FGCU softball team helps Habitat for Humanity build three homesHome Base Golf Tournament helps SWFL Veterans
LEHIGH ACRES FGCU softball team helps Habitat for Humanity build three homes The Florida Gulf Coast University softball team helped Habitat for Humanity build three homes Saturday.
ESTERO Home Base Golf Tournament helps SWFL Veterans Veterans hit the green at the Copperleaf Golf Course on Saturday. This was part of the Home Base golf tournament.
FORT MYERS At least one person dead after propane truck collides with golf cart Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that has left one person dead and another injured Saturday morning.
Scattered storms ahead for your Saturday plans The Weather Authority is tracking weekend temperatures in the low to mid-90s this weekend with a chance for scattered storms this afternoon.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 3 Thunderstorms tried to put a stop to week three of high school football on Friday Night, but gridiron action prevailed.
Man accused of plotting murder-for-hire denied bond A man suspected of being involved with a murder-for-hire plot will stay behind bars. Ryan Toranzo had his renewed motion to set bond denied today in Collier County Court.
LABELLE Two dead after crash on State Road 80 According to the Florida Highway Patrol, there was a crash on State Road 80 that has left at least one person dead Friday evening.
DeSoto County looks to recruit more teachers While it can sometimes be easy to fill a classroom with students, it is not so easy for teachers. Schools across the nation and locally in Southwest Florida are still dealing with the challenges of teacher shortages. With class back in session, so is teacher recruiting for DeSoto County schools. The assistant superintendent, Jake Reynolds, […]
IMMOKALEE ROAD Push for change after deadly crash on Immokalee Rd. We’re told the woman was driving with two kids in the car when a semi ran a red light and hit her Thursday morning.
FORT MYERS BEACH Mobi-Mats deployed on Fort Myers Beach A walkway to paradise! Brand new and blue, the Mobi-Mat is making things easier for Fort Myers Beachgoers.
NAPLES Women of Steel business conference inspiring and empowering women Focused, hardworking, empowered. These women have made a name for themselves as Women of Steel.
NAPLES Beloved Collier County bus driver retires after 20 years After 20 years of getting kids to school safely, a beloved Collier County bus driver is retiring.
Wade Wilson has new death row mugshot Convicted double-killer Wade Wilson has a new death row mugshot.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Sizzle Dining is back in SWFL It’s Sizzle Season! Local restaurants are ready to welcome new faces by offering exclusive menu deals to attract new customers.
PORT CHARLOTTE Player of the Week: Logan Flaherty Port Charlotte’s QB found the endzone twice himself and had two passing touchdowns in the Pirate’s week two victory over North Fort Myers.
LEHIGH ACRES FGCU softball team helps Habitat for Humanity build three homes The Florida Gulf Coast University softball team helped Habitat for Humanity build three homes Saturday.
ESTERO Home Base Golf Tournament helps SWFL Veterans Veterans hit the green at the Copperleaf Golf Course on Saturday. This was part of the Home Base golf tournament.
FORT MYERS At least one person dead after propane truck collides with golf cart Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that has left one person dead and another injured Saturday morning.
Scattered storms ahead for your Saturday plans The Weather Authority is tracking weekend temperatures in the low to mid-90s this weekend with a chance for scattered storms this afternoon.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 3 Thunderstorms tried to put a stop to week three of high school football on Friday Night, but gridiron action prevailed.
Man accused of plotting murder-for-hire denied bond A man suspected of being involved with a murder-for-hire plot will stay behind bars. Ryan Toranzo had his renewed motion to set bond denied today in Collier County Court.
LABELLE Two dead after crash on State Road 80 According to the Florida Highway Patrol, there was a crash on State Road 80 that has left at least one person dead Friday evening.
DeSoto County looks to recruit more teachers While it can sometimes be easy to fill a classroom with students, it is not so easy for teachers. Schools across the nation and locally in Southwest Florida are still dealing with the challenges of teacher shortages. With class back in session, so is teacher recruiting for DeSoto County schools. The assistant superintendent, Jake Reynolds, […]
IMMOKALEE ROAD Push for change after deadly crash on Immokalee Rd. We’re told the woman was driving with two kids in the car when a semi ran a red light and hit her Thursday morning.
FORT MYERS BEACH Mobi-Mats deployed on Fort Myers Beach A walkway to paradise! Brand new and blue, the Mobi-Mat is making things easier for Fort Myers Beachgoers.
NAPLES Women of Steel business conference inspiring and empowering women Focused, hardworking, empowered. These women have made a name for themselves as Women of Steel.
NAPLES Beloved Collier County bus driver retires after 20 years After 20 years of getting kids to school safely, a beloved Collier County bus driver is retiring.
Wade Wilson has new death row mugshot Convicted double-killer Wade Wilson has a new death row mugshot.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Sizzle Dining is back in SWFL It’s Sizzle Season! Local restaurants are ready to welcome new faces by offering exclusive menu deals to attract new customers.
PORT CHARLOTTE Player of the Week: Logan Flaherty Port Charlotte’s QB found the endzone twice himself and had two passing touchdowns in the Pirate’s week two victory over North Fort Myers.
(Credit: WINK News) The person tasked with providing information to the public for an entire city has been fired. WINK News told you here first, on Wednesday, that the city of Fort Myers fired its public information officer Liz Bello-Matthews. At the same time, an open letter calling for the job ousting of the Fort Myers city manager Marty Lawing and Assistant City Manager John Lege is making its way around, accusing them of being racist and misogynistic. Most of the city’s key players remain tight-lipped. The city manager said in an email that he won’t be discussing the matter at this time. None of the six council members responded to requests for an interview. But Bello-Matthews answered a call Thursday morning, and Mayor Anderson responded to accusations against the city. Wednesday, Liz Bello-Matthews’s job as the city of Fort Myers communications and public affairs director was stripped away after multiple city council members, including Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson, confirmed that the city fired Bello-Matthews, offering no hint as to why. “Are you able to say why Liz Bello-Matthews was fired?” asked WINK News anchor Emma Heaton. “I’m not at liberty. First of all, I do not know all the particulars,” responded Mayor Anderson. City of Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson said by phone Thursday he must have confidence that city manager Marty Lawing, who is responsible for the hiring and firing of city staff, had justification to fire Bello-Matthews. The same city manager was accused of discrimination against females and minorities. The accusations were found in an anonymous letter sent last week to city council. The letter also called for the ousting of Lawing and Assistant City Manager John Lege. “If I had a remote feeling that he had an issue with minorities and females, I’d be leading the charge to get to the bottom of it and take the appropriate action,” said Mayor Anderson. Bello-Matthews declined an on-camera interview under her attorney’s direction but said by phone Thursday that she’s been raising her hand about the way the city treats minorities and women in the city. When asked if she was the anonymous person to write the letter, Bello-Matthews said no, but that she was, “asked how to articulate certain items on the letter.” “If you look at the six people he has hired, he being city manager, two of the six were female. Three of the six were minority. So to me, there’s a there’s a track record that doesn’t say there’s a problem with females and minorities,” said Mayor Anderson. Mayor Anderson said if an employee was disciplined at any level, including termination, and feels the action was wrong, there is a grievance process, which he said is not in the media, and battling it out on cameras is not an option.