SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Regional SemifinalsLarge response to rollover crash in Fort Myers
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Regional Semifinals It’s the regional semifinal round of high school football in Southwest Florida. Check out the scores and highlights.
FORT MYERS Large response to rollover crash in Fort Myers There was a large response to a multi-car crash with a rollover in Fort Myers just after 8 p.m on Friday night.
FORT MYERS BEACH New information on why FEMA put Fort Myers Beach on probation FEMA was sure to lay it out in a letter. Out of the five points listed, three areas need work on Fort Myers Beach to re-apply for the flood insurance discount.
CAPE CORAL Exclusive: Cape Coral Police Chief speaks out on hate crime incident New exclusive surveillance video shows the moment a Cape Coral home is vandalized. The suspects painted racial slurs on the wall in red paint. WINK News broke this story on Wednesday.
CAPE CORAL New police precincts coming to Cape Coral The Cape Coral Police Department is adding new precincts around the city. The reason? Growth.
Vietnam veteran’s unique service animal companion When we think of service animals, dogs usually come to mind, but it’s not just dogs that help people navigate through their challenges.
NAPLES Gulfshore Life’s Men and Women of the Year award honoree: John Cooney It’s one thing to be philanthropic and help our community. It’s another to provide so much help and want absolutely nothing in return, not even your name mentioned.
FORT MYERS Dunbar High principal named Lee County Principal of the Year Carl Burnside was the last to find out Friday morning that he was selected as Lee County Schools Principal of the Year for 2025.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses excited for increased season traffic Those on Fort Myers Beach are excited for the town to return to normal. Businesses are ready to accept snowbirds and residents again.
CAPE CORAL Mom faces DUI charge after crash during pick-up at Oasis High School A crash in the pick-up line at Oasis High School led Cape Coral police to a DUI investigation.
Rethinking daily Asprin intake Many of us have heard the saying, “An aspirin a day keeps the doctor away,” but new research shows that taking aspirin every day might not be as good for you as we once thought.
NAPLES Embezzlement investigation in Naples WINK News is looking into claims of embezzlement in the Naples government.
NORTH FORT MYERS Where did the Shell Factory animals go? With the closure of The Shell Factory in September, people have been wondering where the animals went.
Tim Aten Knows: Publix to demolish, rebuild Naples store Two days after Thanksgiving, the 38-year-old Publix supermarket in Neapolitan Way Plaza will close to begin a Naples redevelopment project that has been planned for years.
Planned retail, lifestyle center seeking tenants at Babcock Ranch A new 112,000-square-foot mixed-use complex designed for retail shops, restaurants, bars, office space and residential units is planned for Babcock Ranch. Called B Street at Babcock Ranch, there are approximately 20 parties negotiating leases, said Jon Cashion, a principal with commercial real estate agency Katz & Associates. A groundbreaking ceremony is slated for early 2025, […]
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Regional Semifinals It’s the regional semifinal round of high school football in Southwest Florida. Check out the scores and highlights.
FORT MYERS Large response to rollover crash in Fort Myers There was a large response to a multi-car crash with a rollover in Fort Myers just after 8 p.m on Friday night.
FORT MYERS BEACH New information on why FEMA put Fort Myers Beach on probation FEMA was sure to lay it out in a letter. Out of the five points listed, three areas need work on Fort Myers Beach to re-apply for the flood insurance discount.
CAPE CORAL Exclusive: Cape Coral Police Chief speaks out on hate crime incident New exclusive surveillance video shows the moment a Cape Coral home is vandalized. The suspects painted racial slurs on the wall in red paint. WINK News broke this story on Wednesday.
CAPE CORAL New police precincts coming to Cape Coral The Cape Coral Police Department is adding new precincts around the city. The reason? Growth.
Vietnam veteran’s unique service animal companion When we think of service animals, dogs usually come to mind, but it’s not just dogs that help people navigate through their challenges.
NAPLES Gulfshore Life’s Men and Women of the Year award honoree: John Cooney It’s one thing to be philanthropic and help our community. It’s another to provide so much help and want absolutely nothing in return, not even your name mentioned.
FORT MYERS Dunbar High principal named Lee County Principal of the Year Carl Burnside was the last to find out Friday morning that he was selected as Lee County Schools Principal of the Year for 2025.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses excited for increased season traffic Those on Fort Myers Beach are excited for the town to return to normal. Businesses are ready to accept snowbirds and residents again.
CAPE CORAL Mom faces DUI charge after crash during pick-up at Oasis High School A crash in the pick-up line at Oasis High School led Cape Coral police to a DUI investigation.
Rethinking daily Asprin intake Many of us have heard the saying, “An aspirin a day keeps the doctor away,” but new research shows that taking aspirin every day might not be as good for you as we once thought.
NAPLES Embezzlement investigation in Naples WINK News is looking into claims of embezzlement in the Naples government.
NORTH FORT MYERS Where did the Shell Factory animals go? With the closure of The Shell Factory in September, people have been wondering where the animals went.
Tim Aten Knows: Publix to demolish, rebuild Naples store Two days after Thanksgiving, the 38-year-old Publix supermarket in Neapolitan Way Plaza will close to begin a Naples redevelopment project that has been planned for years.
Planned retail, lifestyle center seeking tenants at Babcock Ranch A new 112,000-square-foot mixed-use complex designed for retail shops, restaurants, bars, office space and residential units is planned for Babcock Ranch. Called B Street at Babcock Ranch, there are approximately 20 parties negotiating leases, said Jon Cashion, a principal with commercial real estate agency Katz & Associates. A groundbreaking ceremony is slated for early 2025, […]
An independent review of an internal affairs investigation into a former high-ranking Fort Myers police official has been completed. The internal affairs investigation looked into whether then Major William Newhouse had ordered a subordinate to lie to city council about cost overruns for a new Fort Myers Police Department headquarters at the old News-Press building at 2442 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The internal affairs investigation cleared Newhouse of any wrongdoing. Newhouse retired soon after. The complaint that led to the investigation was made by then FMPD Inspector General Donald Oswald. Oswald, who retired from the department, made claims that the internal affairs investigation into Newhouse was undermined because it was conducted by another Newhouse subordinate. This prompted the city to request an independent review of the investigation. The city’s investigation concluded Fort Myers police Chief Derrick Diggs made the wrong call when he declared the allegations unfounded. Instead, he should have ruled they were not sustained. Not sustained doesn’t mean the allegation is untrue, it means there is not enough evidence to prove either way. “The chief says it’s unfounded. It’s unfounded. That’s it. Bottom line,” said Newhouse’s attorney Robert Burandt. “You can second guess him all day long. You can say he mislabeled it, but he is the chief, right, wrong or indifferent. He has that authority.” David Seide, Oswald’s attorney, said the chief smeared Oswald’s name. “The chief called the inspector general a liar,” Seide said. “His reputation has been hurt by the unfair, just the unfounded finding is a blot on his career.” The report also found that even though Diggs has the authority to issue the finding in the case, he was also a witness. The chief was in the room when Newhouse told a lieutenant to keep quiet about the cost “until after (council members) spend the $36 million already budgeted and are in too deep to back out.” The report states: “The question remains whether (Diggs) can possibly remain impartial reviewing the facts of an investigation when they themselves were a witness to the alleged incident.” Seide calls it a “flat out blatant black and white conflict of interest.” “It’s just, it’s basic common sense that you can’t be the judge, jury and witness on the same case,” Seide said. But Burandt said the chief is the boss. “It doesn’t matter whether he’s a witness or not. And whether or not he can be impartial. He could have fired Newhouse right on the spot, said that was an inappropriate comment, you’re fired,” Burandt said. WINK News spoke to Newhouse in the fall. Newhouse said this had all been a misunderstanding and that he never gave an illegal order. “If he thought what I said was wrong he had a duty to say so then at that meeting, he should have said no, explain what you mean. But he didn’t do that,” Newhouse said. Burandt said he believes this report “glossed over that fact.” Something the report did get into is the chief allowed a subordinate of Newhouse to investigate him which is something Oswald said from day one should never have happened. “When you see how this matter was handled, it’s indicative of the fact that he’s part of the problem,” Oswald said then. Burandt said anyone who could have done the investigation reported to Newhouse, who oversaw the internal affairs investigation department. A Fort Myers police spokesperson told WINK News Diggs tried to get an outside agency to do the Newhouse internal affairs investigation. “Chief Diggs initially asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the complaint against the former Major. Unfortunately, it was not within FDLE’s parameters. Chief Diggs also met with the City Attorney requesting his office, or an outside law firm, conduct the investigation, but those requests were denied,” the spokesperson said. Fort Myers city council will hear recommendations from the firm during their meeting on Monday night. One suggestion includes that Fort Myers police form a relationship with another police department if a conflict arises again. A city spokesperson said no one will offer a comment on the review before Monday.