Punta Gorda leaders outline plans for Gilchrist Park repairsAirman surprises 6-year-old daughter at school for the holidays after ten months of service in Kuwait
Airman surprises 6-year-old daughter at school for the holidays after ten months of service in Kuwait
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda leaders outline plans for Gilchrist Park repairs Gilchrist Park is closed, and Punta Gorda city leaders have been discussing possibly restoring the park.
NORTH NAPLES Airman surprises 6-year-old daughter at school for the holidays after ten months of service in Kuwait After almost a year of service in Kuwait, one airman came home for the holidays and surprised his daughter.
FORT MYERS Breaking down the Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget The Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Carmine Marceno have been under scrutiny since a federal investigation on potential money laundering began. Many have questioned LCSO’s spending, so we broke down the budget.
How to protect yourself from thieves this holiday season On Cyber Monday, Americans spent $13 billion, which will translate into many packages on doorsteps this holiday season.
FORT MYERS Bishop Verot QB Carter Smith signs with Wisconsin Bishop Verot quarterback Carter Smith signs to play college football for the Wisconsin Badgers on early Signing Day.
WINK NEWS SWFL stars ink with Power 4 programs during Early Signing Period Several Southwest Florida football standouts are taking their talents to the Power 4 gridirons after signing during the Early Signing Period.
Beloved Charlotte County man killed outside home, investigation ongoing A man loved by his peers and his community was taken away from them in the middle of the night at his own home.
FORT MYERS BEACH The Lani Kai Resort reopens on Fort Myers Beach An iconic spot on Fort Myers Beach is back open and taking reservations for the first time since Hurricane Ian.
Gov. DeSantis being considered for defense secretary Will Ron DeSantis be your governor in 2025, or is he headed to Washington?
NAPLES Naples votes to remove fluoride from tap water The Naples City Council has voted to remove fluoride from its tap water.
Red meat linked to health complications Doctors with the Cleveland Clinic are researching a link between eating red meat and increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres man arrested on 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has arrested a 71-year-old Lehigh Acres man on 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
WASHINGTON (AP) Trump considers DeSantis for the Pentagon with Hegseth under pressure over allegations: AP sources Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s Pentagon pick, was fighting to hold on to his Cabinet nomination amid growing questions Wednesday about his personal conduct as the president-elect’s team considers alternatives, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
COLLIER COUNTY 2 indicted in unrelated Collier County cases for fentanyl distribution death The State Attorney’s Office announced two unrelated indictment cases involving the distribution of fentanyl that led to death.
LEHIGH ACRES Lee County woman wins $1M playing Loteria Grande Scratch-Off game The Florida Lottery has announced a Lee County woman claimed a $1 million top prize from the Loteria Grande Scratch-Off game at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda leaders outline plans for Gilchrist Park repairs Gilchrist Park is closed, and Punta Gorda city leaders have been discussing possibly restoring the park.
NORTH NAPLES Airman surprises 6-year-old daughter at school for the holidays after ten months of service in Kuwait After almost a year of service in Kuwait, one airman came home for the holidays and surprised his daughter.
FORT MYERS Breaking down the Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget The Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Carmine Marceno have been under scrutiny since a federal investigation on potential money laundering began. Many have questioned LCSO’s spending, so we broke down the budget.
How to protect yourself from thieves this holiday season On Cyber Monday, Americans spent $13 billion, which will translate into many packages on doorsteps this holiday season.
FORT MYERS Bishop Verot QB Carter Smith signs with Wisconsin Bishop Verot quarterback Carter Smith signs to play college football for the Wisconsin Badgers on early Signing Day.
WINK NEWS SWFL stars ink with Power 4 programs during Early Signing Period Several Southwest Florida football standouts are taking their talents to the Power 4 gridirons after signing during the Early Signing Period.
Beloved Charlotte County man killed outside home, investigation ongoing A man loved by his peers and his community was taken away from them in the middle of the night at his own home.
FORT MYERS BEACH The Lani Kai Resort reopens on Fort Myers Beach An iconic spot on Fort Myers Beach is back open and taking reservations for the first time since Hurricane Ian.
Gov. DeSantis being considered for defense secretary Will Ron DeSantis be your governor in 2025, or is he headed to Washington?
NAPLES Naples votes to remove fluoride from tap water The Naples City Council has voted to remove fluoride from its tap water.
Red meat linked to health complications Doctors with the Cleveland Clinic are researching a link between eating red meat and increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres man arrested on 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has arrested a 71-year-old Lehigh Acres man on 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
WASHINGTON (AP) Trump considers DeSantis for the Pentagon with Hegseth under pressure over allegations: AP sources Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s Pentagon pick, was fighting to hold on to his Cabinet nomination amid growing questions Wednesday about his personal conduct as the president-elect’s team considers alternatives, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
COLLIER COUNTY 2 indicted in unrelated Collier County cases for fentanyl distribution death The State Attorney’s Office announced two unrelated indictment cases involving the distribution of fentanyl that led to death.
LEHIGH ACRES Lee County woman wins $1M playing Loteria Grande Scratch-Off game The Florida Lottery has announced a Lee County woman claimed a $1 million top prize from the Loteria Grande Scratch-Off game at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee.
Florida driver’s license examples. Credit: via WINK News. Dozens of people used fake documents to get a Florida driver’s license, and most of them were granted at the same DMV in Southwest Florida. We looked at how the suspects were able to provide documents that passed as legitimate, and we spoke to a former CIA director who’s worried a driver’s license could become a less reliable form of identification due to what people have been able to exploit in the process. Collier County Sheriff’s Office is investigating dozens of suspects for using illegitimate documents to receive a Florida driver’s license at a DMV on Orange Blossom Drive in North Naples. “It hurts everybody,” said Porter Goss, former director of the CIA. Most recently, Omaid Sultani, 23, was arrested for using fake documents to get a driver’s license. He got one in December at the Orange Blossom DMV and tried to get a second one Monday. Omaid Sultani, 23. Credit: Collier County Sheriff’s Office. Along with Sultani, CCSO says it’s looking into more than 50 incidents of driver’s license fraud, including three arrested in April. Suspects Plamen Dimitrov Nenkov, 55, and Katya Ivanova Nenkova, 51, both of Arizona, and Biser Emilov Popov, 52, of North Miami each face charges for using false information to obtain a driver’s license and perjury at the Orange Blossom DMV. Suspects Plamen Dimitrov Nenkov, 55, and Katya Ivanova Nenkova, 51, both of Arizona, and Biser Emilov Popov, 52, of North Miami each face charges for using false information to obtain a driver’s license and perjury at the Orange Blossom DMV in April 2021. Credit: Collier County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office believes job opportunities are the main motivation, saying it’s less difficult and less expensive to get a driver’s license in Florida compared to other states. “If it is cheating on the system, that means that the system is working less well for me,” Goss said. “And that means that, when somebody asks me for my Florida identification, they are less sure that my Florida identification is presenting who I really am.” Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles “has enacted stringent requirements relating to the documents that must be presented in order for a customer to prove his/her identity, residency, and citizenship or lawful presence in the United States.” But Goss hopes law enforcement agencies act quickly. “We are doing a huge disservice to our self and making life a lot more difficult for freedom in America if there’s cheating,” Goss said. “And so I encourage law enforcement to really settle down on this and go after it in a very meaningful way.” The North Naples DMV told us its staff is trained to recognize fake identity documents, and it employs analysts who investigate driver’s license fraud.