Man accused of fatal hit-and-run in Port CharlotteScattered storms move inland this Wednesday afternoon
PORT CHARLOTTE Man accused of fatal hit-and-run in Port Charlotte The Florida Highway Patrol and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man for a fatal hit-and-run that occurred in Port Charlotte.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Scattered storms move inland this Wednesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking scattered storms moving from the coastal lines and into the inland communities this Wednesday afternoon.
WINK NEWS Collier County Teachers Union to meet and negotiate salaries Collier County teachers brace for their third day of salary negotiations as those living within the area struggle financially.
Police report: witnesses say fatal Firestone tire explosion caused by overinflation The Cape Coral Police Department has released its report regarding a tire explosion that killed a man at a Firestone garage on Sunday.
NAPLES Voters meet with Collier County candidates It was a packed house at Seed to Table on Tuesday night as Collier County voters met with the candidates running to represent them.
FORT MYERS Texas Roadhouse honors memory of five teenagers lost in tragic crash It has been one year since the tragic crash that took the lives of five teenagers on Top Golf Way in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Locals react to Wade Wilson jury recommendation Wade Wilson, the man found guilty of killing two innocent women, has his life in the hands of a jury and judge. In less than two hours on Tuesday – the jury came to their decision.
FORT MYERS Austan Cristiaan talks joining Bishop Verot and first D-1 offers Quarterback Austan Cristiaan talks about joining Bishop Verot for his freshman season and securing his first two D-1 offers.
FL researchers testing Zika virus to fight childhood brain cancer Neuroblastoma is one of the deadliest childhood cancers. Now, a team of researchers out of Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando are taking a novel approach to wipe out disease. Their studies involve the use of the Zika virus.
FORT MYERS Community Redevelopment Agency seeks public input for Cleveland Avenue project Mayor Kevin Anderson said Tuesday was an opportunity for the Community Redevelopment Agency and leaders to hear what the public thinks this redevelopment should look like.
FGCU professor agrees with US Surgeon General: gun violence is a public health crisis Gun violence: We’ve seen it here firsthand in southwest Florida. Many agree gun violence is a growing problem in the United States. Now, the U.S. Surgeon General is calling it a crisis.
Charlotte County Charlotte County now requiring condo and co-op inspections for building 25-years or older On the 3-year anniversary of the Champlain Towers South building collapse in Surfside, FL, many look to remember those lost and continue to learn from the tragedy.
FORT MYERS A third diamond interchange on its way to Southwest Florida The third iteration of a construction project that strikes fear into some drivers could be a tell-tell sign about the trends of Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples practice comes under fire from a former employee A Naples dermatology practice acknowledges it had issues when it first opened two years ago but says those issues are now behind them.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral hosts more FEMA hearings Red tags are rearing their ugly head. Cape Coral homeowners who were slapped with these tags and found non-compliant with city code permits are back to defend themselves.
PORT CHARLOTTE Man accused of fatal hit-and-run in Port Charlotte The Florida Highway Patrol and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man for a fatal hit-and-run that occurred in Port Charlotte.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Scattered storms move inland this Wednesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking scattered storms moving from the coastal lines and into the inland communities this Wednesday afternoon.
WINK NEWS Collier County Teachers Union to meet and negotiate salaries Collier County teachers brace for their third day of salary negotiations as those living within the area struggle financially.
Police report: witnesses say fatal Firestone tire explosion caused by overinflation The Cape Coral Police Department has released its report regarding a tire explosion that killed a man at a Firestone garage on Sunday.
NAPLES Voters meet with Collier County candidates It was a packed house at Seed to Table on Tuesday night as Collier County voters met with the candidates running to represent them.
FORT MYERS Texas Roadhouse honors memory of five teenagers lost in tragic crash It has been one year since the tragic crash that took the lives of five teenagers on Top Golf Way in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Locals react to Wade Wilson jury recommendation Wade Wilson, the man found guilty of killing two innocent women, has his life in the hands of a jury and judge. In less than two hours on Tuesday – the jury came to their decision.
FORT MYERS Austan Cristiaan talks joining Bishop Verot and first D-1 offers Quarterback Austan Cristiaan talks about joining Bishop Verot for his freshman season and securing his first two D-1 offers.
FL researchers testing Zika virus to fight childhood brain cancer Neuroblastoma is one of the deadliest childhood cancers. Now, a team of researchers out of Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando are taking a novel approach to wipe out disease. Their studies involve the use of the Zika virus.
FORT MYERS Community Redevelopment Agency seeks public input for Cleveland Avenue project Mayor Kevin Anderson said Tuesday was an opportunity for the Community Redevelopment Agency and leaders to hear what the public thinks this redevelopment should look like.
FGCU professor agrees with US Surgeon General: gun violence is a public health crisis Gun violence: We’ve seen it here firsthand in southwest Florida. Many agree gun violence is a growing problem in the United States. Now, the U.S. Surgeon General is calling it a crisis.
Charlotte County Charlotte County now requiring condo and co-op inspections for building 25-years or older On the 3-year anniversary of the Champlain Towers South building collapse in Surfside, FL, many look to remember those lost and continue to learn from the tragedy.
FORT MYERS A third diamond interchange on its way to Southwest Florida The third iteration of a construction project that strikes fear into some drivers could be a tell-tell sign about the trends of Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples practice comes under fire from a former employee A Naples dermatology practice acknowledges it had issues when it first opened two years ago but says those issues are now behind them.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral hosts more FEMA hearings Red tags are rearing their ugly head. Cape Coral homeowners who were slapped with these tags and found non-compliant with city code permits are back to defend themselves.
MGN WASHINGTON (AP) – Hundreds of hospitals will give back $257 million in Medicare payments because doctors implanted cardiac devices in violation of government rules, the Justice Department announced Friday. The settlements encompass nearly 500 hospitals in 43 states where cardioverter defibrillators were implanted in Medicare patients too soon after they suffered a heart attack, had heart bypass surgery or angioplasty. Medicare sets waiting periods of up to 90 days before implanting the $25,000 devices, which deliver mild electric shocks to restore a normal heart rhythm. Clinical trials have shown the heart often recovers its own rhythm during that time, making the pricey defibrillators unnecessary. “The settlements announced today demonstrate the Department of Justice’s commitment to protect Medicare dollars and federal health benefits,” said Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “Guided by a panel of leading cardiologists and the review of thousands of patients’ charts, the extensive investigation behind the settlements was heavily influenced by evidence-based medicine.” A 2011 study led by researchers at Duke University of 111,707 patients that received cardioverter defibrillators found that nearly a quarter received no clinical benefit. Those patients were also shown to develop significantly more post-procedural complications, including death. The settlements, said to be among the largest of their kind, are the result of a federal whistleblower lawsuit filed in Florida 7 years ago by cardiac nurse Leatrice Ford Richards and Thomas Schuhmann, a health care reimbursement consultant. Under the False Claims Act, the whistleblowers will reap about $38 million from the settlements. A portion of that will go to Bryan Vroon, their Atlanta-based attorney. Among the large health-care providers involved, Hospital Corporation of America, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, agreed to pay $15.8 million. Ascension Health, of St. Louis, Missouri, settled for $14.9 million. The Justice Department says it continues to investigate additional hospitals. ___ Online: A list of the hospitals involved in the settlement can be found here: http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/789656/download