Crews on scene of 2.5-acre brush fire near Alico and Eagle Village DriveJake’s story: A mother’s mission to share her son’s story and help other young people
ESTERO Crews on scene of 2.5-acre brush fire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive San Carlos Park Fire District is on the scene fighting a 2.5-acre brushfire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive.
FORT MYERS Jake’s story: A mother’s mission to share her son’s story and help other young people One Fort Myers mom is turning her pain into purpose after her son, who she refers to as her “heavenly Angel,” took his own life.
CAPE CORAL New renderings for the Cape Coral Yacht Club promise a bright future The Cape Coral Yacht Club, which has been part of this community since the 1960s, will now have a new look after Hurricane Ian’s devastating effects.
LEHIGH ACRES Owner bars public from Barefoot Lake, LCSO installs Watch Tower Every weekend, roughly 200 people go to Barefoot Lake in Lehigh Acres to relax, fish, swim and have a good time.
CAPE CORAL Concern over water shortage in Cape Coral Concern is flowing through Cape Coral as neighbors are seeing their canal levels low and their wells run dry.
FORT MYERS FSW softball swinging for success in the postseason Now their focus shifts to states which means the newbies are looking to the experienced sophomores for advice.
BONITA SPRINGS Young SWFL tennis player competing with professionals You may not know her name now, but you might want remember it because 16-year-old Cookie Jarvis-Tredgett is already competing with professionals.
NORTH NAPLES ‘It’s all about connection,’ Statement Peace makes jewelry with sustainability in mind The brand Statement Peace, once started inside founder Jessica Lee’s home, is now in 2,700 stores across the country
Pine Manor 2 arrested for firing gun at birthday party in Pine Manor A party ended with two people behind bars.
FORT MYERS Shooting investigation on busy Fort Myers street Police are conducting a shooting investigation that involves a traffic crash near Michigan Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard.
FGCU New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis ready to build on department’s success New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis talks about the department’s future amid the age of NIL and the transfer portal.
FORT MYERS More middle-aged women being treated for acne You probably thought you broke up with it after high school, but acne is rearing it’s ugly blackheads in adult women.
Lee County student ran up and hit teacher in head, report shows The report says a 13-year-old student ran up and smacked a teacher in the head because multiple classmates offered him money to do so.
NAPLES Collier Planning Commission continues discussion for apartments near Fiddler’s Creek The developer of Fiddler’s Creek wants to build hundreds of luxury apartments on a slice of a 600 acre-plus property known as section 29.
CAPE CORAL Fatigue sets in for third day of FEMA hearings Flying several hours to come to a FEMA code compliance hearing in Cape Coral is the reality for John Gasparini from Maryland.
ESTERO Crews on scene of 2.5-acre brush fire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive San Carlos Park Fire District is on the scene fighting a 2.5-acre brushfire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive.
FORT MYERS Jake’s story: A mother’s mission to share her son’s story and help other young people One Fort Myers mom is turning her pain into purpose after her son, who she refers to as her “heavenly Angel,” took his own life.
CAPE CORAL New renderings for the Cape Coral Yacht Club promise a bright future The Cape Coral Yacht Club, which has been part of this community since the 1960s, will now have a new look after Hurricane Ian’s devastating effects.
LEHIGH ACRES Owner bars public from Barefoot Lake, LCSO installs Watch Tower Every weekend, roughly 200 people go to Barefoot Lake in Lehigh Acres to relax, fish, swim and have a good time.
CAPE CORAL Concern over water shortage in Cape Coral Concern is flowing through Cape Coral as neighbors are seeing their canal levels low and their wells run dry.
FORT MYERS FSW softball swinging for success in the postseason Now their focus shifts to states which means the newbies are looking to the experienced sophomores for advice.
BONITA SPRINGS Young SWFL tennis player competing with professionals You may not know her name now, but you might want remember it because 16-year-old Cookie Jarvis-Tredgett is already competing with professionals.
NORTH NAPLES ‘It’s all about connection,’ Statement Peace makes jewelry with sustainability in mind The brand Statement Peace, once started inside founder Jessica Lee’s home, is now in 2,700 stores across the country
Pine Manor 2 arrested for firing gun at birthday party in Pine Manor A party ended with two people behind bars.
FORT MYERS Shooting investigation on busy Fort Myers street Police are conducting a shooting investigation that involves a traffic crash near Michigan Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard.
FGCU New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis ready to build on department’s success New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis talks about the department’s future amid the age of NIL and the transfer portal.
FORT MYERS More middle-aged women being treated for acne You probably thought you broke up with it after high school, but acne is rearing it’s ugly blackheads in adult women.
Lee County student ran up and hit teacher in head, report shows The report says a 13-year-old student ran up and smacked a teacher in the head because multiple classmates offered him money to do so.
NAPLES Collier Planning Commission continues discussion for apartments near Fiddler’s Creek The developer of Fiddler’s Creek wants to build hundreds of luxury apartments on a slice of a 600 acre-plus property known as section 29.
CAPE CORAL Fatigue sets in for third day of FEMA hearings Flying several hours to come to a FEMA code compliance hearing in Cape Coral is the reality for John Gasparini from Maryland.
(Right) Matt Richard, the founder and executive director of Crossover Community Outreach in Fort Myers, instructs his program youths at Crossover headquarters. Credit: WINK News. A community leader in Fort Myers made it his mission to provide a safe space for the youths around him. He began a program years ago to help raise the next generation of leaders, with a focus of his program to give children a much-needed role model. But he almost ended his mission when he lost one of his program’s teens in the Club Blu shooting of 2016. We learned why he kept it going and how he continues forward. Founder Matt Richard told us the Club Blu shooting showed him why programs like Crossover Community Outreach in Fort Myers are necessary. He says that was the moment he expanded the program from focusing on sports to including leadership, development and teaching kids how to positively impact their community. Richard knows what it’s like to need a safe place, to need someone to look up to. “Growing up in a single-parent household in Los Angeles, California, I just dealt with a lot of problems that a young teen would deal with without a father at home,” said Richard, who is also the executive director of the youth program. “Really just running in the streets, not having mentorship, not having role models to kind of lead me on the right path.” In adulthood, Richard has become the role model he wishes he had, and he created a safe place for dozens of kids in Southwest Florida. He uses Crossover to teach teens about financial literacy, leadership skills, faith in God, sports and athletics, and takes them on trips to see life beyond Southwest Florida. “A lot of these kids are just walking by themselves,” Richard said. “Crossover is my way of giving back and actually building the things that I think I would’ve been able to use and would have been beneficial to my life.” We spoke to Canavis Pray, who explained how Crossover impacted him for the better. “Me growing up, my life, it was stumbling,” Pray said. “I needed direction in my life, correction in certain things and certain parts of my life, and me coming here almost every day of the week, it really shaped me into a godly man.” The program that exists in the present and the impact Richard makes almost stopped in 2016. Richard mentored 14-year-old Sean Archilles, who was shot and killed at Club Blu in 2016. He was a part of the Crossover program. When Archilles was killed, Richard did not think he could go on. “I just didn’t want to have to go through losing young men at that young age for just senseless crime, but in that moment as I was really just weeping and crying out, God spoke to me and said this is the reason why I have you here is it’s to be a leader in these times, where you can lead these young men to walk through their hurts but also to choose a different life,” Richard said. So Richard kept going. He kept providing the safe place he wishes he had. High schoolers such as Pray and Malik Bonilla are sure glad he did. “There are a lot of things that I was going through as a young kid and also for the other leaders here,” Bonilla said. “It really helped guide me through those things.” “He is more than just a coach or a mentor,” Pray said of Richard. “He looks like a father figure … I grew up in a single-parent household as well, but you know, it’s just I’m tearing up because you know it’s amazing to have him.” Crossover serves about 50 kids a week, and more than 160 middle schoolers and high schoolers have visited since March. They meet weekly on Thursday nights. Matt Richard told us he wants to expand and hire more staff, so they can serve more kids in the community.