FDOT to hold discussion for upcoming Collier diverging diamondCharlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes
NORTH NAPLES FDOT to hold discussion for upcoming Collier diverging diamond Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Charlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes Recent hurricanes and flooding events prompted some Charlotte County homeowners to either demolish or elevate their homes.
CLEWISTON Clewiston man shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against relative There is new information about a murder in Clewiston earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Bridge design vote aims to improve traffic flow Residents and drivers in Cape Coral have long shared a common frustration: traffic congestion, particularly on Cape Coral Parkway.
Symptoms and treatment for pleurisy, the inflammation of lungs’ lining This winter season in Southwest Florida has been rampant with illness, from flu to viral infections.
Lee county approves major road projects to improve traffic flow, safety The Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to improving the county’s transportation network.
NAPLES Young bobcat injured by car; rehabilitated, released into Naples A young bobcat has been released back into the wild after recovering from its injuries through the collaborative efforts of several Florida environmental agencies.
Florida house speaker appoints Charlotte County sheriff to state immigration enforcement council Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez has appointed two sheriffs, one of whom is Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, to the state immigration enforcement council.
Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in SWFL A drug dealer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Southwest Florida.
Craft supplier Joann to shutter 3 SWFL stores, 500 nationwide The big box craft chain based in Hudson, Ohio, is closing its North Naples store at 6424 Naples Blvd., the Estero store at Coconut Point and the Fort Myers store in South Plaza on Cleveland Avenue.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Police Department Chaplain Rev. Bill Klossner passes away The Punta Gorda Police Department announced the passing of their Chaplain, Reverend Bill Klossner.
Car strikes, kills man who tried to pick up trash bag on SR-80 The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving a pickup truck and a car on State Road 80 in Hendry County that killed a man.
the weather authority Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking increased cloud coverage along with milder conditions this Tuesday afternoon.
WINK NEWS Shell Factory & Nature Park’s final auction begins The Shell Factory & Nature Park has launched its final auction, allowing fans of the now-closed Southwest Florida landmark to take home several valued items.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers to discuss fluoride in water during next city council meeting The debate over fluoride in drinking water has been reignited following an announcement by the Florida surgeon general urging cities to halt fluoride treatment.
NORTH NAPLES FDOT to hold discussion for upcoming Collier diverging diamond Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Charlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes Recent hurricanes and flooding events prompted some Charlotte County homeowners to either demolish or elevate their homes.
CLEWISTON Clewiston man shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against relative There is new information about a murder in Clewiston earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Bridge design vote aims to improve traffic flow Residents and drivers in Cape Coral have long shared a common frustration: traffic congestion, particularly on Cape Coral Parkway.
Symptoms and treatment for pleurisy, the inflammation of lungs’ lining This winter season in Southwest Florida has been rampant with illness, from flu to viral infections.
Lee county approves major road projects to improve traffic flow, safety The Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to improving the county’s transportation network.
NAPLES Young bobcat injured by car; rehabilitated, released into Naples A young bobcat has been released back into the wild after recovering from its injuries through the collaborative efforts of several Florida environmental agencies.
Florida house speaker appoints Charlotte County sheriff to state immigration enforcement council Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez has appointed two sheriffs, one of whom is Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, to the state immigration enforcement council.
Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in SWFL A drug dealer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Southwest Florida.
Craft supplier Joann to shutter 3 SWFL stores, 500 nationwide The big box craft chain based in Hudson, Ohio, is closing its North Naples store at 6424 Naples Blvd., the Estero store at Coconut Point and the Fort Myers store in South Plaza on Cleveland Avenue.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Police Department Chaplain Rev. Bill Klossner passes away The Punta Gorda Police Department announced the passing of their Chaplain, Reverend Bill Klossner.
Car strikes, kills man who tried to pick up trash bag on SR-80 The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving a pickup truck and a car on State Road 80 in Hendry County that killed a man.
the weather authority Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking increased cloud coverage along with milder conditions this Tuesday afternoon.
WINK NEWS Shell Factory & Nature Park’s final auction begins The Shell Factory & Nature Park has launched its final auction, allowing fans of the now-closed Southwest Florida landmark to take home several valued items.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers to discuss fluoride in water during next city council meeting The debate over fluoride in drinking water has been reignited following an announcement by the Florida surgeon general urging cities to halt fluoride treatment.
Sign outside of a Center for Covid Control test site. (Credit: WINK News) The company that has been at the center of an investigation by WINK News is now facing a lawsuit in another state. Since WINK News began investigating, multiple states have opened investigations into the Center for Covid Control. The Center for Covid Control boasts 275 testing sites across the country. A 25-page lawsuit by the Minnesota attorney general filed against the Center for Covid Control used the words misleading, deceptive, and fraudulent. Minnesota’s Attorney General Keith Ellison said, “this is new. This is unprecedented.” WINK News spoke with Jeff Connelly, the Director of Operations at Eliza Medical, specializing in medical testing. Connelly said, “the first impression was, the scope of it, how large it was, to be honest with you. This was on a much wider scale than I’ve ever seen or heard.” Connelly said it is the largest accusation of fraud he’s ever seen against a testing company. The Illinois-based company is accused of collecting samples for COVID-19 testing and delivering test results that were inaccurate. In addition to Minnesota’s lawsuit, Colorado ordered the Center for Covid Control to cease operations. “There are people out there who have used these sites, and my first response is ‘I am so sorry,” said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. Oregon, Michigan, Illinois, and Massachusetts are also investigating the Center for Covid Control A person tested at a Center for Covid Control site in Massachusetts said, “it certainly didn’t look like anything that I want to go in to get tested. It was just very… I wouldn’t say dirty. I think it just didn’t look like there was a lot of protocols in place.” Another person tested at a site in Seattle, Washington, said, “the guy giving me my test was wearing just like a hoodie and jeans and sneakers. And his mask, I’m going to be honest with you, not on his nose half the time.” The observations are similar to what WINK News found during its investigation of the Center for Covid Control sites in Southwest Florida. WINK News spoke with some people in line at the Bonita Springs location who got test results before taking the test, something the Center for Covid Control blamed on a computer glitch. WINK News also learned that the guy handing out the testing had no training. WINK News Reporter Michael Hudak asked, “you don’t know the name of the company that you just work for right now?” Tyler Blackwell, the man administering the tests in Bonita Springs, said, “all I can tell you is that the man that should be able to answer all the questions should be back anytime.” Blackwell looked the part but told WINK News that he is not a registered nurse. He said he was able to buy scrubs at a major retailer, just like anyone else can. The Center for Covid Control still has time before it must respond to the lawsuit in Minnesota. The Center for Covid Control paused all operations across the country on Jan. 14. The company said in an email that the shutdown happened so they could retrain management and staff and roll out new procedures. The email promised the sites will re-open this Saturday, Jan. 22. It is unknown if the three Southwest Florida locations will be re-opening. WINK News has tried to contact someone from the Center for Covid Control to provide a comment for this story but has not heard back. Dr. Lee Fleisher, Chief Medical Officer and Director of Center for Clinical Standards and Quality for the government agency, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said in a statement: “We take seriously any allegations of fraud or misbehavior by COVID-19 testing sites. CMS’s Center for Clinical Standards and Quality investigates these kinds of complaints and is aware of several alleged instances of misconduct by this company’s labs. We know that people want to feel confident that the testing sites they visit are reputable and the results they receive are accurate. CMS is actively investigating numerous complaints about multiple laboratories and testing sites associated with the Center for COVID Control. It is our understanding that the Center for COVID Control voluntarily suspended their operations through January 22. CMS continues our investigations and will take compliance and enforcement actions as appropriate.” Consumers may access the CMS CLIA Laboratory Demographic Information Tool then navigate to the S&C’s Quality, Certification and Oversight Reports (QCOR) to find a CLIA certified laboratory. You can search by laboratory name or geography (e.g., California). This website provides a listing of CLIA laboratories and other facilities that are certified to perform laboratory testing as of the Data Source Date listed.