Tribute breakfast to be held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio DiazGov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Winter Haven
port charlotte Tribute breakfast to be held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio Diaz A tribute breakfast is set to be held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio Diaz, who was killed in the line of duty in December.
winter haven Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Winter Haven Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Winter Haven.
FORT MYERS Shell Factory & Nature Park announces online auction liquidation of remaining inventory Fans of the now-closed Shell Factory & Nature Park will have a final chance to own a piece of nostalgia with two virtual auctions.
the weather authority More clouds than sun for your Wednesday The Weather Authority is tracking an increased cloud coverage along with cooler conditions this Wednesday afternoon.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads-Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘It’s devastating’: Neighbor reflects on fatal fire in Port Charlotte A devastating house fire Monday night in Port Charlotte has left one person dead and another hospitalized while neighbors mourn the possible loss of a beloved member of their community.
‘The sound of death’ Neighbors concerned by amount of crashes on Joel Blvd A woman is heartbroken from witnessing crash after crash outside her Lehigh Acres home.
Fort Myers get 15% increase on flood insurance discount WINK News is finding out what led to the city of Fort Myers going from just a 5% FEMA flood insurance discount to a 20% discount.
FORT MYERS Locals house California wildfire victims The effects of the California fires are being felt worldwide as people evacuate some are in southwest Florida.
LOVERS KEY Couple returns to Lovers Key condo post Ian While Hurricane Ian is long gone from Southwest Florida, many are still feeling its impacts.
EVERGLADES Biden signs Water Resources Development Act, its effect on SWFL President Biden recently signed into law the Water Resources Development Act with an aim to improve rivers and harbors across the country and provide for the conservation of water. Southwest Florida was included in that act. Putting the 240-page plan together took a lot of work, not just from state and federal lawmakers, but also […]
Turning business travel into a vacation Would work travel seem a little easier if you could turn it into a vacation? Two professors say they have proof that would help business travel.
The future of biometrics: Safer security or new AI risks? In 2021, the Transportation Service Agency (TSA) launched its new touchless identity solution in the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County airport.
CAPE CORAL Pelican Elementary resource officer saves infant A school resource officer at Pelican Elementary saved an infants’ life at a traffic stop in Cape Coral.
FORT MYERS Progress being made on City View Park in Dunbar More promises made by a city that has not kept its promises for the last six years have some neighbors concerned about the future of their community.
port charlotte Tribute breakfast to be held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio Diaz A tribute breakfast is set to be held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio Diaz, who was killed in the line of duty in December.
winter haven Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Winter Haven Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Winter Haven.
FORT MYERS Shell Factory & Nature Park announces online auction liquidation of remaining inventory Fans of the now-closed Shell Factory & Nature Park will have a final chance to own a piece of nostalgia with two virtual auctions.
the weather authority More clouds than sun for your Wednesday The Weather Authority is tracking an increased cloud coverage along with cooler conditions this Wednesday afternoon.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads-Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘It’s devastating’: Neighbor reflects on fatal fire in Port Charlotte A devastating house fire Monday night in Port Charlotte has left one person dead and another hospitalized while neighbors mourn the possible loss of a beloved member of their community.
‘The sound of death’ Neighbors concerned by amount of crashes on Joel Blvd A woman is heartbroken from witnessing crash after crash outside her Lehigh Acres home.
Fort Myers get 15% increase on flood insurance discount WINK News is finding out what led to the city of Fort Myers going from just a 5% FEMA flood insurance discount to a 20% discount.
FORT MYERS Locals house California wildfire victims The effects of the California fires are being felt worldwide as people evacuate some are in southwest Florida.
LOVERS KEY Couple returns to Lovers Key condo post Ian While Hurricane Ian is long gone from Southwest Florida, many are still feeling its impacts.
EVERGLADES Biden signs Water Resources Development Act, its effect on SWFL President Biden recently signed into law the Water Resources Development Act with an aim to improve rivers and harbors across the country and provide for the conservation of water. Southwest Florida was included in that act. Putting the 240-page plan together took a lot of work, not just from state and federal lawmakers, but also […]
Turning business travel into a vacation Would work travel seem a little easier if you could turn it into a vacation? Two professors say they have proof that would help business travel.
The future of biometrics: Safer security or new AI risks? In 2021, the Transportation Service Agency (TSA) launched its new touchless identity solution in the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County airport.
CAPE CORAL Pelican Elementary resource officer saves infant A school resource officer at Pelican Elementary saved an infants’ life at a traffic stop in Cape Coral.
FORT MYERS Progress being made on City View Park in Dunbar More promises made by a city that has not kept its promises for the last six years have some neighbors concerned about the future of their community.
Human trafficking is a problem in Florida. According to data, there were more than 2,500 contacts, or tips, in 2020 and 738 cases. Three Collier County leaders want to see those numbers go down. Their goal is to rescue victims and prosecute the sellers and buyers, and they hope to do it with a new model called ISP. Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said he want to prevent the situation from ever occurring. Linda Oberhaus is the CEO of The Shelter for Abused Woman & Children in Naples. She said, “We want to be able to provide the support that they need so they can prevail and move on with their lives.” ISP stands for identity, support, and prosecute. “It would be our sheriff and his staff identifying sex traffickers, and buyers, it would be the shelter to support those victims that are identified,” Oberhaus explained. “And then it would be our State Attorney Amira Fox, who would ultimately prosecute those who are found either selling or buying. ” The trio said the model deemphasizes prosecution of those who are trafficked and makes buying sex a more serious criminal offense. Currently, prostitution and the act of buying the “John” are misdemeanors. Rambosk said “When you think historically of prostitution, you’re thinking of the person providing the service. That is not what the emphasis of this program is. The emphasis of this program is to look for the trafficker because we’ve found out that such a high percentage of those being trafficked are not there of their own volition.” According to The Shelter for Abused Women & Children, 90% of prostituted women have a trafficker. The shelter has seen an increase in numbers. It expanded its facility and created the Shelly Stayer Center in Immokalee. Oberhaus says the center in Collier County helps domestic violence and human trafficking victims. “It’s a 60-bed shelter. It has three separate pods and we have one of those pods that have been designated specifically for victims of human trafficking,” Oberhaus added. At the center, victims have resources like counseling and the chance to take control of their own life. But the reality is, not everyone has that opportunity. Human trafficking does not discriminate based on age, race or gender. Sheriff Rambosk and State Attorney Amira Fox say, believe it or not, it’s happening in our backyard. “Unfortunately, we see statistics that as early as age 15, young people are being drawn into this by a trafficker,” Rambosk said. “For the last three to five years, we have made over 20 traffic or arrests. And we have rescued dozens.” Fox explained the extent in Southwest Florida. “We have had two or three large-scale human trafficking cases within the circuit, meaning all five counties, we’ve had actually several large cases in Collier County.” It’ll take a team effort to stop the cycle, and these three leaders are confident the ISP model will make a difference. Nonetheless, Rambosk is confident they can combat trafficking. “If we can eliminate the purchasers; if we can provide training out to the community, and to our law enforcement officers and with the help of the shelter in the state attorney. We have zero-tolerance for human trafficking in Collier County.” National Human Trafficking Hotline (888)373-7888 SMS: 233733 (Text “HELP” or “INFO”) Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week humantraffickinghotline.org