Lee County deputy subdues convicted felon with Taser at North Fort Myers Walmart2 posing as Target Corporate employees steal over $6K at Fort Myers Target
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County deputy subdues convicted felon with Taser at North Fort Myers Walmart Lee County deputies used a Taser on a man after they raced through a North Fort Myers Walmart searching for him.
FORT MYERS 2 posing as Target Corporate employees steal over $6K at Fort Myers Target SWFL Crime Stoppers seeks information on two men who allegedly claimed to be employees of Target Corporate and stole over $6,000 at Target.
Punta Gorda cosiders fate of historic A.C. Freeman House It was built by politician and businessman Augustus C. Freeman whose name the house bears, and it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested for armed robbery in Cape Coral The Cape Coral Police Department has arrested a man for armed robbery and falsifying his name to law enforcement.
Jacksonville Gov. DeSantis signs bills to provide financial options for Floridians Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will provide financial options to Floridians and another bill that curates the state public school curriculum.
BONITA SPRINGS LCSO seeks information on missing 77-year-old kayaker LCSO seeks information on a missing kayaker after responding to a call about a missing kayak off the coast of Bonita Beach.
FORT MYERS Tim Tebow speaks at annual Southwest Florida Community Prayer Breakfast Former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow took the stage at Hammond Stadium for the annual Southwest Florida Community Prayer Breakfast.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers City Council to provide update on Fowler Street construction project The Fort Myers City Council is set to provide an update on the progress of the Fowler Street intersection project.
the weather authority Hot and humid Thursday before evening isolated storms impact coastal communities The Weather Authority is tracking a humid Thursday morning with high afternoon temperatures and evening coastal isolated storms.
FORT MYERS BEACH Sea turtle nesting season begins in Fort Myers Beach Sea turtle nesting season has officially begun, and the FWC wants to remind visitors about the fragility of the young reptiles.
BAREFOOT LAKE Neighbors react to chaos at Barefoot Lake Imagine being scared to leave your home on the weekends. Ana and Anrik understand the feeling all too well.
CAPE CORAL The story of Ollie’s Pub and what kept it open through years of hardships Before Ollie’s housed weekly events, packed to the brim with artwork and home to many, it was a simple dream and an empty space.
Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024.
FORT MYERS BEACH Remembering Fort Myers Beach ‘Mayor’ Brad Benson To know Brad Benson was to know a legend. He recently passed away at the age of 71 after battling health issues.
CAPE CORAL Proposed Cape Coral City Council meeting time change fails In a 4 to 4 vote, the motion to move Cape Coral meeting times from 4:30 to 9 a.m. failed.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County deputy subdues convicted felon with Taser at North Fort Myers Walmart Lee County deputies used a Taser on a man after they raced through a North Fort Myers Walmart searching for him.
FORT MYERS 2 posing as Target Corporate employees steal over $6K at Fort Myers Target SWFL Crime Stoppers seeks information on two men who allegedly claimed to be employees of Target Corporate and stole over $6,000 at Target.
Punta Gorda cosiders fate of historic A.C. Freeman House It was built by politician and businessman Augustus C. Freeman whose name the house bears, and it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested for armed robbery in Cape Coral The Cape Coral Police Department has arrested a man for armed robbery and falsifying his name to law enforcement.
Jacksonville Gov. DeSantis signs bills to provide financial options for Floridians Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will provide financial options to Floridians and another bill that curates the state public school curriculum.
BONITA SPRINGS LCSO seeks information on missing 77-year-old kayaker LCSO seeks information on a missing kayaker after responding to a call about a missing kayak off the coast of Bonita Beach.
FORT MYERS Tim Tebow speaks at annual Southwest Florida Community Prayer Breakfast Former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow took the stage at Hammond Stadium for the annual Southwest Florida Community Prayer Breakfast.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers City Council to provide update on Fowler Street construction project The Fort Myers City Council is set to provide an update on the progress of the Fowler Street intersection project.
the weather authority Hot and humid Thursday before evening isolated storms impact coastal communities The Weather Authority is tracking a humid Thursday morning with high afternoon temperatures and evening coastal isolated storms.
FORT MYERS BEACH Sea turtle nesting season begins in Fort Myers Beach Sea turtle nesting season has officially begun, and the FWC wants to remind visitors about the fragility of the young reptiles.
BAREFOOT LAKE Neighbors react to chaos at Barefoot Lake Imagine being scared to leave your home on the weekends. Ana and Anrik understand the feeling all too well.
CAPE CORAL The story of Ollie’s Pub and what kept it open through years of hardships Before Ollie’s housed weekly events, packed to the brim with artwork and home to many, it was a simple dream and an empty space.
Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024.
FORT MYERS BEACH Remembering Fort Myers Beach ‘Mayor’ Brad Benson To know Brad Benson was to know a legend. He recently passed away at the age of 71 after battling health issues.
CAPE CORAL Proposed Cape Coral City Council meeting time change fails In a 4 to 4 vote, the motion to move Cape Coral meeting times from 4:30 to 9 a.m. failed.
Credit: WINK News Tiffany Nemec doesn’t see herself as a survivor but she is. More than a decade ago, her boyfriend shot her in the face. Nemec still lives with the scars, and sadly this is just one of her many stories. “13 years ago, I was shot by my daughter’s father,” said Nemec. 13 years later she’s still living with the trauma, scars and pain of that situation. “13 years later, I’m still asking for help,” Nemec said. She was in an abusive relationship. At one point, she was able to escape but he found her. “He tracked me down to my new apartment, shot the locks off the door, shot my face, or shot my stomach first then in my face,” said Nemec. “I was shot with birdshot. It’s not like one thing hit one tooth, or three or five. I had my back teeth blown out, my front teeth some of them were blown out, some were just chipped.” And, he kept shooting. “When he shot me the second time, he stood over me and then shot himself.” The entire time, the only thing on her mind was saving her daughter. Luckily, she was able to do just that. Fast forward 13 years and you may see her as a survivor but Nemec doesn’t see herself that way. But, she hopes to one day. “It went from I would not survive, to if I did survive, I would have major deficits both mentally, from being shot in the head to physically,” Nemec said. Her injuries devastated her. “To see half of my face was missing and my teeth were shot out, it was detrimental to me,” she said. “I am 33. I was 20 when I was shot, I don’t want dentures.” “I know a lot of people are like ‘do you really need it, right?’ do I need it? I feel like I need it for my mental health. The first thing you notice about somebody are their eyes and their teeth,” she said. Nemec wants dental implants. And, as if she hasn’t paid enough, she says the lowest estimate she’s gotten is $35,000 for reconstructive surgery. Her insurance won’t cover the procedure because they categorize it as cosmetic. For Nemec, it’s so much more than just a cosmetic procedure. “There is such a stigma with domestic violence and for a long time I heard, man you’re so strong, to the point where I felt like a hypocrite on the inside because I knew I wasn’t strong,” she said. “My grandma would be like ‘Tiffany why are you ashamed you were shot in the face?’ ‘do you know that I was shot in the face? If you met me on the street and you saw me smile, would you know I was shot in the face or would you think I did drugs or bad hygiene?” Nemec said. It’s because she’s afraid of the backlash that she could face. “Society doesn’t think that. they think the worst in people,” said Nemec. “I haven’t smiled in 13 years.” 13 years later, she’s still trying to get her smile back. Tiffany says that she’s seen dentists across Southwest Florida and while some are willing to help, but all visits have fallen through. If you are in an abusive relationship or a survivor of domestic violence, Tiffany wants you to know that you are not alone and encourages you to seek help. The Domestic Violence Hotline phone number is 1-800-500-119. Resources Below are anti-human trafficking and mental health resources available to Southwest Floridians at the national and local level: National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888 Path 2 Freedom https://www.path2freedom.org/ National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255 suicidepreventionlifeline.org David Lawrence Center (Collier County) (239)455-8500 davidlawrencecenter.org National Alliance on Mental Illness, Collier County namicollier.org National Alliance on Mental Illness, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry Counties namilee.org The National Alliance for Caregiving offers a free handbook Circle of Care: A Guidebook for Mental Health Caregivers Collier County Mental Health Court ca.cjis20.org/home/collier Lee County Mental Health Court ca.cjis20.org/home/lee Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance convio.net Local Support Groups: Anxiety and Depression Association of America adaa.org U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Mental Health and Addiction Insurance Help) hhs.gov/programs/topic-sites/mental-health-parity