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.
John Leeman, 62, opened a savings account at SunTrust Bank (now Truist) in 2020 in Fort Myers so he could deposit two government checks: a tax refund check and a stimulus check, totaling nearly $2,000. When he tried to make a withdrawal soon after, Leeman says the bank told him the checks weren’t good and the account was closed. “I go back a couple of days later, and I asked for money, because I need some money to live, and they said the checks are no good. So I’m like, why is it no good since it comes from the government? So I went back and I just ask them why and they’re not telling me no reasons,” says Leeman. “This bank right here… they don’t care. I don’t think they worry about me at all, being a homeless person. And I told the woman, ‘Ma’am, I’m homeless. I need this money.'” With no car, no computer and unreliable internet access, he couldn’t solve this mystery on his own. He asked a friend to help him write this letter to his local congressman, but nothing changed for nearly a year. That’s when he mailed a letter to WINK News: “I’m just trying to get back what’s mine,” says Leeman. “I don’t ask for a penny more or a penny less. All this time, I’m sitting here and I can’t get my money? I mean, that’s wrong from the bank. They don’t get me the right answer… what I want to understand, what it is.” Leeman says he was relying on that money to buy an old RV, so he could leave his homeless camp and put a roof over his head. “… and instead of staying in the woods over here, I could live in an RV in a campground and go to work every day. But in the meantime, without no money, I’m living over here in the woods,” says Leeman. I went to the bank to talk to the manager. She wouldn’t comment. I reached out to Truist’s corporate headquarters. In an email, the Director of Media Relations Kyle Tarrance wrote, “let us look into this and circle back.” The next day, Truist circled back to Leeman to tell him he could pick up his money. “I got a phone call last night from the bank here saying be here at nine o’clock and get your money.” says Leeman. “I’m like, ‘oh that’s nice.’ I said, ‘Why did you take so long to get it?’ She wouldn’t tell me, but I’ll be here at nine o’clock for sure.” Celine: “How do you feel about that?” Leeman: “I feel good. It took WINK news to go do it.” I went with him to the bank, so we could find out what went wrong for so long. They wouldn’t tell either of us where the money was all this time, and why he was now getting it back. “She won’t tell me why, because she don’t know herself. You know, they do know, but they’re not saying anyway,” says Leeman. Leeman is just relieved to finally have this cash in hand and is ready to move on. I followed up with Truist again and they emailed us this statement: “It is our understanding that you’re now aware of the resolution, but I did want to circle back with you. As I’m sure you’re aware, we can’t discuss or confirm banking relationships to protect the privacy of our clients, but as with all potential client issues, we escalated this matter to the appropriate teams to research and help find a resolution. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.” – Kyle Tarrance, Truist Director of Media Relations In the meantime, if you have something you want me to investigate, email me at celine.mcarthur@winknews.com or investigations@winknews.com.