Sanibel woman says she received divine sign from mother 2 years after Hurricane IanSWFL shares concerns over emergency funding after Helene
SANIBEL Sanibel woman says she received divine sign from mother 2 years after Hurricane Ian Two years after Hurricane Ian, a Sanibel woman said she received a divine sign after moving back into her home.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SWFL shares concerns over emergency funding after Helene On the heels of Helene, there’s some anxiety surrounding FEMA. This comes after comments from the Homeland Security secretary, who said the agency can meet immediate needs but does not have enough money to make it through the rest of hurricane season.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs urging residents to be safe ahead of potential flooding The City of Bonita Springs is urging people who live near the Imperial River and canals to be cautious ahead of a potential tropical system and rainmaker.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers High School assistant football coach under investigation An assistant coach with the Fort Myers High School football team is under investigation.
Awake kidney transplant: a medical breakthrough There are more than 780,000 people living with kidney disease. On average, 25,000 people will get a transplant each year.
The Islander gift shop reopens on Fort Myers Beach, 2 years after Hurricane Ian Hurricane Helene’s storm surge spared Santini Marina Plaza on Fort Myers Beach, where The Islander Gift Gallery & Boutique reopened Oct. 4
Citizens form group to protest Charlotte County development When residents living in Charlotte County’s Peace River Shores and surrounding communities learned that nearly 140 acres in their area were being rezoned to allow for a 1,188-unit development, they joined forces to oppose it.
Gas leak shuts down power grid in Lee County neighborhood A gas leak has forced the shutdown of a neighborhood power grid in Lee County.
Free sandbag locations available ahead of this weekend’s heavy rainfall The Weather Authority has been tracking a potential rainmaker that will impact our area from Sunday through Wednesday.
PORT CHARLOTTE Man accused of fraudulently buying over $4K in paint supplies in Port Charlotte A man has been arrested after allegedly purchasing over $4,000 worth of paint supplies in Port Charlotte using a fraudulent business account.
ENGLEWOOD Suncoast Humane Society receives $50K grant to sustain life-saving operations Suncoast Humane Society announced that it received a $50,000 grant from an anonymous philanthropic supporter.
FORT MYERS Downtown Fort Myers Post Office temporarily closed again The downtown Fort Myers Post Office is closed once again after reopening at the end of May due to Hurricane Ian.
Tim Aten Knows: Naples welcomes colorful new brewpub The Naples taproom for Riptide Brewing Co. changed hands in early September and is now the family owned and operated Kaleidoscope Beer at 987 Third Ave. N.
The Weather Authority Scattered rain and storms Friday afternoon and evening The Weather Authority is tracking more scattered rain and storms that may impact your Friday afternoon and evening plans.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County in need of volunteers for hurricane clean-up The Community Organizations Active in a Disaster in Charlotte County need volunteers to help clear debris following Hurricane Helene.
SANIBEL Sanibel woman says she received divine sign from mother 2 years after Hurricane Ian Two years after Hurricane Ian, a Sanibel woman said she received a divine sign after moving back into her home.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SWFL shares concerns over emergency funding after Helene On the heels of Helene, there’s some anxiety surrounding FEMA. This comes after comments from the Homeland Security secretary, who said the agency can meet immediate needs but does not have enough money to make it through the rest of hurricane season.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs urging residents to be safe ahead of potential flooding The City of Bonita Springs is urging people who live near the Imperial River and canals to be cautious ahead of a potential tropical system and rainmaker.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers High School assistant football coach under investigation An assistant coach with the Fort Myers High School football team is under investigation.
Awake kidney transplant: a medical breakthrough There are more than 780,000 people living with kidney disease. On average, 25,000 people will get a transplant each year.
The Islander gift shop reopens on Fort Myers Beach, 2 years after Hurricane Ian Hurricane Helene’s storm surge spared Santini Marina Plaza on Fort Myers Beach, where The Islander Gift Gallery & Boutique reopened Oct. 4
Citizens form group to protest Charlotte County development When residents living in Charlotte County’s Peace River Shores and surrounding communities learned that nearly 140 acres in their area were being rezoned to allow for a 1,188-unit development, they joined forces to oppose it.
Gas leak shuts down power grid in Lee County neighborhood A gas leak has forced the shutdown of a neighborhood power grid in Lee County.
Free sandbag locations available ahead of this weekend’s heavy rainfall The Weather Authority has been tracking a potential rainmaker that will impact our area from Sunday through Wednesday.
PORT CHARLOTTE Man accused of fraudulently buying over $4K in paint supplies in Port Charlotte A man has been arrested after allegedly purchasing over $4,000 worth of paint supplies in Port Charlotte using a fraudulent business account.
ENGLEWOOD Suncoast Humane Society receives $50K grant to sustain life-saving operations Suncoast Humane Society announced that it received a $50,000 grant from an anonymous philanthropic supporter.
FORT MYERS Downtown Fort Myers Post Office temporarily closed again The downtown Fort Myers Post Office is closed once again after reopening at the end of May due to Hurricane Ian.
Tim Aten Knows: Naples welcomes colorful new brewpub The Naples taproom for Riptide Brewing Co. changed hands in early September and is now the family owned and operated Kaleidoscope Beer at 987 Third Ave. N.
The Weather Authority Scattered rain and storms Friday afternoon and evening The Weather Authority is tracking more scattered rain and storms that may impact your Friday afternoon and evening plans.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County in need of volunteers for hurricane clean-up The Community Organizations Active in a Disaster in Charlotte County need volunteers to help clear debris following Hurricane Helene.
Credit: WINK News. What started as frustration is now anger. Thousands of people in Southwest Florida who’ve lost their job can’t go to the Fort Myers career center because it’s closed. And no one can get through on the phone for state unemployment benefits because the lines are jammed. And electronic filing can’t be completed because the website keeps crashing. So what can you do? We asked the people in charge of state unemployment benefits that very question. Numerous people have told us about their recent inability to connect when they call the re-employment assistance number. Darlene Felker sent us a screenshot from her call with the unemployment center that showed she was on hold for seven hours, only to get cut off. “Let’s see; I’ve called like last week a total of over 1,025 times,” Felker told WINK News. “I’ve been on hold a total of like 56 hours only to be disconnected, and nobody returns the phone calls.” She says the most frustrating job she’s ever had to perform is filing for unemployment. “What do you do?” Felker said. “Where do you go?” We shared those same questions with a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the state agency in charge of unemployment benefits. We also asked what is being done to make sure Floridians filing for unemployment are receiving their benefits. “Every night, we are working to increase our server capacity,” said Tiffany Vause, the director of communications with the Florida department. “We are working to increase the number of people who are able to get onto the website, and you are able to access the system … So I would encourage your viewers to try really early in the morning or really late in the evening.” That might not be the most satisfying answer for Felker or anyone who has reached out to us demanding accountability from the state. But Vause said there is an effort to respond to everyone in need of assistance. “We are working around the clock to get folks trained, so they can answer these calls, so they can help Floridians,” Vause said. Anyone interested in positions available at the DEO call center can apply online on the state website. Felker says she continues to call, and her claim is “pending,” so she still hasn’t seen a dime. “Using one credit card to buy gift cards to get groceries just to survive,” Felker said. A lot of people are feeling that same money pressure, especially at the start of the month when the rent or the mortgage is due. The state did say, once you do get through, your benefits will be retroactive to when you lost your job. Then, when you’ve maxed out on that, you must call to say you can’t make the payment because you have no income. And if you are a small business owner working hard to stay afloat in this difficult time— help is available. Lee County has set up a recovery hotline and webpage that you can find here. There’s even a flow chart to help you quickly see what types of loans are best for your situation. MORE: State of Florida – DEO positions CareerSource Southwest Florida – job listings and helpful info