Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCUFGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony
FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCU San Carlos Park Fire District responded to a dumpster fire Sunday afternoon.
FORT MYERS FGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony Graduation is a right of passage from school to the real world, but for these students, reality hit them in 2020.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcycle crash leaves 1 dead One person has died after a motorcycle crash in Charlotte County.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Know your risk Hurricane season starts on June 1st, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designated the week of May 5 through May 11 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Each day, Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler will be highlighting ways to stay prepared ahead of this year’s hurricane season.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Stay alert – chance of showers and storms on Sunday Hot, humid, and more rain for parts of Southwest Florida on Sunday.
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.
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.
FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCU San Carlos Park Fire District responded to a dumpster fire Sunday afternoon.
FORT MYERS FGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony Graduation is a right of passage from school to the real world, but for these students, reality hit them in 2020.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcycle crash leaves 1 dead One person has died after a motorcycle crash in Charlotte County.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Know your risk Hurricane season starts on June 1st, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designated the week of May 5 through May 11 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Each day, Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler will be highlighting ways to stay prepared ahead of this year’s hurricane season.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Stay alert – chance of showers and storms on Sunday Hot, humid, and more rain for parts of Southwest Florida on Sunday.
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.
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.
A tragic incident last month is shining a light on a potential issue facing every family. Dr. Laura Berman’s son died of an accidental overdose after using Snapchat to buy fentanyl-laced Xanax. Berman posted a photo and message on Instagram and also shared her son’s story to alert other parents. Her son’s friend alerted her to the drug connection. This also raises the issue of how teens communicate online, perhaps using technology their parents don’t completely understand, and using codes to get around the watchful eye of adults. You pick up your teen’s phone and see these in a text message: C-D-9; G-N-O-C; D-O-C. Should you be worried? Well, those acronyms stand for, in order: Code 9, parents around; get naked on camera; drug of choice. It’s all part of a language kids have developed to keep adults out of the loop. “There’s definitely different things that can mean different things,” said David Urban, a student at Fort Myers High School. Whether it’s acronyms, code words or emoji, kids are usually one or maybe two steps ahead of adults. Fort Myers dad Dennis Egan understands that. “They have literally a completely different language. They have abbreviations and different things for different words for sex, drugs and rock and roll, or whatever these kids do today…I don’t know.” A wireless industry study found teens average more than 3,000 texts a month, with some exceeding 10,000. Mom Suzanne Shorten knows parents are often left in the dark. “These kids are exposed to so much that we have … we as parents have no idea about. I still can’t use this (shows phone) as well as these kids can.” Rich Wistocki, a retired police detective, is an expert in teen communication, and says, “There’s a whole dictionary of secret terms that parents can download and compare them to what they’re seeing on their kids’ devices.” For example, a “pepper” emoji means “hot stuff,” inappropriate content. A pill can mean heroin for sale, and shifty eyes? Send a sexy selfie. Wistocki says as parents, we’re often not aware of what kids are doing or saying. “Parents suffer from a disease. That disease is called the n-m-k syndrome – not my kid. So when parents find themselves saying not my kid, that’s exactly when it’s happening.” A parent’s first inclination is to punish their child for online behavior, which isn’t a tactic Wistocki recommends. He likes the “golden ticket.” “The problem is, is that parents need to not threaten them into compliance,” he said. Instead, let them know they won’t get in trouble and you won’t take their phone away if they come to you with an online problem. There is software available to monitor your kids’ texting activity, but as they get older, they earn and deserve more privacy, which is why communication is key. RESOURCES BeSure Consulting: Training for Law Enforcement, Parents and Children Bark Parental Control App: Parent Guide to Teen Text Speak Codes Internet Safety 101: Acronyms Parents Should Know DOJ: Online and Texting Safety Tips for Kids and Parents FTC Consumer Information: Kids: Texting and Sexting