Local non-profit, Family Initiative, has big plans after receiving $5 million from GolisanoCharlotte County deputies bust park drug deal after community tip
CAPE CORAL Local non-profit, Family Initiative, has big plans after receiving $5 million from Golisano A multi-million dollar donation is helping people with autism have priceless experiences.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County deputies bust park drug deal after community tip One man’s drug deal in Charlotte County wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.
Dog alerts Lee County woman to home intruder The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 22-year-old man for burglary and loitering after he broke into a woman’s home and stood inches away from her bed as she slept.
NAPLES Naples business owner accused of rape In 2023, 14,021 domestic violence 911 calls came into Collier County.
manasota key Charlotte County Commissioners vote ‘Yes’ to changes and redevelopment on Manasota Key The Charlotte County Commissioners voted to pass charges that residents on Manasota Key have been dreading.
The debate over fluoride in Florida’s water The water you drink and use to brush your teeth is fueling a community, state and national conversation.
SANIBEL Phase 2 of Sanibel Beach renourishment project set to begin Eric Jackson, Sanibel’s Public Information Officer, is encouraging residents and visitors to still come to the beach.
NAPLES Riding toward a brighter future for kids: The story of Bikes for Tykes For nearly four decades, Bikes for Tykes has been on a mission to give children and adults in need in Southwest Florida a chance to ride refurbished bicycles.
ENGLEWOOD SWFL agencies bring chaplains on staff to offer support to first responders First responders across the country face the devastating impact of suicide nationwide those numbers are rising.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County deputies arrest man for ATV and UTV thefts, fence destruction A North Fort Myers man has been arrested after allegedly stealing a four-wheeler, crashing it into a property fence, and later trying to flee on a second stolen vehicle.
‘I saw God twice:’ Boating accident survivor thanks Lee Health After surviving an unthinkable accident in Matlacha, one woman wants to thank the medical team that saved her.
MATLACHA Blue Dog restaurant in Matlacha thankful for decade of support The Blue Dog Bar & Grill in Matlacha has survived multiple hurricanes over the past decade. Now, they’re thanking the community for supporting them every step of the way.
NAPLES Nominee of Gulfshore Life Men and Women of the year volunteers for STARability Gulfshore Life has nominated Anne Fleming as one of its Men and Women of the Year for volunteering her time to raise money for a new home store for Starability.
WINK NEWS Holiday gift exchange scams targeting social media users During the holiday season, tidings of joy and goodwill can be shrouded by scammers seeking to take advantage of holiday shoppers.
New cancer fighting machinery arrives at Southwest Florida Proton All the pieces are in place now, but it will take about a year of calibrating and fine-tuning before the proton machine is up and running.
CAPE CORAL Local non-profit, Family Initiative, has big plans after receiving $5 million from Golisano A multi-million dollar donation is helping people with autism have priceless experiences.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County deputies bust park drug deal after community tip One man’s drug deal in Charlotte County wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.
Dog alerts Lee County woman to home intruder The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 22-year-old man for burglary and loitering after he broke into a woman’s home and stood inches away from her bed as she slept.
NAPLES Naples business owner accused of rape In 2023, 14,021 domestic violence 911 calls came into Collier County.
manasota key Charlotte County Commissioners vote ‘Yes’ to changes and redevelopment on Manasota Key The Charlotte County Commissioners voted to pass charges that residents on Manasota Key have been dreading.
The debate over fluoride in Florida’s water The water you drink and use to brush your teeth is fueling a community, state and national conversation.
SANIBEL Phase 2 of Sanibel Beach renourishment project set to begin Eric Jackson, Sanibel’s Public Information Officer, is encouraging residents and visitors to still come to the beach.
NAPLES Riding toward a brighter future for kids: The story of Bikes for Tykes For nearly four decades, Bikes for Tykes has been on a mission to give children and adults in need in Southwest Florida a chance to ride refurbished bicycles.
ENGLEWOOD SWFL agencies bring chaplains on staff to offer support to first responders First responders across the country face the devastating impact of suicide nationwide those numbers are rising.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County deputies arrest man for ATV and UTV thefts, fence destruction A North Fort Myers man has been arrested after allegedly stealing a four-wheeler, crashing it into a property fence, and later trying to flee on a second stolen vehicle.
‘I saw God twice:’ Boating accident survivor thanks Lee Health After surviving an unthinkable accident in Matlacha, one woman wants to thank the medical team that saved her.
MATLACHA Blue Dog restaurant in Matlacha thankful for decade of support The Blue Dog Bar & Grill in Matlacha has survived multiple hurricanes over the past decade. Now, they’re thanking the community for supporting them every step of the way.
NAPLES Nominee of Gulfshore Life Men and Women of the year volunteers for STARability Gulfshore Life has nominated Anne Fleming as one of its Men and Women of the Year for volunteering her time to raise money for a new home store for Starability.
WINK NEWS Holiday gift exchange scams targeting social media users During the holiday season, tidings of joy and goodwill can be shrouded by scammers seeking to take advantage of holiday shoppers.
New cancer fighting machinery arrives at Southwest Florida Proton All the pieces are in place now, but it will take about a year of calibrating and fine-tuning before the proton machine is up and running.
A body camera on a Charlotte County deputy. Credit: Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell has announced that the first wave of CCSO deputies will receive Axon body-worn cameras just in time for the first day of school. Beginning Tuesday, all 25 members of the juvenile unit will be equipped with the cameras, according to a CCSO blog post, including 20 school resource deputies. Prior to this roll-out, Charlotte County says juvenile unit deputies were extensively trained on the equipment, as well as the policies and procedures governing their use. This means students and updates will have new technology for the new school year. Corey Mason can’t wait to get back into learning at Deep Creek Elementary School in Port Charlotte. “Play with my new friends. And that really that much just learning new things at school,” Mason said. His new friends and the new supplies he’ll get to break open are all part of the fun. School resource officers are getting new equipment as well. Deputies will continue to be trained in all functionalities of the cameras, including the phone apps that they will use to ease their workflow and help with photo and video evidence collection as well as help with their report writing. They will be trained on how to access their videos from storage and shown features within the system that allow them to build case folders and share the information with the State’s Attorney’s Office or other agencies. John Waterhouse is a Lieutenant with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. “Sheriff want to make sure that they got the training. And so they were ready to go when school started.,” Lt. Waterhouse said. Utilizing Axon technology, it will be easier than ever for deputies to collect and manage evidence submitted by the community, as it will be able to invite individual witnesses – or the entire community – to submit photos and videos of an incident directly to our agency. Sheriff Prummell expects all personnel will be fully equipped and trained by the end of 2021, according to the blog post. They will become the first deputies to wear the technology. Waterhouse is also the supervisor of SROs in Charlotte County. He says the cameras will always be on but will not always be recording. Deputies are supposed to start rolling once they’re called to respond to an incident. Jane Mason is Corey’s mom. “I think the more resources these resource officers have is better. And for the school system,” said Jane. These cameras also come with GPS tracking in case backup is called for. Students’ faces will be blurred in the footage if they aren’t involved in the case. Hopefully, this means SROs will be better prepared to protect students like Corey. “That’s happy and I can’t wait to play with my new friends I meet,” Corey said. The full cost of implementation including equipment and storage was negotiated as a 5-year contract. This amount was included in the Sheriff’s budget proposal and approved by the Board of County Commissioners. Yearly cost: Year 1: $1.462,301.90 Year 2: $1,451,940 Years 3 – 5: $1,268,340 The sheriff’s office hopes that all deputies will be trained to use the cameras by the end of 2021.