Punta Gorda residents frustrated by hurricane debris delaysMiracle Moment: A rosy outlook following surprise diagnosis
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents frustrated by hurricane debris delays Many people in parts of southwest Florida feel like they’ve dealt with more than their fair share of storm damage lately.
Miracle Moment: A rosy outlook following surprise diagnosis It’s time for Miracle Moment. Today, we meet a toddler diagnosed with a disease without known prevention or cure.
Poll workers ready for Election Day rush in Collier County Poll workers gear up for a busy Tuesday in Collier County; some have been there for a while, and this year marks their first time working at a polling place for others.
CAPE CORAL Voters decide: Will Cape Coral City Council members stay or go? Stipends, Jaycee Park and new developments have been topics of concern in the City of Cape Coral for months now.
MATLACHA Lee County residents still dealing with damage from hurricanes Hurricane recovery has been an ongoing project here in Southwest Florida since Hurricane Ian.
FGCU Former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III makes PGA Tour After playing two seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour, former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III is moving up to the PGA Tour.
Parents cast their votes for Lee County school superintendent With just hours now until the election, WINK News wants to highlight a few local races that haven’t gotten as much attention. One of them is the election of Lee County’s next superintendent of schools.
NORTH FORT MYERS Former Dollar General employee accused of stealing $7,000 in returns A woman has been arrested after defrauding a Dollar General in North Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH The Tropics and Red Tide; what happens if or when they interact? The Tropics are active despite the fact that there’s less than a month left in hurricane season. But how will a system interact with red tide?
CAPE CORAL Police investigate gunfire at Cape Coral rental home The bullet holes left behind by shots heard in a normally quiet Cape Coral neighborhood scared one woman into buying security cameras for her home.
CAPE CORAL Bimini Basin residents face housing challenges Time is running out for the families who live in one Cape Coral community to find places to call home.
Harris and Trump make a furious final push before Election Day A presidential campaign that has careened through a felony trial, an incumbent president being pushed off the ticket and multiple assassination attempts comes down to a final sprint across a handful of states on Election Day eve.
Using AI to detect pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. That’s due in part to the limited testing available for early detection.
the weather authority Tropical Storm Rafael forms in the Caribbean The Weather Authority meteorologists are monitoring the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Rafael has formed.
CAPE CORAL JROTC cadets prepare for Cape Coral Veterans Day Parade Cape Coral High School JROTC students will march to honor our veterans.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents frustrated by hurricane debris delays Many people in parts of southwest Florida feel like they’ve dealt with more than their fair share of storm damage lately.
Miracle Moment: A rosy outlook following surprise diagnosis It’s time for Miracle Moment. Today, we meet a toddler diagnosed with a disease without known prevention or cure.
Poll workers ready for Election Day rush in Collier County Poll workers gear up for a busy Tuesday in Collier County; some have been there for a while, and this year marks their first time working at a polling place for others.
CAPE CORAL Voters decide: Will Cape Coral City Council members stay or go? Stipends, Jaycee Park and new developments have been topics of concern in the City of Cape Coral for months now.
MATLACHA Lee County residents still dealing with damage from hurricanes Hurricane recovery has been an ongoing project here in Southwest Florida since Hurricane Ian.
FGCU Former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III makes PGA Tour After playing two seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour, former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III is moving up to the PGA Tour.
Parents cast their votes for Lee County school superintendent With just hours now until the election, WINK News wants to highlight a few local races that haven’t gotten as much attention. One of them is the election of Lee County’s next superintendent of schools.
NORTH FORT MYERS Former Dollar General employee accused of stealing $7,000 in returns A woman has been arrested after defrauding a Dollar General in North Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH The Tropics and Red Tide; what happens if or when they interact? The Tropics are active despite the fact that there’s less than a month left in hurricane season. But how will a system interact with red tide?
CAPE CORAL Police investigate gunfire at Cape Coral rental home The bullet holes left behind by shots heard in a normally quiet Cape Coral neighborhood scared one woman into buying security cameras for her home.
CAPE CORAL Bimini Basin residents face housing challenges Time is running out for the families who live in one Cape Coral community to find places to call home.
Harris and Trump make a furious final push before Election Day A presidential campaign that has careened through a felony trial, an incumbent president being pushed off the ticket and multiple assassination attempts comes down to a final sprint across a handful of states on Election Day eve.
Using AI to detect pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. That’s due in part to the limited testing available for early detection.
the weather authority Tropical Storm Rafael forms in the Caribbean The Weather Authority meteorologists are monitoring the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Rafael has formed.
CAPE CORAL JROTC cadets prepare for Cape Coral Veterans Day Parade Cape Coral High School JROTC students will march to honor our veterans.
Credit: WINK News. Seniors living in Citrus, Hernando and Marion counties will be able to get vaccinated for COVID-19 while shopping at Publix, under an agreement Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration reached with the Florida-based supermarket chain. The state is directing 15,000 vaccine doses to 22 Publix stores across the three Central Florida counties as the administration works to increase the number of locations where people age 65 and older can go to receive inoculations. DeSantis’ announcement Tuesday about the Publix agreement comes amid a wave of criticism about the governor’s handling of the vaccine rollout. The supermarket chain will begin taking online appointments for the vaccinations on Thursday, according to a press release issued by DeSantis’ office. The first vaccinations will be administered on Friday. “As you’re shopping for groceries, knock out your vaccine,” DeSantis said Tuesday at a Publix in Marion County, where the governor announced the agreement. Three Publix locations in Citrus County will offer the vaccinations, as will 11 stores in Hernando County and eight stores in Marion County. Nationwide, 4,836,469 people had received the first dose of the Pfizer Inc. or the Moderna vaccine as of Tuesday morning, according to a federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracking system. A Florida Department of Health report shows that 289,773 people in Florida had been vaccinated with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine as of Tuesday. The number includes 1,997 people who have received two doses of the vaccine, as recommended by the federal government. The governor has attributed the slow start of vaccinations to the winter holidays but predicted that there will be an uptick in activity in January. Holidays aside, the vaccination rollout has been hampered by days of long lines, jammed phone systems and overwhelmed websites as Florida seniors who, along with health care workers, were designated as eligible for vaccinations scrambled to get doses from county health departments and hospitals. The problems have drawn unflattering national media attention and DeSantis sparred on Monday with a CNN reporter who asked questions about the issue. DeSantis made the Publix announcement as the number of COVID-19 cases in the state continues to mount. Florida health officials have recorded 1,392,123 infections in the state since the coronavirus first arrived in the state last year. More than 22,000 Florida residents have died of COVID-19, according to the Florida Department of Health. The agreement with the Publix supermarket chain, which operates pharmacies, underscores the DeSantis administration’s continued reliance on the private sector to help get shots into the arms of individuals who qualify for the vaccinations. Initially, hospitals were told to inoculate their frontline health care workers, as well as frontline workers at nearby facilities. On Dec. 23, DeSantis issued an executive order making the vaccine available to all health care workers as well as to people over the age of 65, which DeSantis on Tuesday acknowledged led to long lines as demand for vaccinations outpaced supply. Florida is home to roughly 4.4 million people age 65 and older. “There was a natural crush that happened,” DeSantis said. “And I think as we continue, as more people get booked for appointments, there’s still going to be high demand, but I think it’ll get a little easier to navigate. The bottom line is being able to bring these vaccines to people, getting it so they have the ability to sign up (for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment) is very, very important. So we are just going to keep doing it. We’re going to keep expanding the opportunities for this.” Publix is the first pharmacy the state has brought into its vaccination distribution efforts, though the federal government has inked agreements with CVS and Walgreens to provide vaccinations for residents and staff at long-term care facilities. Cocoa pharmacist Dawn Butterfield, who is the owner of West Cocoa Pharmacy & Compounding, is disappointed that the governor didn’t look to independent pharmacies to help provide vaccinations. Butterfield said that she has received a stream of phone calls from customers who don’t want to go to the hospital to get a COVID-19 vaccination. The alternative — the Brevard County Health Department — has run out of supply and is not taking any additional appointments or maintaining a waiting list for those who want the vaccine. “Left out again,” Butterfield said in an email to The News Service of Florida, adding that it’s “ALWAYS the big corporations” that are chosen to work with the state. WINK News asked Publix if rolling out vaccines at certain locations will hinder grocery shopping or parking. Publix responded and said it will require appointments in an online reservation system. There will be 120 shots a day while supplies last. A spokesperson told WINK News Publix is working with Florida Department of Health to expand vaccinations at more grocery stores in the state, but there is no set date yet.