Sanibel Church rebuilds after Hurricane IanCostco construction causes commotion in Collier County community
SANIBEL Sanibel Church rebuilds after Hurricane Ian The Sanibel Community Church has completed its remarkable rebuild after Hurricane Ian devastated their place of worship over two years ago.
NAPLES Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County community Costco is eyeing a plot of land in Collier County for a new store, but residents are voicing strong opposition.
NAPLES Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho’s impact on education and Southwest Florida Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho, a beloved philanthropist and advocate for education, dedicated his life to empowering others through opportunity and knowledge.
SANIBEL Sanibel cracks down on school zone speeders with new camera system Sanibel is tightening its grip on school zone speeders with newly installed cameras.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry expands efforts with Harry Chapin support The Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers plays a crucial role in supporting smaller food banks in the area.
Fort Myers Beach Pier scheduled to be finished a year ahead of schedule The Fort Myers Beach Pier remains a symbol of the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian two years ago. Efforts to rebuild it has taken a lot of time.
FORT MYERS Iconic Fort Myers statue to undergo repairs The iconic “Rachel at the Well” statue on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers has been a landmark for 94 years. However, it became a casualty of Hurricane Ian in 2022, and discussions for its repair are ongoing.
Salvation Army Thrift Store closing its doors in Collier County The Salvation Army has announced the permanent closure of the Naples Family Store on Davis Boulevard.
SANIBEL Rebuilding the Sanibel Causeway with a cause Construction crews are hard at work making the Sanibel Causeway more resilient. The bridge is being fortified to withstand future storms.
LEE COUNTY No. 2 prospect in MLB Roman Anthony with Red Sox for Spring Training Roman Anthony, who is ranked as the second best in baseball, is with the Boston Red Sox for his first Spring Training.
MANASOTA KEY Popular Manasota Key restaurant reopens after storm damage Manasota Key is steadily recovering from a challenging hurricane season, and residents are celebrating the reopening of a beloved local spot.
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NAPLES Denise Brown speaks on domestic violence at Naples fundraiser event A record crowd of 825 people gathered at the Ritz Carlton Tiburon to raise money and awareness to end domestic violence.
NORTH NAPLES Construction on Collier County diverging diamond begins in March Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
SANIBEL Sanibel Church rebuilds after Hurricane Ian The Sanibel Community Church has completed its remarkable rebuild after Hurricane Ian devastated their place of worship over two years ago.
NAPLES Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County community Costco is eyeing a plot of land in Collier County for a new store, but residents are voicing strong opposition.
NAPLES Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho’s impact on education and Southwest Florida Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho, a beloved philanthropist and advocate for education, dedicated his life to empowering others through opportunity and knowledge.
SANIBEL Sanibel cracks down on school zone speeders with new camera system Sanibel is tightening its grip on school zone speeders with newly installed cameras.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry expands efforts with Harry Chapin support The Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers plays a crucial role in supporting smaller food banks in the area.
Fort Myers Beach Pier scheduled to be finished a year ahead of schedule The Fort Myers Beach Pier remains a symbol of the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian two years ago. Efforts to rebuild it has taken a lot of time.
FORT MYERS Iconic Fort Myers statue to undergo repairs The iconic “Rachel at the Well” statue on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers has been a landmark for 94 years. However, it became a casualty of Hurricane Ian in 2022, and discussions for its repair are ongoing.
Salvation Army Thrift Store closing its doors in Collier County The Salvation Army has announced the permanent closure of the Naples Family Store on Davis Boulevard.
SANIBEL Rebuilding the Sanibel Causeway with a cause Construction crews are hard at work making the Sanibel Causeway more resilient. The bridge is being fortified to withstand future storms.
LEE COUNTY No. 2 prospect in MLB Roman Anthony with Red Sox for Spring Training Roman Anthony, who is ranked as the second best in baseball, is with the Boston Red Sox for his first Spring Training.
MANASOTA KEY Popular Manasota Key restaurant reopens after storm damage Manasota Key is steadily recovering from a challenging hurricane season, and residents are celebrating the reopening of a beloved local spot.
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NAPLES Denise Brown speaks on domestic violence at Naples fundraiser event A record crowd of 825 people gathered at the Ritz Carlton Tiburon to raise money and awareness to end domestic violence.
NORTH NAPLES Construction on Collier County diverging diamond begins in March Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Wade Wilson. (Credit: Lee County Sheriff’s Office) Wade Wilson is accused of killing two women in Cape Coral in 2019. Depositions filed with the Clerk of Court reveal details of the investigation into the murders of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz. Defense attorneys heard from Wilson’s ex-girlfriend, who said he abused her, and a witness who said Wilson also broke into her home between the murders of Melton and Ruiz. Investigators found Melton’s body in her Cape Coral home. Four days later, they found Ruiz dead in a field. They believe Wilson met Melton at a Fort Myers bar and choked her to death. In the hours after, he broke into a home. In a deposition, the woman who lives there told defense attorneys she had just returned from a yoga class and noticed the gate was closed, which is not typical, and that there was a car she did not recognize on the other side of the gate. She remembers saying hello, but did not see anyone. Right before unlocking the back door of her home to enter, she paused and decided to call her oldest child to find out whose car was there. Before making the call, she heard a man’s voice. She saw Wilson approach her from a detached garage with his hands in the air apologetically. The witness said, “No. No, this is my house. You just need to get out of here.” She described Wade as a tall man with dark hair and tattoos. “It looked like he had a rough night,” she told attorneys. As Wilson left in his car, she took photos of his license plate, and he asked why she did that. “Because I don’t know who the f— you are,” she told him. “Now, get out of here.” Wade backed out, stopped for a moment, looked back and apologized before driving away. On the same day, Wilson is accused of killing Ruiz. The witness said she left her car unlocked while she was at yoga. After the interaction, she got in her car and could smell a strong odor. She discovered there was urine in the center console of her cup holder. She filed a police report. Since Wilson’s arrest, he has tried to contact the witness through jail mail and phone calls a number of times. She said in her deposition that she had no idea how he got her personal information and did not respond to any of Wilson’s attempts to contact her. Wilson’s ex-girlfriend spoke to WINK News but asked that we hide her face because she was too shaken up. The deposition provides a deeper look into what she went through. “I tried to distance myself from him, but he had nowhere to go, so he leeched on harder. And then it got abusive,” Wilson’s ex said. She recalled an incident where she said Wilson held her hostage. She called the experience “traumatic.” She said her friends called the cops when they saw she was beaten from head to toe. “Then he goes to the rear back to punch me,” she said. “He gets a really good punch in, and then the blood splatters everywhere. And I think it even surprised me how much blood came out of me, and it gave me seconds to run down the stairs.” She told defense attorneys he also threatened her on a phone call recorded by police. He said he was going to kill her by strangling her slowly.