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 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.
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 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.
Walgreens store. (CBS News photo) While Alabama, Mississippi and Texas will soon join more than a dozen other U.S. states without statewide mask requirements, many major retailers and employers aren’t ready to nix mandatory face-covering amid a pandemic that killed more than 1,900 Americans on Thursday alone. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is the latest to signal masks will soon be optional in her state. Kay on Thursday extended the state’s mask requirement until April 9, at which point she’ll let it lapse and leave the decision up to individuals. The Republican state leader’s announcement came two days after the governors of Texas and Mississippi said they would be dispensing with mask mandates and allowing businesses to operate at full capacity. In decisions slammed as “Neanderthal thinking” by President Joe Biden, Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared, “We are ensuring that all businesses and families in Texas have the freedom to determine their own destiny.” Meantime Mississippi’s Governor Tate Reeves said he was “getting out of the business of telling people what they can and cannot do” in lifting mask mandates in the state. Executive orders that interfered with peoples’ lives were the worst, but the only possible, intervention for much of the last year. Now, we are putting our focus towards rapid vaccine distribution. We are getting out of the business of telling people what they can and cannot do. — Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) March 2, 2021 Despite their states policies, residents of Alabama, Texas and Mississippi will still need to wear face masks if they want to step inside many — but not all — supermarkets and other large retail chains. Those retailers, which include Kroger, Target and Walgreens, cited guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in continuing to require masks and take other measures to protect workers and consumers from the virus. Albertsons Companies, one of the nation’s biggest supermarket and pharmacy chains, initially said it would drop its requirements that customers wear face masks in its stores and that only its 325,000 workers would still need to cover their faces. But the company revised its plans on Friday. “Our front-line associates have not had full access to the vaccine. Subsequently, our stores and facilities in Texas will continue to require masks for associates, vendors and customers regardless of the mask mandate being lifted,” a spokesperson for the company said in an emailed statement, referencing the governor’s order in Texas, which takes effect on Wednesday, March 10. Albertsons operates stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs. The company also runs more than 1,700 pharmacies in its grocery stores, and is among the 21 national chains and independent networks participating in a federal program to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines across the U.S. Other participants in the federal effort are not ready to let customers enter their stores and pharmacies without masks. The Magnolia Pharmacy in Magnolia, Texas, will continue to require masks “for the comfort of my staff and patients,” explained owner Steven Hoffart, who noted the nature of the business means sick people frequently walk in. “It’s not just about COVID, it’s for the stomach bug, flu, any illness, the cough, a cold — if I can keep it from spreading to my staff, that’s the biggest reason we ask patients to wear masks,” Hoffart said. A member of AmerisourceBergen’s Good Neighbor Pharmacy Network, Hoffart’s pharmacy is currently immunizing between 100 to 150 people a day with COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government and the state, a wearying but joyful operation that he describes as akin to running a second business. Walgreens to continue gentle reminders “There is no change at this time to the company mask mandate policy or any current safety protocols that are in place in our stores or any work locations to protect our customers and team members. We are following current CDC and OSHA guidelines regarding safety protocols,” a spokesperson for Walgreens said in an email. The drugstore chain’s policy all along has been to “gently remind customers who are shopping without masks about the requirement, but out of concern for our employees’ safety, we do not stop these customers from shopping,” a spokesperson added, referring to the hostile reactions store employees sometimes face when attempting to enforce mask rules with customers. Another major pharmacy, CVS Health, will also keep its face-covering policy in place at stores nationwide, with a CVS Health spokesperson citing the “strong scientific evidence that masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19.” “If a customer is not wearing a mask or face covering, we will refer them to our signage and ask that they help protect themselves and those around them by listening to the experts and heeding the call to wear a face covering,” the spokesperson added. “For safety reasons, our employees are directed to avoid escalated confrontations with noncompliant customers and to instead help them complete their purchases as quickly as possible.” Kroger, the nation’s largest supermarket chain, “will continue to require everyone in our stores across the country to wear masks until all our frontline grocery associates can receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” a spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch in an email. The company last month said it would give each of its 500,000 workers in 35 states $100 to get immunized against COVID-19. Target is also sticking with its requirement that customers and workers wear masks, including those who have been vaccinated for the coronavirus, “in line with current CDC guidance,” a spokesperson for the retailer said in an email. The retailer makes an exception for those with underlying medical conditions and young children. Patrons who prefer not to wear masks can shop through Target’s no-contact options, such as shopping online, the retailer added. Aldi said it would stick with its nationwide policy requiring its workers and customers to wear masks in its more than 2,000 grocery stores in 36 states. “We are aware of the mask mandate lifts in both Texas and Mississippi where we have store locations. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic we have been following CDC guidelines, and we do not plan to make any adjustments to our safety measures at this time,” a spokesperson for Aldi said in an email. A spokesperson for Home Depot said the retailer “requires associates and customers to wear masks while in our stores or any Home Depot facility nationwide. We’ll continue to follow CDC guidelines, as we’ve done all along.” Costco, Trader Joe’s, Walmart and Whole Foods did not respond to requests for comment. The National Retail Federation issued a statement reiterating that retail stores are private entities that can refuse entry or service to those that refuse to adhere to their policies. Further, “It is within their right to implement and enforce policies that protect the health and the safety of their employees and their customers,” a spokesperson for the trade group said in a statement. San Antonio, Texas-based H-E-B did not respond to a request for comment. But the grocery chain, which employs more than 135,000 people at more than 400 stores in Texas and Mexico, seemed to take a softer stance in talking to a local media outlet. “Although there is no longer a statewide mask order, H-E-B believes it is important that masks be worn in public spaces until more Texans and our partners have access to the COVID-19 vaccine,” an H-E-B spokesperson told a Fox News affiliate. “H-E-B will still require all our partners and vendors to wear masks while at work, and we urge all customers to please wear a mask when in our stores.”