Lee County student accused of making school threat A student from Cypress Lake High School is facing charges for making school threats.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Warm and breezy this Wednesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a warm and breezy Wednesday with increased cloud coverage.
miami beach Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Miami Beach Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Miami Beach.
WINK NEWS Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
FORT MYERS Drivers react to newly opened intersection on Colonial Blvd. The dreaded drive through one of our busiest intersections has been the focus of several construction projects.
Dinosaur from Shell Factory finds new home in Saint James City marina A dinosaur has found a new home at the soon-to-be Nauti-Dolphin Marina in Saint James City, Florida. This prehistoric attraction is already drawing attention even though it’s the only thing currently on the property. Dean Zoner, owner of the Nauti-Dolphin Marina, acquired the dinosaur from the Shell Factory, a local business that was going out […]
Florida lawmakers to vote on revamped Governor backed immigration bill on Thursday The House and Senate are set to vote on a new immigration bill on Thursday. The bill aims to address illegal immigration and support federal mass deportation efforts.
CLEWISTON Community raises concerns about Clewiston Animal Services The Clewiston Animal Shelter has made significant improvements, but there is still work to be done to bring conditions to a more humane level.
Collier County beachgoers react to Gulf of America name change The Gulf of Mexico has been officially renamed the “Gulf of America” following an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood Beach’s closure impacts local economy; businesses seek answers Business owners on Englewood Beach are growing increasingly anxious as they await the reopening of the beach, which has been closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton.
FORT MYERS BEACH Food truck park proposal on Estero Blvd divides Fort Myers Beach locals The Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency recently voted on whether to transform a vacant lot on Estero Boulevard into a food truck park.
CCSO works with ICE to catch suspects in Southwest Florida State lawmakers are working on a new immigration bill. Here in Southwest Florida, one county has been following strict guidelines on illegal immigration for quite some time.
Burn ban in effect for Collier County The Board of County Commissioners has authorized a burn ban in Collier County.
FGCU FGCU’s Zavian McLean shares student athlete experience with podcast FGCU men’s basketball guard Zavian McLean shares what its like to be a Division I student athlete in his podcast “Truey Talks.”
Locals react to egg price increase Egg prices continue to soar. In fact, prices have gone up about 37% from where they were just one year ago, and the pricing and supply issues have started to impact Southwest Florida.
Lee County student accused of making school threat A student from Cypress Lake High School is facing charges for making school threats.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Warm and breezy this Wednesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a warm and breezy Wednesday with increased cloud coverage.
miami beach Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Miami Beach Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Miami Beach.
WINK NEWS Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
FORT MYERS Drivers react to newly opened intersection on Colonial Blvd. The dreaded drive through one of our busiest intersections has been the focus of several construction projects.
Dinosaur from Shell Factory finds new home in Saint James City marina A dinosaur has found a new home at the soon-to-be Nauti-Dolphin Marina in Saint James City, Florida. This prehistoric attraction is already drawing attention even though it’s the only thing currently on the property. Dean Zoner, owner of the Nauti-Dolphin Marina, acquired the dinosaur from the Shell Factory, a local business that was going out […]
Florida lawmakers to vote on revamped Governor backed immigration bill on Thursday The House and Senate are set to vote on a new immigration bill on Thursday. The bill aims to address illegal immigration and support federal mass deportation efforts.
CLEWISTON Community raises concerns about Clewiston Animal Services The Clewiston Animal Shelter has made significant improvements, but there is still work to be done to bring conditions to a more humane level.
Collier County beachgoers react to Gulf of America name change The Gulf of Mexico has been officially renamed the “Gulf of America” following an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood Beach’s closure impacts local economy; businesses seek answers Business owners on Englewood Beach are growing increasingly anxious as they await the reopening of the beach, which has been closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton.
FORT MYERS BEACH Food truck park proposal on Estero Blvd divides Fort Myers Beach locals The Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency recently voted on whether to transform a vacant lot on Estero Boulevard into a food truck park.
CCSO works with ICE to catch suspects in Southwest Florida State lawmakers are working on a new immigration bill. Here in Southwest Florida, one county has been following strict guidelines on illegal immigration for quite some time.
Burn ban in effect for Collier County The Board of County Commissioners has authorized a burn ban in Collier County.
FGCU FGCU’s Zavian McLean shares student athlete experience with podcast FGCU men’s basketball guard Zavian McLean shares what its like to be a Division I student athlete in his podcast “Truey Talks.”
Locals react to egg price increase Egg prices continue to soar. In fact, prices have gone up about 37% from where they were just one year ago, and the pricing and supply issues have started to impact Southwest Florida.
The goal of the Insurer Accountability Act is to hold homeowners insurance companies more accountable and for them to fairly pay out your claims. It went into effect July 1, 2023. Some worry the law is fraught with loopholes. Karen Nelson knows a thing or two about roofs. She was an independent adjuster for insurance companies for about 15 years. She traveled around the country inspecting roofs and the rest of homes for damage after disasters. Now, she’s on the other side, working as a public adjuster for homeowners. Nelson explaining roof issues Credit: WINK News “Coming from being in the field for 15 plus years, it’s frustrating to see the policyholders getting treated as poorly as they’re getting treated on this storm,” Nelson said of insurance companies handling Hurricane Ian claims. “It’s just a frustrating experience.” And when it comes to the Insurer Accountability Act, Nelson isn’t a fan. “I’m not impressed by it,” she added. “I just don’t think it’s going to make a difference.” After a homeowner files a claim with their insurance company, the insurer sends a field adjuster or contracted independent adjuster to the home. They inspect the damage and write up a report complete with estimates and pictures on how much it will cost to repair. The report heads to a desk adjuster in the office. Independent adjusters warned lawmakers last year that those desk adjusters were changing their reports. Specifically, they accused them of lowering the amount of money something cost to fix, therefore, lowering the money a homeowner receives. “This fraud committed by some of the insurance companies is more widespread than any of us could have imagined,” independent adjuster Ben Mandell told the Florida Commerce Committee during December’s property insurance special legislative session. The Insurer Accountability Act The Insurer Accountability Act makes it a crime for insurers to change the field/independent adjuster’s reports without detailing who made the changes and why. They’ll also have to keep tabs on any edits made and preserve all versions of their reports. Finally, insurance companies will have to tell the state how they handle claims. Credit: WINK News “They’ve got to stop changing our estimates and leaving our names on them,” independent adjuster Mark Vinson said in December. “They are just taking stuff out for no reason.” The law also says struggling insurance companies will no longer be able to write new policies. Their higher ups won’t get any bonuses either. Mark Friedlander with the Insurance Information Institute said these new provisions are normal in other states. “The law that was passed and signed by the governor shows legislators were listening to their constituents,” Friedlander added. “After the reform packages that were passed over the last few months, many homeowners across the state were concerned ‘you’re doing a lot for the insurance industry, not a lot for us, the consumer.'” The Potential Loophole The law has been touted as a big win for homeowners and their wallets. Nelson isn’t sold. “The insurance companies are going to find ways to still not pay for claims,” she said. Nelson believes the insurance companies will simply change what the field adjusters can and cannot do. Client of Nelson’s Ian damage Credit: WINK News “The field adjusters that will go out will just go out and take pictures,” she continued. “[The insurer] won’t let them write an estimate because if there’s no estimate, nothing can be changed. So, now, they’re going to have to write reports and not estimates. They’re going to have to say ‘this is what we see.’ Then the desk adjuster will be like ‘okay well, this is what we’re going to pay for off of these guidelines.” WINK News Consumer Reporter Andryanna Sheppard brought Nelson’s concerns to Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis. “Every time when the Florida legislature meets, they pass policy and they feel like we have created the best mouse trap and it’s going to solve every problem we’re ever going to have,” Patronis said. “Unfortunately, there are very smart people that find ways to create loopholes in these policies. Sometimes, loopholes created by attorneys, sometimes created by insurance companies, sometimes created by public adjusters. They all find ways to gain the system because they see a way to profit.” “My guess, only time will tell on that one,” Nelson said. If you are having trouble with your insurance company and would like to share your situation with Andryanna Sheppard, you can do so through this form.