Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine IslandBraves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NORTH NAPLES FDOT to hold discussion for upcoming Collier diverging diamond Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Charlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes Recent hurricanes and flooding events prompted some Charlotte County homeowners to either demolish or elevate their homes.
CLEWISTON Clewiston man shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against relative There is new information about a murder in Clewiston earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Bridge design vote aims to improve traffic flow Residents and drivers in Cape Coral have long shared a common frustration: traffic congestion, particularly on Cape Coral Parkway.
Symptoms and treatment for pleurisy, the inflammation of lungs’ lining This winter season in Southwest Florida has been rampant with illness, from flu to viral infections.
Lee county approves major road projects to improve traffic flow, safety The Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to improving the county’s transportation network.
NAPLES Young bobcat injured by car; rehabilitated, released into Naples A young bobcat has been released back into the wild after recovering from its injuries through the collaborative efforts of several Florida environmental agencies.
Florida house speaker appoints Charlotte County sheriff to state immigration enforcement council Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez has appointed two sheriffs, one of whom is Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, to the state immigration enforcement council.
Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in SWFL A drug dealer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Southwest Florida.
Craft supplier Joann to shutter 3 SWFL stores, 500 nationwide The big box craft chain based in Hudson, Ohio, is closing its North Naples store at 6424 Naples Blvd., the Estero store at Coconut Point and the Fort Myers store in South Plaza on Cleveland Avenue.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Police Department Chaplain Rev. Bill Klossner passes away The Punta Gorda Police Department announced the passing of their Chaplain, Reverend Bill Klossner.
Car strikes, kills man who tried to pick up trash bag on SR-80 The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving a pickup truck and a car on State Road 80 in Hendry County that killed a man.
the weather authority Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking increased cloud coverage along with milder conditions this Tuesday afternoon.
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NORTH NAPLES FDOT to hold discussion for upcoming Collier diverging diamond Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Charlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes Recent hurricanes and flooding events prompted some Charlotte County homeowners to either demolish or elevate their homes.
CLEWISTON Clewiston man shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against relative There is new information about a murder in Clewiston earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Bridge design vote aims to improve traffic flow Residents and drivers in Cape Coral have long shared a common frustration: traffic congestion, particularly on Cape Coral Parkway.
Symptoms and treatment for pleurisy, the inflammation of lungs’ lining This winter season in Southwest Florida has been rampant with illness, from flu to viral infections.
Lee county approves major road projects to improve traffic flow, safety The Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to improving the county’s transportation network.
NAPLES Young bobcat injured by car; rehabilitated, released into Naples A young bobcat has been released back into the wild after recovering from its injuries through the collaborative efforts of several Florida environmental agencies.
Florida house speaker appoints Charlotte County sheriff to state immigration enforcement council Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez has appointed two sheriffs, one of whom is Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, to the state immigration enforcement council.
Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in SWFL A drug dealer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Southwest Florida.
Craft supplier Joann to shutter 3 SWFL stores, 500 nationwide The big box craft chain based in Hudson, Ohio, is closing its North Naples store at 6424 Naples Blvd., the Estero store at Coconut Point and the Fort Myers store in South Plaza on Cleveland Avenue.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Police Department Chaplain Rev. Bill Klossner passes away The Punta Gorda Police Department announced the passing of their Chaplain, Reverend Bill Klossner.
Car strikes, kills man who tried to pick up trash bag on SR-80 The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving a pickup truck and a car on State Road 80 in Hendry County that killed a man.
the weather authority Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking increased cloud coverage along with milder conditions this Tuesday afternoon.
Casey Crowther walks out of federal court. (CREDIT: WINK News) Casey Crowther’s federal trial is set to begin closing statements on its fifth day on Friday. On Thursday, both sides rested their cases after a day filled with testimony from a Social Security Administration employee and a woman previously employed by the IRS who tracked every loan dollar spent by Crowther. Crowther chose not to testify. Crowther is accused of fabricating 39 employees in order to qualify for COVID-19 relief in the form of the Payment Protection Program (PPP). Federal authorities say he used the funds received to purchase a catamaran among other things. The Social Security Administration employee testified on Thursday morning and said he checked the validity of the Social Security numbers for all of the 39 employees hired and then fired by Target Roofing. Not one matched a real living person, he said. The social security cards also did not have the small insignia that prove they are real, he testified. Twenty of the numbers were unassigned, meaning no one alive had it, he said. Another 19 numbers were mismatched, meaning they were real numbers for someone else that did not match the name, date of birth, or gender of the person whose name was written on the card, the man said. The woman, with the IRS, testified about the many times money was taken out of the PPP loan account, including a $125,000 “loan for Casey” that went to a company credit card. The credit card was then used for personal transactions at restaurants, payments at a Marina and payments for equestrian activities, the prosecution presented. Another $300,000 was transferred to Crowther and his wife’s personal account. The remaining amount, about $1 million, went to Target Roofing’s operating account, some of it was paid toward a line of credit and rent. Prosecutors also said that only one check from the 39 employees was deposited and it went into Crowther’s account. The trial started on Monday with jury selection. Since then, jurors have heard from a Sanibel Captiva Community Bank employee who testified about Crowther’s misrepresentation on bank forms and Target Roofing’s HR Director, who said she never saw the 39 employees. The defense argued the HR Director wouldn’t have seen the employees because of strict COVID protocols. They said Target Roofing often hired Hispanic immigrants and were not experts nor did they want to discriminate when reading their documents. Crowther’s defense team has argued the money was just a loan because the business owner never asked for loan forgiveness. His defense team said the use of proceeds is limited by the CARES Act when filing for forgiveness, not when spending the loan money. On Monday, shortly before jury selection began, Crowther pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and giving false statements to a lending institution, two of the initial seven counts. Crowther admitted the crime in court. Crowther was indicted on Sept. 23 for COVID relief fraud for using COVID-19 relief funds to buy a boat. The U.S. Attorney’s Office seized the 40-foot catamaran. Now, they are hoping to take possession of his million-dollar property in St. James City and about $2 million they said he acquired as part of the illegal deals he made. Attorneys hope to bring the trial to closure on Friday.