Voters in Downtown Fort Myers ready for 2024 ElectionPunta Gorda residents frustrated by hurricane debris delays
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Voters in Downtown Fort Myers ready for 2024 Election A lot can change in four years. During the 2020 election, many voters masked up as they cast their ballots, and the pandemic was at the top of many voters’ minds.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents frustrated by hurricane debris delays Many people in parts of southwest Florida feel like they’ve dealt with more than their fair share of storm damage lately.
Miracle Moment: A rosy outlook following surprise diagnosis It’s time for Miracle Moment. Today, we meet a toddler diagnosed with a disease without known prevention or cure.
Poll workers ready for Election Day rush in Collier County Poll workers gear up for a busy Tuesday in Collier County; some have been there for a while, and this year marks their first time working at a polling place for others.
CAPE CORAL Voters decide: Will Cape Coral City Council members stay or go? Stipends, Jaycee Park and new developments have been topics of concern in the City of Cape Coral for months now.
MATLACHA Lee County residents still dealing with damage from hurricanes Hurricane recovery has been an ongoing project here in Southwest Florida since Hurricane Ian.
FGCU Former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III makes PGA Tour After playing two seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour, former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III is moving up to the PGA Tour.
Parents cast their votes for Lee County school superintendent With just hours now until the election, WINK News wants to highlight a few local races that haven’t gotten as much attention. One of them is the election of Lee County’s next superintendent of schools.
NORTH FORT MYERS Former Dollar General employee accused of stealing $7,000 in returns A woman has been arrested after defrauding a Dollar General in North Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH The Tropics and Red Tide; what happens if or when they interact? The Tropics are active despite the fact that there’s less than a month left in hurricane season. But how will a system interact with red tide?
CAPE CORAL Police investigate gunfire at Cape Coral rental home The bullet holes left behind by shots heard in a normally quiet Cape Coral neighborhood scared one woman into buying security cameras for her home.
CAPE CORAL Bimini Basin residents face housing challenges Time is running out for the families who live in one Cape Coral community to find places to call home.
Harris and Trump make a furious final push before Election Day A presidential campaign that has careened through a felony trial, an incumbent president being pushed off the ticket and multiple assassination attempts comes down to a final sprint across a handful of states on Election Day eve.
Using AI to detect pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. That’s due in part to the limited testing available for early detection.
the weather authority Tropical Storm Rafael forms in the Caribbean The Weather Authority meteorologists are monitoring the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Rafael has formed.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Voters in Downtown Fort Myers ready for 2024 Election A lot can change in four years. During the 2020 election, many voters masked up as they cast their ballots, and the pandemic was at the top of many voters’ minds.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents frustrated by hurricane debris delays Many people in parts of southwest Florida feel like they’ve dealt with more than their fair share of storm damage lately.
Miracle Moment: A rosy outlook following surprise diagnosis It’s time for Miracle Moment. Today, we meet a toddler diagnosed with a disease without known prevention or cure.
Poll workers ready for Election Day rush in Collier County Poll workers gear up for a busy Tuesday in Collier County; some have been there for a while, and this year marks their first time working at a polling place for others.
CAPE CORAL Voters decide: Will Cape Coral City Council members stay or go? Stipends, Jaycee Park and new developments have been topics of concern in the City of Cape Coral for months now.
MATLACHA Lee County residents still dealing with damage from hurricanes Hurricane recovery has been an ongoing project here in Southwest Florida since Hurricane Ian.
FGCU Former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III makes PGA Tour After playing two seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour, former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III is moving up to the PGA Tour.
Parents cast their votes for Lee County school superintendent With just hours now until the election, WINK News wants to highlight a few local races that haven’t gotten as much attention. One of them is the election of Lee County’s next superintendent of schools.
NORTH FORT MYERS Former Dollar General employee accused of stealing $7,000 in returns A woman has been arrested after defrauding a Dollar General in North Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH The Tropics and Red Tide; what happens if or when they interact? The Tropics are active despite the fact that there’s less than a month left in hurricane season. But how will a system interact with red tide?
CAPE CORAL Police investigate gunfire at Cape Coral rental home The bullet holes left behind by shots heard in a normally quiet Cape Coral neighborhood scared one woman into buying security cameras for her home.
CAPE CORAL Bimini Basin residents face housing challenges Time is running out for the families who live in one Cape Coral community to find places to call home.
Harris and Trump make a furious final push before Election Day A presidential campaign that has careened through a felony trial, an incumbent president being pushed off the ticket and multiple assassination attempts comes down to a final sprint across a handful of states on Election Day eve.
Using AI to detect pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. That’s due in part to the limited testing available for early detection.
the weather authority Tropical Storm Rafael forms in the Caribbean The Weather Authority meteorologists are monitoring the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Rafael has formed.
FILE Photo: Tyler Williams, a former officer of Fort Myers Police Department, appears in court in September 2020. Williams was fire from FMPD following an internal affairs investigation that found he failed to report the mother of an endangered child to Florida Department of Children & Families in January 2020. Credit: WINK News. An officer accused of neglecting a 3-year-old girl after pulling over her mother with drugs in the car is no longer employed by a Southwest Florida police department. The officer is now asking for his job back, and he is receiving support in his quest. Gulf Coast Police Benevolent Association is supporting Tyler Williams, a former officer of Fort Myers Police Department, after he was fired recently over the of a death of a child in a 2020 crash. Matt Sellers, the president of the police union, told us Wednesday he filed a grievance against FMPD, demanding Williams get his job back. Sellers said he will also pursue legal action. “Officer Tyler Williams’ termination is not based or supported by a just cause,” Sellers said. “That’s a direct violation of his contract … This was an overzealous [internal affairs] investigator and prosecutor. These charges should have never happened.” FILE Photo: Tyler Williams, a former officer of Fort Myers Police Department, appears in court in September 2020. Williams was fire from FMPD following an internal affairs investigation that found he failed to report the mother of an endangered child to Florida Department of Children & Families in January 2020. Credit: WINK News. Toddler Serenity Rose Robinson died from injuries she suffered in a February 2020 crash when her mother, Leslie Zeagler, was in the driver’s seat. Roughly a month prior in January 2020, Williams pulled over Serenity’s mom and found heroin and meth in the car with Serenity in the backseat. At that time Williams did not notify Florida Department of Children and Families. Subsequently following an FMPD internal affairs investigation, Williams faced charges for failing to make a report to DCF about an endangered child after he pulled over Serenity’s mother the first time and after Serenity then died due to the serious crash she was involved in. Williams’ trouble started with the traffic stop in January 2020. His body camera recorded it all. “Beautiful little girl, and she does not deserve that,” Williams could be heard on his body cam during his traffic stop with Zeagler. Serenity Rose Robinson. Credit: Shared with WINK News. Serenity was the little girl sleeping in the back seat with her mother in the front seat. During his search, Williams found needles and drugs. “That’s solid heroin in there,” Williams said during his search of the vehicle. Police say Zeagler was behind the wheel under the influence of drugs. Instead of reporting Zeagler to DCF during the traffic stop in January 2020, Williams allowed her to leave. Charges Williams faced were originally dismissed against him, but the police benevolent association president confirmed he still plans to pursue legal action against FMPD in support of Williams. When a judge dismissed criminal charges against Williams, he did not go back to work. Instead, FMPD kept him off the streets, while internal affairs did its own investigation. Tuesday, FMPD Chief Derrick Diggs fired Williams. In June, Diggs said, “Officer Tyler Williams failed in his duty to protect a young child.” We requested the final internal affairs report from Fort Myers Police Department, but FMPD has not sent it to us yet. Zeagler was also eventually arrested and remains in Lee County Jail on bond of more than $350,000. She faces charges for DUI manslaughter, aggravated manslaughter of a child and driving with a suspended license. She is scheduled to appear in court in late April.