NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO searching for missing endangered adult Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a missing person.
The Weather Authority: Scattered storms for your Saturday The Weather Authority is tracking afternoon scattered storms for Saturday this Labor Day weekend.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 2 The Golden Eagles took down the Cougars 64-7 to win the Crosstown Showdown for the 26th year in a row.
NAPLES Naples mayor speaks out after DUI arrest Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann has sent a statement to WINK News after being charged with a DUI.
FORT MYERS Woman stabbed at Fort Myers gas station Authorities responded to an active scene at a 7-eleven in Fort Myers after a woman was stabbed early Friday evening.
FORT MYERS FMPD investigating a van that followed a student from bus stop Police said a suspicious van followed a middle school student home from the bus stop on Thursday and yelled, “Get in the van.”
CAPE CORAL Report: Teen was on crosswalk when she was hit The driver of the box truck told officers he didn’t see Kendra as she rode in front of him, and he started to go.
FORT MYERS BEACH Celebration of Jimmy Buffet Day at Margaritaville Friday was Jimmy Buffett Day at Margaritaville and Fort Myers Beach is gearing up for a fun party all weekend long.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County deputies hold training for mental health encounters Charlotte County deputies are entering the community equipped with a new tool for handling mental health: the crisis initiative training.
Neighbors worried about flooding in Rotonda Heights Neighbors in Rotonda Heights are fed up with the flooding and they want to see it fixed.
ORLANDO Smart living moms reclaim their careers Betsy Gardner president and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce started Relaunch, a program to help stay-at-home moms.
FORT MYERS BEACH A closer look at the gas leak that killed 2 men at Fort Myers Beach home A closer look at the gas leak that killed two men in Fort Myers Beach has revealed some new details leading up to the deaths.
SANIBEL Sanibel CVS Pharmacy reopening after Hurricane Ian The CVS Pharmacy in Sanibel is reopening nearly two years after Hurricane Ian caused severe damage to it.
FORT MYERS Woman transported after boat hits large wake under Midpoint Bridge A woman had to be transported to the hospital after suffering an injury when the boat she was in struck the wake of a yacht.
NEW YORK (AP) Trump has history sparking outrage for incidents around veterans even as military voters backed him The reported altercation at Arlington National Cemetery involving Donald Trump’s staff was far from the first time that veterans or the families of service members have criticized the former president for words or behavior they saw as disparaging.
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO searching for missing endangered adult Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a missing person.
The Weather Authority: Scattered storms for your Saturday The Weather Authority is tracking afternoon scattered storms for Saturday this Labor Day weekend.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 2 The Golden Eagles took down the Cougars 64-7 to win the Crosstown Showdown for the 26th year in a row.
NAPLES Naples mayor speaks out after DUI arrest Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann has sent a statement to WINK News after being charged with a DUI.
FORT MYERS Woman stabbed at Fort Myers gas station Authorities responded to an active scene at a 7-eleven in Fort Myers after a woman was stabbed early Friday evening.
FORT MYERS FMPD investigating a van that followed a student from bus stop Police said a suspicious van followed a middle school student home from the bus stop on Thursday and yelled, “Get in the van.”
CAPE CORAL Report: Teen was on crosswalk when she was hit The driver of the box truck told officers he didn’t see Kendra as she rode in front of him, and he started to go.
FORT MYERS BEACH Celebration of Jimmy Buffet Day at Margaritaville Friday was Jimmy Buffett Day at Margaritaville and Fort Myers Beach is gearing up for a fun party all weekend long.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County deputies hold training for mental health encounters Charlotte County deputies are entering the community equipped with a new tool for handling mental health: the crisis initiative training.
Neighbors worried about flooding in Rotonda Heights Neighbors in Rotonda Heights are fed up with the flooding and they want to see it fixed.
ORLANDO Smart living moms reclaim their careers Betsy Gardner president and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce started Relaunch, a program to help stay-at-home moms.
FORT MYERS BEACH A closer look at the gas leak that killed 2 men at Fort Myers Beach home A closer look at the gas leak that killed two men in Fort Myers Beach has revealed some new details leading up to the deaths.
SANIBEL Sanibel CVS Pharmacy reopening after Hurricane Ian The CVS Pharmacy in Sanibel is reopening nearly two years after Hurricane Ian caused severe damage to it.
FORT MYERS Woman transported after boat hits large wake under Midpoint Bridge A woman had to be transported to the hospital after suffering an injury when the boat she was in struck the wake of a yacht.
NEW YORK (AP) Trump has history sparking outrage for incidents around veterans even as military voters backed him The reported altercation at Arlington National Cemetery involving Donald Trump’s staff was far from the first time that veterans or the families of service members have criticized the former president for words or behavior they saw as disparaging.
Lee County School Board during a meeting Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Credit: WINK News. The mask mandate debate in Lee County schools has been renewed as hundreds of kids sat home from school Monday in quarantine. A pediatrician says cases are only going to get worse if students don’t mask up or get vaccinated. A Lee County School Board member even suggested a vaccine mandate for staff. Board members see the rising number of patients in local hospitals, including school-age kids. Friday alone, The School District of Lee County saw 585 students and staff in quarantine. One school in the District had 14 teachers out. So some board members debated Monday whether now is the time for drastic action. Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida reported 11 kids were hospitalized for COVID-19. That prompted the school board in Lee County to get advice from Lee Health and Florida Department of Health in Lee County. “Would a mask mandate in schools be safer for our students and our staff?” Board member Chris Patricca said during the school board meeting. “In my medical opinion, yes, it would be,” said Dr. Stephanie Stovall, who spoke during a phone call. “So that being said, what are we within our legal rights to do?” Patricca asked the school district attorney. The attorney advised the school board is at liberty to make a mandate decision with the understanding there would be a likely response from Florida Department of Education and Gov. Ron DeSantis, since he signed an executive order banning mask mandates in schools. “To me, it’s not about parental rights,” Board member Debbie Jordan said. “It’s about making sure everyone is safe.” “Should schools remain open, or do you recommend us to maybe shut down for two weeks until the numbers go back down?” Board member Melisa Giovanelli asked Dr. Stovall. “That would be a last resort for me,” Stovall responded. “Unfortunately, what we’re predicting is that this surge is at least going to last another three to four weeks, so I don’t think just two weeks of pause would be enough.” The surge in COVID-19 and the lack of a vaccine for kids under 12 years old are not the best conditions for the start of the school year. “My fifth-grade son also has underlying conditions, where he’s on medication two to three times a day for his compromised immune system,” said Cher Martino, whose fourth and fifth-grader are both in quarantine. “So we take precautions.” Martino sends her son and daughter to school in masks, but many parents do not. Three days into the school, both of Martino’s kids are home after they were required to go on quarantine. The board took no action after Monday’s discussion regarding a response to surging cases within the school district. But the issue of putting a mask mandate in place will likely come up at Tuesday’s board meeting.