Fort Myers man convicted of sexual assaulting teenagerRed tide advisory issued for Clam Pass and Barefoot Beach
FORT MYERS Fort Myers man convicted of sexual assaulting teenager A Fort Myers man has been convicted of several charges, including the sexual assault of a 17-year-old teenager.
Red tide advisory issued for Clam Pass and Barefoot Beach The Florida Department of Health issued a red tide advisory after presence of the algae bloom was found near Clam Pass and Barefoot Beach in Collier County.
FORT MYERS RSW offering remote parking for the holidays Southwest Florida International Airport, RSW, is offering passengers RSWRemote, a reserved holiday parking option.
CLEWISTON Clewiston man accused of possessing child pornography A Clewiston man has been arrested after allegedly possessing potentially thousands of photos and videos of child pornography.
FORT MYERS FHP speaks on impaired driving during the holidays Florida Highway Patrol held a news conference regarding National Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral woman accused of DUI, striking pedestrian A Cape Coral woman has been arrested after allegedly driving under the influence and crashing into a pedestrian last night.
PORT CHARLOTTE Woman accused of stealing 2 PlayStation 5 consoles and 1 Xbox Series S console from Best Buy The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is looking to identify a woman who was seen stealing gaming consoles from Best Buy.
PUNTA GORDA Derelict boats at Gilchrist Park still awaiting removal Boats that came ashore during Hurricane Milton haven’t moved since.
BONITA SPRINGS 2 people and parrot safe after house fire in Bonita Springs 2 people and a parrot are safe after an early morning house fire in Bonita Springs.
Boundary changes vote for Collier County schools The Collier County School Board is set to vote on the proposed boundary changes.
Warmer weather continues this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a warm afternoon with temperatures in the lower to mid-80s.
FORT MYERS Stars shine in 36th annual Rotary South All-Star Football Classic Blue beats Gold 27-7 in the 36th annual Rotary South Football Classic, which brings the top senior high school football players in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Purring and persevering: Neighborhood cat survives bullet wound Purring and persevering through the pain, a neighborhood cat named Tommy survived being shot in the leg.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach lights up with resilience and Christmas spirit The poinsettia tree in Times Square is now shining bright; the community joined together Monday evening for the second annual tree lighting ceremony.
Miracle Moment: Two kids celebrating being cancer-free It’s time for a miracle moment. Two kids are celebrating being cancer-free this holiday season.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers man convicted of sexual assaulting teenager A Fort Myers man has been convicted of several charges, including the sexual assault of a 17-year-old teenager.
Red tide advisory issued for Clam Pass and Barefoot Beach The Florida Department of Health issued a red tide advisory after presence of the algae bloom was found near Clam Pass and Barefoot Beach in Collier County.
FORT MYERS RSW offering remote parking for the holidays Southwest Florida International Airport, RSW, is offering passengers RSWRemote, a reserved holiday parking option.
CLEWISTON Clewiston man accused of possessing child pornography A Clewiston man has been arrested after allegedly possessing potentially thousands of photos and videos of child pornography.
FORT MYERS FHP speaks on impaired driving during the holidays Florida Highway Patrol held a news conference regarding National Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral woman accused of DUI, striking pedestrian A Cape Coral woman has been arrested after allegedly driving under the influence and crashing into a pedestrian last night.
PORT CHARLOTTE Woman accused of stealing 2 PlayStation 5 consoles and 1 Xbox Series S console from Best Buy The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is looking to identify a woman who was seen stealing gaming consoles from Best Buy.
PUNTA GORDA Derelict boats at Gilchrist Park still awaiting removal Boats that came ashore during Hurricane Milton haven’t moved since.
BONITA SPRINGS 2 people and parrot safe after house fire in Bonita Springs 2 people and a parrot are safe after an early morning house fire in Bonita Springs.
Boundary changes vote for Collier County schools The Collier County School Board is set to vote on the proposed boundary changes.
Warmer weather continues this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a warm afternoon with temperatures in the lower to mid-80s.
FORT MYERS Stars shine in 36th annual Rotary South All-Star Football Classic Blue beats Gold 27-7 in the 36th annual Rotary South Football Classic, which brings the top senior high school football players in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Purring and persevering: Neighborhood cat survives bullet wound Purring and persevering through the pain, a neighborhood cat named Tommy survived being shot in the leg.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach lights up with resilience and Christmas spirit The poinsettia tree in Times Square is now shining bright; the community joined together Monday evening for the second annual tree lighting ceremony.
Miracle Moment: Two kids celebrating being cancer-free It’s time for a miracle moment. Two kids are celebrating being cancer-free this holiday season.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Carmine Marceno have been under scrutiny since a federal investigation on potential money laundering began. Many have questioned LCSO’s spending, so we broke down the budget. Just this year, the Sheriff’s Office budget received a $39 million increase, which it says will help 80 new hires and will allow them to give pay raises. This year, they have a $315 million budget. Commissioners approved the budget a few months ago. WINK News broke down the current Sheriff’s Office budget, which shows in just four years, LCSO got $100 million more. Below is a graph comparing the fiscal year of 2021-2022 and 2024-2025. The four categories; law enforcement, corrections, courts, and the municipal services taxing unit (which is for school resource officers) are how the budget is split. Sheriff Marceno’s salary has also increased. Below is each of his salaries for the past four years. You’ll see an increase of $90,000 from 2021 to 2024. The Sheriff’s Office writes the budget but the commissioners have the final say. Now, Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman wants that to change. Hamman wants the sheriff’s office to have its own taxing unit. RELATED: Lee County Commissioners discuss LCSO budget and Sheriff Marceno federal investigation Hamman said the change would bring transparency, fairness, and accountability. It also means the county would no longer be responsible for the sheriff’s budget; the public would be. WINK News reached out to the Sheriff’s Office with a list of questions, trying to account for how the department spends its money. We will update this article when we hear back.