NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO searching for missing endangered adult Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a missing person.
The Weather Authority: Scattered storms for your Saturday The Weather Authority is tracking afternoon scattered storms for Saturday this Labor Day weekend.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 2 The Golden Eagles took down the Cougars 64-7 to win the Crosstown Showdown for the 26th year in a row.
NAPLES Naples mayor speaks out after DUI arrest Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann has sent a statement to WINK News after being charged with a DUI.
FORT MYERS Woman stabbed at Fort Myers gas station Authorities responded to an active scene at a 7-eleven in Fort Myers after a woman was stabbed early Friday evening.
FORT MYERS FMPD investigating a van that followed a student from bus stop Police said a suspicious van followed a middle school student home from the bus stop on Thursday and yelled, “Get in the van.”
CAPE CORAL Report: Teen was on crosswalk when she was hit The driver of the box truck told officers he didn’t see Kendra as she rode in front of him, and he started to go.
FORT MYERS BEACH Celebration of Jimmy Buffet Day at Margaritaville Friday was Jimmy Buffett Day at Margaritaville and Fort Myers Beach is gearing up for a fun party all weekend long.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County deputies hold training for mental health encounters Charlotte County deputies are entering the community equipped with a new tool for handling mental health: the crisis initiative training.
Neighbors worried about flooding in Rotonda Heights Neighbors in Rotonda Heights are fed up with the flooding and they want to see it fixed.
ORLANDO Smart living moms reclaim their careers Betsy Gardner president and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce started Relaunch, a program to help stay-at-home moms.
FORT MYERS BEACH A closer look at the gas leak that killed 2 men at Fort Myers Beach home A closer look at the gas leak that killed two men in Fort Myers Beach has revealed some new details leading up to the deaths.
SANIBEL Sanibel CVS Pharmacy reopening after Hurricane Ian The CVS Pharmacy in Sanibel is reopening nearly two years after Hurricane Ian caused severe damage to it.
FORT MYERS Woman transported after boat hits large wake under Midpoint Bridge A woman had to be transported to the hospital after suffering an injury when the boat she was in struck the wake of a yacht.
NEW YORK (AP) Trump has history sparking outrage for incidents around veterans even as military voters backed him The reported altercation at Arlington National Cemetery involving Donald Trump’s staff was far from the first time that veterans or the families of service members have criticized the former president for words or behavior they saw as disparaging.
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO searching for missing endangered adult Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a missing person.
The Weather Authority: Scattered storms for your Saturday The Weather Authority is tracking afternoon scattered storms for Saturday this Labor Day weekend.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 2 The Golden Eagles took down the Cougars 64-7 to win the Crosstown Showdown for the 26th year in a row.
NAPLES Naples mayor speaks out after DUI arrest Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann has sent a statement to WINK News after being charged with a DUI.
FORT MYERS Woman stabbed at Fort Myers gas station Authorities responded to an active scene at a 7-eleven in Fort Myers after a woman was stabbed early Friday evening.
FORT MYERS FMPD investigating a van that followed a student from bus stop Police said a suspicious van followed a middle school student home from the bus stop on Thursday and yelled, “Get in the van.”
CAPE CORAL Report: Teen was on crosswalk when she was hit The driver of the box truck told officers he didn’t see Kendra as she rode in front of him, and he started to go.
FORT MYERS BEACH Celebration of Jimmy Buffet Day at Margaritaville Friday was Jimmy Buffett Day at Margaritaville and Fort Myers Beach is gearing up for a fun party all weekend long.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County deputies hold training for mental health encounters Charlotte County deputies are entering the community equipped with a new tool for handling mental health: the crisis initiative training.
Neighbors worried about flooding in Rotonda Heights Neighbors in Rotonda Heights are fed up with the flooding and they want to see it fixed.
ORLANDO Smart living moms reclaim their careers Betsy Gardner president and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce started Relaunch, a program to help stay-at-home moms.
FORT MYERS BEACH A closer look at the gas leak that killed 2 men at Fort Myers Beach home A closer look at the gas leak that killed two men in Fort Myers Beach has revealed some new details leading up to the deaths.
SANIBEL Sanibel CVS Pharmacy reopening after Hurricane Ian The CVS Pharmacy in Sanibel is reopening nearly two years after Hurricane Ian caused severe damage to it.
FORT MYERS Woman transported after boat hits large wake under Midpoint Bridge A woman had to be transported to the hospital after suffering an injury when the boat she was in struck the wake of a yacht.
NEW YORK (AP) Trump has history sparking outrage for incidents around veterans even as military voters backed him The reported altercation at Arlington National Cemetery involving Donald Trump’s staff was far from the first time that veterans or the families of service members have criticized the former president for words or behavior they saw as disparaging.
Shelli Tayman is and “InVest Advocate” with The Shelter for Abused Woman and Children Collier County. Credit: WINK News. Many now believe the pandemic created a perfect storm for domestic violence. Between lockdowns, job losses and financial problems, nationwide, we saw an 8% increase for cases in 2020. A woman who doesn’t wear a badge or a cape is a hero to many for helping those in difficult situations. If you visit The Shelter for Abused Women and Children in Collier County, you’ll likely meet Shelli Tayman in her corner office. “I love my job,” Tayman said. “I love that I have that opportunity to keep people safe.” Tayman is part of the shelter’s intimate violence enhanced service team, also known as an “InVest Advocate.” “It’s just part of an intense reach-out, outreach effort to get ahold of these victims, to get them in for services, to try and prevent possible homicides,” Tayman explained. Tayman checks law enforcement reports in Coller County. She reads, scans for specific words, looks for domestic violence victims, men and women. What makes the invest program unique is the shelter calls you. “I’ll ask them if they’re in a safe place to talk,” Tayman said. “And if I get clues, which I have, then, I tend to be quiet. I will try to find a better time.” One abuse survivor Tayman worked with is a father. “How I ended up here? I was involved in a really terrible relationship, and we share a child together,” the survivor said. “She did threaten to kill my kids, and this has been ongoing for years, and I have called the police on her dozens of times … and they couldn’t do anything. They were like, ‘You gotta keep on filing reports.’” One of his reports made it to Tayman’s desk. “I actually cried the first time on the phone because that was the first time I thought someone could help me,” he said. “Somebody is realizing what’s going on in my life. No matter how many times I called the police, nothing ever changed until Shelli reached out to me. “Shelli guided me to go do in the court system, the restraining orders and actually somebody being there in the courtroom to support me, show up with me,” he said. Tayman says the first call is always the hardest, but the end result is worth it. “It’s hard. It’s nerve-wracking, but it’s incredibly rewarding when I see a difference we make in participants and our survivors,” Tayman said. “I was grateful that she was reading over that police report at that time,” the survivor said. “I was like, ‘Finally. Finally, I can do something about this.” His fight continues with Tayman by his side. This is one of many programs at the shelter for men, women and children. There are several warning signs of an abusive relationship: Do you live in fear? Have to walk on egg shells around your partner? Do they belittle or try to control you? The shelter has a 24-hour confidential crisis line at 239-775-1101.