Sen. Rick Scott visits Fort Myers Beach in the wake of HeleneDistribution center provides aid for those affected by Helene
FORT MYERS BEACH Sen. Rick Scott visits Fort Myers Beach in the wake of Helene Sen. Rick Scott traveled to Fort Myers Beach to survey the damage following Helene.
Distribution center provides aid for those affected by Helene Charlotte County received a bit of relief Sunday after being hit by Helene.
Death toll rises from Helene while supplies are rushed to North Carolina and Florida digs out The U.S. Southeast grappled Sunday with rising death tolls, a lack of vital supplies in isolated, flood-stricken areas and the widespread loss of homes and property while the devastating toll of Hurricane Helene became more clear and officials warned of a lengthy and difficult rebuild.
FEMA assistance available for some affected by Hurricane Helene Florida homeowners and renters in counties with uninsured damage or losses caused by Hurricane Helene may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance.
SANIBEL Sanibel Fire & Rescue District traveling to assist with Helene relief The Sanibel Fire & Rescue District sent a crew to Perry, FL, early Sunday morning to assist with disaster relief following Hurricane Helene.
FORT MYERS Man accused of filming woman in Target dressing room A man is being accused of videotaping a woman while she was trying on clothes at a Fort Myers Target on Friday.
BONITA SPRINGS Man arrested in Bonita Springs for stabbing A man has been arrested in Bonita Springs after allegedly stabbing someone.
southwest florida WINK Neighborhood Watch: Animal abuse, grand theft auto and spousal murder This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features animal abuse, grand theft auto and a man murdering his wife.
President Biden approves Florida disaster declaration President Biden approved a Florida disaster declaration after Hurricane Helene left a wake of destruction.
NAPLES Crash in Collier County leaves car in canal and driver dead A traffic crash occurred in Naples on 12th Avenue Northeast near Wilson Boulevard.
SANIBEL Sanibel couple remaining hopeful following damage from Helene A Sanibel couple is remaining hopeful after flooding impacted their home during Helene Thursday night.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents recovering from Helene two years after Ian Due to Helene, The City of Sanibel has postponed a two-year Ian celebration and turned the event into a cleanup.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach seeking to avoid unnecessary traffic after Helene The town of Fort Myers Beach is asking some people not to visit the island.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Historic home and lives upended in Charlotte Harbor flooding While Hurricane Helene was not expected to cause a life-threatening storm surge in the county, the residents were walloped by rising flood water.
Dekle Beach Gov. DeSantis reviews the damage done by Hurricane Helene Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Dekle Beach.
FORT MYERS BEACH Sen. Rick Scott visits Fort Myers Beach in the wake of Helene Sen. Rick Scott traveled to Fort Myers Beach to survey the damage following Helene.
Distribution center provides aid for those affected by Helene Charlotte County received a bit of relief Sunday after being hit by Helene.
Death toll rises from Helene while supplies are rushed to North Carolina and Florida digs out The U.S. Southeast grappled Sunday with rising death tolls, a lack of vital supplies in isolated, flood-stricken areas and the widespread loss of homes and property while the devastating toll of Hurricane Helene became more clear and officials warned of a lengthy and difficult rebuild.
FEMA assistance available for some affected by Hurricane Helene Florida homeowners and renters in counties with uninsured damage or losses caused by Hurricane Helene may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance.
SANIBEL Sanibel Fire & Rescue District traveling to assist with Helene relief The Sanibel Fire & Rescue District sent a crew to Perry, FL, early Sunday morning to assist with disaster relief following Hurricane Helene.
FORT MYERS Man accused of filming woman in Target dressing room A man is being accused of videotaping a woman while she was trying on clothes at a Fort Myers Target on Friday.
BONITA SPRINGS Man arrested in Bonita Springs for stabbing A man has been arrested in Bonita Springs after allegedly stabbing someone.
southwest florida WINK Neighborhood Watch: Animal abuse, grand theft auto and spousal murder This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features animal abuse, grand theft auto and a man murdering his wife.
President Biden approves Florida disaster declaration President Biden approved a Florida disaster declaration after Hurricane Helene left a wake of destruction.
NAPLES Crash in Collier County leaves car in canal and driver dead A traffic crash occurred in Naples on 12th Avenue Northeast near Wilson Boulevard.
SANIBEL Sanibel couple remaining hopeful following damage from Helene A Sanibel couple is remaining hopeful after flooding impacted their home during Helene Thursday night.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents recovering from Helene two years after Ian Due to Helene, The City of Sanibel has postponed a two-year Ian celebration and turned the event into a cleanup.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach seeking to avoid unnecessary traffic after Helene The town of Fort Myers Beach is asking some people not to visit the island.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Historic home and lives upended in Charlotte Harbor flooding While Hurricane Helene was not expected to cause a life-threatening storm surge in the county, the residents were walloped by rising flood water.
Dekle Beach Gov. DeSantis reviews the damage done by Hurricane Helene Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Dekle Beach.
An encouraging window display for a Fort Myers business. Credit: WINK News Since the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, Wall Street has started to stabilize, and new optimism has emerged for the places where we shop. Now local business owners wonder what the next step will be to get back to normal. Cole Peacock, owner of Seed & Bean Market in Fort Myers, says the key to keeping the doors of his coffee shop open has been safety, and if vaccinations become part of that, he is not opposed. “I think it’s just going to have to come down to, sometimes, employee choice, and really what’s best for the business, and in the restaurant industry what’s best for the patrons that are coming in and out,” Peacock said. Unlike other businesses in downtown Fort Myers, Seed & Bean Market is still only operating at 50% capacity due to safety concerns. “In a perfect world, I think the majority of people should be vaccinated; that’s the issue at hand, that’s what we’re trying to accomplish,” Peacock said. “That’s why you’re seeing the federal government move so quickly to do this. We don’t always live in a perfect world… so yeah, it’s like the flu shot, hopefully: People are going to take it, and some won’t, the majority will.” Tom Smythe, finance and economics professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, says that if a business owner like Peacock were to market the fact that his employees were vaccinated, there’s no telling what the impact would be, especially since they are weeks away from getting their hands on the vaccine. “If we did not have a vaccine where we are, given the wave that we’re going through from a health perspective… economically, it would be worse than what we experienced in April or May, I have no doubt in my mind,” Smythe said. Smythe added that since the first vaccine was announced and approved, we’ve seen good stability in the markets, and he expects that to continue with news of the Moderna vaccine’s likely approval in a matter of days.