Officials on scene of active fire at Charlotte County homeMan accused of burglarizing several businesses in Fort Myers
Officials on scene of active fire at Charlotte County home Firefighters are on the scene of a fire at a Charlotte County home.
FORT MYERS Man accused of burglarizing several businesses in Fort Myers A crime spree came to an end Sunday night as deputies arrested a man in a bush.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers cross country runner reflects on state championship Fort Myers High School senior cross country runner Masha Dorofeev reflects on her state championship win and committing to UCF.
CAPE CORAL Coyote kills beloved family pet For 16 years, Sarge and his owner, James Stewart were inseparable.
FORT MYERS Local artist AHZUWOP to hold fashion show at tattoo shop A local artist is throwing a fashion show at a tattoo shop, an event that will also feature music performances and an art exhibition.
NAPLES Identity released of body found in Collier County retention pond According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, a body was found in a retention pond on Sunday. The body was found on Lindsey Lane.
FORT MYERS City leaders looking to improve Fort Myers infrastructure with AI When people think of artificial intelligence (AI), they typically think of online apps like Chat GPT but the City of Fort Myers wants to use it to make a real-world difference.
SAINT JAMES CITY Saint James City neighbors create art from hurricane destruction Many who pass through Saint James City see this as just leftovers from a hundred-year storm but not Floyd Cornett.
FORT MYERS Miracle Moment: Children starting the year cancer free Several youngsters are celebrating starting 2025 cancer-free.
FORT MYERS Flood insurance discount up to 20% in Fort Myers Anyone who lives in the City of Fort Myers will be getting a bigger flood insurance discount.
Message from LCEC raises red flag for customers A push from one of Southwest Florida’s power providers to not use your heater as the temperatures drop has raised a red flag for some customers.
FORT MYERS Cutting down on truck traffic on McGregor Boulevard Giant trucks are rumbling on roads meant to connect neighborhoods, and now city leaders want to eliminate trucks from the roads completely.
Exercise: an instant health boost Did you know that just 30 minutes of exercise can start helping your body right away?
State attorney removes herself from Lee County Sheriff’s Office case A source sent WINK News anchor Claire Galt an executive order saying the state is investigating Ken Romano, a consultant who was on the sheriff’s office payroll.
Collier County woman arrested twice for operating illicit massage parlor The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of operating an illicit massage parlor, her second time arrested on this charge.
Officials on scene of active fire at Charlotte County home Firefighters are on the scene of a fire at a Charlotte County home.
FORT MYERS Man accused of burglarizing several businesses in Fort Myers A crime spree came to an end Sunday night as deputies arrested a man in a bush.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers cross country runner reflects on state championship Fort Myers High School senior cross country runner Masha Dorofeev reflects on her state championship win and committing to UCF.
CAPE CORAL Coyote kills beloved family pet For 16 years, Sarge and his owner, James Stewart were inseparable.
FORT MYERS Local artist AHZUWOP to hold fashion show at tattoo shop A local artist is throwing a fashion show at a tattoo shop, an event that will also feature music performances and an art exhibition.
NAPLES Identity released of body found in Collier County retention pond According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, a body was found in a retention pond on Sunday. The body was found on Lindsey Lane.
FORT MYERS City leaders looking to improve Fort Myers infrastructure with AI When people think of artificial intelligence (AI), they typically think of online apps like Chat GPT but the City of Fort Myers wants to use it to make a real-world difference.
SAINT JAMES CITY Saint James City neighbors create art from hurricane destruction Many who pass through Saint James City see this as just leftovers from a hundred-year storm but not Floyd Cornett.
FORT MYERS Miracle Moment: Children starting the year cancer free Several youngsters are celebrating starting 2025 cancer-free.
FORT MYERS Flood insurance discount up to 20% in Fort Myers Anyone who lives in the City of Fort Myers will be getting a bigger flood insurance discount.
Message from LCEC raises red flag for customers A push from one of Southwest Florida’s power providers to not use your heater as the temperatures drop has raised a red flag for some customers.
FORT MYERS Cutting down on truck traffic on McGregor Boulevard Giant trucks are rumbling on roads meant to connect neighborhoods, and now city leaders want to eliminate trucks from the roads completely.
Exercise: an instant health boost Did you know that just 30 minutes of exercise can start helping your body right away?
State attorney removes herself from Lee County Sheriff’s Office case A source sent WINK News anchor Claire Galt an executive order saying the state is investigating Ken Romano, a consultant who was on the sheriff’s office payroll.
Collier County woman arrested twice for operating illicit massage parlor The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of operating an illicit massage parlor, her second time arrested on this charge.
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.