ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
Fort Myers Beach Fire Department (CREDIT: WINK News) A recently-appointed Southwest Florida fire chief is facing a few challenges at his department. A WINK News uncovered concerns at the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department that date back several years, including millions of dollars paid in overtime. Over the last 10 years, records show, the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department has paid $7 million in overtime. The current chief, Ron Martin, is an 18-year veteran who wasn’t chief during that 10-year period. We obtained 275 pages of department records showing numerous internal investigations since 2019 and some of those include accusations against him before he became chief. Martin became the new fire chief in late October. In 2020, records show, Fort Myers Beach spent about the same as Fort Myers and Cape Coral in overtime pay, but the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department has a smaller number of employees than the other agencies and covers a smaller area. “There are a number of firefighters that like the overtime. But the sweet spot is trying to find where the break-over point is,” said Jane Thompson, director of finance at the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department. He said overtime costs are important to cover the city. “Ensuring that we have adequate staff to meet the community’s demands for service is a responsible use of taxpayer dollars,” Martin said. Thompson said the starting pay for a Fort Myers Beach firefighter is $51,000. “We’re looking to fill all of our vacant positions, Thompson said. “Ideally, we wouldn’t have overtime if there wasn’t other mitigating factors.” The amount of overtime pay has declined in recent years and Martin said his leadership will continue to cut costs. “I would anticipate over the next three years that we will see a downward trend in our overtime trend,” Martin said. In the last two years, the department conducted 16 internal investigations. Some found no wrongdoing while others covered minor issues such a missing laptop or a cracked rearview mirror. “Work environment with the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department is essentially a positive work environment. Like any organization we’ve had individuals who say this is the worst place in the world to work,” Martin said. Some of the investigations involved accusations against Martin before he became chief, including one female employee accusing Marting of being “unprofessional, inappropriate and angry.” A 25-year veteran of the department complained he had been targeted by Marton, while a third complaint accused Martin of not treating others by the department’s standards stemming from a series of emails. Human Resources determined part of the claim was founded but “there is no evidence Martin acted without professionalism, loyalty or integrity.” Martin said he will prioritize a healthy working environment and wants people to know they can call 24/7 no matter the problem. “We will continue to operate in an extremely accountable and transparent manner,” Martin said. WINK News reached out to the former Fort Myers Beach Fire Department Chief but has not heard back. We also asked Martin about his goals for the department during his time as chief. He says he wants people to know they can call 24/7 and that every problem, big or little, will get their best effort and attention.