Warm stretch continues throughout this weekendSanibel’s red tide raises health alerts and wildlife concerns
the weather authority Warm stretch continues throughout this weekend The Weather Authority says if you are a fan of the warmer weather, you are going to love this weekend.
SANIBEL Sanibel’s red tide raises health alerts and wildlife concerns With great weather in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be a perfect beach weekend. However, visitors to the barrier islands should exercise caution.
NAPLES Naples Automotive Experience raises funds for St. Matthew’s House The Naples Automotive Experience brought excitement and philanthropy to the community, raising money for St. Matthew’s House.
MATLACHA Little Pine Island bridge work causes delays, FDOT promises progress Construction on the Little Pine Island Bridge has narrowed traffic to one lane, causing significant delays for drivers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Support women’s heart health on National Wear Red Day The first Friday in February marks National Wear Red Day!
Ongoing repairs following Naples plane crash A deadly plane crash that occurred one year ago in Naples, Florida continues to impact lives in Southwest Florida. The tragic event involved two pilots who lost their lives on Interstate 75.
Naples jet crash, one year later: new details on emergency response Sunday marks one year since a jet crashed after its pilots attempted an emergency landing on I-75 just outside of Naples. “Your mind goes back to everything that happened that day,” said Heather Mazurkiewicz, public information officer with the North Collier Fire Rescue. “I think about the fact that there weren’t more lives lost.” At […]
LCSO cutting down law enforcement response times The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is gearing up to implement “Prepared 9-1-1,” a new tool designed to enhance emergency response times.
How Harry Chapin Food Bank supports struggling families In the heart of Dunbar, a neighborhood in Fort Myers, the STARS Complex becomes a place of hope as the Harry Chapin Food Bank supports families in need.
MOORE HAVEN African American family breaking barriers in Moore Haven politics Breaking barriers is a family tradition for Rashondra Croskey and her godmother, Gloria Reese.
Charlotte County unlicensed contractor accused of fraud The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said that a contractor has been arrested after he was hired to build a room in a home without a license.
Studies show that menopause is linked to heart risks Menopause is a natural part of life for middle-aged women, typically occurring between ages 45 and 55. However, it can bring serious health complications, including an increased risk of heart disease.
FORT MYERS Local band Shy Blossom to open up for ’90s rockers Sister Hazel at The Ranch A Southwest Florida-based band will be opening for the legendary ’90s rock fusion group Sister Hazel.
golden gate Bear Brawl: Black bears duke it out in Golden Gate backyard Two black bears were caught on camera tussling for garbage in the backyard of a Golden Gate home.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man accused of possessing child pornography A Cape Coral man has been arrested after allegedly possessing several files of child pornography on devices.
the weather authority Warm stretch continues throughout this weekend The Weather Authority says if you are a fan of the warmer weather, you are going to love this weekend.
SANIBEL Sanibel’s red tide raises health alerts and wildlife concerns With great weather in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be a perfect beach weekend. However, visitors to the barrier islands should exercise caution.
NAPLES Naples Automotive Experience raises funds for St. Matthew’s House The Naples Automotive Experience brought excitement and philanthropy to the community, raising money for St. Matthew’s House.
MATLACHA Little Pine Island bridge work causes delays, FDOT promises progress Construction on the Little Pine Island Bridge has narrowed traffic to one lane, causing significant delays for drivers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Support women’s heart health on National Wear Red Day The first Friday in February marks National Wear Red Day!
Ongoing repairs following Naples plane crash A deadly plane crash that occurred one year ago in Naples, Florida continues to impact lives in Southwest Florida. The tragic event involved two pilots who lost their lives on Interstate 75.
Naples jet crash, one year later: new details on emergency response Sunday marks one year since a jet crashed after its pilots attempted an emergency landing on I-75 just outside of Naples. “Your mind goes back to everything that happened that day,” said Heather Mazurkiewicz, public information officer with the North Collier Fire Rescue. “I think about the fact that there weren’t more lives lost.” At […]
LCSO cutting down law enforcement response times The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is gearing up to implement “Prepared 9-1-1,” a new tool designed to enhance emergency response times.
How Harry Chapin Food Bank supports struggling families In the heart of Dunbar, a neighborhood in Fort Myers, the STARS Complex becomes a place of hope as the Harry Chapin Food Bank supports families in need.
MOORE HAVEN African American family breaking barriers in Moore Haven politics Breaking barriers is a family tradition for Rashondra Croskey and her godmother, Gloria Reese.
Charlotte County unlicensed contractor accused of fraud The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said that a contractor has been arrested after he was hired to build a room in a home without a license.
Studies show that menopause is linked to heart risks Menopause is a natural part of life for middle-aged women, typically occurring between ages 45 and 55. However, it can bring serious health complications, including an increased risk of heart disease.
FORT MYERS Local band Shy Blossom to open up for ’90s rockers Sister Hazel at The Ranch A Southwest Florida-based band will be opening for the legendary ’90s rock fusion group Sister Hazel.
golden gate Bear Brawl: Black bears duke it out in Golden Gate backyard Two black bears were caught on camera tussling for garbage in the backyard of a Golden Gate home.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man accused of possessing child pornography A Cape Coral man has been arrested after allegedly possessing several files of child pornography on devices.
Credit: WINK News Two Southwest Florida businesses are subject to complaints made to the state for potentially violating its vaccine passport law. Governor Ron DeSantis signed a COVID-19 vaccine law that bans vaccine passports. The state is investigating potential violators of that law and two of those are in Southwest Florida. One being NCH health care systems and the other being Big Arts on Sanibel. Naples Community Hospital and Big Arts on Sanibel are under investigation by the Florida Department of Health, according to documents obtained by the Orlando Sentinel. The two SWFL companies are among the 120 Florida businesses and governments that are currently under investigation by FDOH. Lee Ellen Harder is the Executive Director for Big Arts. “I just was wondering why we’re on the list. Since we are not requiring vaccination,” Harder said. Harder says vaccines are required for staff but not for patrons. So, when she found out Big Arts was on the list, she was shocked. But, there is something that Harder said was important to clear up. “We’re not in that business of deciding you know, who should do what. We just want our patrons’ volunteers, staff, everybody to feel safe,” said Harder. NCH is also on the list and it, too, mandates vaccines for staff. The hospital system recently let go of more than 100 staff members who refused to comply with the vaccine mandate. Aubrey Jewett is a political scientist based out of the University of Central Florida. “We don’t know how this list was generated, like how do people and businesses end up on the list?” Jewett said. The reason we don’t know is that the Department of Health will not say. Jewett says he’s closely followed the politics surrounding vaccines in Florida. It is vastly different from the politics of vaccines in Washington D.C. “We’re definitely getting contradictory advice and rules from the federal government and from the state government,” Jewett said. “And so who gets caught in the middle are the businesses and people who live right here in Florida.” If the state finds that a business or local government broke state law, it could impose a fine of $5,000 per violation. For a small business such as Big Arts, that sort of punishment could really financially damage them. NCH has not responded to specific questions from WINK News about the FDOH investigation. Instead, they sent us the statement below: “NCH does not require proof of Covid-19 vaccine status for its patients or guests. NCH’s inclusion of Covid-19 vaccine as a condition of employment applies to NCH employees, contract staff and volunteers only, and complies fully with federal law.” Since our story aired on Monday evening, NCH sent WINK News an email confirming they’ve received no formal communication from the FDOH. Tuesday afternoon, NCH sent this statement as well: “While NCH continues to wait for any official communication from the state regarding the issue of vaccine passports, we wanted to call the language of the state’s own law to the attention of media. In section 381.00316, Florida Statutes, (http://laws.flrules.org/2021/8, section 18, page 22-23) it clearly states in subsection (1) that “a business entity…may not require patrons or customers to provide any documentation certifying COVID-19 vaccination or post-infection recovery to gain access to, entry upon, or service from the business operations in this state.” And while NCH’s vaccine requirement is only for employees, contractors, and volunteers of NCH and we have NEVER required our patients or visitors to show evidence of vaccination, sub section (5) of that same statute clearly says “this section does not apply to a healthcare provider…” which, in addition to not having received any official notification from the state on this issue, is another reason we find this matter puzzling. We will continue to keep media updated if and when we receive any official notification from the state on this matter. — Matthew Heinle, NCH General Counsel.“ Additionally, media outlets across the state reported in late spring of 2021 on the carve-out of this law that state legislators extended to hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers. MORE: Health care industry gets a pass on vaccine ‘passports’ Health care industry exempt from DeSantis ‘vaccination passport’ ban Since our story aired, the Governor’s office has also contacted WINK News and said: “entities on this list are not all under formal investigation, and merely being named on the list is not confirmation of probable cause that an entity may have violated the law.” According to the governor’s office, anyone can submit a complaint if they believe there may be a violation, whether or not a violation occurred. The Florida Department of Health does review every complaint, but it’s possible that some complaints may not warrant a full investigation. Enforcement action would take place only after an investigation has determined that the entity violated the law, as in the case of Leon County today.