Alfie Oakes staves off farms foreclosure action5 honored during Women Rock Philanthropy event in Naples
Alfie Oakes staves off farms foreclosure action Farm Credit of Florida has dropped its $2.78 million foreclosure lawsuit against Alfie Oakes after both parties reached an agreement.
naples 5 honored during Women Rock Philanthropy event in Naples More than 600 women congregated at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Naples, where five received honors during the Women Rock Philanthropy event.
FORT MYERS BEACH Winners announced in Fort Myers Beach American Sand Sculpting Championship The winners have been announced in the 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship hosted on Fort Myers Beach.
NAPLES Naples city employee fired, accused of using city credit card for personal use An anonymous letter allegedly led to a Naples city employee being fired and becoming the subject of a criminal investigation.
SANIBEL Sanibel School to reopen for the first time since Hurricane Milton For the first time since Oct. 9, students of the Sanibel School now know when they can return for class after damage from Hurricane Milton forced them out.
2 Florida men arrested for assaulting law enforcement during Jan. 6 riots Two Florida men have been arrested for their alleged conduct during the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol, both charged with assaulting law enforcement while rioting.
the weather authority Milder and sunny Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a sunny Tuesday ahead, with milder conditions expected in the afternoon.
Father arrives home from deployment; meets his baby girl A man returns home from deployment and gets to be a father. Only WINK News cameras were rolling as Peter Rosche held his baby girl Margo for the first time. It’s been a long 5-weeks for the Rosche family. Peter wasn’t able to be there for her birth because he had been on a US […]
NAPLES Spreading holiday cheer with Christmas tree lighting in Naples On Monday night, the sleigh bells were ringing in Naples, and the snow was falling; the 47th annual Christmas on Third Festival was kicking off.
Fort Myers Tip-Off brings marquee programs to SWFL The Fort Myers Tip-Off returns to Southwest Florida and brings marquee programs such as Michigan, Xavier, South Carolina and Virginia Tech.
NAPLES Super 8 in Naples to become apartments for local workers A Super 8 Motel in Naples will soon look slightly different; it will become an apartment building with fully furnished units.
Endangered Florida panther killed by vehicle on SR-29 SB in Collier County; 30th death in 2024 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has announced the 30th Florida Panther death of 2024.
FORT MYERS BEACH Efforts to restore Fort Myers Beach underway The Fort Myers Beach coastline continues to feel the impacts of the recent storms. Crews working on the sand renourishment beach project have more than six miles of “Critically eroded beach” to restore.
More water headed into Caloosahatchee: What it means for our estuary Southwest Florida cringes every time the mention of releases from Lake Okeechobee comes up. There are concerns about what’s in the water and whether it will dirty our shoreline or even fuel blue-green algae blooms.
NAPLES Transforming animal care: how a $1.5M donation is helping SNIP Collier We are seeing the first major changes from a donation from Tom Golisano.
Alfie Oakes staves off farms foreclosure action Farm Credit of Florida has dropped its $2.78 million foreclosure lawsuit against Alfie Oakes after both parties reached an agreement.
naples 5 honored during Women Rock Philanthropy event in Naples More than 600 women congregated at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Naples, where five received honors during the Women Rock Philanthropy event.
FORT MYERS BEACH Winners announced in Fort Myers Beach American Sand Sculpting Championship The winners have been announced in the 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship hosted on Fort Myers Beach.
NAPLES Naples city employee fired, accused of using city credit card for personal use An anonymous letter allegedly led to a Naples city employee being fired and becoming the subject of a criminal investigation.
SANIBEL Sanibel School to reopen for the first time since Hurricane Milton For the first time since Oct. 9, students of the Sanibel School now know when they can return for class after damage from Hurricane Milton forced them out.
2 Florida men arrested for assaulting law enforcement during Jan. 6 riots Two Florida men have been arrested for their alleged conduct during the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol, both charged with assaulting law enforcement while rioting.
the weather authority Milder and sunny Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a sunny Tuesday ahead, with milder conditions expected in the afternoon.
Father arrives home from deployment; meets his baby girl A man returns home from deployment and gets to be a father. Only WINK News cameras were rolling as Peter Rosche held his baby girl Margo for the first time. It’s been a long 5-weeks for the Rosche family. Peter wasn’t able to be there for her birth because he had been on a US […]
NAPLES Spreading holiday cheer with Christmas tree lighting in Naples On Monday night, the sleigh bells were ringing in Naples, and the snow was falling; the 47th annual Christmas on Third Festival was kicking off.
Fort Myers Tip-Off brings marquee programs to SWFL The Fort Myers Tip-Off returns to Southwest Florida and brings marquee programs such as Michigan, Xavier, South Carolina and Virginia Tech.
NAPLES Super 8 in Naples to become apartments for local workers A Super 8 Motel in Naples will soon look slightly different; it will become an apartment building with fully furnished units.
Endangered Florida panther killed by vehicle on SR-29 SB in Collier County; 30th death in 2024 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has announced the 30th Florida Panther death of 2024.
FORT MYERS BEACH Efforts to restore Fort Myers Beach underway The Fort Myers Beach coastline continues to feel the impacts of the recent storms. Crews working on the sand renourishment beach project have more than six miles of “Critically eroded beach” to restore.
More water headed into Caloosahatchee: What it means for our estuary Southwest Florida cringes every time the mention of releases from Lake Okeechobee comes up. There are concerns about what’s in the water and whether it will dirty our shoreline or even fuel blue-green algae blooms.
NAPLES Transforming animal care: how a $1.5M donation is helping SNIP Collier We are seeing the first major changes from a donation from Tom Golisano.
Collier County Clerk Crystal Kinzel of Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller. Credit: Collier County Clerk’s website. Former employees are suing a Southwest Florida clerk of court and claim they were fired over their political support, which they claim infringes upon their First Amendment rights. Five former employees of the office of Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller say they were fired by Clerk Crystal Kinzel out of political vengeance and retaliation, so they are suing her. The Collier County Clerk’s office did not tell us if the department underwent staffing issues at the time of the firings. The lawsuit claims none of the former employees exercised their political beliefs while on the clock and shouldn’t have been let go. MORE: Lawsuit against Collier County Clerk Kinzel “There had been no write ups; there had been no discipline; this came completely out of left field,” said Benjamin Yormak, a labor and employment attorney. Yormak represents the five former employees of the Collier County Clerk, who have filed a lawsuit against Kinzel in both her official and individual capacities. Two former employees were fired after nearly 20-year careers. “Really heartbroken to have their careers ripped out from underneath them, simply by virtue of them supporting a different candidate,” Yormak said. Jim Molenaar was the first employee Yormak represents who was fired by the clerk’s office. He was terminated from his position as senior legal counsel after filing to run for office against Kinzel. ”The message seemed to be pretty clear; ‘If you’re not with me, you’re against me, and you can’t work here,’” Yorkmak described the claims of his clients. The four other employees — Mark Pasek, Meredith Carr, Patricia Morgan and Steven Morgan — were fired Sept. 1, 2020. Yormak says it was done after Kinzel found out each of them had supported Molenaar’s campaign. “We have heard it was a reduction in force,” Yormak said. “We have also heard we don’t have to give you a reason.” Some who voted for Kinzel, including Steven Williams, believe there was more going on behind closed doors. “You have to have done something wrong,” Williams said. According to the lawsuit, Kinzel fired the five former employees because, “She was no longer confident in their abilities to carry out the duties and functions of their positions.” Clerk Kinzel denied an interview with us. A spokesperson with her office says they can’t comment pending litigation, but they did say they’re confident in their defense. “They were public servants who had worked for the taxpayers in Collier County and who, because they did not support Ms. Kinzel, lost their jobs,” Yormak said. “That’s wrong, and we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure justice is served here.”