Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve communityBroken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Fort Myers Savannah Bananas make their way to Fort Myers for first time The Savannah Bananas have made their way to JetBlue Park for Friday’s sold-out game in Fort Myers to watch “the greatest show in sports.”
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PORT CHARLOTTE Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Port Charlotte kicked off its 31st annual Greek Fest on Friday.
Donations helping young kids get fed Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the community, and organizations like the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Meals of Hope and the Guadalupe Center are stepping up to help.
New risk factors contribute to heart disease February is American Heart Month, a perfect time to assess your heart health.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte High School student arrested for possession of BB gun According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, a student has been arrested after a BB gun was found in his backpack on Friday.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Regional Library to undergo multiple repairs due to Ian The Fort Myers Regional Library is preparing for essential repairs, nearly two years after Hurricane Ian made its impact.
Drug bust at Collier County home leads to triple arrest Three people are accused of running a drug house that held opioids, fentanyl and other illicit narcotics in Collier County.
Charlotte County’s first Grain & Berry opens Fast-growing organic vegan restaurant franchise Grain & Berry opened in Port Charlotte, making it the 19th in the state out of a total of 23 nationwide.
GOLDEN GATE Body found in Collier County canal prompts death investigation Collier County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a death investigation after a body was discovered in a canal.
FORT MYERS DeSantis’ new Boater Freedom Initiative would end random FWC boat safety inspections Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the new Boater Freedom Initiative will protect Sunshine State residents’ right to boat.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Fort Myers Savannah Bananas make their way to Fort Myers for first time The Savannah Bananas have made their way to JetBlue Park for Friday’s sold-out game in Fort Myers to watch “the greatest show in sports.”
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PORT CHARLOTTE Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Port Charlotte kicked off its 31st annual Greek Fest on Friday.
Donations helping young kids get fed Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the community, and organizations like the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Meals of Hope and the Guadalupe Center are stepping up to help.
New risk factors contribute to heart disease February is American Heart Month, a perfect time to assess your heart health.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte High School student arrested for possession of BB gun According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, a student has been arrested after a BB gun was found in his backpack on Friday.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Regional Library to undergo multiple repairs due to Ian The Fort Myers Regional Library is preparing for essential repairs, nearly two years after Hurricane Ian made its impact.
Drug bust at Collier County home leads to triple arrest Three people are accused of running a drug house that held opioids, fentanyl and other illicit narcotics in Collier County.
Charlotte County’s first Grain & Berry opens Fast-growing organic vegan restaurant franchise Grain & Berry opened in Port Charlotte, making it the 19th in the state out of a total of 23 nationwide.
GOLDEN GATE Body found in Collier County canal prompts death investigation Collier County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a death investigation after a body was discovered in a canal.
FORT MYERS DeSantis’ new Boater Freedom Initiative would end random FWC boat safety inspections Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the new Boater Freedom Initiative will protect Sunshine State residents’ right to boat.
In the last three months, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has had four deputy-involved shootings. One of them even led to loss of one of their own, Sgt. Elio Diaz. “It hit us hard,” said Sheriff Bill Prummell in an interview with WINK News. “You know, we’ll heal over time, but we’ll never forget, and his family is always going to be our family.” Diaz was shot with a rifle during a traffic stop at the Chevron gas station near Sunseeker Resort. Deputies quickly found Diaz’ killer at the Popeyes on Kings Highway. CCSO said the shooter then reached for his rifle again, leading deputies to open fire, ending his life. RELATED: Funeral procession held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio Diaz RELATED: Charlotte Sheriff comments on shooters mental health following the murder of Sergeant Diaz Now, just a little over a month after the tragic day, the department has been through two more deputy-involved shootings. Thursday night, CCSO responded to a deputy-involved shooting on Eager Road in Charlotte County where Michael Lewis Schwartz was waving a gun in the air, firing it and yelling. According to CCSO, when deputies got to the scene, Schwartz was scene sitting on his front porch. He stood up, aimed the gun at deputies and two of them fired, killing Schwartz. The deputies weren’t hurt, but placed on administrative leave. RELATED: Man killed in deputy-involved shooting; Charlotte deputies say he pointed gun at them Just over 24 hours later, the department was involved in another deputy-involved shooting. This time, in Englewood, where a neighbor called 911 saying Sean Austin Ravert had been acting erratically. According to CCSO, deputies went to the scene and found Ravert at his home carrying a machete and moving aggressively towards them. Deputies told Ravert multiple times to put down the weapon, but according to CCSO, he ignored them and continued being aggressive. Two deputies shot and killed Ravert. The deputies weren’t hurt, but they were again placed on administrative leave. RELATED: Charlotte County deputies fatally shoot man in Englewood, investigation ongoing Both of these incidents come within three months of another deputy-involved shooting in October which led to the death of Elroy Clarke after deputies used Tasers, pepper spray, batons and bean bag rounds to attempt to take him into custody. Clarke eventually charged at the deputies, leading them to shoot and kill him. Those deputies were also placed on administrative leave. RELATED: Charlotte County releases body-cam footage of fatal deputy-involved shooting “The protocol is to put them on administrative leave, and we do that right after the shooting,” explained Sheriff Prummell in an interview with WINK News. “But as soon as our psychologist says that they’re good, that they’re mentally sound, even though the investigation is not complete, we bring them back in and put them on administrative duties.” That’s because Prummell wants those deputies to know that they are family, and he cares about them. “They’re back in with the agency,” said Prummell. “They’re back in with their colleagues, with their family, instead of sitting at home wondering what’s going on and becoming isolated because that wears on you, and that could be mentally draining on you as well.” WINK News reporter Amy Galo spoke with WINK News safety and security specialist Kristen Ziman, who provided some insight into the situation. Ziman is a retired police chief with 30 years of law enforcement experience. “As the chief in a department that had a mass shooting where five of my officers were shot,” shared Ziman, “I had half of those officers who experienced that trauma that said, ‘I want to come right back to work because I’m going crazy sitting at home,’ while others would prefer to stay home and process.” After deputy-involved shootings, Ziman said placing a focus on mental health is key. “Taking a life, even when justified, leaves lasting scars,” said Ziman. “So many officers experience post-traumatic stress, guilt and moral injury, and often having to relive these moments for years to come, for the rest of their career, for the rest of their lives.” On top of that, there is a stigma around mental health in law enforcement. One that’s been around for many years. “We’ve often been told many times, even by those in our organizations, by our chiefs, by our superiors, that if you can’t handle it, then you should get out of the profession,” said Ziman. “Gone are those days, and we have the statistics and the data to prove it, because the dirty little secret is there is a high percentage of officers who take their own lives because some of these incidents are just too traumatic for them to carry.” This is why actions like Prummell’s show of support for deputies placed on administrative leave carry weight. “What we need to really focus on here is the need for support for the officers departments, and it sounds like the sheriff is doing that,” said Ziman. ” We must prioritize the mental health of their officers by offering access to counseling, to peer support programs and resources to help them process the trauma of these critical incidents.” Simply put: “The first step is to create a culture within the organization where officers can feel okay to say they are not okay,” said Ziman.