in Estero A business manager feels violated after a man took money from a tip jar on Tuesday.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral ranked 13th for establishing small businesses A blog set out to find the top U.S. cities where aspiring business owners can thrive in 2024, Cape Coral was named 13th.
FORT MYERS The 52nd annual Fort Myers Boat Show begins An annual Fort Myers tradition has returned as the region’s premier display of boats and boating products, which will be on full display for enthusiasts to enjoy.
the weather authority Tracking Tropical Depression 19, expected to become Tropical Storm Sara The Weather Authority is tracking Tropical Depression 19, which is forecast to strengthen into Tropical Storm Sara in the Caribbean later this Thursday afternoon.
the weather authority Gorgeous Thursday afternoon with highs in the mid 80s The Weather Authority is tracking pleasant afternoon conditions with temperatures in the mid-80s this Thursday.
SANIBEL Failed air quality tests push back reopening date for The Sanibel School The tentative reopening of The Sanibel School has been pushed back once again after being closed since Hurricane Milton.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police respond to rollover crash; driver flees scene The Fort Myers Police Department responded to a crash involving one vehicle on Colonial Gardens Circle and Colonial Boulevard.
FORT MYERS West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response A nearly $64 million luxury apartment complex that close to 500 people call home, but somehow, security seems to fall through the cracks.
NAPLES Collier County nearly doubles tourism budget On Tuesday, Collier County Commissioners approved a nearly $12 million budget for a tourism marketing campaign.
Florida policyholders urged to contact OIR if policies are canceled or nonrenewed If your insurance has been canceled or is not being renewed due to this year’s storms, the state of Florida wants you to reach out to the Office of Insurance Regulation.
BAREFOOT BEACH Woman thinks QR code got hacked A Fort Myers woman says a fraudulent QR code at Barefoot Beach caused her credit card to be hacked. She’s on a mission to warn others.
CAPE CORAL Sticker shock: Cape Coral residents hit with unexpected property tax hikes This is the time of year when people start paying their property taxes, but what happens when you get your bill and it’s more than you expected?
SANIBEL Sanibel workshop teaches residents benefits of elevating homes and businesses With each hurricane that brings damage to our area, many people rush to be more resilient. On Sanibel, more than 300 people have RSVP’d to learn about raising their homes and businesses.
SANIBEL Sanibel Causeway construction causing confusion and costing local business Repairing the Sanibel Causeway after recent storms has caused more than just traffic back-ups.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Speakeasy in downtown Fort Myers honors local historic figures Everything inside the Escondido Lounge whispers an authentic speakeasy, from the dim red lights to the fancy vintage glasses.
ESTERO Caught on camera: Man steals money from tip jar in Estero A business manager feels violated after a man took money from a tip jar on Tuesday.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral ranked 13th for establishing small businesses A blog set out to find the top U.S. cities where aspiring business owners can thrive in 2024, Cape Coral was named 13th.
FILE Photo of FMPD Officer Jason Jackson. Credit: WINK News. Henry Jackson said his son Jason wanted to be a police officer since he was a little boy. In 2007, Jason Jackson became a fully certified officer with the Fort Myers Police department and excelled. He passed the detective’s exam and got promoted to a newly formed gang unit in 2016. A few months later, he was named officer of the month for his role in a police standoff with a murder suspect. But then in 2017, Chief Derrick Diggs placed Jackson on paid administrative leave for “misconduct.” Jackson and three others were suspended: Capt. Melvin Perry, Sgt. Michael Forbes, and Sgt. Rick Notaro. Henry Jackson To date: the department has never explained why. The other three officers have all retired, but Jackson remains on paid leave, collecting full pay and benefits. He has been paid around $220,000 since 2017. “I’m going to rejoice the day that they say they don’t have anything and they say I’m sorry I messed up four years of your life,” said Henry Jackson, who wants to restore his son’s reputation. Sources told WINK News investigative reporter Lauren Sweeney that Jackson, Perry, Forbes, and Notaro are part of a federal criminal investigation into drugs, murder, and public corruption. The head of the police union said the investigation is tied to the case against Robert Ward, an alleged drug kingpin whose accused of ordering the murder of a police informant in 2012. READ MORE: Is a 3-year police misconduct investigation connected to the murder of a federal drug informant? Kristopher Smith was murdered in Fort Myers in early 2013. The officers received target letters from the United States Attorney’s Office in 2018 the day before Ward was indicted. According to Henry Jackson, his son reported to the courthouse in Tampa, as instructed in the letter. “I don’t know exactly what happened on that particular date, but he came back home,” said Henry Jackson. He believes rumors were started by a detective at the department, which led to the investigation. In 2016, an internal affairs investigation was launched into Det. Emily Destefanis for things she’d said about Jackson, Perry, and Forbes in front of coworkers. According to the investigation, Destefanis was discussing possible corruption with the officers, but her coworkers felt she did not have any evidence and was out of line for making the insinuation. According to audio interviews reviewed by WINK News, at one point, Destefanis discussed Jackson riding around in a car with someone that was a known drug dealer. The comment was made in front of two coworkers who are both black and who defended Jackson. “I reiterated the fact that Jason does football for the football league locally for Dunbar… and all of the kids even with some of those guys that are bad guys they’re out there doing the things that they’re doing, (but) it could be that his kid is on the team that Jackson is affiliated with,” said Chevalia Jones during an interview with the professional standards bureau in 2017. Destefanis admitted to talking about information on a murder case leaking out into the community due to Perry’s familial connection with the victim. She also spoke about a connection between the ex-wife of Forbes and the murder victim. Destefanis was eventually reprimanded for her comments and given counseling. But Henry Jackson feels these rumors made their way to the ear of Chief Derrick Diggs, who decided to place his son and the others on paid leave. “You’re going on four years, and you haven’t even charged anyone with a crime,” he said. Accused drug kingpin Robert Ward will not go to trial until January 2021. The United States Attorney’s Office will not confirm the connection between the officers and his case. The Fort Myers Police Department has continually declined to comment on anything to do with the suspended officers.