Caught on Camera: Teen catches alligator while fishing for Peacock BassGov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Gainsville
ESTERO Caught on Camera: Teen catches alligator while fishing for Peacock Bass A 15-year-old teenager from Estero bit off more than he could chew while fishing for Peacock Bass as a hungry alligator chased after the fish and him.
Gainsville Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Gainsville Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Gainsville.
The Weather Authority Hotter and drier Wednesday with a few inland storms this afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild and drier Wednesday morning with rain expected inland this afternoon.
Cape Coral City Council to discuss repairs for yacht club pier The Cape Coral City Council will discuss and possibly decide upon three options to repair the damaged yacht club pier.
LEHIGH ACRES Kitchen fire causes substantial damage to a home in Lehigh Acres The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue responded to a kitchen fire at a Sunset Boulevard home on Tuesday night.
FORT MYERS Lee County making changes to fix bus issues In the past, the Lee County School District struggled to find enough bus drivers.
NAPLES Naples man gets original Bob Ross paintings appraised Bob Ross took this blank canvas in a small studio in Muncie, Indiana, and transformed it into a beautiful masterpiece.
Lee Schools board considers full-day phone bans The biggest talking point in a Lee County School District safety presentation wasn’t about violence or drugs, it was about phones
PORT CHARLOTTE Fallen officer ceremony in Charlotte County commemorates those who lost lives in line of duty The emotional ceremony was held at the William R. Gains Veterans Memorial Park in Port Charlotte.
SAN CARLOS PARK Lee County couple suspected of drugging and sexually abusing child Neighbors say a home in San Carlos Park was just another house before Tuesday.
PINE ISLAND FDOT asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to busy road The Florida Department of Transportation is asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to the busy road.
Food drive for mental health awareness While someone may look healthy, they may be fighting a real inner battle.
FORT MYERS Overbilled for overflow of water; Residents stuck with hefty water bill The Moore’s make ends meet living at The Cove for almost a year.
ESTERO Scoreless Eagle up for award at NIL Summit FGCU’s Brandon Dwyer is one of the big time performers in NIL despite having never scored a single point in his entire Eagle career.
What happens after a nuisance alligator is captured? For alligators, the month of May means we are in the heart of mating season in the Sunshine State.
ESTERO Caught on Camera: Teen catches alligator while fishing for Peacock Bass A 15-year-old teenager from Estero bit off more than he could chew while fishing for Peacock Bass as a hungry alligator chased after the fish and him.
Gainsville Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Gainsville Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Gainsville.
The Weather Authority Hotter and drier Wednesday with a few inland storms this afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild and drier Wednesday morning with rain expected inland this afternoon.
Cape Coral City Council to discuss repairs for yacht club pier The Cape Coral City Council will discuss and possibly decide upon three options to repair the damaged yacht club pier.
LEHIGH ACRES Kitchen fire causes substantial damage to a home in Lehigh Acres The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue responded to a kitchen fire at a Sunset Boulevard home on Tuesday night.
FORT MYERS Lee County making changes to fix bus issues In the past, the Lee County School District struggled to find enough bus drivers.
NAPLES Naples man gets original Bob Ross paintings appraised Bob Ross took this blank canvas in a small studio in Muncie, Indiana, and transformed it into a beautiful masterpiece.
Lee Schools board considers full-day phone bans The biggest talking point in a Lee County School District safety presentation wasn’t about violence or drugs, it was about phones
PORT CHARLOTTE Fallen officer ceremony in Charlotte County commemorates those who lost lives in line of duty The emotional ceremony was held at the William R. Gains Veterans Memorial Park in Port Charlotte.
SAN CARLOS PARK Lee County couple suspected of drugging and sexually abusing child Neighbors say a home in San Carlos Park was just another house before Tuesday.
PINE ISLAND FDOT asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to busy road The Florida Department of Transportation is asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to the busy road.
Food drive for mental health awareness While someone may look healthy, they may be fighting a real inner battle.
FORT MYERS Overbilled for overflow of water; Residents stuck with hefty water bill The Moore’s make ends meet living at The Cove for almost a year.
ESTERO Scoreless Eagle up for award at NIL Summit FGCU’s Brandon Dwyer is one of the big time performers in NIL despite having never scored a single point in his entire Eagle career.
What happens after a nuisance alligator is captured? For alligators, the month of May means we are in the heart of mating season in the Sunshine State.
Travis Westberry (Credit: CCSO booking photo) A former Collier County high school teacher and coach accused of inappropriate contact with students remained in jail Thursday as his personnel file revealed some red flags. Travis Westberry, 30, taught math and coached basketball at Immokalee High School. His arrest caught two former colleagues off guard, but his school district personnel file shows he has been in hot water before. One former colleague worked with Westberry at First Baptist Academy in Collier County, where Westberry was a coach and youth leader from 2013 to 2016. He called the actions Westberry’s accused of “out of character,” describing him as “positive, upbeat and fun.” Another supervised Westberry at Santa Fe College and said he did a good job. But Westberry’s personnel file at the Collier County school district says he shoved a student last year, told kids to “shut up,” and drove a student off campus in 2016. Golden Gate Middle School officials told him to cease contact with one student he paid special attention to, touching the student’s back and commenting on another student’s lips. He also received letters for poor performance and missing numerous meetings. Westberry left the district in 2018 before he was rehired at Immokalee High in 2019. Faustina Rivera’s grandson goes to the school and she said the district should do more to protect kids. “They need to be more thorough on the background checks on these teachers, you know? There’s got to be a leak somewhere,” she said. Mom Ariana Rivera agreed. “More background checks and, you know, being thorough on who they hire.” WINK News asked Collier County Public Schools how Westberry got rehired based on his personnel file, but they said they don’t comment on personnel matters. On Westberry’s teaching application, he wrote, “An outstanding teacher should have character that is above reproach,” and “Love is the most important.” He faces charges of battery, distributing obscene material to a child, and transmission of material harmful to minors. His bail is set at $225,000 and should he bond out, he cannot have any unsupervised contact with minors. Congressman Byron Donalds statement Both Florida U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds (Fla-R) and his wife, Erika Donalds, were listed as references on Westberry’s past Collier County Public Schools application. The District 19 representative shared a statement with WINK News in response to Westberry’s arrest. “Erika and I are heartbroken and devastated for everyone impacted by allegations of sexual misconduct surrounding Travis Westberry,” Donalds said in his statement. “We pray for healing and justice for the victims of his alleged misconduct. Thank you to our law enforcement community for taking swift action. These allegations are deeply disturbing and a tremendous shock to Erika and I.”