Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCUFGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony
FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCU San Carlos Park Fire District responded to a dumpster fire Sunday afternoon.
FORT MYERS FGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony Graduation is a right of passage from school to the real world, but for these students, reality hit them in 2020.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcycle crash leaves 1 dead One person has died after a motorcycle crash in Charlotte County.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Know your risk Hurricane season starts on June 1st, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designated the week of May 5 through May 11 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Each day, Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler will be highlighting ways to stay prepared ahead of this year’s hurricane season.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Stay alert – chance of showers and storms on Sunday Hot, humid, and more rain for parts of Southwest Florida on Sunday.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCU San Carlos Park Fire District responded to a dumpster fire Sunday afternoon.
FORT MYERS FGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony Graduation is a right of passage from school to the real world, but for these students, reality hit them in 2020.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcycle crash leaves 1 dead One person has died after a motorcycle crash in Charlotte County.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Know your risk Hurricane season starts on June 1st, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designated the week of May 5 through May 11 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Each day, Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler will be highlighting ways to stay prepared ahead of this year’s hurricane season.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Stay alert – chance of showers and storms on Sunday Hot, humid, and more rain for parts of Southwest Florida on Sunday.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
MGN TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Florida Gov. Rick Scott and the state of Florida this week agreed to pay $700,000 to settle several lawsuits that contended that the Republican governor and other state officials flouted the state’s public records law. It is believed to be one of the larger payments ever approved in an open government case in Florida history, but the settlement means that Scott can avoid having a judge rule that his administration broke the law. The agreement also ends a related lawsuit against Attorney General Pam Bondi. The settlement will end a long-running dispute between Scott and a Tallahassee attorney and a persistent critic of the governor. The battle started initially over a tract of land near the governor’s mansion the state wanted to acquire, but it broadened into several lawsuits filed by Steven Andrews that accused Scott, two state agencies and Bondi of ignoring public records requests. Scott lost a bid to block Andrews from trying to get information about private email accounts. Then late last year Scott turned over nearly 200 pages of emails to The Associated Press that showed he had used a private account to discuss state business. Andrews was allowed to cite the emails as evidence against the governor. Jackie Schutz, a spokeswoman for Scott, acknowledged the settlement Friday and said “it was the right thing to do for the state.” The settlement was first reported by The Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee bureau. Whitney Ray, a spokesman for Bondi, said the attorney general agreed to settle their lawsuit “to avoid litigation costs.” Andrews, who has refused to comment on settlement discussions, will get paid $700,000 by taxpayers. The money will come from Scott’s office as well as from Bondi’s office and two other state agencies. Schutz said that the payment will come from existing budgets and won’t require legislative approval. The settlement amount, however, doesn’t cover all the costs surrounding the litigation. State records show that the governor’s office has also spent nearly $100,000 to hire outside lawyers to defend the governor and former top aides. Barbara Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation, questioned why the administration would settle the case if Scott had not broken the law. She said it was one of highest awards she had seen in an open government case. “Our governor plays fast and loose with our constitution and we’re stuck with his legal bills. It’s outrageous,” she said. The settlement was signed this past Wednesday. That’s the same day that Scott and members of the Cabinet agreed to settle the land dispute with Andrews that sparked the public records lawsuits. Under that deal, Andrews will be allowed to purchase land near the governor’s mansion about a mile north of the state Capitol. The Scott administration wanted the land as part of a plan to turn the adjacent historic home of former Gov. LeRoy Collins into a museum. Records showed that Scott administration officials at one point discussed redeveloping the entire area into a “mansion park” that would be part of Scott’s legacy. Andrews contended that state officials were not interested in the property until Scott found out that he was purchasing the land, which also includes his law offices. The state insisted it had the rights to acquire the land even though Andrews was already trying to buy the property. As part of that lawsuit, Andrews sought to obtain information about private email accounts set up by Scott and top aides. The acrimony between Scott and Andrews dates to the 2010 governor’s race. Right before the Republican primary Andrews sued for release of a deposition Scott gave for a lawsuit against one of his businesses. He once called Scott the “corporate spawn of Satan.”