Groundbreaking ceremony for Festival Park in Cape CoralBoat marooned on land following car crash on US-41
CAPE CORAL Groundbreaking ceremony for Festival Park in Cape Coral The groundbreaking ceremony for the long-awaited Festival Park in the Northwest area of Cape Coral is finally taking place.
Boat marooned on land following car crash on US-41 The Florida Highway Patrol is responding to a crash involving a boat on US-41 near Tuckers Grade in Charlotte County.
FORT MYERS 3 college students being treated after mercury exposure at planetarium Three college students are being treated for mercury exposure at Lee Health after a lightbulb replacement goes awry at the Calusa Nature Preserve and Planetarium.
the weather authority Late afternoon and evening scattered storms for your Friday The Weather Authority is tracking hot temperatures and scattered rain storms during the Friday evening commute.
Boil water notice issued at the Burnt Store Marina Service Area The Charlotte County Utilities Department has issued a boil water notice to the Burnt Store Marina Service Area.
FORT MYERS Code orange alert issued at Lee Memorial Hospital Emergency services are responding after a Code Orange alert was issued at Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers on US 41 Thursday afternoon.
Mother separated from son after code orange at Lee Memorial Hospital A mother was asked to evacuate Lee Memorial Hospital Thursday afternoon, leaving her son who has stage 4 cancer.
Number of Lee County registered voters declines A look at the numbers from 2021 to 2024 shows a staggering drop in Lee County, a drop of more than 32,000 registered voters.
FORT MYERS Panel discusses homelessness and new law aimed at the homeless A panel of five, with the hope of finding solutions for the county’s homeless population, met at Fort Myers High School. An audience of over 100 sat and listened as the panelists discussed the complex issue.
ESTERO Estero community battles polluted water Recently, in this gated community called the Cascades, one neighbor noticed something fishy in her pond and brought it to a professor’s attention at Florida Gulf Coast University.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral takes action on rental properties not following rules Cape Coral is going after homeowners who are not following the rules.
What you should know about mercury poisoning WINK News responded to the scene of a code orange a Lee Memorial Hospital Thursday evening. Here’s what you should know about mercury exposure.
NORTH FORT MYERS Grandma Penny’s Pizza in North Fort Myers forced to shut down The Caloosahatchee Bridge closure, rising inflation and low foot traffic. It’s a recipe for disaster that some businesses are trying to stomach.
ESTERO Unfinished business brings FGCU forward back to the Nest FGCU graduate forward Keeshawn Kellman has unfinished business in the Nest so he’s returning for one more basketball season with the Eagles.
FORT MYERS Drivers feel unsafe at Palm Beach Blvd and Seaboard Street “It’s pretty sad when it can be prevented just by putting up a freaking light there,” said Smith. “Like it shouldn’t be just flashing because they don’t listen. They don’t slow down or nothing.”
CAPE CORAL Groundbreaking ceremony for Festival Park in Cape Coral The groundbreaking ceremony for the long-awaited Festival Park in the Northwest area of Cape Coral is finally taking place.
Boat marooned on land following car crash on US-41 The Florida Highway Patrol is responding to a crash involving a boat on US-41 near Tuckers Grade in Charlotte County.
FORT MYERS 3 college students being treated after mercury exposure at planetarium Three college students are being treated for mercury exposure at Lee Health after a lightbulb replacement goes awry at the Calusa Nature Preserve and Planetarium.
the weather authority Late afternoon and evening scattered storms for your Friday The Weather Authority is tracking hot temperatures and scattered rain storms during the Friday evening commute.
Boil water notice issued at the Burnt Store Marina Service Area The Charlotte County Utilities Department has issued a boil water notice to the Burnt Store Marina Service Area.
FORT MYERS Code orange alert issued at Lee Memorial Hospital Emergency services are responding after a Code Orange alert was issued at Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers on US 41 Thursday afternoon.
Mother separated from son after code orange at Lee Memorial Hospital A mother was asked to evacuate Lee Memorial Hospital Thursday afternoon, leaving her son who has stage 4 cancer.
Number of Lee County registered voters declines A look at the numbers from 2021 to 2024 shows a staggering drop in Lee County, a drop of more than 32,000 registered voters.
FORT MYERS Panel discusses homelessness and new law aimed at the homeless A panel of five, with the hope of finding solutions for the county’s homeless population, met at Fort Myers High School. An audience of over 100 sat and listened as the panelists discussed the complex issue.
ESTERO Estero community battles polluted water Recently, in this gated community called the Cascades, one neighbor noticed something fishy in her pond and brought it to a professor’s attention at Florida Gulf Coast University.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral takes action on rental properties not following rules Cape Coral is going after homeowners who are not following the rules.
What you should know about mercury poisoning WINK News responded to the scene of a code orange a Lee Memorial Hospital Thursday evening. Here’s what you should know about mercury exposure.
NORTH FORT MYERS Grandma Penny’s Pizza in North Fort Myers forced to shut down The Caloosahatchee Bridge closure, rising inflation and low foot traffic. It’s a recipe for disaster that some businesses are trying to stomach.
ESTERO Unfinished business brings FGCU forward back to the Nest FGCU graduate forward Keeshawn Kellman has unfinished business in the Nest so he’s returning for one more basketball season with the Eagles.
FORT MYERS Drivers feel unsafe at Palm Beach Blvd and Seaboard Street “It’s pretty sad when it can be prevented just by putting up a freaking light there,” said Smith. “Like it shouldn’t be just flashing because they don’t listen. They don’t slow down or nothing.”
Ronnie Dean (CREDIT: Lee County Sheriff’s Office) Authorities are investigating the death of an inmate at the Lee County Jail. Ronnie Dean, 51, was booked into the jail 10 days ago on April 16 following an investigation by the Fort Myers Police Department. He was accused of sexually abusing a young child. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office, which oversees the Lee County Jail, said on Sunday deputies conducting routine checks at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Core facility found Dean unresponsive in his cell. They began life-saving measures until medics arrived on scene. Medics continued efforts but ultimately pronounced him dead. Investigators with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said Dean suffered from “long-term health issues and found no signs of trauma or foul play.” The Medical Examiner’s Office believes the cause of death to be natural, according to the sheriff’s office, but a final cause of death will be determined after toxicology and other tests are completed. Now, the Lee County NAACP and his family want answers. Dean’s family said he was schizophrenic and had been Baker Acted several times before. While the charges against him are horrible, his family doesn’t believe them. They want to know how he ended up dead while in custody and have filed a complaint demanding answers. “Ronnie meant everything to us and to our family. He was very precious to us,” said Sharon Pointer, Dean’s cousin. According to a Fort Myers police arrest report, Dean took his pants off and allowed a young child to touch him. His family admits they were not with Dean that day but they don’t believe he molested anyone. Instead, they believe he was having a mental breakdown. “Being around him all of these years, when he does have a mental break he will take all his clothes and go outside,” Pointer said. Police said Dean became combative and resisted arrest. His family claims police beat him and used a taser. They said his mugshot which shows bruises on his face is proof. “The family’s complaint is excessive force,” said Lee County NAACP President James Muwakkil. Muwakkil said ideally when dealing with someone who has mental health issues, “you want to bring in a mental health professional to deescalate a violent occurrence.” Dean’s family is not quite sure what happened next. Fort Myers police said he was taken to the hospital where he was then released by doctors. While LCSO said there was no foul play, Dean’s family wants an investigation to determine if excessive force led to his death. “We just want the truth,” Pointer said. A Fort Myers police spokesperson said they will open an internal affairs investigation into Dean’s death. WINK News has asked for an additional report that details what officers say happened during their altercation with Dean. However, the report has not been released. Below is the full statement from the Fort Myers Police Department. On 4/16/22, Fort Myers Police Officers responded to a call about a man by the name of Ronnie Dean exposing his genitals and molesting a 2-year-old child. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Dean in an agitated state standing with a young child suspected to be the victim. Dean became combative and punched an officer in the face causing a wound that required stitches. Dean then ran from officers on foot. Officers pursued and a struggle ensued. Officers were forced to utilize a taser several times to gain compliance and place Dean in handcuffs. Whenever officers deploy a taser more than three times, the Fort Myers Police Department policy requires the person to be medically evaluated. Dean was transported to the hospital and medically cleared and did not suffer from any obvious physical injury. FMPD has learned that Dean suffered from long-term health issues and the Medical Examiner’s Office preliminary investigation believes the cause of his death to be natural. With any use of force incident, the Fort Myers Police Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau conducts a thorough investigation to ensure it fell within the law and policy. That review has now been expanded to address the Dean’s family’s concerns.