Saint James City man sentenced to 5 years for possessing child sexual abuse materialSword-wielding Cape Coral man accused of threatening person with Molotov Cocktail
SAINT JAMES CITY Saint James City man sentenced to 5 years for possessing child sexual abuse material A St. James City man has been sentenced to five years for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
CAPE CORAL Sword-wielding Cape Coral man accused of threatening person with Molotov Cocktail The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a man who allegedly threatened another person with a sword and Molotov Cocktail.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays announces spring training season in Port Charlotte The Tampa Bay Rays have announced spring training ticket information for the 2025 spring season in Port Charlotte.
Fort Myers Job Fair set to begin; on-site interviews and offers possible The Fort Myes Job Fair is set to begin, with over 100 openings available from various employers.
the weather authority Tracking rain and storms for your Wednesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a strong cold front along with rain and storms throughout your Wednesday afternoon.
Man arrested following intense vehicle pursuit; accused of shooting into pregnant girlfriend’s home The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man accused of shooting into his pregnant girlfriend’s home and leading law enforcement through a multi-county pursuit.
Vehicle pursuit in Charlotte County ends in crash A pursuit between the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and a vehicle on Interstate 75 ended in a crash.
Red tide looms off Southwest Florida coastline Beware of the beach! Red tide is making its way towards Southwest Florida once again.
FORT MYERS BEACH $1.2 million approved for repairs for FMB and Sanibel schools This hurricane season left an expensive mess at Fort Myers Beach Elementary and the Sanibel school, but who’s paying the $1.2 million price tag?
FORT MYERS Teen carjacks woman after escaping mental health facility A teenager accused of carjacking a woman in a church parking lot on Friday had just escaped from a facility where he was being held under the Baker Act, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Teachers union raises issues with Lee County School District after arbitration Being a teacher is just like any other profession. Teachers need to take days off, get sick, and sometimes cover for co-workers.
LABELLE LaBelle Animal Shelter hoping to raise money to avoid property being sold The owner of Animal Rescue Inc. in LaBelle is doing everything she can to prevent the shelter from disappearing in a matter of months.
County settlement allows Links of Naples golf course to redevelop into homes Collier County residents are vocalizing their concerns over the commissioner’s decision to develop housing on the Naples Golf Course.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers mayor weighs in on possible city hall relocation With Lee Memorial Hospital scheduled to close in 2027, discussions over what will replace the building are in full swing and whether Fort Myers City Hall is the right choice.
Toys for Tots: A 77-Year tradition of service and holiday cheer Toys for Tots aims to bring gifts to children and their families who may not be able to afford them for the holidays.
SAINT JAMES CITY Saint James City man sentenced to 5 years for possessing child sexual abuse material A St. James City man has been sentenced to five years for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
CAPE CORAL Sword-wielding Cape Coral man accused of threatening person with Molotov Cocktail The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a man who allegedly threatened another person with a sword and Molotov Cocktail.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays announces spring training season in Port Charlotte The Tampa Bay Rays have announced spring training ticket information for the 2025 spring season in Port Charlotte.
Fort Myers Job Fair set to begin; on-site interviews and offers possible The Fort Myes Job Fair is set to begin, with over 100 openings available from various employers.
the weather authority Tracking rain and storms for your Wednesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a strong cold front along with rain and storms throughout your Wednesday afternoon.
Man arrested following intense vehicle pursuit; accused of shooting into pregnant girlfriend’s home The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man accused of shooting into his pregnant girlfriend’s home and leading law enforcement through a multi-county pursuit.
Vehicle pursuit in Charlotte County ends in crash A pursuit between the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and a vehicle on Interstate 75 ended in a crash.
Red tide looms off Southwest Florida coastline Beware of the beach! Red tide is making its way towards Southwest Florida once again.
FORT MYERS BEACH $1.2 million approved for repairs for FMB and Sanibel schools This hurricane season left an expensive mess at Fort Myers Beach Elementary and the Sanibel school, but who’s paying the $1.2 million price tag?
FORT MYERS Teen carjacks woman after escaping mental health facility A teenager accused of carjacking a woman in a church parking lot on Friday had just escaped from a facility where he was being held under the Baker Act, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Teachers union raises issues with Lee County School District after arbitration Being a teacher is just like any other profession. Teachers need to take days off, get sick, and sometimes cover for co-workers.
LABELLE LaBelle Animal Shelter hoping to raise money to avoid property being sold The owner of Animal Rescue Inc. in LaBelle is doing everything she can to prevent the shelter from disappearing in a matter of months.
County settlement allows Links of Naples golf course to redevelop into homes Collier County residents are vocalizing their concerns over the commissioner’s decision to develop housing on the Naples Golf Course.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers mayor weighs in on possible city hall relocation With Lee Memorial Hospital scheduled to close in 2027, discussions over what will replace the building are in full swing and whether Fort Myers City Hall is the right choice.
Toys for Tots: A 77-Year tradition of service and holiday cheer Toys for Tots aims to bring gifts to children and their families who may not be able to afford them for the holidays.
(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.