WINK Investigates: Disgraced contractor faces new lawsuits and allegationsSWFL reacts to UNC hiring Bill Belichick
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.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Some Floridians want more alone time during the holidays The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends, but nearly half of Americans say they really want more alone time during the holiday.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
Aggressive driving concerns on the rise in Southwest Florida The arrest of a man who, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said, killed a motorcyclist after crashing into him on purpose is raising concerns over aggressive driving in Southwest Florida.
SANIBEL Sanibel School students prepare for community Christmas performance The school that has had to claw and fight its way back more than once to reopen is getting the chance to celebrate.
FORT MYERS Rock For Equality: SWFL music scene to hold benefit concert for Palestine A two-venue, eight-band benefit concert is coming to Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples man sentenced in deadly bar shooting A man has been sentenced for a deadly shooting that took place at a Naples bar in March 2021.
New ovarian cancer treatments Ovarian cancer is a problematic disease because of symptoms such as nausea, bloating and diarrhea.
Largest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral The most lucrative land deal in Lee County history just closed at a price of $100 million for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral, where building up to 3,500 homes and commercial property to support it has been in the planning stages for almost two years.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Crash between RV and semi temporarily shuts down NB lanes of U.S. 41 in Charlotte A major collision near Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte County temporarily closed all northbound lanes of U.S. 41, according to the Charlotte County Sherriff’s Office.
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral officials approve replacement funding for hurricane-damaged stop signs The Cape Coral City Council has approved funding to replace stop signs damaged during Hurricane Milton, resulting in an emergency purchase.
Holiday events happening in Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is embracing the holiday spirit with a variety of festive events this Christmas season.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
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.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Some Floridians want more alone time during the holidays The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends, but nearly half of Americans say they really want more alone time during the holiday.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
Aggressive driving concerns on the rise in Southwest Florida The arrest of a man who, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said, killed a motorcyclist after crashing into him on purpose is raising concerns over aggressive driving in Southwest Florida.
SANIBEL Sanibel School students prepare for community Christmas performance The school that has had to claw and fight its way back more than once to reopen is getting the chance to celebrate.
FORT MYERS Rock For Equality: SWFL music scene to hold benefit concert for Palestine A two-venue, eight-band benefit concert is coming to Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples man sentenced in deadly bar shooting A man has been sentenced for a deadly shooting that took place at a Naples bar in March 2021.
New ovarian cancer treatments Ovarian cancer is a problematic disease because of symptoms such as nausea, bloating and diarrhea.
Largest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral The most lucrative land deal in Lee County history just closed at a price of $100 million for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral, where building up to 3,500 homes and commercial property to support it has been in the planning stages for almost two years.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Crash between RV and semi temporarily shuts down NB lanes of U.S. 41 in Charlotte A major collision near Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte County temporarily closed all northbound lanes of U.S. 41, according to the Charlotte County Sherriff’s Office.
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral officials approve replacement funding for hurricane-damaged stop signs The Cape Coral City Council has approved funding to replace stop signs damaged during Hurricane Milton, resulting in an emergency purchase.
Holiday events happening in Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is embracing the holiday spirit with a variety of festive events this Christmas season.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
Credit: COURTESY OF TRAVIS DAVIDSON via CBS NEWS Just days before Super Bowl LV, sports bar owners should be gearing up for what is typically their busiest day of the year. Not this year. With the coronavirus pandemic still disrupting sporting events, owners like Travis Davidson say they’re not expecting a full house for the big game on Sunday. “We will be open, but we don’t expect the crowds we’ve had in the past,” said Davidson, who owns Treys Bar & Grill in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “We know that people are going to stay home this year. Sports bar owners say the public health crisis has scared away virtually all their customers over the past 10 months. The combination of cancelled or postponed games and mandates forcing restaurants to temporarily close has torpedoed their profits, bar owners told CBS MoneyWatch. Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday said Americans should watch the Super Bowl from home, delivering yet another blow to sports bars. Still, owners expressed optimism about 2021 and have chosen to open for the big game, not out of any expectation of making mad money, but to keep alive the tradition of watching sports with friends old and new. At Treys, tables will be six feet apart, with hand sanitizer atop each one. Masks will be required. Even with those health and safety protocols in place, owner Davidson, 31, said he knows he won’t make anywhere close to as much money as he would during a typical Super Bowl. “We hope to make half,” Davidson said. “If we could make half of it, that would be a win.” Small bars getting “crushed” Amid service restrictions and the reluctance of customers to congregate indoors, chain restaurants such as Buffalo Wild Wings have partnered with Uber Eats to start delivering orders and keep its restaurants afloat. But smaller bars have had a harder time pivoting, one restaurant expert said. “Those independent operators, the mom-and-pops, are the ones getting absolutely crushed right now,” said David Henkes, senior principal at food service industry consulting firm Technomic. There were roughly 95,000 sports bars and grills in the U.S. at the end of 2019, but that figure dropped to 66,000 by the end of 2020, according to a Technomic estimate. Local favorites, such as Jake’s Restaurant & Bar in Flemington, New Jersey, McGreevy’s in Boston and Foley’s in New York City — known for its collection of Irish American baseball memorabilia that included 3,500 autographed balls, jerseys and even a stadium seat that hung from the ceiling — have all permanently closed their doors due to the pandemic. Overall, more than 110,000 restaurants closed for good as of December 2020, according to the National Restaurant Association. The restaurant industry saw its workforce fall by 2.5 million and sales drop by $240 billion last year, the association said. “If I break even, I’m happy” Kevin Burkel, who owns Burkel’s One Block Over in Green Bay, Wisconsin, estimated he’s losing about $800,000 this year from the combination of COVID-19 and the hometown Green Bay Packers not making it to the Super Bowl. That won’t stop Burkel from opening on Sunday with his usual staff — and usual half-priced drinks. “Prior to coronavirus, my business was flourishing greater than it ever has in 39 years,” said Burkel, 56. “Now I’m just looking at this as a regular Sunday day of business.” There will be indoor and outdoor seating this Sunday at SacYard Community Tap House, but manager Kyle Baumann said there will be firm health and safety rules at the sports bar in Sacramento, California. “As you come in and as you go we have hand sanitizer stations,” Baumann told KOVR CBS Sacramento. “We have a very strict mask policy. Whenever you’re not seated at your table you have to a mask on at all times.” Bar owners are unlikely see their revenue return to pre-pandemic levels for several years, Henkes predicted. Sales could rise during the second half of 2021, but that depends on how quickly the U.S. can reach herd immunity through COVID-9 vaccines and how soon the economy recovers, he said. Jeffrey Jones, who owns Lucky’s Hole in the Wall in Lansing, Michigan, said he isn’t concerned about surviving in the short term. His bar, affectionately known as the “‘Cheers’ of Lansing,” attracts mostly a retiree crowd, Jones said, along with a smattering of college students. Jones said he will cap Lucky’s capacity at 25 customers on Sunday and place three large tables, with four patrons each, in the dining area that are wide enough to space out for social distancing. Jones, 54, said he plans to open his bar solely because his regulars are antsy to leave their homes and have faith they won’t catch COVID-19 at Lucky’s. “Once the utilities and products I bought are paid up, there’s no money in it for me,” Jones said about this year’s Super Bowl. “It’ll be more social. If I break even, I’m happy.”