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.
Target shopping cart. (Credit: CNN) The winners and losers of America’s great retail shakeout are becoming clear. Target and Walmart are definitely winners. Just about every traditional department store is losing. Sales at Target stores open at least a year increased 3.4% during the summer quarter and profit rose, Target said Wednesday. Target (TGT) beat Wall Street’s predictions for the recent quarter and raised its profit forecast for the rest of the year. The results come on the heels of Target’s best year in more than a decade. Investors drove up Target stock around 18% in early trading Wednesday. Shares hit a record high. Target said clothing sales increased more 5% last quarter and that it is gaining market share in the category. Those are clear signs that Target’s growth is coming at the expense of apparel retailers. Target has introduced new clothing brands for men, women and kids in recent years and displayed them more prominently in stores. “There are clear winners and unfortunately losers in retail today,” Target CEO Brian Cornell said on a call with reporters Wednesday. “We’re obviously taking share from other retailers that have been closing stores or haven’t had the ability to invest in the needs of today’s consumer.” Wall Street has punished retailers that signal weakness in their businesses. Macy’s (M) last week said that sales at stores open at least a year inched up but profit fell 48% during its most recent quarter. Macy’s lowered its expectations for the remainder of the year, dragging down its stock. JCPenney (JCP), which is trading at below $1 a share, reported last week that sales dropped 9% during its most recent quarter, continuing its steady decline. Even Kohl’s (KSS), a favorite of retail investors because of a partnership with Amazon and a creative approach, reported a slump last quarter. Sales declined 2.9% at stores open for at least a year. The Gap (GPS) and L Brands (LB), the parent of Victoria’s Secret, have also been hit hard. Both companies report earnings this week. Target, Walmart and discount clothing chains such as TJMaxx are gaining market share against these retailers. Walmart and TJX (TJX), the parent of TJMaxx and Marshalls, has reported a string of sales growth in recent years. Target and Walmart operate stores away from malls, an advantage because foot traffic is slowing at malls around the country. Macy’s and Penney, however, have heavy exposure to malls. Neither chain has put up as much capital investment to remodel stores as Walmart or Target. Walmart is close to seven times as big as Target in terms of sales, but the two chains are both able to use their size and scale in the market to drive down prices on a variety of merchandise. Department stores like Macy’s, Kohl’s and JCPenney are much smaller and sell mainly clothes, where a proliferation of options have cropped up online and from specialty brands. Retail bankruptcies such as Sears and Toys “R” Us and a strong consumer economy have also benefited the big-box chains. “It’s still a very solid and healthy consumer environment,” Cornell said. “We’re well positioned to take advantage of that.”