Southbound lanes of U.S. 41 near Bonita Beach shut down due to crash1 injured in Fort Myers auto shop fire
Southbound lanes of U.S. 41 near Bonita Beach shut down due to crash According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, all SB lanes and two northbound lanes of U.S. 41 near Bonita Beach are closed due to a crash.
FORT MYERS 1 injured in Fort Myers auto shop fire According to FMPD, one person is injured after two vehicles and a dumpster caught fire in an auto shop on Saturday afternoon.
Hendry County Sheriff’s Office seeks public’s help in deer poaching investigation The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office Agriculture Unit is seeking assistance from the public in its investigation into the illegal killing of approximately nine deer.
Deputy injured, suspect killed in shooting near State Road 72 in DeSoto County A suspect wanted on a child enticement charge out of Georgia was killed in a deputy-involved shooting early Saturday morning in DeSoto County.
ENGLEWOOD 1 dead in Englewood incident; authorities investigating There is an active investigation going on at the 3200 block of Smith Street in Englewood, where one person was found dead.
NAPLES Naples Winter Wine Festival kicks off to support Collier County children The Naples Winter Wine Festival, one of the largest charity wine auctions globally, is set to begin at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples on Saturday.
ESTERO Join the March to a Million Meals to combat hunger in Southwest Florida Food insecurity remains a significant issue in Southwest Florida, with one in eight adults and one in six children experiencing hunger.
NAPLES Last chance to enjoy Naples Boat Show’s yachts and waterfront fun The Naples Boat Show wraps up on Saturday, offering one last chance for visitors to explore an impressive lineup of boats, yachts, and waterfront fun.
CAPE CORAL SunSplash Waterpark hosts hiring event in Cape Coral As chilly temperatures linger, it might be hard to think about the hot, humid days of summer, but SunSplash Family Waterpark in Cape Coral is already preparing for the season.
the weather authority Cold Saturday morning, warmer afternoons on the way The Weather Authority says Southwest Florida woke up to the coldest temperatures in 3 years.
Neighbors react to deputy-involved shooting of man with machete New body camera footage shows the moment Charlotte County deputies opened fire on a man armed with a machete.
FORT MYERS 21st annual Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival underway in Fort Myers The 21st Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival is underway. Despite the colder weather, visitors are enjoying the festivities in Fort Myers.
New video shows alternate angle of I-75 multi-county chase A theft ring in Lee County led to a dramatic car chase involving Paul Fritzson, who allegedly carjacked a couple in Collier County.
Meet the kids benefiting from Naples’ charity wine festival: Kolson’s story The Naples Winter Wine Festival, known as the largest charity wine auction in the world, kicked off on Friday with a focus on benefiting children in Collier County.
Iona Firefighter rescues homeowner from blaze A firefighter bravely rescued a homeowner from a burning house on Whiskey Creek Drive.
Southbound lanes of U.S. 41 near Bonita Beach shut down due to crash According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, all SB lanes and two northbound lanes of U.S. 41 near Bonita Beach are closed due to a crash.
FORT MYERS 1 injured in Fort Myers auto shop fire According to FMPD, one person is injured after two vehicles and a dumpster caught fire in an auto shop on Saturday afternoon.
Hendry County Sheriff’s Office seeks public’s help in deer poaching investigation The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office Agriculture Unit is seeking assistance from the public in its investigation into the illegal killing of approximately nine deer.
Deputy injured, suspect killed in shooting near State Road 72 in DeSoto County A suspect wanted on a child enticement charge out of Georgia was killed in a deputy-involved shooting early Saturday morning in DeSoto County.
ENGLEWOOD 1 dead in Englewood incident; authorities investigating There is an active investigation going on at the 3200 block of Smith Street in Englewood, where one person was found dead.
NAPLES Naples Winter Wine Festival kicks off to support Collier County children The Naples Winter Wine Festival, one of the largest charity wine auctions globally, is set to begin at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples on Saturday.
ESTERO Join the March to a Million Meals to combat hunger in Southwest Florida Food insecurity remains a significant issue in Southwest Florida, with one in eight adults and one in six children experiencing hunger.
NAPLES Last chance to enjoy Naples Boat Show’s yachts and waterfront fun The Naples Boat Show wraps up on Saturday, offering one last chance for visitors to explore an impressive lineup of boats, yachts, and waterfront fun.
CAPE CORAL SunSplash Waterpark hosts hiring event in Cape Coral As chilly temperatures linger, it might be hard to think about the hot, humid days of summer, but SunSplash Family Waterpark in Cape Coral is already preparing for the season.
the weather authority Cold Saturday morning, warmer afternoons on the way The Weather Authority says Southwest Florida woke up to the coldest temperatures in 3 years.
Neighbors react to deputy-involved shooting of man with machete New body camera footage shows the moment Charlotte County deputies opened fire on a man armed with a machete.
FORT MYERS 21st annual Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival underway in Fort Myers The 21st Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival is underway. Despite the colder weather, visitors are enjoying the festivities in Fort Myers.
New video shows alternate angle of I-75 multi-county chase A theft ring in Lee County led to a dramatic car chase involving Paul Fritzson, who allegedly carjacked a couple in Collier County.
Meet the kids benefiting from Naples’ charity wine festival: Kolson’s story The Naples Winter Wine Festival, known as the largest charity wine auction in the world, kicked off on Friday with a focus on benefiting children in Collier County.
Iona Firefighter rescues homeowner from blaze A firefighter bravely rescued a homeowner from a burning house on Whiskey Creek Drive.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno looks to almost double his narcotics detectives as drug-related crime has increased. (CREDIT: WINK NEWS) The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is looking to double its narcotics unit. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno likes to talk tough especially when it comes to drugs. “It’s literally poison on our streets and when you take it off it saves lives,” Marceno said in a one-on-one interview with WINK News in Oct. 2020. The sheriff’s office said there are more drugs on the streets of Lee County and more people are dying. Cocaine seizures are up 479 percent from 2020 to 2021. Crystal meth seizures are up 352 percent and fentanyl is up by 256 percent. The effect of all those drugs on the streets last year? 190 deadly overdoses. “Since they have a narcotics task force, can we be proactive and continue to invest in this so we can get in front of the curve so we can continue to be one of the safest counties,” said Lee County Commissioner Kevin Ruane. Ruane points to one more statistic: the increased population in the county. More people equals more drugs and more deaths. Ruane said he is on board with the sheriff’s office to almost double its narcotics unit from 24 detectives to 44. And the state attorney’s office has also requested a budget increase of $460,000 to investigate more drugs cases. While people come to Southwest Florida for its beaches, they don’t want to see more of the drug scene. “We don’t want to paint the picture that there is some massive drug problem in our community but our community is not immune either,” said Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman. The increase in detectives will cost the county $2 million a year. Hamman said that’s a small price to pay when you consider the LCSO budget is $200 million. The sheriff’s office declined an interview request because Marceno will make his case on Tuesday at the commissioners’ meeting. However, they sent us the following statement: “Sheriff Carmine Marceno is committed to fighting the opioid crisis, and keeping residents safe from deadly narcotics. As one of his initiatives, Sheriff Carmine Marceno has dedicated resources to remove a significant number of drug dealers, as well as large quantities of narcotics and firearms off the streets of Lee County. The number of overdose deaths and seized narcotics has consistently increased over the last four years, which is why Sheriff Carmine Marceno is petitioning the Board of County Commissioners to approve funds that would double the size of our current Narcotics Unit. We are grateful for the continued support from the Lee County Manager, Roger Desjarlais, and all of the Lee County Commissioners who are instrumental in our mission.” Statewide Medical Examiners Commission 2020 Report State-wide: 42% increase in opioid caused deaths (6,089 cases) 63% increase in deaths caused by fentanyl (most illegal narcotics-related deaths were caused by fentanyl – 5,302) 21st District (Glades, Hendry & Lee) 269 deaths caused by fentanyl 184 of those deaths were people between the age 18 to 50 Overdose Deaths worked by LCSO: 2019 – 118 cases 2020 – 166 cases 2021 – 190 cases 2022 – Over 20 cases (currently on pace for over 200 cases) LCSO Narcotics Statistics for 2021: Seized 17,706 grams (17.7 KILOS) of Cocaine – 478% increase since 2020 Seized 10,288 grams (10.2 KILOS) of Crystal meth – 352% increase since 2020 Seized 6,597 (6.5 KILOS) grams of Fentanyl – 265% increase since 2020 Seized 91 firearms – 35.8% increase from 2020