The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest FloridaLee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
FORT MYERS Students affected by COVID-19 able to graduate for the first time For many young people, COVID stripped away one of their greatest rites of passage: graduation.
Deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County Authorities are at the scene of a deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County on Friday afternoon.
Celebrating Free Comic Book Day in SWFL JP Sports store manager Jonathan Powell said this is a generational event that brings families together to reminisce on comics and other hobby-related knickknacks.
FORT MYERS Group rescues dogs before getting put down in Lee County Our animal shelters are packed with amazing puppies who have the sole desire to be loved.
FORT MYERS FGCU student beats all odds and is able to graduate Nearly four years ago, Marisa Manning had her heart set on going to Florida Gulf Coast University but never thought she’d find her passion for studying parasites.
FORT MYERS Victim in MLK Blvd. shooting identified as social media influencer The victim of the Martin Luther King Boulevard shooting has been identified as a local social media influencer.
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
FORT MYERS Students affected by COVID-19 able to graduate for the first time For many young people, COVID stripped away one of their greatest rites of passage: graduation.
Deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County Authorities are at the scene of a deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County on Friday afternoon.
Celebrating Free Comic Book Day in SWFL JP Sports store manager Jonathan Powell said this is a generational event that brings families together to reminisce on comics and other hobby-related knickknacks.
FORT MYERS Group rescues dogs before getting put down in Lee County Our animal shelters are packed with amazing puppies who have the sole desire to be loved.
FORT MYERS FGCU student beats all odds and is able to graduate Nearly four years ago, Marisa Manning had her heart set on going to Florida Gulf Coast University but never thought she’d find her passion for studying parasites.
FORT MYERS Victim in MLK Blvd. shooting identified as social media influencer The victim of the Martin Luther King Boulevard shooting has been identified as a local social media influencer.
Moving boxes. Credit: MGN Approximately 950 people are moving to Florida each day, according to the 2020 ISG World Miami Report. Stacy and Jim McCool are some of those people. They left behind the cold, Connecticut winters for Stacy’s health. “If I shiver, and it really affects the MS and the Lupus because my bones are being affected so badly,” McCool said. McCool and her husband hired General Moving and Storage (High Priority LLC), a Florida-based company, in late August 2020 to do the move – or so they thought. “We thought that it was a moving company and then later found out that it was a broker,” McCool said. A different New Jersey-based company with three different names, Pack Rite Movers, Easy Moving LLC, and Let’s Move America, showed up to take their approximately 80 boxes. Weeks later and behind schedule, McCool said only half their boxes arrived. “The gentleman laughed. They didn’t seem to care.” The McCools estimate they are out thousands of dollars’ worth of items, including Jim’s clothing, patio furniture, kitchen appliances, power tools, shelving, and Stacy’s son’s brand new, $600 mountain bike. “My son’s bike I want to replace because he rides his bike to the bus stop. I’ve learned here in Florida, bus stops are actually a mile-and-a-half. But do I have the funds to be able to replace my son’s bike at this time? No. Why? Because I need to make sure that I have silverware.” The McCool’s said when they called Pack Rite about what appears to be their replacement policy, the company offered them just $150. Researching Movers Movers who cross state lines need to be authorized by the federal government, and they are assigned a Department of Transportation number. To research a company, run the number on two different DOT websites. This site [safer.fmcsa.dot.gov] will provide a company snapshot, indicating if they are authorized and what they are authorized to do. For example, General Moving and Storage is listed as a broker, not a carrier. The second site [ProtectYourMove.gov] will help you research the mover, listing the number of complaints and what they are related to. WINK News discovered Pack Rite has more than 75 complaints on file since 2019. Then, after the McCools’ move, the company lost its interstate moving license. The DOT listed involuntary revocation as the reason. Bryan Oglesby with the Better Business Bureau suggests making a checklist when you move. “Ask the mover specifically for their licensing information, the legal name of their company, how long they’ve been in business, the owner’s name and information, and where they’re physically located,” Oglesby said. Oglesby adds that when you try to hire a mover, the business should show up in person or virtually to eyeball what needs to go on a truck. “If you have a mover just giving you a general quote over the phone, based on feedback that you gave them, how many boxes are sitting around your house and how many pieces of furniture that is not going to be the most accurate quote that you’re looking for,” Oglesby said. The BBB website says it is illegal to charge more than 110% of the estimate before delivering goods, even if there are more boxes or goods than anticipated. If there is an extra charge for additional goods, they can only charge an additional amount after delivery and unloading. Movers can charge extra sums for unanticipated events such as climbing extra stairs, but these cannot exceed 15% of the total cost. If the estimate is “binding,” they cannot charge more than quoted in the estimate. Legally, the estimate must include all packing materials such as blankets, tape, etc., unless the customer does not want them included in the estimate. MORE: BBB Moving Advice If the move is within the same state, regulating agencies can be found here. What’s next? As for the McCool’s, they have filed complaints and are slowly replacing what they can. “It’s going to probably take me years to replace everything that they’ve taken from me,” McCool said. WINK News reached out to General Moving and Storage, the Florida-based broker who set up the move, and they hung up on us. WINK News also reached out to the mover, Pack Rite, and they did not respond to our request for comment on this story. And the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the DOT, would not say if they are investigating Pack Rite.