Heavy police presence reported in Cape Coral neighborhoodWarm afternoon with stray showers possible inland
CAPE CORAL Heavy police presence reported in Cape Coral neighborhood The Cape Coral Police Department is responding to a scene located at Southwest 45th Street and Pelican Boulevard.
The Weather Authority Warm afternoon with stray showers possible inland The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer Wednesday afternoon with a chance for stray showers, primarily inland.
SANIBEL Lee County parents push for clarity on school reopenings post-Milton Parents are demanding answers from the Lee County School District. It’s still not clear when students will return to Sanibel School or Fort Myers Beach Elementary after facing Hurricane Milton.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested after hours long standoff in Cape Coral A man is in custody following an hours-long stand-off with Cape Coral police.
SANIBEL Sanibel school parents seek timeline on school reopening A school board meeting to discuss damage at the barrier islands’ schools took place on Tuesday in Lee County.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island police chief gets no confidence vote from union Marco Island Police Chief Tracy Frazzano has received a vote of no confidence from the police union.
Nonprofit organization tests water quality in Charlotte County One local non-profit is working to keep track of Charlotte County’s water quality.
SANIBEL Building Resilience: How Sanibel businesses recover from hurricanes Operating in Sanibel is difficult enough; however, when mother nature interferes, recovering can become a monumental feat.
FORT MYERS BEACH Getting the help you need from FEMA Jeff Keenan has been out of his condo on Fort Myers Beach since Hurricane Ian.
FORT MYERS Cold Case Solved: Man sentenced for 2004 murder of Lee County man A family is now able to have closure after a cold case was solved 20 years after it happened.
MATLACHA The Blue Dog Bar and Grill reopens on Matlacha The Blue Dog Bar and Grill on Matlacha has reopened after being damaged by two back-to-back Hurricanes.
SWFL homeowners investing in water filtration systems After hurricanes Helene and Milton, many homeowners are turning to the trend of adding water filtration systems to protect their plumbing and improve their water quality.
GROVE CITY Boat stuck in Grove City backyard after Hurricane Milton One Charlotte County community is still picking up from Hurricane Milton. The Grove City community is just south of McCall Road.
FGCU FGCU basketball player helps treat others during Peru mission trip FGCU power forward Michael Duax went to Peru on a mission trip in the offseason to help give medical care to those in the country.
WINK NEWS Collier County Public Schools mourns death of student According to the letter, a number of resources will be offered to students in the affected school.
CAPE CORAL Heavy police presence reported in Cape Coral neighborhood The Cape Coral Police Department is responding to a scene located at Southwest 45th Street and Pelican Boulevard.
The Weather Authority Warm afternoon with stray showers possible inland The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer Wednesday afternoon with a chance for stray showers, primarily inland.
SANIBEL Lee County parents push for clarity on school reopenings post-Milton Parents are demanding answers from the Lee County School District. It’s still not clear when students will return to Sanibel School or Fort Myers Beach Elementary after facing Hurricane Milton.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested after hours long standoff in Cape Coral A man is in custody following an hours-long stand-off with Cape Coral police.
SANIBEL Sanibel school parents seek timeline on school reopening A school board meeting to discuss damage at the barrier islands’ schools took place on Tuesday in Lee County.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island police chief gets no confidence vote from union Marco Island Police Chief Tracy Frazzano has received a vote of no confidence from the police union.
Nonprofit organization tests water quality in Charlotte County One local non-profit is working to keep track of Charlotte County’s water quality.
SANIBEL Building Resilience: How Sanibel businesses recover from hurricanes Operating in Sanibel is difficult enough; however, when mother nature interferes, recovering can become a monumental feat.
FORT MYERS BEACH Getting the help you need from FEMA Jeff Keenan has been out of his condo on Fort Myers Beach since Hurricane Ian.
FORT MYERS Cold Case Solved: Man sentenced for 2004 murder of Lee County man A family is now able to have closure after a cold case was solved 20 years after it happened.
MATLACHA The Blue Dog Bar and Grill reopens on Matlacha The Blue Dog Bar and Grill on Matlacha has reopened after being damaged by two back-to-back Hurricanes.
SWFL homeowners investing in water filtration systems After hurricanes Helene and Milton, many homeowners are turning to the trend of adding water filtration systems to protect their plumbing and improve their water quality.
GROVE CITY Boat stuck in Grove City backyard after Hurricane Milton One Charlotte County community is still picking up from Hurricane Milton. The Grove City community is just south of McCall Road.
FGCU FGCU basketball player helps treat others during Peru mission trip FGCU power forward Michael Duax went to Peru on a mission trip in the offseason to help give medical care to those in the country.
WINK NEWS Collier County Public Schools mourns death of student According to the letter, a number of resources will be offered to students in the affected school.
A worker harvests romaine lettuce in Salinas, Calif. (CBS46/AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) An outbreak of E. coli made 17 people ill and killed one person across the United States between November 15 and December 8, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Though the source of infection is still unknown, the CDC is investigating leafy greens and romaine lettuce. Five people have been hospitalized, according to Ian Williams, chief of the CDC’s Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch. Two of the hospitalized patients developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. The 17 cases reported to the CDC occurred in California (3), Connecticut (2), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Michigan (1), Nebraska (1), New Hampshire (2), New York (1), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (1), Virginia (1), Vermont (1) and Washington (1). The strain of bacteria has been identified as shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7, which can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. Infections with E. coli O157 can be life-threatening, especially for the elderly, the very young and immune-compromised people, such as cancer patients, Williams said. Canada has been struck with an outbreak caused by the same strain of E. coli; people there became sick in early November through early December. The CDC investigation is ongoing, and not all the tests have been completed, Williams said. However, several of the US cases have been caused by a bacterium with the same genetic “fingerprint” as the one in Canada. “Based on the Canada investigation, romaine lettuce seems like the most likely source there,” Williams said. “We’re very hopeful that things are wrapping up, but we don’t have enough data to say that.” North of the border, 41 people between ages 3 and 85 have become sick with E. coli O157, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Five eastern provinces have been affected, with the highest number of cases, 14, recorded in Quebec, followed by Newfoundland and Labrador (13), Ontario (8), New Brunswick (5) and Nova Scotia (1). One patient there died, and an additional 17 have been hospitalized. The majority of these Canadian cases — nearly three-quarters — are in females. Most of the patients reported eating romaine lettuce, according to Canadian health officials. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working to find the exact source of romaine lettuce, but it has come up empty-handed. Williams explained that with cases “spread out all over the place” and people having to report what they ate, in many cases over a month ago, it’s been difficult to identify the source in Canada and the US. “Unfortunately, we have not been able to find common lettuce brands or common stores,” Williams said. “The trace-back information is always challenging too, because contamination can happen any place from the farm to the processing facility to the store. “Canada has not been able to get upstream, either. They can say it’s romaine lettuce, but they cannot say what lettuce and from where,” he said. Anyone concerned that they might have an E. coli infection should talk to their health care provider, he said. A medical professional can diagnose you as well as offer advice, including washing your hands, to avoid spreading it to other people. E. coli are a diverse family of bacteria that can be found in the environment, in foods and in the intestines of people and animals. Most strains are harmless. To avoid becoming infected with a harmful strain, the CDC recommends using proper hygiene; cooking meat at proper temperatures; avoiding raw milk, unpasteurized dairy products and juices; and not swallowing water when swimming. Since lettuce is suspected to be the cause of the current outbreak, would it help to wash your greens before eating? No, Williams said. “This bacteria can actually get inside the lettuce leaf,” he said. “Washing it doesn’t make it safe.”