CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gapsBay Street Yard set to open in late May
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.
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.
FORT MYERS Students affected by COVID-19 able to graduate for the first time For many young people, COVID stripped away one of their greatest rites of passage: graduation.
Deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County Authorities are at the scene of a deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County on Friday afternoon.
Celebrating Free Comic Book Day in SWFL JP Sports store manager Jonathan Powell said this is a generational event that brings families together to reminisce on comics and other hobby-related knickknacks.
FORT MYERS Group rescues dogs before getting put down in Lee County Our animal shelters are packed with amazing puppies who have the sole desire to be loved.
FORT MYERS FGCU student beats all odds and is able to graduate Nearly four years ago, Marisa Manning had her heart set on going to Florida Gulf Coast University but never thought she’d find her passion for studying parasites.
FORT MYERS Victim in MLK Blvd. shooting identified as social media influencer The victim of the Martin Luther King Boulevard shooting has been identified as a local social media influencer.
FORT MYERS Could a Ferris wheel in downtown Fort Myers work? Right now, there are talks to bring a Ferris wheel to downtown Fort Myers, but several things are still up in the air.
LITTLE HICKORY BAY Improving ‘Hell’s Gate’ safety, a notoriously dangerous waterway for boaters A push to make an area known as “Hell’s Gate” safer since it’s a dangerous stretch of water with several blind corners within Little Hickory Bay.
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.
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.
FORT MYERS Students affected by COVID-19 able to graduate for the first time For many young people, COVID stripped away one of their greatest rites of passage: graduation.
Deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County Authorities are at the scene of a deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County on Friday afternoon.
Celebrating Free Comic Book Day in SWFL JP Sports store manager Jonathan Powell said this is a generational event that brings families together to reminisce on comics and other hobby-related knickknacks.
FORT MYERS Group rescues dogs before getting put down in Lee County Our animal shelters are packed with amazing puppies who have the sole desire to be loved.
FORT MYERS FGCU student beats all odds and is able to graduate Nearly four years ago, Marisa Manning had her heart set on going to Florida Gulf Coast University but never thought she’d find her passion for studying parasites.
FORT MYERS Victim in MLK Blvd. shooting identified as social media influencer The victim of the Martin Luther King Boulevard shooting has been identified as a local social media influencer.
FORT MYERS Could a Ferris wheel in downtown Fort Myers work? Right now, there are talks to bring a Ferris wheel to downtown Fort Myers, but several things are still up in the air.
LITTLE HICKORY BAY Improving ‘Hell’s Gate’ safety, a notoriously dangerous waterway for boaters A push to make an area known as “Hell’s Gate” safer since it’s a dangerous stretch of water with several blind corners within Little Hickory Bay.
Dr. Teresa Sievers. Photo via WINK News. FORT MYERS, Fla. – Pictures of blood splatter and a hammer on a floor with hair attached were among more than 1,500 photos released Thursday in connection to the Dr. Teresa Sievers murder case. The batch was the third set of documents, which number well into the thousands, released by the State Attorney’s Office. The photos include shots of: Teresa Sievers walking through an airport terminal A pool of blood on the kitchen floor inside her Bonita Springs home Blood splatter on the dishwasher and fridge Shredded life insurance policy addressed to Sievers A white Hyundai with Missouri plates A phone log from a cell phone Sievers’ wallet and its contents Sievers’ suitcase and its contents Multiple guns inside the home Jewelry and other personal effects with blood on them Medication External and internal shots of the home Home alarm keypads Facebook memes depicting violence The released documents also included messages from the Facebook account of Jimmy Ray Rodgers, one of two men charged in the killing. Sievers, 46, was found bludgeoned to death with a hammer inside the kitchen of her Jarvis Road home on June 29. Rodgers, 25, was arrested in connection with the killing. He is serving six months in federal prison for a probation violation in an unrelated gun case. Curtis Wayne Wright, 47, is charged with second-degree murder in the case. Below are the key details from the first two batch of documents, which contained search warrant applications, sworn statements, evidence logs and other court documents: Investigators theorized that Sievers’ husband, Mark, had direct involvement in the planning and execution of what they say was a murder-for-hire. Mark Sievers’ Fenton, Mo., condominium was searched, but no evidence was found. He has not been charged. Investigators believe the killing may be related to the couple’s financial problems. The IRS filed a federal tax lien against Mark and Teresa Sievers after they failed to pay more than $32,000 in income taxes in 2013. The couple had five life insurance policies on each other totaling $4.4 million. The couple was involved “in numerous affairs with men and women both together and outside of their marriage” and both considered divorce. The couple’s alarm inside their Bonita Springs was deactivated, and Mark Sievers told his mother-in-law, who was caring for the family’s pets, not to reactivate it. Teresa Sievers was killed hours later. GPS and surveillance video showed Rodgers and Wright were in Southwest Florida, even though both men initially denied being in the state. Rodgers also purchased souvenirs for his girlfriend and later tried to destroy evidence. Wright and Mark Sievers, friends since elementary school, used “burner” phones to communicate. Rodgers’ girlfriend, Taylor Shomaker, told detectives in a sworn statement that Rodgers admitted to the killing and that he and Wright did it for the insurance money. Memes from Rodgers’ Facebook account, some posted just days before Teresa Sievers’ death, includes messages about killing and violence. Hairs from the Sievers’ three pets, two dogs and a cat, that were found near Teresa Sievers’ body. Hairs “consistent with that of an animal” were found inside the passenger compartment and trunk of the vehicle Wright rented to drive to Florida, according to court documents. Multiple cell phones, textile gloves and a metal claw hammer from Wright’s trailer in Hillsboro, Mo. A manilla folder with Mark Sievers’ name was also found. Two Missouri licenses with the name “Kurtis G. Emshousen” were found in Wright’s storage unit in Festus, Mo.