Hope for the Holidays turkey distribution event in Collier CountyUnincorporated Lee County to keep FEMA discount
NAPLES Hope for the Holidays turkey distribution event in Collier County A Naples nonprofit is expected to feed nearly 2,000 families.
Unincorporated Lee County to keep FEMA discount According to the Lee County Government, residents in unincorporated Lee County will keep their discount.
New blue-light system to be implemented to flag red-light runners Green means go, red means stop and blue means you just ran a red light.
New Punta Gorda City Council accepts city manager’s resignation Punta Gorda’s new City Council accepted City Manager Greg Murray’s resignation Nov. 20 and agreed to pay toward hurricane repairs and provide several months of rent abatement to business owners who lease space at city-owned Herald Court. Debi Lux was named mayor and Greg Julian vice mayor by the new-look Council, which saw three incumbents […]
Vehicle catches on fire after crash at intersection of Alico and Oriole Rd. A vehicle caught on fire after a crash at the intersection of Alico Rd. and Oriole.
NAPLES A first look inside the Gulfshore Playhouse What does it take to become a candidate for Gulfshore Life’s Men and Women of the Year?
WINK NEWS Best time to shop for Black Friday Long gone are the days of people camping out overnight, waiting for their favorite store to open after Thanksgiving.
WINK NEWS Thanksgiving events across Southwest Florida Thanksgiving in Southwest Florida is a blend of tradition, offering both classic holiday gatherings and unique local events.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Social media influencer arrested for theft at Cape Coral Target The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a woman accused of stealing items worth nearly $500 from a Target.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman pleads guilty to possessing loaded firearm as person with felony convictions Fort Myers woman pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded firearm and ammunition as a person with felony convictions.
CAPE CORAL What’s next for Cape Coral City Council after repealing stipend? The City of Cape Coral elected five new council members Wednesday night, and their first motion was to repeal the controversial self-imposed stipend.
FORT MYERS California man pleads guilty to distributing drugs to Lee County A California man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl to Lee County.
Holiday events scheduled in Lee County throughout December It is the most wonderful time of the year, as Lee County is preparing for several Christmas and holiday-themed events in December.
FORT MYERS BEACH 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship begins on Fort Myers Beach The resilience of the Southwest Florida community is on display Thursday morning in the form of sand on Fort Myers Beach.
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.
NAPLES Hope for the Holidays turkey distribution event in Collier County A Naples nonprofit is expected to feed nearly 2,000 families.
Unincorporated Lee County to keep FEMA discount According to the Lee County Government, residents in unincorporated Lee County will keep their discount.
New blue-light system to be implemented to flag red-light runners Green means go, red means stop and blue means you just ran a red light.
New Punta Gorda City Council accepts city manager’s resignation Punta Gorda’s new City Council accepted City Manager Greg Murray’s resignation Nov. 20 and agreed to pay toward hurricane repairs and provide several months of rent abatement to business owners who lease space at city-owned Herald Court. Debi Lux was named mayor and Greg Julian vice mayor by the new-look Council, which saw three incumbents […]
Vehicle catches on fire after crash at intersection of Alico and Oriole Rd. A vehicle caught on fire after a crash at the intersection of Alico Rd. and Oriole.
NAPLES A first look inside the Gulfshore Playhouse What does it take to become a candidate for Gulfshore Life’s Men and Women of the Year?
WINK NEWS Best time to shop for Black Friday Long gone are the days of people camping out overnight, waiting for their favorite store to open after Thanksgiving.
WINK NEWS Thanksgiving events across Southwest Florida Thanksgiving in Southwest Florida is a blend of tradition, offering both classic holiday gatherings and unique local events.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Social media influencer arrested for theft at Cape Coral Target The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a woman accused of stealing items worth nearly $500 from a Target.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman pleads guilty to possessing loaded firearm as person with felony convictions Fort Myers woman pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded firearm and ammunition as a person with felony convictions.
CAPE CORAL What’s next for Cape Coral City Council after repealing stipend? The City of Cape Coral elected five new council members Wednesday night, and their first motion was to repeal the controversial self-imposed stipend.
FORT MYERS California man pleads guilty to distributing drugs to Lee County A California man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl to Lee County.
Holiday events scheduled in Lee County throughout December It is the most wonderful time of the year, as Lee County is preparing for several Christmas and holiday-themed events in December.
FORT MYERS BEACH 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship begins on Fort Myers Beach The resilience of the Southwest Florida community is on display Thursday morning in the form of sand on Fort Myers Beach.
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.
Giovel Chmelnicky Valdes arrest photo. CREDIT: Hendry County Sheriff A second arrest was made during the investigation of the mysterious hazmat scene in LaBelle that made 20 first responders sick. The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office arrested 39-year-old Giovel Chmelnicky Valdes on Monday, June 24, in connection to several stolen vehicles and parts worth close to $1 million at the scene. He was an individual who rented space at property and he now faces grand theft charges of vehicle motor theft. A total of 15 stolen vehicles and trailers were found on the scene. They include: 2022 White Freightliner flatbed tow truck 2019 Black F450 Tiffin Phaeton RV Black Jeep Grand Cherokee 2018 White Wabash trailer (full of Printers Valved $317,000) 2011 Black Ford F250 (Stripped) 2020 White Dodge Challenger (Just body) 2015 White Ford F550 (with a toolbox body full of tools) 2024 Black Peterbilt Truck (Just Cab) 2024 White Freightliner Truck (Just cab on Lowboy trailer) 2014 Green Kenworth Semi Unknown make box trailer with stolen Peterbilt cab and sleeper inside Unidentifiable low boy trailer 2005 Volvo Truck White Peterbilt and Car hauler 2003 Black Ford F250 (transmission) Ford L9000 with multiple vehicle parts 2018 Gold Cadillac Deputies initially responded to a storage lot on North Industrial Loop off State Road 29 on June 19 to investigate the discovery of a stolen vehicle hauler. While at the scene they found a man face down on the floor of a locked RV. When responders made entry a “suspicious element” made them all sick, including hazmat crews. All were taken to the hospital as well as the man inside, Juan Gonzalez Diaz, from Miami. Diaz was released from the hospital and later arrested for an outstanding federal warrant for violating probation. RELATED: Man found unconscious at Hendry County hazmat scene appears in federal court It is unclear if there is a relationship between Diaz and Valdes. Lots of questions linger in the wake of this new arrest, including what made first responders so sick that they had to be hospitalized. All have since been treated and released. Several agencies responded to figure out what made the responders and Diaz sick. The agencies included some from the federal government: Hendry County Sheriff’s Office Clewiston Police Department (mutual aid/support staff) Hendry County Fire/EMS LaBelle Fire Department Army National Guard CST (conducting testing for chemicals, air quality, etc.) ATF Bomb Technician (supporting other agencies while search by Federal agencies continue) FBI – WMD (precautionary measures with sophisticated technology to measure the air quality) FBI (evidence collection) DEP (any ground/soil contamination testing) Lee County Unified Haz-Mat Team “Even though we may not know what the substance is, there’s a baseline of our training that covers what our minimum should be. So, if you’re going into this type of aerosol type of event, you do XYZ, and if you’re going to, you know, so it’s all about based upon our training, it’s all based upon our understanding, and the things that we practice each and every day to make it safer,” Fort Myers Fire Chief, Tracy McMillion said. The road was closed in the area for two days as teams investigated. In the end, no immediate conclusion was made about the toxic airborne element. The sheriff’s office confirmed that samples of the substances were sent to a lab for more in-depth testing. We are still waiting to hear whether those results concluded anything concrete. Hendry County Sheriffs Office said that additional charges will most likely be filed.