The future of electric planes in Southwest FloridaNeighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
WINK Investigates: Disgraced contractor faces new lawsuits and allegations Paul Beattie, a disgraced home builder is back doing business but legal challenges continue as another one of his businesses gets sued. Former employees of Beattie speak out, only to WINK.
SWFL reacts to UNC hiring Bill Belichick Southwest Florida reacts to North Carolina hiring Bill Belichick as its new head football coach and how that could impact the decisions of local recruits.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Some Floridians want more alone time during the holidays The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends, but nearly half of Americans say they really want more alone time during the holiday.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
Aggressive driving concerns on the rise in Southwest Florida The arrest of a man who, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said, killed a motorcyclist after crashing into him on purpose is raising concerns over aggressive driving in Southwest Florida.
SANIBEL Sanibel School students prepare for community Christmas performance The school that has had to claw and fight its way back more than once to reopen is getting the chance to celebrate.
FORT MYERS Rock For Equality: SWFL music scene to hold benefit concert for Palestine A two-venue, eight-band benefit concert is coming to Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples man sentenced in deadly bar shooting A man has been sentenced for a deadly shooting that took place at a Naples bar in March 2021.
New ovarian cancer treatments Ovarian cancer is a problematic disease because of symptoms such as nausea, bloating and diarrhea.
Largest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral The most lucrative land deal in Lee County history just closed at a price of $100 million for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral, where building up to 3,500 homes and commercial property to support it has been in the planning stages for almost two years.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Crash between RV and semi temporarily shuts down NB lanes of U.S. 41 in Charlotte A major collision near Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte County temporarily closed all northbound lanes of U.S. 41, according to the Charlotte County Sherriff’s Office.
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
WINK Investigates: Disgraced contractor faces new lawsuits and allegations Paul Beattie, a disgraced home builder is back doing business but legal challenges continue as another one of his businesses gets sued. Former employees of Beattie speak out, only to WINK.
SWFL reacts to UNC hiring Bill Belichick Southwest Florida reacts to North Carolina hiring Bill Belichick as its new head football coach and how that could impact the decisions of local recruits.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Some Floridians want more alone time during the holidays The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends, but nearly half of Americans say they really want more alone time during the holiday.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
Aggressive driving concerns on the rise in Southwest Florida The arrest of a man who, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said, killed a motorcyclist after crashing into him on purpose is raising concerns over aggressive driving in Southwest Florida.
SANIBEL Sanibel School students prepare for community Christmas performance The school that has had to claw and fight its way back more than once to reopen is getting the chance to celebrate.
FORT MYERS Rock For Equality: SWFL music scene to hold benefit concert for Palestine A two-venue, eight-band benefit concert is coming to Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples man sentenced in deadly bar shooting A man has been sentenced for a deadly shooting that took place at a Naples bar in March 2021.
New ovarian cancer treatments Ovarian cancer is a problematic disease because of symptoms such as nausea, bloating and diarrhea.
Largest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral The most lucrative land deal in Lee County history just closed at a price of $100 million for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral, where building up to 3,500 homes and commercial property to support it has been in the planning stages for almost two years.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Crash between RV and semi temporarily shuts down NB lanes of U.S. 41 in Charlotte A major collision near Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte County temporarily closed all northbound lanes of U.S. 41, according to the Charlotte County Sherriff’s Office.
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
Michael Edwards with family members. Credit: WINK News. Inmate Michael Edwards and his family did not receive the response they had hoped for from the Florida clemency board on Wednesday. Edwards was sentenced to a total of 60 years in prison almost 27 years ago. He was 30 years old, and his crime was for selling less than half of an ounce of cocaine to an ex-girlfriend who set him up. Gov. Ron DeSantis, who sits on the clemency board, says he needs more time to decide if Edwards should go free. Edwards’ family was disappointed to find out their loved one was not coming home. They were hopeful Wednesday morning that maybe this time, the clemency board would allow them to take Edwards home, even packing clothes for him just in case. “I had a nice dress shirt,” said Mimi Edwards-Beach, Edwards’ sister. “It was just a Columbia fishing shirt and a pair of shoes.” The Florida Commission on Offender Review investigates each case that applies for clemency and submits a comprehensive report to the clemency board. That report also has a recommendation. Michael Edwards has a 20-page report, which was submitted months ago, before the pandemic hit and canceled his hearing. The report recommended his release to the clemency board. DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody harped on the fact that Edwards had some disciplinary reports when he first was incarcerated. Last summer, Edwards was found with a cell phone. “I’m going to have to go back and look a little more over some of the other offenses,” DeSantis said during the hearing in Tallahassee. “So we’ll take it under advisement.” Under advisement is better than a “no” for Edwards and his family. His sister spoke with WINK News as she made the long drive home to Cape Coral from Tallahassee. She and other family members say Michael has changed his life and became a model prisoner since he was sent to prison almost 30 years ago with two 30-year sentences. Last year’s “slip-up” was the first one Michael had since 1999. “To us, it seemed like it shouldn’t matter because Michael’s already served 27 years in prison,” said Edwards-Beach. “Will you please have mercy on him and let us bring him home?” When he heard the news from his prison cell that he would not go free, Michael wrote to his sister through the prison e-mail. “Hi sis,” he sent her. “I hope you and mom are handling this OK. I’m so sorry you all are having to suffer through all of this.” But Edwards-Beach and her family are staying strong for themselves and for Michael. Edwards’ family said they will likely get a letter with the decision in the next few weeks. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only Democrat on the clemency board, called Florida’s clemency system “broken, restrictive, arbitrary and designed to fail our citizens.” In a statement, she called out DeSantis for only granting 30 Floridians clemency since becoming governor. “We all have to be encouraging for him,” Edwards-Beach said. “I’m going to start crying, but we have to all make him think that it’s going to happen, and just we had a little bit of a setback.”