Chaotic lake getting fence and securityWhat we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along
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.
Fixing failed back surgeries More than a million and a half people in the U.S. undergo back surgery each year. However, classic back surgery has one of the highest failure rates of any surgery.
WINK NEWS Getting an inside look at the FEMA discount controversy Picking up the pieces after Hurricane Ian has been difficult for many and moving on can impact our wallets.
FGCU FGCU pitcher Dylan Wolff playing for hometown team after labrum injury FGCU pitcher Dylan Wolff is living the dream playing for the hometown team after he overcame a labrum injury.
LEHIGH ACRES Frustrated Lehigh parents want action after violent school fights go viral online Violence at a Lehigh Acres Middle school was captured and posted online.
Turtle Club beachfront restaurant relaunches in Naples After a series of private friends and family events this week, The Turtle Club will reopen May 5 and begin taking reservations again May 6.
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.
Fixing failed back surgeries More than a million and a half people in the U.S. undergo back surgery each year. However, classic back surgery has one of the highest failure rates of any surgery.
WINK NEWS Getting an inside look at the FEMA discount controversy Picking up the pieces after Hurricane Ian has been difficult for many and moving on can impact our wallets.
FGCU FGCU pitcher Dylan Wolff playing for hometown team after labrum injury FGCU pitcher Dylan Wolff is living the dream playing for the hometown team after he overcame a labrum injury.
LEHIGH ACRES Frustrated Lehigh parents want action after violent school fights go viral online Violence at a Lehigh Acres Middle school was captured and posted online.
Turtle Club beachfront restaurant relaunches in Naples After a series of private friends and family events this week, The Turtle Club will reopen May 5 and begin taking reservations again May 6.
(Photo: Thinkstock Photos/WTSP) A bill introduced in the Florida legislature would make it mandatory for public school students to get vaccinated for human papillomavirus. Senate Bill 1558 would require the HPV shot for all school children. Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington D.C. have similar mandates for the HPV vaccine, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. State Sen. José Javier Rodríguez, D-Miami, filed the bill on Jan. 4. A similar measure introduced in 2011 failed. The vaccine, now given as a series of two shots, is recommended for boys and girls ages 11 and 12, according to the Centers for Disease Control, to prevent against the infection that can cause a range of cancers, including cervical, anal, throat and neck, and vaginal. “The preference is to start the vaccine series before someone would be exposed to the HPV virus,” said Jylmarie Lewis with the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County. Most people who become infected with HPV do not know they have it and can show no symptoms, according to the CDC, which states that the body’s immune system is usually capable of ridding the HPV infection naturally within two years. Rates of vaccination for HPV have steadily increased in the past decade nationwide but Florida remains among states with some of the lowest rates, according to the CDC, while our state has one of the highest rates of cervical cancer. “We’re close to eliminating a cancer and the first cancer we’re going to see eliminated is cervical cancer and the way we do that is to get as many people vaccinated as possible,” said Dr. Ann Giuilano, director of the Center for Infection Research at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. Giuliano, a researcher who led some of the HPV vaccine clinical trials that lead to its FDA approval, says her son was one of the first males to be vaccinated when the HPV vaccine became available to men. If passed, the bill would be called the “Women’s Cancer Prevention Act” and take effect on July 1. The bill would also include procedures for exempting children from immunization requirements. The opt-out is exactly the same as what is current for any other vaccines, which is that you can claim religious or medical reasons and get a waiver from the Health Department, according to a spokesperson for Rodriguez’s office. A 2016 study published in journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found just one in five parents supported making the HPV vaccine a requirement for students, but attitudes shifted if the requirement included an opt-out option. Shannon Green, a mother of two in Tampa, says her experience with her own childrens’ adverse reactions to vaccines is cause for pause on a proposal which would mandate another vaccine for public school children. “My children have genetic variations, MTHFR gene variations, that I’m actually able to get medical exemptions for,” she said, adding it’s an exemption which was difficult to secure. Green says she is not opposed to vaccines but believes it should always be a choice for parents. “If we cannot make that decision, that’s a major problem,” she said. “We should be able to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ if there’s a risk.” The CDC maintains the HPV vaccine is safe with side effects that can include pain, redness, or swelling in the arm where the shot was given, fever, nausea or muscle or joint pain. Immunizations are already required for poliomyelitis, diphtheria, rubeola, rubella, pertussis, mumps, tetanus, and other communicable diseases as determined by rules of the Department of Health.