Friday’s Furry Friends: Rhett, TagRecall issued for ground beef sold with possible E. coli at Walmart
FORT MYERS Friday’s Furry Friends: Rhett, Tag For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Gulf Coast Humane Society to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
WINK NEWS Recall issued for ground beef sold with possible E. coli at Walmart The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a recall for several ground beef products distributed from Pennsylvania to Walmart’s nationwide.
The Weather Authority Hotter and more humid this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild Friday morning with dry afternoon conditions and isolated storms appearing in the evening.
PUNTA GORDA ‘Party’s Over’: Dirt biking ends at Barefoot Lake The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has made it clear, the party at Barefoot Lake is over.
ESTERO Crews battle 2.5-acre brush fire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive San Carlos Park Fire District is on the scene fighting a 2.5-acre brushfire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive.
FORT MYERS Jake’s story: A mother’s mission to share her son’s story and help other young people One Fort Myers mom is turning her pain into purpose after her son, who she refers to as her “heavenly Angel,” took his own life.
CAPE CORAL New renderings for the Cape Coral Yacht Club promise a bright future The Cape Coral Yacht Club, which has been part of this community since the 1960s, will now have a new look after Hurricane Ian’s devastating effects.
LEHIGH ACRES Owner bars public from Barefoot Lake, LCSO installs Watch Tower Every weekend, roughly 200 people go to Barefoot Lake in Lehigh Acres to relax, fish, swim and have a good time.
CAPE CORAL Concern over water shortage in Cape Coral Concern is flowing through Cape Coral as neighbors are seeing their canal levels low and their wells run dry.
FORT MYERS FSW softball swinging for success in the postseason Now their focus shifts to states which means the newbies are looking to the experienced sophomores for advice.
BONITA SPRINGS Young SWFL tennis player competing with professionals You may not know her name now, but you might want remember it because 16-year-old Cookie Jarvis-Tredgett is already competing with professionals.
NORTH NAPLES ‘It’s all about connection,’ Statement Peace makes jewelry with sustainability in mind The brand Statement Peace, once started inside founder Jessica Lee’s home, is now in 2,700 stores across the country
Pine Manor 2 arrested for firing gun at birthday party in Pine Manor A party ended with two people behind bars.
FORT MYERS Shooting investigation on busy Fort Myers street Police are conducting a shooting investigation that involves a traffic crash near Michigan Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard.
FGCU New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis ready to build on department’s success New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis talks about the department’s future amid the age of NIL and the transfer portal.
FORT MYERS Friday’s Furry Friends: Rhett, Tag For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Gulf Coast Humane Society to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
WINK NEWS Recall issued for ground beef sold with possible E. coli at Walmart The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a recall for several ground beef products distributed from Pennsylvania to Walmart’s nationwide.
The Weather Authority Hotter and more humid this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild Friday morning with dry afternoon conditions and isolated storms appearing in the evening.
PUNTA GORDA ‘Party’s Over’: Dirt biking ends at Barefoot Lake The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has made it clear, the party at Barefoot Lake is over.
ESTERO Crews battle 2.5-acre brush fire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive San Carlos Park Fire District is on the scene fighting a 2.5-acre brushfire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive.
FORT MYERS Jake’s story: A mother’s mission to share her son’s story and help other young people One Fort Myers mom is turning her pain into purpose after her son, who she refers to as her “heavenly Angel,” took his own life.
CAPE CORAL New renderings for the Cape Coral Yacht Club promise a bright future The Cape Coral Yacht Club, which has been part of this community since the 1960s, will now have a new look after Hurricane Ian’s devastating effects.
LEHIGH ACRES Owner bars public from Barefoot Lake, LCSO installs Watch Tower Every weekend, roughly 200 people go to Barefoot Lake in Lehigh Acres to relax, fish, swim and have a good time.
CAPE CORAL Concern over water shortage in Cape Coral Concern is flowing through Cape Coral as neighbors are seeing their canal levels low and their wells run dry.
FORT MYERS FSW softball swinging for success in the postseason Now their focus shifts to states which means the newbies are looking to the experienced sophomores for advice.
BONITA SPRINGS Young SWFL tennis player competing with professionals You may not know her name now, but you might want remember it because 16-year-old Cookie Jarvis-Tredgett is already competing with professionals.
NORTH NAPLES ‘It’s all about connection,’ Statement Peace makes jewelry with sustainability in mind The brand Statement Peace, once started inside founder Jessica Lee’s home, is now in 2,700 stores across the country
Pine Manor 2 arrested for firing gun at birthday party in Pine Manor A party ended with two people behind bars.
FORT MYERS Shooting investigation on busy Fort Myers street Police are conducting a shooting investigation that involves a traffic crash near Michigan Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard.
FGCU New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis ready to build on department’s success New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis talks about the department’s future amid the age of NIL and the transfer portal.
Gwen and Terry Zwanziger’s 17-year-old daughter Shannon died unexpectedly in 2014 after losing a battle with influenza. OWATONNA, Minnesota (CNN) It’s Day 836. I’ve cried more times today than I can count. You’d think by now, I could go days without crying, but I can’t get over the guilt. Shannon’s only complaint was a sore throat. Her fever wasn’t even scary. I spent (wasted is a better word) most of my morning Googling flu information again today. The complex science of mutating viruses leaves me boggled. If I can’t make sense of it, how can I explain the importance of stopping the flu to others? After more than two years, my husband Terry and I haven’t said the “D” word yet. We say “she went to heaven.” We say “she left.” Although I have said, “she died” several times, we somehow can’t say the words “Shannon is d…” No dreams of Shannon last night. I want to see you again so bad. If I could just talk to her one last time. Tell her how sorry I am. Does she know? Can she see from heaven? I have mixed feelings about how things work up there, I just know they do. Going through some books, I came across one of her homemade bookmarks she made, when she was little. I got a card from the donation center. They’re doing a curb pick up next week for “gently used clothing.” I can’t do it yet. There are pieces she hardly wore — her new clothes for senior year — that she only just began to wear. So yeah, they’re gently used. Just barely used. Flu moms Day 837 is turning out to be an especially bad one. This is the kind of day I should go on Facebook and talk to the other mothers on our private page called “Flu Moms.” Last time I got on, I noticed a couple of new names. Clearly children are still dying. I thank God for this group of moms. We can vent and encourage depending on our own mood — a safe place to share how we feel and how we cope. Some of the mothers have developed nonprofits to honor their little ones. They plant municipal flowerbeds and organize 5k runs to raise money for awareness. God bless their efforts. ‘Let it run its course’ The seasonal flu kills healthy, active, precious kids every year. Shannon went to school on a Wednesday, came home like always, but said a friend “gave” her the flu. I sent her up to her room and began the same things any parent would do. I brought her liquids, applesauce, and soup. She complained of a sore throat, so her dad brought home throat spray, Tylenol, throat lozenges, and a little gift. She developed a fever, but not so high to take her to the ER. Later that week, I thought she ought to be feeling better, so I wondered if she was taking advantage of days off of school and being waited on. I’d go into her room and her eyes would be closed. I couldn’t tell if she was faking or not. I took her cell phone and tucked it under the clean laundry I’d put on her dresser for her to put away. Next time I went in, she had the phone back, so I knew she was OK. By Sunday, she just seemed weak. She was texting and watching TV, but she wasn’t eating good and she seemed lethargic. So I sent her to the clinic with her dad, with a little journal of her temperature readings, liquid intake and even her O2 sats. I didn’t go with them because I wanted to clean her room and change her sheets. All nice and fresh for her, you know? Terry sent me a picture of Shannon sitting in a wheelchair with a mask on, leaning her head on his shoulder. That’s the last picture we have of her: The last photo Shannon’s parents have of her was taken with her father at a clinic waiting for treatment. When they returned home, she walked in through the back door and said the visit to the doctor was a waste of time. The doctor just said it was the flu and to “let it run its course.” The doctor didn’t have a lot of time to spend with her, because the waiting room was packed with people who seemed to have the flu also. Her high school had something like 150 kids who were out of school with it. Thirty-four hours later, Shannon came downstairs. When she went into the bathroom, she tapped on the shower curtain, so I helped her into the tub. By this time I was sweating with fear. I hadn’t helped her with a bath since she was little. Something was horribly wrong. When she leaned back in the tub and I saw her eyes, I knew she was dying. I got behind her and lifted her out. I sat on the toilet with her sitting on my lap and she died. There was nothing that could be done to save her. Health care professionals — from ambulance EMTs to the mighty Mayo Clinic — couldn’t bring her back to me. The flu destroyed her organs. She didn’t even know it. ‘What if’ Shannon chose not to get vaccinated. I wish she had. If I had pushed her into getting a flu shot, then I wouldn’t have the guilt about “what if.” What if the vaccine had given her a little extra control over the invasion? That’s what the vaccine should do. While you can still get the flu even if you’ve had a flu shot, it can reduce the risk of serious illness and complications. Please take the flu seriously. Keep your loved ones home if you even think they might be sick. Or else you might live wondering if a classmate died because your child brought that strain into the classroom. Talk openly about the flu. Make people around you aware that the flu is deadly. Talk to every leader you can. Companies need to be more understanding about passing the flu around the work place and letting people stay home. Our government needs to hear from us. They need to be more transparent, honest and forthcoming about the seriousness. We need to get our scientists to find a universal flu vaccine. There are research efforts underway working on this. Instead of guessing in the spring which strains to put into the vaccine, they need a vaccine that will nip it in its core. Please take action. If we do nothing, then we are all to blame. And believe me, guilt will change your life. I was just a regular mom of a regular kid. Now I’m a shell of the person I was. And the world will never see what Shannon could have become.