Bodycam video shows warning signs from teen accused of killing motherCharlotte County Sheriff’s office investigating deputy-involved shooting
Bodycam video shows warning signs from teen accused of killing mother In newly released body camera footage, a mother questions her son’s violence months before her murder.
ENGLEWOOD Charlotte County Sheriff’s office investigating deputy-involved shooting The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a deputy-involved shooting in Englewood on Friday night.
Veteran injured in crash that killed wife WINK News has learned that a veteran’s wife was killed in a crash on Wednesday on State Road 82.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda to repair old city hall building The City of Punta Gorda is scrapping plans to build a new city hall.
SWFL teen injured in New Orleans terror attack released from hospital According to the mom of one of the teens injured in the New Orleans Terror attack on New Year’s Day, she has been released from the hospital.
NAPLES Jay Leno comedy show coming to Southwest Florida One of the most famous comedians in the world is coming to Southwest Florida.
SOUTH NAPLES Collier neighbors anticipating second Costco location Members of a community are waiting for one of the most popular wholesale stores, but there is something standing in the way.
AVE MARIA Caught on camera: Massive gator seen in front of Ave Maria home A massive alligator was seen using a walking path in front of an Ave Maria home, and it was all caught on camera.
NCAA approves plan to pay women’s basketball tournament teams In a historic unanimous vote, the NCAA approves of a plan to pay women’s basketball teams that compete in March Madness.
FORT MYERS City of Fort Myers announces Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival The City of Fort Myers invites the public to the 21st anniversary of the Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival in downtown Fort Myers.
MATLACHA Neighbors protest delay in repairs to Matlacha Pass Bridge People are set to take the streets and protest the delay in repairs to the Matlacha Pass Bridge.
Port Authority postpones talk of RSW’s $346M, four-year delayed terminal expansion Lee County and Port Authority Commissioner Brian Hamman finally had a public forum to get some answers on why a construction project went more than $346 million over budget and will be more than four years behind schedule to complete.
DeSantis responds to question on possible Sheriff Marceno suspension Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed calls for the suspension of Lee County’s sheriff amid an FBI investigation into his office.
Annette’s Beach Book Nook celebrates grand reopening on Fort Myers Beach From 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 18, Annette Stillson finally will be celebrating the grand reopening of the new-look Annette’s Beach Book Nook.
Bodycam video shows warning signs from teen accused of killing mother In newly released body camera footage, a mother questions her son’s violence months before her murder.
ENGLEWOOD Charlotte County Sheriff’s office investigating deputy-involved shooting The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a deputy-involved shooting in Englewood on Friday night.
Veteran injured in crash that killed wife WINK News has learned that a veteran’s wife was killed in a crash on Wednesday on State Road 82.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda to repair old city hall building The City of Punta Gorda is scrapping plans to build a new city hall.
SWFL teen injured in New Orleans terror attack released from hospital According to the mom of one of the teens injured in the New Orleans Terror attack on New Year’s Day, she has been released from the hospital.
NAPLES Jay Leno comedy show coming to Southwest Florida One of the most famous comedians in the world is coming to Southwest Florida.
SOUTH NAPLES Collier neighbors anticipating second Costco location Members of a community are waiting for one of the most popular wholesale stores, but there is something standing in the way.
AVE MARIA Caught on camera: Massive gator seen in front of Ave Maria home A massive alligator was seen using a walking path in front of an Ave Maria home, and it was all caught on camera.
NCAA approves plan to pay women’s basketball tournament teams In a historic unanimous vote, the NCAA approves of a plan to pay women’s basketball teams that compete in March Madness.
FORT MYERS City of Fort Myers announces Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival The City of Fort Myers invites the public to the 21st anniversary of the Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival in downtown Fort Myers.
MATLACHA Neighbors protest delay in repairs to Matlacha Pass Bridge People are set to take the streets and protest the delay in repairs to the Matlacha Pass Bridge.
Port Authority postpones talk of RSW’s $346M, four-year delayed terminal expansion Lee County and Port Authority Commissioner Brian Hamman finally had a public forum to get some answers on why a construction project went more than $346 million over budget and will be more than four years behind schedule to complete.
DeSantis responds to question on possible Sheriff Marceno suspension Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed calls for the suspension of Lee County’s sheriff amid an FBI investigation into his office.
Annette’s Beach Book Nook celebrates grand reopening on Fort Myers Beach From 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 18, Annette Stillson finally will be celebrating the grand reopening of the new-look Annette’s Beach Book Nook.
(Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union via AP) A year after the COVID-19 outbreak temporarily shuttered much of the economy and plunged the nation into debates over masks and lockdowns, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis convened a hand-picked panel of health experts at his state Capitol on Thursday to help validate the actions he took against the pandemic. One by one, the experts provided vindication for DeSantis, whose insistence on lifting lockdowns, reopening schools and undermining mask mandates came under scrutiny as the public health crisis unfolded. The Republican’s handling of the virus will no doubt be a key issue when he faces reelection next year. The experts he convened hailed from some of the world’s most prestigious institutions but their views have been rebuked by many mainstream scientists, including U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, who last year called the anti-lockdown, pro-herd immunity push “nonsense.” Thursday’s panel echoed the governor’s assertions that lockdowns and mask mandates did little to slow the spread of the virus – and might have even done more harm than good by damaging people’s mental health and stoking fear among some to not seek medical help at the risk of exposing themselves to the virus. “I think the lockdowns were the single biggest public health mistake,” said Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a professor at Stanford Medical School, who helped write the Great Barrington Declaration – a petition that contends that lockdowns and other measures have spawned a host of unintended consequences that could adversely affect long-term public health. The declaration’s two other writers, Dr. Martin Kulldorff of Harvard University and Professor Sunetra Gupta of Oxford University, also joined the governor during Thursday’s roundtable. Also taking part was Dr. Scott Atlas, a radiologist who had no formal experience in public health or infectious diseases when then-President Donald Trump tapped him last summer as a key pandemic adviser. Atlas later resigned. “It’s obvious by now that these lockdowns and contact tracing and masks were not able to prevent a resurgence of the disease during the winter,” said Kulldorff, a professor of medicine at Harvard. At one time Florida was among the epicenters of the disease, prompting DeSantis a year ago to shutter businesses and call for social distancing. As the Florida economy hemorrhaged jobs, he pushed to reopen the economy. He then moved to reopen schools. “The data could not be clearer that our state has fared far better than many others, particularly those that imposed harsh lockdowns on their residents,” DeSantis said in a statement after the roundtable. Researchers have amassed troves of data about the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected more than 121 million worldwide and killed nearly 2.7 million. In the United States, the pandemic has been responsible for the deaths of at least 538,000 people, including more than 32,000 in Florida. Some studies indicate that masks and limiting group activities such as indoor dining can help slow the spread of the coronavirus, but less clear is why states with greater government-imposed restrictions have not always fared better than those without them. California and Florida have drawn particular scrutiny because of their similar results despite differing approaches. Despite California’s more cautious tack in reopening, its COVID-19 case rate was similar to that of Florida, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The death rates for both states ranked near the middle. New York, which like California has been relatively stringent in restrictions, has had one of the worst records in deaths per capita after it was the nation’s early coronavirus epicenter. Some researchers cautioned against interpreting data too simplistically. “There are a range of other factors that have to be taken into consideration to understand why death rates are different in very different parts of the country,” said Professor Glenn Morris, the director of the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida. Despite assertions by the governor’s panelists that masks, social distancing and contact tracing have been ineffective, Morris contends that those measures are in fact slowing the spread of COVID-19. “It doesn’t make sense not to use every tool that we have to slow disease transmission, prevent deaths and long-term complications, and limit the opportunities for further coronavirus evolution, which is resulting in the emergence of new strains and strain variants that are transmitted more quickly and can cause more severe disease,” he said in an email to The Associated Press. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a potential Democratic rival in the governor’s race, chided DeSantis for “elevating disinformation.” “We don’t need a roundtable to know that expanding vaccine access is what must be done to save lives and jobs,” Fried tweeted. While DeSantis is gradually lowering the age criteria for access to coronavirus vaccines – it now stands at 60 years old – his critics are urging him to do so more quickly. Watch a replay below or click here.