Challenger Boulevard closures for roundabout construction work in Fort MyersCollier County seeks workforce housing proposals
FORT MYERS Challenger Boulevard closures for roundabout construction work in Fort Myers Beginning Monday, City of Fort Myers contractors will close Challenger Boulevard west of Winkler Avenue to construct a roundabout.
Collier County seeks workforce housing proposals Collier County is seeking developers’ proposals for multifamily developments with affordable and workforce housing that can be considered for local and state funding.
FORT MYERS Friday’s Furry Friends: Charlie, Taz Man For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Gulf Coast Humane Society to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
ALVA Health alert for harmful blue-green algae toxins near Alva The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for harmful blue-green Algae toxins in the Caloosahatchee near Alva.
PORT CHARLOTTE Man tased at Charlotte High graduation after causing disturbance A man was tased and arrested after allegedly disrupting a graduation for Charlotte High School yesterday evening.
Lehigh Acres gunman still on the run An unidentified gunman is on the run following a Wednesday shooting that occurred at the Jim Fleming Ecological Park in Lehigh Acres.
the weather authority Feeling hotter for your Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a dry and mild Friday morning with temperatures climbing into the lower to mid-90s.
WINK NEWS Multiple crews combat commercial building fire in Collier County Multiple fire crews are responding to a single-story structure fire in Naples.
New study may help Type-1 diabetics with their bionic pancreas More than 3 million Americans are diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes, and recent medical breakthroughs can help people manage their condition.
FORT MYERS Family and NAACP continue fighting for justice for Christopher Jordan The NAACP and Jordan’s family said this isn’t the end for them
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball players ready for NCAA Tournament debut FGCU softball players are ready to play in their first NCAA Tournament game against No. 4 Florida.
FORT MYERS Expert weighs in on ‘justified’ police shooting of Christopher Jordan We spoke with Dr. David Thomas – a forensic studies professor from FGCU and a former officer – who supports the idea of officer-involved shooting investigations going to a grand jury.
West Palm Beach 360-degree storm documentation: A closer look at Hurricane Ian’s aftermath At the Governor’s Conference exhibit hall, Dylan Faraone, Regional Director of Mosaic, showcased his work using a 360-degree camera mounted on his car to document the aftermath of major storms, including Hurricane Ian’s impact on southwest Florida.
GAINESVILLE FGCU catcher Neely Peterson returns to Gainesville for NCAA Tournament FGCU catcher Neely Peterson returns to Gainesville, where she fell in love with the sport again playing for Santa Fe College.
CAPE CORAL Do we need a federal gun database for mental illness? One family says yes One family is on a mission to create a new national gun database. It would require medical professionals to enter mental health information.
FORT MYERS Challenger Boulevard closures for roundabout construction work in Fort Myers Beginning Monday, City of Fort Myers contractors will close Challenger Boulevard west of Winkler Avenue to construct a roundabout.
Collier County seeks workforce housing proposals Collier County is seeking developers’ proposals for multifamily developments with affordable and workforce housing that can be considered for local and state funding.
FORT MYERS Friday’s Furry Friends: Charlie, Taz Man For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Gulf Coast Humane Society to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
ALVA Health alert for harmful blue-green algae toxins near Alva The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for harmful blue-green Algae toxins in the Caloosahatchee near Alva.
PORT CHARLOTTE Man tased at Charlotte High graduation after causing disturbance A man was tased and arrested after allegedly disrupting a graduation for Charlotte High School yesterday evening.
Lehigh Acres gunman still on the run An unidentified gunman is on the run following a Wednesday shooting that occurred at the Jim Fleming Ecological Park in Lehigh Acres.
the weather authority Feeling hotter for your Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a dry and mild Friday morning with temperatures climbing into the lower to mid-90s.
WINK NEWS Multiple crews combat commercial building fire in Collier County Multiple fire crews are responding to a single-story structure fire in Naples.
New study may help Type-1 diabetics with their bionic pancreas More than 3 million Americans are diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes, and recent medical breakthroughs can help people manage their condition.
FORT MYERS Family and NAACP continue fighting for justice for Christopher Jordan The NAACP and Jordan’s family said this isn’t the end for them
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball players ready for NCAA Tournament debut FGCU softball players are ready to play in their first NCAA Tournament game against No. 4 Florida.
FORT MYERS Expert weighs in on ‘justified’ police shooting of Christopher Jordan We spoke with Dr. David Thomas – a forensic studies professor from FGCU and a former officer – who supports the idea of officer-involved shooting investigations going to a grand jury.
West Palm Beach 360-degree storm documentation: A closer look at Hurricane Ian’s aftermath At the Governor’s Conference exhibit hall, Dylan Faraone, Regional Director of Mosaic, showcased his work using a 360-degree camera mounted on his car to document the aftermath of major storms, including Hurricane Ian’s impact on southwest Florida.
GAINESVILLE FGCU catcher Neely Peterson returns to Gainesville for NCAA Tournament FGCU catcher Neely Peterson returns to Gainesville, where she fell in love with the sport again playing for Santa Fe College.
CAPE CORAL Do we need a federal gun database for mental illness? One family says yes One family is on a mission to create a new national gun database. It would require medical professionals to enter mental health information.
This image provided by the Florida Department of Corrections shows James Phillip Barnes. The Florida man is set to be executed Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023 after dropping all appeals in the 1988 slaying of a woman who was sexually assaulted and beaten to death with a hammer, her body set ablaze in her own bed. James Phillip Barnes is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 6 p.m. Thursday at Florida State Prison in Starke. (Florida Department of Corrections via AP) A Florida man sentenced to death for the 1988 attack on a woman who was sexually assaulted and killed with a hammer, then set on fire in her own bed, is set for execution Thursday after dropping all his appeals and saying he was ready to die. James Phillip Barnes, 61, was to be executed by lethal injection at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison in Starke. It would mark the fifth execution this year in Florida. Barnes was serving a life sentence for the 1997 strangulation of his wife, 44-year-old Linda Barnes, when he wrote letters in 2005 to a state prosecutor claiming responsibility for the killing years earlier of Patricia “Patsy” Miller, a nurse who lived in a condominium in Melbourne, along Florida’s east coast. Barnes represented himself in court hearings where he offered no defense, pleaded guilty to killing Miller and accepted the death penalty. Miller, who was 41 when Barnes killed her, had some previous unspecified negative interactions with him, according to a jailhouse interview he gave to German film director Werner Herzog. “There were several events that happened (with Miller). I felt terribly humiliated, that’s all I can say,” Barnes said in the interview. Barnes killed Miller at her home on April 20, 1988. When he pleaded guilty, Barnes told the judge that after breaking into Miller’s unit, “I raped her twice. I tried to strangle her to death. I hit her head with a hammer and killed her and I set her bed on fire,” according to court records. There was also DNA evidence linking Barnes to Miller’s killing. After pleading guilty, Barnes was sentenced to death on Dec. 13, 2007. He also pleaded guilty to sexual battery, arson, and burglary with an assault and battery. Barnes killed his wife in 1997 after she discovered that he was dealing drugs. Her body was found stuffed in a closet after she was strangled, court records show. Barnes has claimed to have killed at least two other people but has never been charged in those cases. Barnes had been in and out of prison since his teenage years, including convictions for grand theft, forgery, burglary and trafficking in stolen property. In the Miller case, state lawyers appointed to represent Barnes filed initial appeals, including one that led to mental competency evaluations. Two doctors found that Barnes had symptoms of personality disorder with “borderline antisocial and sociopathic features.” However, they pronounced him competent to understand his legal situation and plead guilty, and his convictions and death sentence were upheld. After Gov. Ron DeSantis signed his death warrant in June, a Brevard County judge granted Barnes’ motion to drop all appeals involving mitigating evidence such as his mental condition and said “that he wanted to accept responsibility for his actions and to proceed to execution (his death) without any delay,” court records show. Though unusual, condemned inmates sometimes don’t pursue every legal avenue to avoid execution. The Death Penalty Information Center reports that about 150 such inmates have been put to death since the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed the death penalty as constitutional in 1976. The Florida Supreme Court accepted the Brevard County ruling, noting that no other motion seeking a stay of execution for Barnes had been filed in state or federal court. In the Herzog interview, Barnes said he converted to Islam in prison and wanted to clear his conscience about the Miller case during the holy month of Ramadan. “They say I’m remorseless. I’m not. There are no more questions on this case. And I’m going to be executed,” Barnes said.