Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma AwarenessCDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps
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.
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.
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.
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.
Photo via Ralph Arvesen / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Saying taxpayers have a right to know how much Pitbull has been paid to promote Florida tourism with the help of his song “Sexy Beaches,” a top state lawmaker filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the famed rapper’s production company. Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Christian Perez, signed a contract last year with Florida’s tourism marketing arm to promote the Sunshine State, splashing it up with a new video for his 2014 song. Attorneys for his production company have insisted that most details of the contract – including its worth and what he was required to do under it- are trade secrets exempted from Florida’s public records law. The lawsuit filed by Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran against PDR Productions in a Tallahassee court asks a judge to make the contract public. It also requests that lawmakers who reveal any details to be shielded from any liability. The Republican lawmaker from the Land O’Lakes area made the move after lawyers for Pitbull told legislative employees last week that they could view the contract but that none of the terms could be “disclosed to the media or elsewhere.” Taxpayers in Fort Myers said Wednesday that details like that need to come out. “I think you’ve got to have clarify whenever you’re going to get taxpayers’ money,” taxpayer Lawrence Taylor said. “They have right to know where their money is actually going to and how it’s benefiting them.” Terry Clunk is a fan of Pitbull’s work, but he’s also a fan of the lawsuit. “It makes me very happy to know that our lawmakers are taking an extra step to do something to make sure our taxpayer dollars are protected,” Clunk said. In a testy statement, Corcoran said lawmakers have a right to review how state tax dollars are spent. Visit Florida receives more than $70 million a year to promote the state to tourists. Its funding has risen significantly under Gov. Rick Scott’s tenure. Scott referenced the lawsuit in a tweet Tuesday, calling for transparency in the distribution of taxpayer funds. This is ridiculous and must be fixed. Taxpayers have a right to know how their money is spent. https://t.co/3qHXbfrIrP (1/3) — Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) December 13, 2016 “This suit is not about Pitbull or his compensation,” Corcoran said. “This is about the audacity of government entities who are under the false impression that they are above the law or believe somehow that taxpayer money is a never ending river of riches they get to play with.” An attorney representing the Miami music star declined to comment on Corcoran’s lawsuit. As part of the contract, Pitbull promoted a new video for his 2014 song “Sexy Beaches” that includes scenes from nearly two dozen beaches stretching from the Florida Panhandle to Key West. The video features images of women frolicking in surf and sand along with pictures of such iconic Florida hotels as Miami Beach’s Fontainebleau. It ends with an image of #LOVEFL written in the sand. Several media outlets had sought details of the Pitbull contract in the past year. Visit Florida has responded by releasing an 11-page contract, nearly all of it blacked out. An attorney for Visit Florida wrote The Orlando Sentinel in 2015 and said that tourism marketing organization had agreed to keep the contract confidential because “other parties could gain an advantage over Visit Florida” if they found out compensation stipulated by the contract. The contract expired this past summer and was not renewed by Visit Florida. Last week, Corcoran questioned the need to spend money on tourism marketing, saying that tourists have been flocking to Florida even before the state began spending millions on advertising. His lawsuit states that the House is now “investigating Visit Florida’s use of public funds.” Scott tweeted in support of tourism spending. Those who think FL shouldn't run anymore TV ads/ promote tourism in any way to FL don't have an understanding of how our economy works (2/3) — Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) December 13, 2016 …and how important tourism is to economic growth and job creation. (3/3) — Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) December 13, 2016 Florida, with miles of beaches and theme parks such as Disney World and Universal, relies on tourism as its leading industry. Last year about 106 million people visited Florida, with the vast majority of tourists arriving from other states. The state also draws many visitors from countries beyond. WINK News reporter Britni McDonald contributed to this story.