Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s DayFort Myers gears up for Edison Festival parade; road closures in place
CAPE CORAL Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s Day Love Your Rebellion hosted the Goth Gala for the Forlorn at Nice Guys Pizza in Cape Coral on Friday night.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival parade; road closures in place Downtown Fort Myers is buzzing with excitement as the Edison Festival of Light Parade is set to begin.
the weather authority Near-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday The Weather Authority says the above-normal temperatures that Southwest Florida has been experiencing will stick around yet again for Saturday.
LEE COUNTY Savannah Bananas bring fun on the diamond at JetBlue Park The Savannah Bananas amazed and entertained a sold out JetBlue Park Friday night for the first time in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Cape Coral mailbox hit by drifting car A Cape Coral homeowner was left in shock after a car sent her mailbox flying through the air and left tire tracks next to her home.
ARCADIA DeSoto County man sentenced for deadly DUI crash Justice for a mother and son killed by a man driving under the influence.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Fort Myers Savannah Bananas make their way to Fort Myers for first time The Savannah Bananas have made their way to JetBlue Park for Friday’s sold-out game in Fort Myers to watch “the greatest show in sports.”
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PORT CHARLOTTE Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Port Charlotte kicked off its 31st annual Greek Fest on Friday.
Donations helping young kids get fed Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the community, and organizations like the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Meals of Hope and the Guadalupe Center are stepping up to help.
New risk factors contribute to heart disease February is American Heart Month, a perfect time to assess your heart health.
CAPE CORAL Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s Day Love Your Rebellion hosted the Goth Gala for the Forlorn at Nice Guys Pizza in Cape Coral on Friday night.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival parade; road closures in place Downtown Fort Myers is buzzing with excitement as the Edison Festival of Light Parade is set to begin.
the weather authority Near-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday The Weather Authority says the above-normal temperatures that Southwest Florida has been experiencing will stick around yet again for Saturday.
LEE COUNTY Savannah Bananas bring fun on the diamond at JetBlue Park The Savannah Bananas amazed and entertained a sold out JetBlue Park Friday night for the first time in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Cape Coral mailbox hit by drifting car A Cape Coral homeowner was left in shock after a car sent her mailbox flying through the air and left tire tracks next to her home.
ARCADIA DeSoto County man sentenced for deadly DUI crash Justice for a mother and son killed by a man driving under the influence.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Fort Myers Savannah Bananas make their way to Fort Myers for first time The Savannah Bananas have made their way to JetBlue Park for Friday’s sold-out game in Fort Myers to watch “the greatest show in sports.”
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PORT CHARLOTTE Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Port Charlotte kicked off its 31st annual Greek Fest on Friday.
Donations helping young kids get fed Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the community, and organizations like the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Meals of Hope and the Guadalupe Center are stepping up to help.
New risk factors contribute to heart disease February is American Heart Month, a perfect time to assess your heart health.
Maurice Keshner. Credit: WINK News. Maurice Keshner showed up wearing a badge that read “City of New York Emergency Medical Service” and claimed it was the first time since 2001 he decided to speak about what he saw that day. During a memorial service to remember the lives lost on 9/11 at Freedom Park in Naples, Keshner was asked to speak. His story was like something you would read from a book. Keshner claimed he was retired as an EMS chief and was called out of retirement to help out. He said he was flown in by helicopter and “landed right at the site.” Keshner said he was the “commanding officer” of the World Trade Center site for 30 days and was sending rescuers into the wreckage. In a story that aired Friday on WINK News, Keshner recounted his memory of finding children’s bodies. When the stories told by Keshner appeared on WINK News and in the Naples Daily News, it caught the attention of another retired New York City first responder. “There were just too many things that were like, this smells like a rat,” said James Rallis, a retired FDNY captain who now lives in Naples. Rallis was part of Ladder 11 and was in the Lower East Side of Manhattan the day terrorists attacked the World Trade Center. Six members of Ladder 11 died that day. He said the pain of that day is not a distant memory for him. He teared up talking about it. But one thing Rallis doesn’t remember is Maurice Keshner. He said he’d never heard of him. A spokesperson for FDNY said that Keshner was not part of FDNY EMS, and the entire story was fabricated. The fallen officer’s organization that hosted the 9/11 event and the board members of Freedom Park say they had no knowledge about Keshner. “It’s despicable that anyone would falsely claim to be a part of that effort, but it has happened. If you do a Google or Nexis search, you’ll find other examples,” said Frank Dwyer, an FDNY deputy commissioner of public information and external affairs, by email. WINK News learned that Keshner was part of the former City of New York Emergency Services public information team in the 1970s and 1980s. There are articles from The New York Times archives that quote him as a deputy director of emergency services. In 1996, that agency was dissolved into the FDNY umbrella, and in 2001, the EMS workers in charge of the ground zero recovery efforts were part of FDNY. By phone Tuesday, Keshner backtracked on some of his original claims. He told WINK News he doesn’t remember if it was a helicopter or other vehicle that transported him to the site. He also said he was not the only person in charge that day, just that he was one of the people in charge. Keshner said he retired from New York City Emergency Services in 1984, and that Chief Andrew McCracken called him on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, to come and help. McCracken also did not corroborate Keshner’s story. “Maurice Keshner played no major role at ground zero,” said McCracken, a retired FDNY EMS chief of operations. McCracken said he did not call Keshner that day and has no memory of anyone from FDNY calling Keshner, and at no time did he see Keshner at the World Trade Center site. “Is it possible he volunteered for someone and was there? Maybe. But he was not there in any official capacity,” said McCracken, who said he knew Keshner when he was a spokesperson in the 1980s. McCracken said he hadn’t heard from Keshner in 30 years and then received a phone call from him Tuesday evening. Keshner said he has photographs and documents that substantiate his story, but he would need a few days to provide those to WINK News. “If there are people that don’t recognize me, all my comment to you would be you had to be there to know the entire chaos and the thousands of people that were there during that time,” said Keshner. But Rallis said he was deeply offended by Keshner’s story, which he called an embellishment of a tragic event. “You ran into a street-smart kid from Brooklyn, and you ran into the wrong guy,” Rallis said. “Learn to tell a better story.”