South Gulf Cove to host benefit for family of slain Charlotte deputyLocal doctors working to speed up biopsy process
ch South Gulf Cove to host benefit for family of slain Charlotte deputy The South Gulf Cove Homeowner Association will host a fundraising event to honor the late Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office deputy Sgt. Elio Diaz.
FORT MYERS Local doctors working to speed up biopsy process Waiting to find out if a suspicious lump is cancerous can be incredibly stressful. Anything that speeds up the process and leads to faster treatment, if needed, is a huge help.
Punta Gorda keeps its own 911 dispatch center Punta Gorda City Council on Feb. 19 voted unanimously to keep its 911 dispatch center under city control in a move that blocks the county from consolidating the city’s dispatch center with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers man sentenced to 2 years in prison for possessing marijuana, firearm A Fort Myers man has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison for possessing marijuana with intent to distribute and a firearm as a person with felony convictions.
ICE activity confirmed in Hendry County WINK News has confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is in Hendry County.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman sentenced to 1 year in prison for forging late mother’s signature to claim benefits A Fort Myers woman has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for acts of wire fraud involving her dead mother dating back to 2005.
TALLAHASSEE Streaming Now: Gov. DeSantis holds news conference at Florida Capitol Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will hold a news conference at the state capitol, 400 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee.
City of Fort Myers to keep fluoride in drinking water City of Fort Myers won’t be joining other local governments in removing fluoride from its drinking water, council members decided.
ALVA Alva neighbors brace for another development battle Alva neighbors have made an urgent call to action to “Defend Alva and North River Road from overdevelopment.”
WINK NEWS President Trump signs Executive Order aimed at expanding access to IVF President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order Tuesday to try to reduce the costs of in vitro fertilization (IVF) for Americans.
Warm and breezy afternoon with scattered rain this evening The Weather Authority is tracking a warm and breezy Wednesday, and scattered rain is expected this evening.
WINK NEWS Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
SANIBEL Sanibel Church rebuilds after Hurricane Ian The Sanibel Community Church has completed its remarkable rebuild after Hurricane Ian devastated their place of worship over two years ago.
NAPLES Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County community Costco is eyeing a plot of land in Collier County for a new store, but residents are voicing strong opposition.
NAPLES Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho’s impact on education and Southwest Florida Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho, a beloved philanthropist and advocate for education, dedicated his life to empowering others through opportunity and knowledge.
ch South Gulf Cove to host benefit for family of slain Charlotte deputy The South Gulf Cove Homeowner Association will host a fundraising event to honor the late Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office deputy Sgt. Elio Diaz.
FORT MYERS Local doctors working to speed up biopsy process Waiting to find out if a suspicious lump is cancerous can be incredibly stressful. Anything that speeds up the process and leads to faster treatment, if needed, is a huge help.
Punta Gorda keeps its own 911 dispatch center Punta Gorda City Council on Feb. 19 voted unanimously to keep its 911 dispatch center under city control in a move that blocks the county from consolidating the city’s dispatch center with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers man sentenced to 2 years in prison for possessing marijuana, firearm A Fort Myers man has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison for possessing marijuana with intent to distribute and a firearm as a person with felony convictions.
ICE activity confirmed in Hendry County WINK News has confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is in Hendry County.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman sentenced to 1 year in prison for forging late mother’s signature to claim benefits A Fort Myers woman has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for acts of wire fraud involving her dead mother dating back to 2005.
TALLAHASSEE Streaming Now: Gov. DeSantis holds news conference at Florida Capitol Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will hold a news conference at the state capitol, 400 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee.
City of Fort Myers to keep fluoride in drinking water City of Fort Myers won’t be joining other local governments in removing fluoride from its drinking water, council members decided.
ALVA Alva neighbors brace for another development battle Alva neighbors have made an urgent call to action to “Defend Alva and North River Road from overdevelopment.”
WINK NEWS President Trump signs Executive Order aimed at expanding access to IVF President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order Tuesday to try to reduce the costs of in vitro fertilization (IVF) for Americans.
Warm and breezy afternoon with scattered rain this evening The Weather Authority is tracking a warm and breezy Wednesday, and scattered rain is expected this evening.
WINK NEWS Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
SANIBEL Sanibel Church rebuilds after Hurricane Ian The Sanibel Community Church has completed its remarkable rebuild after Hurricane Ian devastated their place of worship over two years ago.
NAPLES Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County community Costco is eyeing a plot of land in Collier County for a new store, but residents are voicing strong opposition.
NAPLES Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho’s impact on education and Southwest Florida Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho, a beloved philanthropist and advocate for education, dedicated his life to empowering others through opportunity and knowledge.
(Credit: Brooks Kraft/Corbis News/Getty Images via CNN) The Federal Reserve on Wednesday held interest rates steady despite renewed pressure from President Donald Trump to make deeper cuts. Policymakers unanimously agreed to maintain rates hovering between 1.5% and 1.75% as they pointed to continued signs of a strong economy. Citing solid job gains and household spending that continues to rise moderately, Fed officials deemed plans to hold rates as “appropriate” following a two-day meeting in Washington. They added that they would continue to monitor sluggish inflation, which has remained stubbornly below the Fed’s target of 2%, as well as geopolitical risks — like the coronavirus outbreak — that could impact the US economy. The decision to hold had been widely expected by investors after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell described the US economy in a “good place” late last year, and telegraphed plans to move into an extended pause to see how the US economy evolved. Central bankers did, however, make a technical correction to a second rate, known as interest on excess reserves, to boost it within the target range of its key benchmark rate. The Fed also reaffirmed plans to continue to purchase Treasury bills “at least into” the second quarter of 2020 to maintain ample reserves. Since October, the Fed has pumped $60 billion into the world’s financial markets each month. The Fed said it would continue those purchases to maintain reserve balances “at or above” the levels that prevailed in early September 2019. Investors have been looking for clues from the Fed on whether the pace of those purchases would slow down. Policy makers also approved other measures to help reduce the risk of money market pressures and to ensure ample liquidity to accommodate weekend or holiday trading when necessary. The Fed’s wait-and-see stance runs counter to the wishes of the President, who has continued to pressure central bankers for easier money heading into the 2020 campaign. On Tuesday, he urged the Fed to cut rates order to help the United States compete with other countries, who have lower interest rates, but also to help pay off and refinance the nation’s debt. “The Fed should get smart & lower the Rate to make our interest competitive with other Countries which pay much lower even though we are, by far, the high standard,” Trump said in a tweet. “We would then focus on paying off & refinancing the debt! There is almost no inflation-this is the time (2 years later!)” The tweet came hours before the Congressional Budget Office forecast a decade of trillion-dollar deficits and soaring US debt. Last year, the Fed cut rates three times to help bolster the economic expansion, one of the longest in history, amid the Trump administration’s turbulent trade negotiations with China. Policymakers at this month’s meeting were buoyed by the fact that a number of headwinds facing the economy had appeared to wane, including the signing of a preliminary trade deal with China, a budget to fund the federal government and the outcome of the elections in the United Kingdom. Fed officials have also signaled that any unexpected twists could force them to lower rates in the future. Fears of a slowdown in global growth have been renewed due to the coronavirus outbreak in China as well ongoing tensions between the US and Iran following the killing of top Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in early January. “Even without the outbreak taking hold in the US, the domestic economy could be impacted somewhat by the effect of disruptions to supply chains and reduced travel, mainly in Asia, that are already underway,” Kevin Burgett, a founding member of the economics research team at Monetary Policy Analytics, wrote in a note to clients. Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton, also told clients that in 2003 the SARS virus caused a fairly sharp slowdown in growth in China, shaving 2% off GDP and had spillover effects in 37 countries. “Now, China is much more connected to the rest of the world and has fewer ways to offset economic weakness,” wrote Swonk. On Wednesday, Boeing also reported its first annual loss in two decades and said costs tied to their 737 MAX have climbed above $19 billion. The aircraft has been grounded since last March following a pair of plane crashes within five months of each other killing 346 people.