LATEST NEWS

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) -A Punta Gorda man has been charged with DUI Manslaughter months after a crash in Charlotte County. The crash occurred on March 13 on US 41 at Notre Dame Boulevard. According to the initial report from Florida Highway Patrol, the car driven by Coen William Wells, 18, of Punta Gorda was traveling south on US 41 approaching Notre Dame Boulevard. The second vehicle was making a right turn from Notre Dame Boulevard onto southbound US 41.

The driver accused of killing one and injuring two in a March 2023 crash was placed under arrested and faces several charges

The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) is searching for the person who they say stole a trailer last month.

This video is either unavailable or not supported in this browser. No compatible source was found for this media. Session ID: 2023-06-07:b322246f8e09445077748a94 Player Element ID: 6328972409112. This weekly Most Wanted Wednesday WINK News segment features fugitives from justice right here in Southwest Florida. Devoun Harris Jr., 19, is wanted in...

It used to be a common sight to drive past a movie theater and see families walking in together to catch a flick, but with increased prices it’s been getting more difficult to fill the seats. 5 SWFL theaters are offering $2 movie tickets this summer. Summer is here,...

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) - In a second case of a statue being stolen in the Suncoast (we know...we’re surprised too), Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is looking to identify an individual who stole a Captain Morgan statute. Surveillance video shows the suspect removing a Captain Morgan statue from...

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. – The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) is asking for help in identifying a man who stole a trailer from a construction site on Monday, May 29. The man used a Dodge pickup truck to remove a Pace American Inc. 14′ tandem axle cargo trailer...

SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. – A 19-year-old Port Charlotte man died in a rollover crash on Sunday in Sarasota County. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the man was driving south on I-75 near mile marker 188 around 2:50 p.m., when he lost control of the car. He entered the...

Former Florida Gators football captain Earl “Tony” Joiner pleaded no contest this week to the 2016 murder of his girlfriend. The plea deal, announced last month, calls for a 25-year sentence on the charge of second-degree murder with a firearm, according to Lee County Court records. Joiner, 37, is credited with 1,455 days in jail and will not be allowed to contact the victim’s family — including his two daughters.

CHARLOTTE, Fla. — People are seeing smoke from three controlled burns burning in Charlotte and Sarasota Counties. Florida Forestry Service reports the controlled burns are in these areas:. 360 acres east of I-75 and north of Kings Highway in Charlotte County. 60 acres near Oscar Scherer State Park in...

This video is either unavailable or not supported in this browser. No compatible source was found for this media. Session ID: 2023-06-08:a159ef0adbacf0e4f36ded12 Player Element ID: 6328970460112. Canals saw massive damage during Hurricane Ian, and one city is working to repair them. Punta Gorda has started the Hurricane Ian Seawall Recovery...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (WWSB) - The family of a 4-year-old girl who was found in a canal after wandering away from a vacation rental is raising funds to help with expenses. Evelyn Geer’s mother frantically called 911 just after 3 a.m. to report that her daughter was missing from the rented home on Barksdale Street.

North Port High School will be featured in a SundanceTV four-part true crime docuseries on June 15th. "Look Into My Eyes" will uncoil the strange story of former North Port High School principal George Kenney and the subsequent death of three students in the spring of 2011 who underwent hypnosis with him.

Vacation homes afford travelers the chance to return to their favorite destinations over and over. The tendency for frequent travelers to buy vacation homes in peak travel sites makes sense, that is until you consider the cost and prospect of navigating tourists. Florida is home to no shortage of vacation home spots, but none are as appealing as Lee County.

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to approve two measures to assist people affected by Hurricane Ian with housing needs. The board voted to approve an amendment to the 2023-2026 Local Housing Assistance Plan for demolition and reconstruction of single-family homes occupied by income-qualified households. This strategy includes elevating existing homes located in a flood zone and determined to be in need of repairs in excess of 50% of value of the home due to hurricane damage. Hurricane Housing Recovery Program funding administered through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program will fund this effort. The county is estimated to receive about $16.6 million in disaster funding for affordable housing through SHIP. The board also voted to approve agreements to provide Hurricane Housing Recovery Program funding totaling $8.2 million to nonprofit housing development organizations to assist households affected by the storm. The program is solely funded by the state, administered in accordance with the SHIP program. The funds will be used to assist 133 homeowners with down payment assistance, owner–occupied rehabilitation and demolition/reconstruction. The program places a priority on serving very low-income, low-income and special-needs households. Eight nonprofit housing development organizations will receive funds, including Habitat for Humanity, Lee County Housing Development Corp., Affordable Homeownership Foundation and others.

Smoking is banned at the Gilchrist Park playground, Laishley Park's splash pad, Cooper Street Rec. Center and Ponce de Leon Park. The proposed ordinance would also make vaping illegal at those areas.

Loxahatchee, Fla. — One woman pled guilty following an elaborate and complex real estate scheme in Florida. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) jailed two women after they scammed over 40 victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. “People are trying to get away with stealing hundreds...

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — A Punta Gorda teen has been charged with DUI manslaughter after a deadly crash on March 15. Coen William Wells, 18, was driving southbound on U.S. 41, approaching the intersection of Notre Dame Boulevard, before he crashed. Florida Highway Patrol says another driver was turning...

They are headed to opposite ends of the country.

SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) - Troopers say a 19-year-old Port Charlotte man was killed on Sunday during a crash in Sarasota County. The crash happened around 2:50 p.m. at I-75 southbound and Mile Marker 188, that’s near River Road. This was a crash involving one vehicle, a sedan. According...