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.
Lekesha Gales said her daughter Kierra Russ, accused in Club Blu shooting, is innocent. (CREDIT: WINK News) A 23-year-old woman arrested in the Club Blu shootings has asked the judge to dismiss the case against her due to lack of evidence. Kierra Russ appeared in court Friday to ask that the charges against her be dropped. Russ faces two counts of second-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. Russ was arrested in December along with co-defendants Derrick Church, Demetrius O’Neal, Tajze Battle and Dontril Loggins after a years-long investigation into the mass shooting at the end of a teen club party that killed two and injured others in Fort Myers. Stef’An Strawder, a Lehigh Acres basketball star, and 14-year-old Sean Archilles, a basketball player in his own right and member of the Crossover Youth Center at CityGate Ministries, were killed in the shooting. According to a motion to dismiss filed by Russ’s attorney, the evidence against Russ amounts to little more than text messages exchanged with O’Neal weeks before the shooting and the night of July 25 when the shooting occurred. In an interview with WINK News, Russ’ parents, Lekesha Gales and Sharone Russ, say Russ is innocent. “We’re parents, that’s our baby. And we’re just wanting the truth to be revealed and that she’s, she’s innocent,” Gales said. “She’s innocent. She’s, she’s a good girl. No trouble. No, nothing. She needs to be out.” Russ has been in Lee County Jail on $750,000 bond since her arrest. “I’m a mother first and I know this case. You know, it’s been long. And, you know, with the respect of the victim’s family. We’re victims in this as well, you know, my daughter has been incarcerated. And we know for a fact that, you know, she’s innocent,” Gales said. “It’s tough for us as parents too. The victims have lost loved ones, but we’re losing a loved one as well. And I’m just overwhelmed with it all.” Russ was scheduled to perform at the party, according to the motion. In one text, she tells O’Neal “I see one opp wide open,” which investigators say referred to the “opposition” or “enemy.” At 12:33 a.m., Russ texts O’Neal “we leaving.” O’Neal responds by asking “everybody?” And Russ responds “yeah.” The shooting occurs minutes after the text was received. In their response to the motion to dismiss, the state argues that the text “incited, caused, encouraged, assisted, and/or advised the other person or persons to commit the crime.” The judge decided to review the evidence and discuss the motion in a few weeks. Russ will be back in court on June 3. Russ’ parents say she has never been arrested. “She’s not a criminal. She’s not a bad person,” Gales said. “We all have our flaws. But this is not one of her flaws. She’s not a murderer. She’s not a bad child at all. Like, you know. So this has been very overwhelming for our family.”