FORT MYERS FGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony Graduation is a right of passage from school to the real world, but for these students, reality hit them in 2020.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcycle crash leaves 1 dead One person has died after a motorcycle crash in Charlotte County.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Know your risk Hurricane season starts on June 1st, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designated the week of May 5 through May 11 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Each day, Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler will be highlighting ways to stay prepared ahead of this year’s hurricane season.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Stay alert – chance of showers and storms on Sunday Hot, humid, and more rain for parts of Southwest Florida on Sunday.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
FORT MYERS Students affected by COVID-19 able to graduate for the first time For many young people, COVID stripped away one of their greatest rites of passage: graduation.
FORT MYERS FGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony Graduation is a right of passage from school to the real world, but for these students, reality hit them in 2020.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcycle crash leaves 1 dead One person has died after a motorcycle crash in Charlotte County.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Know your risk Hurricane season starts on June 1st, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designated the week of May 5 through May 11 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Each day, Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler will be highlighting ways to stay prepared ahead of this year’s hurricane season.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Stay alert – chance of showers and storms on Sunday Hot, humid, and more rain for parts of Southwest Florida on Sunday.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
FORT MYERS Students affected by COVID-19 able to graduate for the first time For many young people, COVID stripped away one of their greatest rites of passage: graduation.
Pamela Lynn Vandeursen-Thime (Credit: Marco Island Police Department) An Illinois woman has been found guilty of grand theft from a person 65 years or older after taking money from a Marco Island woman for interior design work that was never done. According to the State Attorney’s Office, Pamela Lynn Vandeursen-Thime, 58, of Elgin, Illinois represented herself as an interior designer from Chicago. They say she met with a Marco Island woman and the two agreed that Vandeursen-Thime would renovate two of the victim’s bathrooms. Over the course of two and a half months in 2018, Vandeursen-Thime charged the Marco Island woman $77,500. The State Attorney’s Office says Vandeursen-Thime never did any work, apply for any permits to order any materials. They say she also falsely claimed to be working under a licensed contractor. Marco Island police learned of the theft after the victim told her daughter what was going on and her daughter called the police. Vandeursen-Thime was arrested in Illinois following an investigation and extradited to Collier County for trial. A date for sentencing has not been set. If you want to know what to look out for when hiring a contractor, there are a number of things you can do to verify their integrity. First and foremost, not all home jobs are created equal. Some might only require a person to have a local license, others a state license. You can find out which by calling your county building department. One example: Hurricane shutter work can be a local license; whereas, a roofer needs a state contracting license. Next, make sure the business is registered on Sunbiz.org, and ask for proof that they’re insured. But don’t stop there. Call the insurance company to make sure it’s active. To look up local lawsuits or small claims court, go to the county clerk of court website and search both the business name and its owner. Last but not least, there are three places you should check for complaints, the Better Business Bureau, your county code enforcement or building department, and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. HOW TO CHECK A BACKGROUND Before hiring a contractor, consumers should verify the contractor is both registered and licensed. Closed contractor complaints with the DBPR are posted with the license information. The county clerk’s website will post lawsuits, small claims cases and charges. Contractor complaints can also be filed at various levels. At the state level, consumers can report issues to the State Attorney General and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The DBPR says local jurisdictions also have disciplinary authority over state registered contractors per s.489.131(7), Florida Statutes. In addition, local jurisdictions have disciplinary authority to suspend the permits and permitting privileges of certified contractors for willful code violations and fraud per s.489.113(4), Florida Statutes. Law enforcement agencies may also have an economic crimes unit where consumers can report concerns. Clients who lose money may also apply for the state recovery fund. In 2017-2018, The Department of Business and Professional Regulation received 139 claims. Of that number, 77 of those claims were eligible. Of the eligible claims, 44 of them were awarded money and the average claim payout was $35,660.85. The Florida Legislature appropriated $5.5 million which was available for consumers during the 2017-18 fiscal year. The amount varies from year to year depending on how much the legislature decides to appropriate.