Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the legExclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
NAPLES Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
NAPLES Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
A woman from Massachusetts was arrested Tuesday night after a DUI crash that killed a 23-year-old Charlotte County Sheriff’s deputy Christopher Taylor. Deputy Christopher Taylor (Credit: CCSO) According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Deputy Taylor pulled over a Honda in the northbound lanes of I-75, south of US-17, around 8:45 p.m. Both the Honda and the CCSO vehicle were off on the paved shoulder of the road, and the deputy’s lights were on. Both the deputy and the Honda driver were outside of their vehicles. Cassandra Smith. (Credit: Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office) 30-year-old Cassandra Smith from Lakeville, Massachusetts, was driving north on I-75 when she lost control of her Jeep, crossed over three lanes and went onto the paved shoulder. She hit the deputy’s vehicle, which hit him, the driver of the Honda, and the Honda itself. MORE: Good Samaritan stopped to help Charlotte County deputy killed in DUI crash Deputy Taylor was taken to ShorePoint Health, where he later died. The driver of the Honda was also hospitalized with minor injuries. Smith faces DUI manslaughter charges. She will go before a judge on Thursday. Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell said Smith stayed on the scene after the crash and was the one who called 911. Kacie Spiers, a friend of deputy Taylor spoke with WINK News and shared some thoughts about her friend. “He’s always wanted a family and stuff. I feel bad he doesn’t get that opportunity now,” Spiers said. “I know he just got started in the force. And it was something he wanted to do his whole life and he didn’t get the chance to do that,” Spiers said. “It could happen, but you wouldn’t think that it would happen to someone you know, I guess. Yeah, still in shock,” Spiers said. “He just always put people first. He had a caring heart,” Spiers said. WINK News spoke with Lance Dunford, a criminal defense attorney, who said the punishment would be severe if Smith is convicted. “This is a charge that’s going to score somebody, score to mandatory prison time. And there’s aggravators, without going through a law school dissertation on that, that will be added on to this type of charge because of there being a death. At a minimum, what somebody’s points would be is 124 and a half months, that would be required to be served in prison,” said Dunford. This is the second time Smith has been arrested for DUI. The sheriff’s office says Smith had just finished a 12-month probation in August for a previous DUI arrest in Palm Beach County. Smith could face “A maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, or a combination of 15 years of probation, and or a $10,000 fine not to exceed one another,” said Dunford. The sheriff’s offices of Lee, DeSoto, Sarasota, and Osceola counties, as well as the police departments of Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and North Port, have offered their condolences to CCSO for its loss. Sheriff Prummell released the following video statement about the deputy’s death on Facebook. Deputy Taylor leaves behind his parents and a fiancee. The sheriff’s office said he had just celebrated his 23rd birthday. He joined the sheriff’s office in August 2021 and was officially sworn in on February 14. Flags outside of the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office were lowered to half-staff. A memorial for Deputy Taylor has been set up in front of the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, and they say the public is welcome to come and pay their respects. Memorial for Deputy Taylor. (Credit: Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office)