ESTERO Black Friday traffic frustrates Estero shoppers Black Friday at Miromar Outlets turned into a nightmare as shoppers faced endless traffic jams.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Ways to give back this holiday season For those looking to get on the nice list, here are a few ways to spread holiday cheer in your community by helping those in need.
CAPE CORAL Kitchen propane tank explodes in Cape Coral home Authorities responded to a Cape Coral home after a gas tank exploded inside a kitchen Friday afternoon.
lehigh acres Lehigh Acres man accused of shooting into vehicle, injuring driver The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man who they said fired shots into a vehicle and injured a man in Lehigh Acres on Thanksgiving night.
FORT MYERS Multi-vehicle crash involving Publix truck on I-75 in Lee County A crash involving multiple vehicles, including a Publix semi-truck, has occurred in Lee County.
FEMA extends flood insurance renewal deadlines in Charlotte County FEMA policyholders in Charlotte County have until Dec. 10 to renew certain flood insurance policies.
Sanibel city contractors to begin final storm debris pick-up The City of Sanibel has announced its final storm debris pick-up date for residents.
Stay safe shopping this holiday season: Advice from local law enforcement As the holiday shopping season heats up, Southwest Florida’s sheriffs are reminding the community to stay vigilant, whether shopping in-store or online.
Sanibel National Shell Museum & Aquarium in Sanibel showcases new exhibit A plethora of international shells is currently on display for tourists and shell enthusiasts to enjoy.
WINK NEWS How to support small businesses on Small Business Saturday in Southwest Florida After hitting the big Black Friday sales at major retailers, the Better Business Bureau encourages consumers to check out small, local and independent businesses participating in Small Business Saturday (SBS).
Money saving apps that should be on your phone this holiday season Black Friday has begun, and an estimated 74% of people are expected to turn out for holiday deals; however, inflation may dampen plans this season.
Making Melodies: How a SWFL teen is putting her musical talents to charitable use The moment Thanksgiving is over, the Christmas music begins, as WINK News speaks with a talented teenager about how she’s putting her musical talents to good use.
the weather authority Cold front brings a few showers this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front accompanied by showers throughout this Friday afternoon and evening.
Black Friday store hours for 2024 Stores will offer some of the best deals of the year on Black Friday. Here are some of the store hours for Black Friday.
FORT MYERS Southwest Florida shoppers shopping last minute for Thanksgiving Last-minute Thanksgiving shoppers, we’ve all been there. Someone forgot the egg nog, the cranberry sauce or wine to deal with the in-laws.
ESTERO Black Friday traffic frustrates Estero shoppers Black Friday at Miromar Outlets turned into a nightmare as shoppers faced endless traffic jams.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Ways to give back this holiday season For those looking to get on the nice list, here are a few ways to spread holiday cheer in your community by helping those in need.
CAPE CORAL Kitchen propane tank explodes in Cape Coral home Authorities responded to a Cape Coral home after a gas tank exploded inside a kitchen Friday afternoon.
lehigh acres Lehigh Acres man accused of shooting into vehicle, injuring driver The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man who they said fired shots into a vehicle and injured a man in Lehigh Acres on Thanksgiving night.
FORT MYERS Multi-vehicle crash involving Publix truck on I-75 in Lee County A crash involving multiple vehicles, including a Publix semi-truck, has occurred in Lee County.
FEMA extends flood insurance renewal deadlines in Charlotte County FEMA policyholders in Charlotte County have until Dec. 10 to renew certain flood insurance policies.
Sanibel city contractors to begin final storm debris pick-up The City of Sanibel has announced its final storm debris pick-up date for residents.
Stay safe shopping this holiday season: Advice from local law enforcement As the holiday shopping season heats up, Southwest Florida’s sheriffs are reminding the community to stay vigilant, whether shopping in-store or online.
Sanibel National Shell Museum & Aquarium in Sanibel showcases new exhibit A plethora of international shells is currently on display for tourists and shell enthusiasts to enjoy.
WINK NEWS How to support small businesses on Small Business Saturday in Southwest Florida After hitting the big Black Friday sales at major retailers, the Better Business Bureau encourages consumers to check out small, local and independent businesses participating in Small Business Saturday (SBS).
Money saving apps that should be on your phone this holiday season Black Friday has begun, and an estimated 74% of people are expected to turn out for holiday deals; however, inflation may dampen plans this season.
Making Melodies: How a SWFL teen is putting her musical talents to charitable use The moment Thanksgiving is over, the Christmas music begins, as WINK News speaks with a talented teenager about how she’s putting her musical talents to good use.
the weather authority Cold front brings a few showers this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front accompanied by showers throughout this Friday afternoon and evening.
Black Friday store hours for 2024 Stores will offer some of the best deals of the year on Black Friday. Here are some of the store hours for Black Friday.
FORT MYERS Southwest Florida shoppers shopping last minute for Thanksgiving Last-minute Thanksgiving shoppers, we’ve all been there. Someone forgot the egg nog, the cranberry sauce or wine to deal with the in-laws.
Zantac 150. (Credit: CBS News) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Wednesday announced it is requesting manufacturers to withdraw all prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) ranitidine drugs from the market immediately. This is the latest step in an ongoing investigation of a contaminant known as N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in ranitidine medications (commonly known by the brand name Zantac). The agency has determined that the impurity in some ranitidine products increases over time and when stored at higher than room temperatures and may result in consumer exposure to unacceptable levels of this impurity. As a result of this immediate market withdrawal request, ranitidine products will not be available for new or existing prescriptions or OTC use in the U.S. “The FDA is committed to ensuring that the medicines Americans take are safe and effective. We make every effort to investigate potential health risks and provide our recommendations to the public based on the best available science. We didn’t observe unacceptable levels of NDMA in many of the samples that we tested. However, since we don’t know how or for how long the product might have been stored, we decided that it should not be available to consumers and patients unless its quality can be assured,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “The FDA will continue our efforts to ensure impurities in other drugs do not exceed acceptable limits so that patients can continue taking medicines without concern.” NDMA is a probable human carcinogen (a substance that could cause cancer). In the summer of 2019, the FDA became aware of independent laboratory testing that found NDMA in ranitidine. Low levels of NDMA are commonly ingested in the diet, for example NDMA is present in foods and in water. These low levels would not be expected to lead to an increase in the risk of cancer. However, sustained higher levels of exposure may increase the risk of cancer in humans. The FDA conducted thorough laboratory tests and found NDMA in ranitidine at low levels. At the time, the agency did not have enough scientific evidence to recommend whether individuals should continue or stop taking ranitidine medicines, and continued its investigation and warned the public in September 2019 of the potential risks and to consider alternative OTC and prescription treatments. New FDA testing and evaluation prompted by information from third-party laboratories confirmed that NDMA levels increase in ranitidine even under normal storage conditions, and NDMA has been found to increase significantly in samples stored at higher temperatures, including temperatures the product may be exposed to during distribution and handling by consumers. The testing also showed that the older a ranitidine product is, or the longer the length of time since it was manufactured, the greater the level of NDMA. These conditions may raise the level of NDMA in the ranitidine product above the acceptable daily intake limit. With today’s announcement, the FDA is sending letters to all manufacturers of ranitidine requesting they withdraw their products from the market. The FDA is also advising consumers taking OTC ranitidine to stop taking any tablets or liquid they currently have, dispose of them properly and not buy more; for those who wish to continue treating their condition, they should consider using other approved OTC products. Patients taking prescription ranitidine should speak with their health care professional about other treatment options before stopping the medicine, as there are multiple drugs approved for the same or similar uses as ranitidine that do not carry the same risks from NDMA. To date, the FDA’s testing has not found NDMA in famotidine (Pepcid), cimetidine (Tagamet), esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) or omeprazole (Prilosec). In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA recommends patients and consumers not take their medicines to a drug take-back location but follow the specific disposal instructions in the medication guide or package insert or follow the agency’s recommended steps, which include ways to safely dispose of these medications at home. The FDA continues its ongoing review, surveillance, compliance, and pharmaceutical quality efforts across every product area, and will continue to work with drug manufacturers to ensure safe, effective and high-quality drugs for the American public. The FDA encourages health care professionals and patients to report adverse reactions or quality problems with any human drugs to the agency’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program: Complete and submit the report online at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm; or Download and complete the form, then submit it via fax at 1-800-FDA-0178. The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products. For more information about the announcement visit the U.S. FDA website here.