SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
Joseph Comperchio (Credit: LCSO booking photo) A former Catholic school teacher was arrested Monday in Lee County for sexually assaulting students decades ago. Joseph Comperchio, 66, who lives in Fort Myers, is facing six charges in Michigan for assaulting children ages 9 to 11 in the 1970s, according to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Those charges include two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony charge punishable by up to life in prison and four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, which is a 15-year felony. Aaron Averhart is a sexual abuse survivor. He said this story hit home for him. “Embarrassment and shame is usually the biggest factor for us keeping it inside and bottled up for decades.” Averhart was saddened to learn about what Comperchio stands accused of. “They should be caught sooner, without a doubt,” Averhart said. Averhart knows personally the amount of courage it takes for victims to come forward, even years later. “When we are grappling with other issues in life and this thing just keeps rearing its ugly head until it has to get dealt with,” Averhart said. “That’s why you see a lot of people come forward 20, 30, 40 years down the line.” Rich Kolko, WINK News safety and security specialist, said the amount of time that has passed makes this a complex case. “Evidence may be gone, may have disappeared,” Kolko said. “Witnesses no longer remember what they saw, or they may even be dead at this point, very complicated.” As complicated as it might be, Averhart said survivors feel comfortable now more than ever to share their stories with hope for justice. “It’s a different time. It’s OK to talk about it. It’s OK to be a survivor instead of feeling guilt and shame,” Averhart said. “It’s nice to see potentially justice served after decades for someone.” Comperchio taught drama and music at St. John Catholic School in Jackson, Michigan. We learned through the Michigan attorney general Comperchio also formerly taught at Canterbury School in the Cypress Lake community of Lee County. Comperchio is in custody at Lee County Jail without bond. His arraignment is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday. The Canterbury School said there were two former employees from two different decades accused of misconduct involving minors, but the school did not release their names. Canterbury School statement Protecting our students is paramount. We learned through news accounts that two former employees from two different decades have been accused of misconduct involving minors. Neither of the accused has a current relationship with our school. There is nothing more important to us than the safety and well-being of our students and staff. We are taking these allegations very seriously. We have zero-tolerance for even the perception of wrong-doing and will vigorously conduct our own thorough internal investigation and will fully cooperate with authorities.