Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permitHoly Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PORT CHARLOTTE Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Port Charlotte kicked off its 31st annual Greek Fest on Friday.
Donations helping young kids get fed Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the community, and organizations like the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Meals of Hope and the Guadalupe Center are stepping up to help.
New risk factors contribute to heart disease February is American Heart Month, a perfect time to assess your heart health.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte High School student arrested for possession of BB gun According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, a student has been arrested after a BB gun was found in his backpack on Friday.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Regional Library to undergo multiple repairs due to Ian The Fort Myers Regional Library is preparing for essential repairs, nearly two years after Hurricane Ian made its impact.
Drug bust at Collier County home leads to triple arrest Three people are accused of running a drug house that held opioids, fentanyl and other illicit narcotics in Collier County.
Charlotte County’s first Grain & Berry opens Fast-growing organic vegan restaurant franchise Grain & Berry opened in Port Charlotte, making it the 19th in the state out of a total of 23 nationwide.
GOLDEN GATE Body found in Collier County canal prompts death investigation Collier County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a death investigation after a body was discovered in a canal.
FORT MYERS DeSantis’ new Boater Freedom Initiative would end random FWC boat safety inspections Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the new Boater Freedom Initiative will protect Sunshine State residents’ right to boat.
CAPE CORAL Couple celebrates their lifelong love on 62nd Valentine’s Day together Hollis and Linda Nash might be living proof that love doesn’t fade with age.
PUNTA GORDA CROW rescues, rehabilitates 2 orphaned baby River Otters Two orphaned baby North American River Otters were rescued by the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife.
FORT MYERS Southwest Florida Reading Festival brings bestselling authors Romance is in the air this Valentine’s Day as we look forward to the Southwest Florida Reading Festival taking place in March.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Florist offers lower prices on roses for Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day is the busiest day of the year for florists in Southwest Florida, and one florist is offering lower prices on roses.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PORT CHARLOTTE Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Port Charlotte kicked off its 31st annual Greek Fest on Friday.
Donations helping young kids get fed Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the community, and organizations like the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Meals of Hope and the Guadalupe Center are stepping up to help.
New risk factors contribute to heart disease February is American Heart Month, a perfect time to assess your heart health.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte High School student arrested for possession of BB gun According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, a student has been arrested after a BB gun was found in his backpack on Friday.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Regional Library to undergo multiple repairs due to Ian The Fort Myers Regional Library is preparing for essential repairs, nearly two years after Hurricane Ian made its impact.
Drug bust at Collier County home leads to triple arrest Three people are accused of running a drug house that held opioids, fentanyl and other illicit narcotics in Collier County.
Charlotte County’s first Grain & Berry opens Fast-growing organic vegan restaurant franchise Grain & Berry opened in Port Charlotte, making it the 19th in the state out of a total of 23 nationwide.
GOLDEN GATE Body found in Collier County canal prompts death investigation Collier County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a death investigation after a body was discovered in a canal.
FORT MYERS DeSantis’ new Boater Freedom Initiative would end random FWC boat safety inspections Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the new Boater Freedom Initiative will protect Sunshine State residents’ right to boat.
CAPE CORAL Couple celebrates their lifelong love on 62nd Valentine’s Day together Hollis and Linda Nash might be living proof that love doesn’t fade with age.
PUNTA GORDA CROW rescues, rehabilitates 2 orphaned baby River Otters Two orphaned baby North American River Otters were rescued by the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife.
FORT MYERS Southwest Florida Reading Festival brings bestselling authors Romance is in the air this Valentine’s Day as we look forward to the Southwest Florida Reading Festival taking place in March.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Florist offers lower prices on roses for Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day is the busiest day of the year for florists in Southwest Florida, and one florist is offering lower prices on roses.
Florida students will be able to continue learning remotely through the second half of the school year, state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said Wednesday. The reopening of brick-and-mortar classrooms, which were shuttered during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic this spring, became a political flashpoint over the summer after Corcoran ordered school districts to offer in-person instruction as well as online learning or be penalized financially. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Corcoran have maintained that families need to have the option of choosing face-to-face instruction or distance learning for children, arguing that keeping students away from school can have damaging impacts on students’ physical safety and mental health. During a state Board of Education meeting Wednesday, Corcoran said he expects to release another order addressing the pandemic by the end of the month, adding distance learning will remain an option. “From the top down in this state, that will absolutely happen. There is no flexibility for anything but that,” he said. Speaking to the Board of Education, Wakulla County Schools Superintendent Robert Pearce said the need for remote learning remains as the number of COVID-19 cases in the state continues to rise. “We have every intent of continuing our distance learning platforms, that are unique to each district, going forward. We applaud you continuing that,” he said. Pearce says many teachers are currently working under extreme stress, and some in his district have quit the profession in recent months. Numbers released Tuesday by the state Department of Health show nearly 7,500 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the past day, including 85 deaths. In total, there have been nearly 900,000 reported cases in Florida, and 17,644 deaths caused by the coronavirus since March. Alexandra Brown’s daughter started the school year learning remotely with Oak Hammock Middle School in Lee County and is now full-time with Lee Virtual School. “Kids are kids,” Brown told WINK News. “Are they going to keep up with the social distancing? Are they going to wear their masks? And I could always tell my daughter, but you can’t really control everybody else.” Brown says it could take a vaccine, maybe more testing, before she feels comfortable sending her daughter back to school in person. For now, she’s thankful she’s guaranteed a choice. “I definitely like the option of it all because, even if we decide to change from virtual back to school, we also want the option,” Brown said. We also heard from multiple parents who say they don’t need an option. Their kids went back day one and they’ll stay in school. “He went back right away,” Michael Carr, whose son goes to Caloosa Middle School in Cape Coral, told WINK News. “He was like begging me to go back actually.” “It’s not the same as having that connection,” David Bourlier, whose son and daughter are in Lee County schools, told WINK News. “What one on one where they can help you.” Although Bourlier’s mind is made up, he knows other families are in much different situations, so he’s thankful the option will still be offered. “You still need to be able to have both so that that way they can still learn,” Bourlier said. “Because you don’t want kids falling behind. No matter which way it is, you don’t want kids falling behind.” Most parents said their kids learn better in person but know the pandemic won’t last forever. “It won’t be forever,” said Rosimeri Perini, whose son goes to a Lee County school. “Every single person pays a little price. We can curve this.” WINK News reached out to the Collier County Public Schools to see if Wednesday’s announcement will change any of their plans to bring all students back to in-person learning for the second semester. A spokesperson said the district can’t comment but will review the details of a new emergency order if it’s extended.