Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the legExclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
NAPLES Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
NAPLES Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
Interim Superintendent Ken Savage of The School District of Lee County. Credit: WINK News. The interim superintendent at The School District of Lee County responded to us after we investigated school safety at a District school. This comes after a former Lee County assistant principal raised claims about school safety reporting. Interim Superintendent Ken Savage emphasized safety for students and faculty. But Peggy Slichter, a former administrator, has concerns about whether that’s true in all Lee County schools. “Horrible,” Slichter said. That was her response after we asked Slichter how communication has been between her and the District. Lee County Schools told us it launched an internal investigation into allegations from Slichter about underreporting of “disruptive and violent” incidents, but Slichter says she can’t get any answers about the investigation or why her contract wasn’t renewed after 20 years as an administrator. “I have to pull the information out of them. It has not been easy at all,” Slichter said. “I tried to reach out to HR before school was even out about this. They never reached back out to me.” Slichter’s biggest concern centered around SESIR reporting. The SESIR program has existed since the mid-90s but was revamped after the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. SESIR is meant to inform the state about what schools need more resources and funding to care for troubled students and centers around reports that schools are responsible for submitting. Slichter’s former school, Manatee Elementary, filed zero SESIR reports for the past two school years combined. She worries about the validity of the District’s internal investigation. “I don’t feel it has been followed properly,” Slichter said. “I would like someone from the outside to come into this.” We spoke to Savage about our story and the claims of underreporting. “I can’t speak to any specific children in that particular piece, just from a privacy rights standpoint,” Savage said. “I can’t speak to any of that.” A week after two Harns Marsh middle schoolers were arrested for planning a school shooting, Savage says the district is committed to following SESIR protocol. “The SESIR data is very important,” Savage said. “It speaks to some of those more significant incidents that can occur at schools, and so it’s always of great value to us.” Slichter believes her stance on SESIR reporting cost her job, but while she waits on the District’s investigation to end, and she searches for her next landing spot, she isn’t looking back. “Something is not right. Communicate it. It’s so important to communicate it because you’re doing the right thing,” Slichter said. “I don’t regret it.” We emailed the District to ask why Slichter’s contract was not renewed and also requested an interview with her former principal, Scott Lemaster. We were still waiting to hear back Tuesday.