School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 11, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Second leading cause of chest pain The leading cause of cardiac chest pain is coronary artery disease, which affects over 18 million adults in the United States.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 11, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Second leading cause of chest pain The leading cause of cardiac chest pain is coronary artery disease, which affects over 18 million adults in the United States.
Heritage Park Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Fort Myers. Credit: WINK News. A nursing home in Southwest Florida that experienced a number of coronavirus cases and deaths will be forced to close soon, affecting dozens of families. Both an employee and a patient at Heritage Park Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Fort Myers brought their concerns about COVID-19 in the facility to our attention in Spring 2020. They feared for their health and the people being treated there. According to a termination letter from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, it claims Heritage Park’s Medicare funding is being cut “Due to their failure to meet basic health and safety requirements.” It means people living there are forced to get out in a hurry. We visited Heritage Park Tuesday and observed both staff and residents walking around and initially confirmed through an employee the facility will close sometime in August. Damien Dixon has lived at Heritage Park for almost two years and was shocked when staff gave him a notice to vacate a few weeks ago. “They handed me a notice from the state that the facility was closing down,” Dixon told WINK News. “The last few weeks have been insane.” Along with the facility’s termination letter, we received a copy of the notice to vacate sent to tenants. It says residents must transfer or discharge because the facility is closing. It could lead to dozens of people being displaced or losing their jobs. MORE: Health Park resident notice to vacate sent by Deputy Secretary of Medicaid “Thirty residents and probably 25 employees, 30 employees,” Dixon said. The termination letter doesn’t reveal specifics behind why Heritage Park’s funding is being cut, other than it being out of compliance for health and safety. “They won’t tell us the exact violations,” Dixon said. We’ve reported on numerous issues the facility dealt with over the past year, including safety complaints from staff members and spikes of COVID-19 cases amid the pandemic. The letter also says Medicare services will be terminated Aug. 14 at the earliest, or 30 days later for anyone already living in the facility. According to the letter, “Involuntary termination of a provider agreement is generally a last resort after all other attempts to remedy the deficiencies at a facility have been exhausted.” We reached out to Consulate Healthcare, the group that owns Heritage Park. An employee in the consulate office told us they will never have any comment on the closure, but one staff member did confirm they will close in August. We’ve reached out to the Agency for Healthcare Administration for more paperwork about what led to this shutdown and will update when we have received those documents. After his experience, Dixon is ready to get out of Heritage Park and not look back. He plans to move to Washington D.C. to live with family. “I’ve never seen anything as nightmarish as this place,” Dixon said. “The quality of care is ridiculous.”