Decreasing humidity and mostly sunny skies for your ThursdayThe Salvation Army of Collier County launches annual toy drive
the weather authority Decreasing humidity and mostly sunny skies for your Thursday The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front dropping humidity and temperatures on this Thursday afternoon.
The Salvation Army of Collier County launches annual toy drive The annual Toys for Tots donation drive in Collier County has officially begun, aiming to bring Christmas joy through generosity.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral’s new council eliminates stipend on day one People in Cape Coral are getting what they voted for: the new city council members were just sworn in, and they eliminated the stipend.
LEHIGH ACRES Man arrested for fatal hit-and-run crash with motorcyclist in Lehigh Acres A man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist on Tuesday night.
Latest details on fatal Alligator Alley crash ; 1 killed According to the arrest report, a man told troopers he got a minivan from a pastor but did not get permission to take it out because he left in the middle of the night
Enforcing state law on street camping in Punta Gorda More than a month since the new state law banning sleeping in public places went into effect the city of Punta Gorda voted on if an ordinance change was needed.
Cape Coral home vandalized; homeowner calls it a “hate crime” A man returned to his unfinished Cape Coral home to find it’s been violated and vandalized. Cape Coral police are searching for the suspect.
SWFL organizations putting donated money to good use 41 Southwest Florida organizations are still in shock about the millions of dollars they received from philanthropist Tom Golisano.
Utility scams awareness day: what you need to know Wednesday is utility scams awareness day. These types of scams target customers by going door-to-door, sending phone calls or texts and using false information online.
NAPLES Salvation Army of Collier County kicks off annual Christmas toy drive The Salvation Army of Collier County has kicked off its annual Christmas toy drive, and you won’t have to travel far to get involved.
Record Store Day Black Friday: Where to go in SWFL Record Store Day Black Friday is approaching quickly, and if you’re not looking for a new TV or a video game console, go to your local record store, as they will have exclusive deals to expand your record collection.
Manasota Key residents concerned over new development on the island Residents of a small island community are expressing their concerns about potential changes to their neighborhood.
FORT MYERS Resident reacts to plan for new Amazon facility in Fort Myers Amazon has paid $66.5M for 143 acres in Fort Myers to build a new warehouse. A resident who lives by the property said she has reservations about the facility.
ESTERO Caught on Camera: Woman accused of stealing from Kate Spade outlet A Cape Coral woman has been arrested for grand theft after she was allegedly caught on camera shoplifting at a Kate Spade store in Estero.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers basketball player returns to the court after two years Fort Myers High School basketball player Karsten Schafer played his first game in two years Tuesday night after having a spinal surgery.
the weather authority Decreasing humidity and mostly sunny skies for your Thursday The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front dropping humidity and temperatures on this Thursday afternoon.
The Salvation Army of Collier County launches annual toy drive The annual Toys for Tots donation drive in Collier County has officially begun, aiming to bring Christmas joy through generosity.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral’s new council eliminates stipend on day one People in Cape Coral are getting what they voted for: the new city council members were just sworn in, and they eliminated the stipend.
LEHIGH ACRES Man arrested for fatal hit-and-run crash with motorcyclist in Lehigh Acres A man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist on Tuesday night.
Latest details on fatal Alligator Alley crash ; 1 killed According to the arrest report, a man told troopers he got a minivan from a pastor but did not get permission to take it out because he left in the middle of the night
Enforcing state law on street camping in Punta Gorda More than a month since the new state law banning sleeping in public places went into effect the city of Punta Gorda voted on if an ordinance change was needed.
Cape Coral home vandalized; homeowner calls it a “hate crime” A man returned to his unfinished Cape Coral home to find it’s been violated and vandalized. Cape Coral police are searching for the suspect.
SWFL organizations putting donated money to good use 41 Southwest Florida organizations are still in shock about the millions of dollars they received from philanthropist Tom Golisano.
Utility scams awareness day: what you need to know Wednesday is utility scams awareness day. These types of scams target customers by going door-to-door, sending phone calls or texts and using false information online.
NAPLES Salvation Army of Collier County kicks off annual Christmas toy drive The Salvation Army of Collier County has kicked off its annual Christmas toy drive, and you won’t have to travel far to get involved.
Record Store Day Black Friday: Where to go in SWFL Record Store Day Black Friday is approaching quickly, and if you’re not looking for a new TV or a video game console, go to your local record store, as they will have exclusive deals to expand your record collection.
Manasota Key residents concerned over new development on the island Residents of a small island community are expressing their concerns about potential changes to their neighborhood.
FORT MYERS Resident reacts to plan for new Amazon facility in Fort Myers Amazon has paid $66.5M for 143 acres in Fort Myers to build a new warehouse. A resident who lives by the property said she has reservations about the facility.
ESTERO Caught on Camera: Woman accused of stealing from Kate Spade outlet A Cape Coral woman has been arrested for grand theft after she was allegedly caught on camera shoplifting at a Kate Spade store in Estero.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers basketball player returns to the court after two years Fort Myers High School basketball player Karsten Schafer played his first game in two years Tuesday night after having a spinal surgery.
Fentanyl is a growing problem across Southwest Florida. We hear of arrests almost daily. And then, there are the families who lose loved ones to the powerful drug. The Leisman’s told WINK News Anchor Chris Cifatte their son was 28 years old when he died. “That was the hardest day of our life,” said an emotional Kelly Leisman. “The scary thing with fentanyl is they’re not looking, they’re not necessarily looking to have something with fentanyl when that’s what kills them,” explained Edward Leisman. “And that’s what killed our son.” RELATED: Powdered, pills, no matter how you slice it – fentanyl kills RELATED: Fentanyl fueling fears after Collier deputy overcome by exposure And now, newly released numbers show that fentanyl arrests have surpassed those for heroin nationwide for the first time. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released its latest numbers in a Bureau of Justice Statistics report. Highlights from Heroin, Fentanyl, and Other Opioid Offenses in Federal Courts, 2021 From fiscal year 2020 to 2021, the number of drug arrests the DEA made for fentanyl increased by 36% from 2,305 to 3,138. The number of arrests the DEA made for fentanyl (3,138) surpassed those for heroin (2,591). Of the 28,224 total drug arrests by the DEA in 2021, 3,138 (11%) were for fentanyl, 2,591 (9%) were for heroin, and 676 (2%) were for other opioids. Most persons sentenced for drug offenses involving heroin (89%) or fentanyl (87%) had a prior criminal history. The dangers of the drug don’t just impact drug users. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office provided WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar with a video of Corporal Robert Palmer getting overcome after exposure to fentanyl last April while on a domestic-related call. He lost consciousness. His sergeant administered two doses of the overdose reversal medication Narcan to revive him. Is there Fentanyl in that house? Is there Fentanyl in the house? Roll EMS. Corporal Robert Palmer, Collier County Sheriff’s Office The Collier County Sheriff’s Office launched a campaign to inform and educate the community about the dangers of fentanyl. It’s called Laced & Lethal. A powerful statement from the Laced & Lethal home page: There were 109,680 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2022. The majority of those deaths were due to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. That is more than all gun-related and auto-related deaths in the U.S. combined for the same period. Corporal Palmer testified to the Florida Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice recently in support of a bill that would charge adults with a second-degree felony for exposing first responders to fentanyl. The Sheriff’s Office shared his testimony on its Facebook page. SB 718: Exposures of First Responders to Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogs The Bill To track the Legislation Related bills Resources from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office DEA: https://www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html National Institute on Drug Abuse National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare Treatment Options