‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old babyMan accused of indecent exposure at school bus stop in Punta Gorda
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
Punta Gorda Man accused of indecent exposure at school bus stop in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of indecent exposure at a school bus stop in Punta Gorda.
estero Firefighters to perform 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park San Carlos Park Fire Protection & Rescue Service District performs a 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park today.
Tim Aten Knows: 2 new eateries coming to East Naples After operating La Rosa Pizzeria for more than 15 years, owners Bill and Alda Rosa decided to sell their local business and restaurant space.
the weather authority Warmer with sun and clouds for your Friday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer day ahead, with a mixture of sun and clouds expected this Friday afternoon.
FDOT to open all lanes of Caloosahatchee Bridge year ahead of construction schedule The Florida Department of Transportation announced it will open all lanes of the Caloosahatchee Bridge a year ahead of its pedestrian sidewalk project.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
MARCO ISLAND City of Marco Island discusses lead awareness during city council meeting The city of Marco Island sent out 4900 letters to residents warning them that their pipes could contain plastic or lead.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
WINK Investigates: Disgraced contractor faces new lawsuits and allegations Paul Beattie, a disgraced home builder is back doing business but legal challenges continue as another one of his businesses gets sued. Former employees of Beattie speak out, only to WINK.
SWFL reacts to UNC hiring Bill Belichick Southwest Florida reacts to North Carolina hiring Bill Belichick as its new head football coach and how that could impact the decisions of local recruits.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
Punta Gorda Man accused of indecent exposure at school bus stop in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of indecent exposure at a school bus stop in Punta Gorda.
estero Firefighters to perform 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park San Carlos Park Fire Protection & Rescue Service District performs a 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park today.
Tim Aten Knows: 2 new eateries coming to East Naples After operating La Rosa Pizzeria for more than 15 years, owners Bill and Alda Rosa decided to sell their local business and restaurant space.
the weather authority Warmer with sun and clouds for your Friday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer day ahead, with a mixture of sun and clouds expected this Friday afternoon.
FDOT to open all lanes of Caloosahatchee Bridge year ahead of construction schedule The Florida Department of Transportation announced it will open all lanes of the Caloosahatchee Bridge a year ahead of its pedestrian sidewalk project.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
MARCO ISLAND City of Marco Island discusses lead awareness during city council meeting The city of Marco Island sent out 4900 letters to residents warning them that their pipes could contain plastic or lead.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
WINK Investigates: Disgraced contractor faces new lawsuits and allegations Paul Beattie, a disgraced home builder is back doing business but legal challenges continue as another one of his businesses gets sued. Former employees of Beattie speak out, only to WINK.
SWFL reacts to UNC hiring Bill Belichick Southwest Florida reacts to North Carolina hiring Bill Belichick as its new head football coach and how that could impact the decisions of local recruits.
The pandemic left millions of people out of work around the country, and for some of us losing a job meant losing health care too. That’s why, with the insurance marketplace from the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) opening on Nov. 1, experts expect a surge in enrollment. One Lehigh Acres woman is preparing to find a plan for the first time. Sharon Kudingo, 64, has always had health insurance when she needed it—until now. “I worry every day,” Kudingo said. “I do.” After major surgery in 2019, she took an early retirement. All it took was one trip to the emergency room in September, and her finances got scary. “Here I am trying to stay healthy, but it didn’t turn out too well,” Kudingo said. What she thought was a bug bite turned into a swollen hand, chest pains and at least $4,000 in bills. “I’m just scared that I’m not gonna be able to afford health insurance until I’m 65,” Kudingo said. “And I’m afraid I might have another heart issue, or I might not be able to afford my medications.” But experts like Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms, say there are options. “People might actually be surprised what they will qualify for,” she said. “I study health insurance and help people access affordable comprehensive insurance coverage.” Corlette says about 80% of people shopping in the marketplace in Florida will qualify for some kind of subsidy. Her three pieces of advice to those shopping for the first time: Make sure you’re on HealthCare.gov. “Unfortunately, there are these sort of fake websites that have been created to look a lot like the Obamacare marketplaces,” Corlette said. Look for premium tax credits. “You can actually be eligible for subsidies up to about a little over $100,000 in income per year for a family of four. So the subsidies do get more generous as you go down in income,” she said. If you can’t find a price that works for you, click “find local help“ “Even though the budget has been cut for in-person or one-on-one assistance, Florida actually has some terrific navigators,” she said. “These are folks who are really expert in eligibility and enrollment.” The one caveat for especially low-income folks is an issue called the “Medicaid gap.” “Florida has not expanded Medicaid, which now most states have done under Obamacare,” Corlette said. “And so there is this real sort of inequity in that if you were very low income, you don’t qualify for anything at all. Where slightly higher-income people could get these Obamacare tax credits.” But she says not to let that stop you from trying. Kudingo says she would love to work a part-time job to make things more affordable, but she’s at high risk of serious impacts from coronavirus. “I’m on six different medications,” Kudingo said. “If the coronavirus was not around, I would be working. I’m a workaholic.” Come Nov. 1, she hopes to find a plan for 2021 that will end her health care nightmare. “What else am I supposed to do?” she said, adding she’ll have to pray every day to stay healthy or shop insurance another way. “I have bills to pay.” Corlette says the many people who lost their jobs and health care during the pandemic could even qualify for plans beginning in 2020. Unemployed people should also consider COBRA coverage as another option.