WINK News Photos of the Week (3/21 – 3/27)Man accused of stealing over $15K worth of Pokémon cards in North Naples
WINK News Photos of the Week (3/21 – 3/27) Welcome to WINK News Photos of the Week, where we highlight memorable moments from Southwest Florida throughout the week.
NORTH NAPLES Man accused of stealing over $15K worth of Pokémon cards in North Naples The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of stealing over $15,000 worth of Pokémon cards from a North Naples business.
Tim Aten Knows: Costco formally files plans for second store in Collier Less than two weeks after hundreds of residents packed a neighborhood information meeting to protest conceptual plans for a second location in Collier County, Costco Wholesale Corp. submitted formal development plans earlier this month for a new store proposed on the southeast corner of Collier Boulevard and Rattlesnake Hammock Road.
FORT MYERS Vietnam Traveling Wall comes to Southwest Florida A moving tribute to Vietnam veterans arrived in Southwest Florida.
12-year-old Lee County student arrested for making bomb threats at his school A 12-year-old student from Veterans Park Academy for the Arts was arrested on Thursday for making threats involving planting bombs around the school.
Motorcyclist critically injured following SUV crash on US-41 in Lee County The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving a motorcycle and an SUV that critically injured one person on U.S. 41 in Lee County.
BOKEELIA Bokeelia home destroyed after early morning fire The Matlacha Pine Island Fire Control District is on the scene of a fire that broke out at a Bokeelia home.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Breezy with a few showers Friday afternoon and evening The Weather Authority is tracking a breezier Friday with a mix of sun and clouds, which may produce showers, impacting your evening plans.
ESTERO Estero Goodwill holds grand opening Lynn Watts, a longtime Goodwill shopper, found herself in the midst of the bustling scene.
SANIBEL Destroyed and distressed: properties on Sanibel facing code enforcement Sanibel, a city known for its resilience, is now facing challenges as some of its beloved landmarks remain in disrepair.
NAPLES Collier County first responders extinguish brush fire near golf course A brush fire in Collier County threatened the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples on Wednesday, but quick action from first responders helped prevent disaster.
Naples embraces new mobile gym for dogs A unique mobile gym for dogs is making waves in Naples, offering a convenient way for pets to exercise without leaving their homes.
EVERGLADES Florida sugar firms lose lawsuit; Everglades restoration moves forward The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Army Corps, marking a significant victory for Everglades restoration efforts.
Charlotte County school start times may shift with new legislation A new bill passed by the Florida Senate could shift the power to officials in Charlotte County and elsewhere to decide school start times.
FORT MYERS Canadian anti-tariff billboards come to Southwest Florida Canadian anti-tariff billboards that read “Tariffs are Taxes” started appearing in Southwest Florida.
WINK News Photos of the Week (3/21 – 3/27) Welcome to WINK News Photos of the Week, where we highlight memorable moments from Southwest Florida throughout the week.
NORTH NAPLES Man accused of stealing over $15K worth of Pokémon cards in North Naples The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of stealing over $15,000 worth of Pokémon cards from a North Naples business.
Tim Aten Knows: Costco formally files plans for second store in Collier Less than two weeks after hundreds of residents packed a neighborhood information meeting to protest conceptual plans for a second location in Collier County, Costco Wholesale Corp. submitted formal development plans earlier this month for a new store proposed on the southeast corner of Collier Boulevard and Rattlesnake Hammock Road.
FORT MYERS Vietnam Traveling Wall comes to Southwest Florida A moving tribute to Vietnam veterans arrived in Southwest Florida.
12-year-old Lee County student arrested for making bomb threats at his school A 12-year-old student from Veterans Park Academy for the Arts was arrested on Thursday for making threats involving planting bombs around the school.
Motorcyclist critically injured following SUV crash on US-41 in Lee County The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving a motorcycle and an SUV that critically injured one person on U.S. 41 in Lee County.
BOKEELIA Bokeelia home destroyed after early morning fire The Matlacha Pine Island Fire Control District is on the scene of a fire that broke out at a Bokeelia home.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Breezy with a few showers Friday afternoon and evening The Weather Authority is tracking a breezier Friday with a mix of sun and clouds, which may produce showers, impacting your evening plans.
ESTERO Estero Goodwill holds grand opening Lynn Watts, a longtime Goodwill shopper, found herself in the midst of the bustling scene.
SANIBEL Destroyed and distressed: properties on Sanibel facing code enforcement Sanibel, a city known for its resilience, is now facing challenges as some of its beloved landmarks remain in disrepair.
NAPLES Collier County first responders extinguish brush fire near golf course A brush fire in Collier County threatened the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples on Wednesday, but quick action from first responders helped prevent disaster.
Naples embraces new mobile gym for dogs A unique mobile gym for dogs is making waves in Naples, offering a convenient way for pets to exercise without leaving their homes.
EVERGLADES Florida sugar firms lose lawsuit; Everglades restoration moves forward The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Army Corps, marking a significant victory for Everglades restoration efforts.
Charlotte County school start times may shift with new legislation A new bill passed by the Florida Senate could shift the power to officials in Charlotte County and elsewhere to decide school start times.
FORT MYERS Canadian anti-tariff billboards come to Southwest Florida Canadian anti-tariff billboards that read “Tariffs are Taxes” started appearing in Southwest Florida.
Lee County commissioners are considering moving forward with a new approach to the sheriff’s budget for increased transparency. This discussion follows WINK News investigations revealing the FBI is investigating Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno. The proposal involves creating a Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) for the sheriff’s budget. Currently, the sheriff’s budget comes from the county’s general fund. RELATED: Breaking down the Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget RELATED: Digging Deeper: Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget “What I want to do is take the Sheriff’s Office and put it on its own line item on your tax bill, so that you can see how much you’re spending on law enforcement, and then you can have a separate conversation about, ‘is this the right amount to be spending? Is the increase, the right increase, or the decrease?'” said Commissioner Lee County Brian Hamman. Commissioners raised concerns about how cities like Cape Coral and Fort Myers would participate in the taxing with the fear of that the Sheriff would walk away from certain services like jail operations. Hamman doesn’t believe that will happen. Hamman emphasized the need for other departments to receive adequate funding. “You know, our population is growing so rapidly, and we’ve had to spend a lot of money on law enforcement, which is our top priority, and we only get a certain amount of new money every year from the new taxpayers who move here. If we give all of that new money to the sheriff’s office, well then that doesn’t leave anything left over for the other departments. And I want to make sure that we have good parks and other good departments as well, so that they have enough money to serve this rapidly growing population,” said Hamman. Commissioner Pendergrass mentioned the ongoing FBI investigation into Sheriff Carmine Marceno, suggesting a cautious wait-and-see approach to budget decisions. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded with a statement acknowledging the discussions on the potential MSTU. “We take our responsibility to use taxpayer funds responsibly, efficiently and effectively very seriously. The Sheriff will continue to operate transparently and cooperatively with the Board of County Commissioners, assuring our residents and their property is safe and secure,” said the statement. Commissioners plan to assess the cost of a study on the MSTU process and present the estimate at a future board meeting.