Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads UpTrump pardons January 6th defendants; SWFL locals on the list?
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
Trump pardons January 6th defendants; SWFL locals on the list? President Donald Trump, after taking the presidential oath for a second time, issued pardons for individuals charged in the January 6 Capitol attack.
ENGLEWOOD Neighbors speak out after Englewood resident killed in deputy shooting The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office experienced four deputy-involved shootings over three months, with two occurring on consecutive nights.
FHP investigating deadly crash on Gasparilla Rd. and Keystone Blvd. A person is dead after a crash in Charlotte County.
Collier County celebrates President Trump’s inauguration Monday in southwest Florida consisted of many watch parties being held for President Trump’s inauguration.
SANIBEL Bald eagle nests thriving in Sanibel The eagle population in Southwest Florida is thriving, with ten nests discovered from Sanibel to North Captiva Island. This development is creating a haven for these majestic birds.
How a mother’s diet can affect their baby’s health Eating right isn’t just good for moms; it’s great for babies, too.
Costly real estate mistakes and how to avoid fraud Let’s face it: buying a home can be quite a daunting challenge for many, especially due to recent legal changes.
GOLDEN GATE ESTATES Golden Gate Estates resident discovers injured bear in backyard pond A video of a bear resting in a pond in Collier County gained attention online over the weekend.
NAPLES Naples honors MLK Day with parade and community celebration In Naples, the 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade brought together many who feel a close connection to his legacy.
PUNTA GORDA Recent deputy-involved shootings bring mental health to the forefront In the last three months, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has had four deputy-involved shootings. One of them even led to loss of one of their own, Sgt. Elio Diaz.
Charlotte County grapples with 2 fatal deputy-involved shootings The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is starting a new week with at least four deputies on administrative leave after back-to-back deadly shootings.
71-year-old dead after being struck by vehicle in Collier County The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly crash involving a 71-year-old male pedestrian in Collier County.
Military Heritage Museum, Punta Gorda mutually terminate lease for city meetings Punta Gorda City Council and the city’s various committees and boards will no longer use the Military Heritage Museum as a meeting venue.
St. Matthew’s House keeps shelters open due to cold weather Due to the cold weather, St. Matthew’s House will continue to keep its emergency shelters open to the public.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
Trump pardons January 6th defendants; SWFL locals on the list? President Donald Trump, after taking the presidential oath for a second time, issued pardons for individuals charged in the January 6 Capitol attack.
ENGLEWOOD Neighbors speak out after Englewood resident killed in deputy shooting The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office experienced four deputy-involved shootings over three months, with two occurring on consecutive nights.
FHP investigating deadly crash on Gasparilla Rd. and Keystone Blvd. A person is dead after a crash in Charlotte County.
Collier County celebrates President Trump’s inauguration Monday in southwest Florida consisted of many watch parties being held for President Trump’s inauguration.
SANIBEL Bald eagle nests thriving in Sanibel The eagle population in Southwest Florida is thriving, with ten nests discovered from Sanibel to North Captiva Island. This development is creating a haven for these majestic birds.
How a mother’s diet can affect their baby’s health Eating right isn’t just good for moms; it’s great for babies, too.
Costly real estate mistakes and how to avoid fraud Let’s face it: buying a home can be quite a daunting challenge for many, especially due to recent legal changes.
GOLDEN GATE ESTATES Golden Gate Estates resident discovers injured bear in backyard pond A video of a bear resting in a pond in Collier County gained attention online over the weekend.
NAPLES Naples honors MLK Day with parade and community celebration In Naples, the 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade brought together many who feel a close connection to his legacy.
PUNTA GORDA Recent deputy-involved shootings bring mental health to the forefront In the last three months, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has had four deputy-involved shootings. One of them even led to loss of one of their own, Sgt. Elio Diaz.
Charlotte County grapples with 2 fatal deputy-involved shootings The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is starting a new week with at least four deputies on administrative leave after back-to-back deadly shootings.
71-year-old dead after being struck by vehicle in Collier County The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly crash involving a 71-year-old male pedestrian in Collier County.
Military Heritage Museum, Punta Gorda mutually terminate lease for city meetings Punta Gorda City Council and the city’s various committees and boards will no longer use the Military Heritage Museum as a meeting venue.
St. Matthew’s House keeps shelters open due to cold weather Due to the cold weather, St. Matthew’s House will continue to keep its emergency shelters open to the public.
Casey Crowther walks out of federal court. (CREDIT: WINK News) A jury found Casey Crowther guilty on all counts of misusing COVID relief funds in federal court on Friday. The jury deliberated for about one hour before finding the Target Roofing company owner guilty of four counts of misusing Payment Protection Program money meant to pay employees. Instead, Crowther used the money for lavish personal expenses, including a 40-foot $700,000 catamaran boat. Crowther was emotional in the courtroom when the judge read the verdict. Crowther declined to comment to WINK News and said “have some respect.” His attorneys also refused to answer questions. Crowther faces up to 30 years for each offense, a maximum of 140 years in prison. The sentence could also include a $1 million fine. His next court date is scheduled for June 29. Prior to the start of the 5-day trial that began on Monday, 35-year-old Crowther pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and giving false statements to a lending institution, two of the initial seven counts. Crowther admitted to it in court. One charge, accusing Crowther of wire fraud by allowing $640,381.21 to be transferred from his mortgage lender to an escrow account to buy a home, was dismissed on Tuesday. Crowther is accused of saying he had 39 more employees than actually existed, and made up fake employee information, 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 $700,000 catamaran and for personal transactions. Testimony began with a Sanibel Captiva Community Bank employee who, when pushed by prosecutors, said Crowther misrepresented information on loan documents. Since then, jurors heard from Target Roofing’s HR Director who testified she never saw the 39 employees hired for a shredding job. They also heard from a Social Security Administration employee who testified none of the Social Security numbers used matched real people. The defense said Target Roofing hires employees from the Hispanic community, which includes many undocumented immigrants who they don’t want to discriminate against by looking too closely at documents. “You can’t trust Crowther’s bank records as far as you can throw them,” a prosecutor said during closing statements on Friday. Crowther’s defense team argued the money could be spent however he wanted 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 it. His team also tried to destroy the credibility of the government’s witnesses and told jurors there was a lot they didn’t know saying, “just part of the story was presented to you.” Crowther was indicted on Sept. 23 and 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. The judge ordered a pre-sentencing report to be prepared and a separate notice will be sent for sentencing, 75-90 days later.