Clewiston man shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against relativeCape Coral Bridge design vote aims to improve traffic flow
CLEWISTON Clewiston man shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against relative There is new information about a murder in Clewiston earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Bridge design vote aims to improve traffic flow Residents and drivers in Cape Coral have long shared a common frustration: traffic congestion, particularly on Cape Coral Parkway.
Symptoms and treatment for pleurisy, the inflammation of lungs’ lining This winter season in Southwest Florida has been rampant with illness, from flu to viral infections.
Lee Commissioners continue commitment to improving county’s transportation network The Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to improving the county’s transportation network.
NAPLES Young bobcat injured by car; rehabilitated, released into Naples A previously injured young bobcat has been released back into the wild through the collaborative efforts of several Florida environmental agencies.
Florida house speaker appoints Charlotte County sheriff to state immigration enforcement council Florida House Speaker has appointed Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell to the state immigration enforcement council.
Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in Southwest Florida A drug trafficker has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Southwest Florida.
Craft supplier Joann to shutter 3 SWFL stores, 500 nationwide The big box craft chain based in Hudson, Ohio, is closing its North Naples store at 6424 Naples Blvd., the Estero store at Coconut Point and the Fort Myers store in South Plaza on Cleveland Avenue.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Police Department Chaplain Rev. Bill Klossner passes away The Punta Gorda Police Department announced the passing of their Chaplain, Reverend Bill Klossner.
Man dies after struck by car while attempting to pick up trash bag on SR-80 The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash involving a pickup truck and a car that hospitalized one man on State Road 80 in Hendry County.
the weather authority Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking increased cloud coverage along with milder conditions this Tuesday afternoon.
WINK NEWS Shell Factory & Nature Park’s final auction begins The Shell Factory & Nature Park has launched its final auction, allowing fans of the now-closed Southwest Florida landmark to take home several valued items.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers to discuss fluoride in water during next city council meeting The debate over fluoride in drinking water has been reignited following an announcement by the Florida surgeon general urging cities to halt fluoride treatment.
ESTERO Gator stuck on Estero porch gives homeowner a wild surprise Sunday night Imagine glancing out your back door and seeing a gator sliding around on your deck. That’s exactly what happened to an Estero homeowner who found an unexpected visitor on their property.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers crash leaves motorcyclist with life-threatening injuries A motorcyclist is in critical condition following a collision with a sedan at the intersection of North East Pine Island Road and Judd Creek Boulevard in North Fort Myers.
CLEWISTON Clewiston man shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against relative There is new information about a murder in Clewiston earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Bridge design vote aims to improve traffic flow Residents and drivers in Cape Coral have long shared a common frustration: traffic congestion, particularly on Cape Coral Parkway.
Symptoms and treatment for pleurisy, the inflammation of lungs’ lining This winter season in Southwest Florida has been rampant with illness, from flu to viral infections.
Lee Commissioners continue commitment to improving county’s transportation network The Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to improving the county’s transportation network.
NAPLES Young bobcat injured by car; rehabilitated, released into Naples A previously injured young bobcat has been released back into the wild through the collaborative efforts of several Florida environmental agencies.
Florida house speaker appoints Charlotte County sheriff to state immigration enforcement council Florida House Speaker has appointed Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell to the state immigration enforcement council.
Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in Southwest Florida A drug trafficker has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Southwest Florida.
Craft supplier Joann to shutter 3 SWFL stores, 500 nationwide The big box craft chain based in Hudson, Ohio, is closing its North Naples store at 6424 Naples Blvd., the Estero store at Coconut Point and the Fort Myers store in South Plaza on Cleveland Avenue.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Police Department Chaplain Rev. Bill Klossner passes away The Punta Gorda Police Department announced the passing of their Chaplain, Reverend Bill Klossner.
Man dies after struck by car while attempting to pick up trash bag on SR-80 The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash involving a pickup truck and a car that hospitalized one man on State Road 80 in Hendry County.
the weather authority Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking increased cloud coverage along with milder conditions this Tuesday afternoon.
WINK NEWS Shell Factory & Nature Park’s final auction begins The Shell Factory & Nature Park has launched its final auction, allowing fans of the now-closed Southwest Florida landmark to take home several valued items.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers to discuss fluoride in water during next city council meeting The debate over fluoride in drinking water has been reignited following an announcement by the Florida surgeon general urging cities to halt fluoride treatment.
ESTERO Gator stuck on Estero porch gives homeowner a wild surprise Sunday night Imagine glancing out your back door and seeing a gator sliding around on your deck. That’s exactly what happened to an Estero homeowner who found an unexpected visitor on their property.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers crash leaves motorcyclist with life-threatening injuries A motorcyclist is in critical condition following a collision with a sedan at the intersection of North East Pine Island Road and Judd Creek Boulevard in North Fort Myers.
Credit: WINK News A judge in Tallahassee held an emergency hearing Tuesday on unemployment compensation to address an injunction filed on behalf of more than 200,000 unemployed Floridians. The marathon hearing went from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. WINK News investigative reporter Sara Girard live-tweeted what happened. Read her summary: RIGHT NOW: A judge in Tallahassee is holding an emergency hearing on unemployment compensation. Plaintiffs are trying to get Judge Cooper to order @FLDEO to pay people immediately. I'm watching, and I'll let you know what comes out of it. @winknews #floridaunemployment pic.twitter.com/W9UZGyBrSN — Sara Girard (@SaraGirardNews) May 26, 2020 The plaintiffs are demanding the Department of Economic Opportunity give people their benefits immediately. Ultimately it will come down to whether the judge believes he has the authority to order the state to pay people immediately. The plaintiffs presented evidence for multiple scenarios that hundreds of thousands of Floridians are facing, like system glitches and wrongful ineligibility that’s preventing people from receiving all or some of their benefits. Attorneys argue the state is not “promptly” paying people and that’s breaking the law. Among the 13 witnesses were a former call center employee and a man who said he has had to trade diapers for food. The state called one witness, a representative from the DEO. Chief Financial Officer Damon Steffens said that people are getting paid and that the state has been addressing problems mentioned in prior years’ audits. He said the state is “constantly” improving the unemployment system to get people paid as quickly as possible. RELATED: Audit reveals DEO knew about unemployment website flaws In reference to the old audits, attorney Marie Mattox asked Steffens, “You did not know that delays in fixing the system could have a dramatic effect on hundreds of thousands of Floridians, who are unemployed and couldn’t get money? You didn’t know that?” Steffens responded, “I didn’t know COVID was going to happen to cause this massive increase. Fixes were being scheduled.” Judge John Cooper decided he won’t be able to give a ruling Tuesday night. He still needs to review case documents, hear the plaintiffs’ cross-examining and both sides’ closing arguments. He will take up the issue again at 1 p.m. Thursday and then give his ruling. For ongoing updates and information on unemployment, follow WINK News Investigative Reporter Sara Girard on Twitter and Facebook. She also updates the WINK News FAQ: Unemployment Resources page as information is received.