2 Fort Myers men arrested in separate cases involving childrenPhase 2 in the Corkscrew Rd. Widening project begins
FORT MYERS 2 Fort Myers men arrested in separate cases involving children Two men from Fort Myers have been arrested; one faces charges related to child pornography and another faces child molestation charges.
ESTERO Phase 2 in the Corkscrew Rd. Widening project begins Phase 1 of Corkscrew Road’s widening has been completed, and phase 2 is now commencing.
Miracle Moment: Reaching a milestone at Golisano Children’s Hospital Kindergarten is an exciting time for children as they make their first big steps into becoming big kids.
2 years since Charlotte County deputy was killed on I-75 It is a somber day for the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office as one of their own was killed during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 exactly two years ago.
the weather authority Mostly sunny and cool afternoon ahead for your Friday The Weather Authority is tracking a mostly sunny and cool Friday afternoon with breezy conditions throughout the day.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood nonprofit gives hope to residents amid hurricane recovery Many people in Charlotte County were hit hard by storms this hurricane season, but that won’t stop them from giving back to their community.
NAPLES CSN’s Jayvian Tanelus and offensive line erupt in round one Community School of Naples’ offensive line and Jayvian Tanelus put on a show in round one of the playoffs earning them player of the week.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral family opens home up for the holidays A Cape Coral family has gotten over 1,000 interactions on a Facebook post after opening up their home for the holidays.
SANIBEL Sanibel police trained and certified to catch alligators by FWC Pinning an apex predator down with little more than bare hands and tape: That’s what the Sanibel Police Department went through during alligator-catching certification training.
Southwest Florida welcomes first proton beam therapy center This is a big week in cancer care for patients in Southwest Florida and beyond.
PUNTA GORDA Whats next after Punta Gorda city manager’s resignation? Punta Gorda city manager Greg Murray said he resigned Monday but told the council on Wednesday. Now, Melissa Reichert is the interim city manager.
FORT MYERS BEACH 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship begins on Fort Myers Beach After a years long wait, the American Sand Sculpting Competition on Fort Myers Beach returned on Thursday.
CAPE CORAL City council members talk about decision to repeal stipend ordinance A vote of 5 to 3 ends the saga over the Cape Coral City Council stipend and new members of the city council are sending a message they’re doing things differently.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry provides Thanksgiving meals to neighbors Dozens of people stopped by Sunshine Health’s food pantry one week before Thanksgiving. Sunshine Health is delivering hope.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach loses FEMA insurance discount The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has placed Fort Myers Beach (FMB) on probation.
FORT MYERS 2 Fort Myers men arrested in separate cases involving children Two men from Fort Myers have been arrested; one faces charges related to child pornography and another faces child molestation charges.
ESTERO Phase 2 in the Corkscrew Rd. Widening project begins Phase 1 of Corkscrew Road’s widening has been completed, and phase 2 is now commencing.
Miracle Moment: Reaching a milestone at Golisano Children’s Hospital Kindergarten is an exciting time for children as they make their first big steps into becoming big kids.
2 years since Charlotte County deputy was killed on I-75 It is a somber day for the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office as one of their own was killed during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 exactly two years ago.
the weather authority Mostly sunny and cool afternoon ahead for your Friday The Weather Authority is tracking a mostly sunny and cool Friday afternoon with breezy conditions throughout the day.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood nonprofit gives hope to residents amid hurricane recovery Many people in Charlotte County were hit hard by storms this hurricane season, but that won’t stop them from giving back to their community.
NAPLES CSN’s Jayvian Tanelus and offensive line erupt in round one Community School of Naples’ offensive line and Jayvian Tanelus put on a show in round one of the playoffs earning them player of the week.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral family opens home up for the holidays A Cape Coral family has gotten over 1,000 interactions on a Facebook post after opening up their home for the holidays.
SANIBEL Sanibel police trained and certified to catch alligators by FWC Pinning an apex predator down with little more than bare hands and tape: That’s what the Sanibel Police Department went through during alligator-catching certification training.
Southwest Florida welcomes first proton beam therapy center This is a big week in cancer care for patients in Southwest Florida and beyond.
PUNTA GORDA Whats next after Punta Gorda city manager’s resignation? Punta Gorda city manager Greg Murray said he resigned Monday but told the council on Wednesday. Now, Melissa Reichert is the interim city manager.
FORT MYERS BEACH 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship begins on Fort Myers Beach After a years long wait, the American Sand Sculpting Competition on Fort Myers Beach returned on Thursday.
CAPE CORAL City council members talk about decision to repeal stipend ordinance A vote of 5 to 3 ends the saga over the Cape Coral City Council stipend and new members of the city council are sending a message they’re doing things differently.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry provides Thanksgiving meals to neighbors Dozens of people stopped by Sunshine Health’s food pantry one week before Thanksgiving. Sunshine Health is delivering hope.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach loses FEMA insurance discount The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has placed Fort Myers Beach (FMB) on probation.
Documents show that an off-duty Lee County deputy was caught speeding and refused blood alcohol tests after struggling to prove his sobriety, yet he was never arrested. Two months after the incident, it’s been a challenge to get more information. Lee County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Soto was speeding through Lehigh Acres just after 3:00 a.m. on August 20, 2023, before he was stopped at Lee Boulevard and Sunshine Boulevard, according to the department’s own documentation. Struggle with sobriety tests An alcohol influence report taken on the scene shows Soto did a “poor” job with field sobriety tests. He lost his balance while listening to instructions, stepped off a straight line, and failed to touch his heels to his toes. The calls for service report and towing receipt taken from the scene of the incident both reference Soto’s arrest and had a gun in the car. But Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said he was not arrested. Marceno held a press conference three days after his deputy was pulled over, on August 23. “The fear was that he was having a medical condition or he was involved with alcoholic beverages,” Marceno said at the time. An alcohol influence report from the scene claims Soto was not sick or injured, struggled with field sobriety tests, and refused any form of blood-alcohol testing Deputy taken home A report from Commander John Bogliole explained that he interacted with Soto on the scene, and “based on Soto’s physical appearance, movements and responses to questions,” Bogliole determined Soto was ill, not impaired. And instead of going to jail or a hospital for medical treatment, Soto was taken home.“In his training, in his belief, Deputy Soto is having a medical event,” Marceno explained. “He (Bogliole) then determines that he wants to get Deputy Soto home to his family so he can take care of whatever that medical condition was at the scene.” Bogliole’s summary claims Soto was “clear and concise” with his communication. There is no mention in any of these documents of Soto bringing up a medical event. Why wouldn’t Soto explain he was having a medical event before struggling with field sobriety tests?The only time Marceno addressed the incident, he didn’t have specifics but committed to finding answers. “We need to look into this more, but what I am delivering for you is transparency. If it’s not right, I would stand here before you without hesitation,” Marceno assured. “When I own something, I own it.” Soto’s alcohol influence report also revealed he refused any blood-alcohol test. Under Florida law, depending on the circumstances, that could lead to a suspended license. Unanswered questions “Deputy Soto has been reassigned to the court operations bureau,” Marceno said, in the only time he addressed Soto’s actions. But has Soto faced any discipline besides being relocated? WINK News Investigations Reporter Peter Fleischer asked LCSO for any new paperwork filed since Marceno first spoke about this incident. The LCSO records office responded, saying there are no new documents, including no formal disciplinary paperwork for Soto. No explanation for what happened that night, even after Marceno committed to finding more information. “He (Soto) knows he was speeding,” Marceno said. “Why or what? We’re going to find all that out.”Marceno also admitted there were “disagreements” about Soto’s condition amongst deputies on the scene, but again pointed to Commander Bogliole’s assessment. “He’s the highest ranking person on the scene; he makes the call, whether there’s differences in opinion, so be it,” Marceno said. Fleischer has requested interviews with Marceno, Bogliole, and Soto, but the sheriff’s office declined all of the requests. So, what medical event was Soto dealing with? How fast was he going? Multiple sources tell WINK News, it was in excess of 100 mph. “We can’t enforce selectively,” Marceno admitted when speaking about the incident. The first and only time the Sheriff addressed the situation with the media, he ended his press conference by committing to finding answers: “I’m here for you,” Marceno told the media in attendance. “Anything you need to know, I’ll know. I’m transparent; I’ve got nothing to hide.” More than two months after committing to “look into this” – we’re still waiting for that transparency.