Local Boy Scouts credited with saving two lives

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Two Boy Scouts and their Scoutmaster are being called heroes for saving two boys who were drowning at a creek in Hendry County. The boyscouts ran to help, when others wouldn’t. “I’m real proud of those boys,” said Troop 255 Scoutmaster, Chris Danielson. “They did a great job.” On a camping trip at […]

Transplant gives new face, scalp to burned firefighter

NEW YORK (AP) – A volunteer firefighter badly burned in a 2001 blaze has received the most extensive face transplant ever, covering his skull and much of his neck, a New York hospital announced Monday. The surgery took place in August at the NYU Langone Medical Center. The patient, 41-year-old Patrick Hardison, is still undergoing […]

Medicare launches major payment shift for hip, knee surgery

WASHINGTON (AP) – Striving for better quality and more predictable costs, Medicare on Monday launched a major payment change for hip and knee replacements, the most common inpatient surgery for its 55 million beneficiaries. Starting April 1, hospitals in 67 metropolitan areas – from Akron, Ohio, to Wichita, Kansas – will be held responsible for […]

Clewiston puppy mill busted, nearly 100 dogs rescued

CLEWISTON, Fla.- Nearly 100 dogs living in filthy conditions were rescued from a puppy mill on Avenue Del Club in Clewiston. The owners of the facility, Beatriz Perez, 46, and Alexei Fernandez, 47, were arrested on animal cruelty charges. Complaints by residents lead authorities to the large-scale breeding operation. “We’ve worked with people who have come in and made […]

Lee Memorial starts program for physical therapy students

FORT MYERS, Fla.- High school athletes offer suffer from concussions, broken bones, and torn ligaments throughout the season. This year alone, Lee Memorial Hospital has seen 36 high school athletes with concussions; 29 of those are football related. “Two years ago, we had for the entire school year, probably about 77 concussions, so we’re right on track with what we […]

Residents living on dead-end street tired of traffic troubles

NAPLES, Fla.- Around 1,200 people living on a dead-end street are pushing for change. The residents say a nearby charter school and gas station across the street are adding so much traffic, it takes them almost 20 minutes just to leave the neighborhood. WINK News cameras were rolling Monday morning on River Reach Drive as dozens of neighbors tried to leave […]

Bail lowered for man charged in Phoenix freeway shootings

PHOENIX (AP) – A judge lowered bail Monday for a man charged in several freeway shootings that put drivers in metro Phoenix on edge two months ago, but wouldn’t let his attorneys call witnesses to back up a claim that he has an alibi. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Warren Granville reduced Leslie Merritt Jr.’s […]

Crews end search of sunken ship without finding black box

Federal investigators said Monday that they are ending their search for the voyage data recorder of a cargo ship that sank in the Atlantic during a hurricane, but remained hopeful that they could determine what happened to the ship without it. “Over the years we’ve completed many investigations without the aid of recorders and other […]

Deal of the Day: Stores open Thanksgiving

FORT MYERS, Fla. – If you want to walk off your Thanksgiving meal calories WINK News has compiled a list of some stores that are open on Thanksgiving. The first retailer to open its doors is Kmart at 6 a.m. Old Navy will open at 4 p.m. Best Buy and Toys”R”Us both open at 5 […]

Syrian refugee policy takes focus in US 2016 politics

WASHINGTON (AP) – The bloody attacks in Paris are putting the Syrian refugee crisis at the center of U.S. politics as migrants from that war-torn country surge toward the West and security concerns rise. The debate, which cuts straight to the American identity as a refuge, on Monday ranged from whether to only admit Syrians […]