Election Day crowds expected despite record early votingVoters in Downtown Fort Myers ready for 2024 Election
Election Day crowds expected despite record early voting Election Day is nearly upon us. At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the polls will be closed, and our team will bring you the results.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Voters in Downtown Fort Myers ready for 2024 Election A lot can change in four years. During the 2020 election, many voters masked up as they cast their ballots, and the pandemic was at the top of many voters’ minds.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents frustrated by hurricane debris delays Many people in parts of southwest Florida feel like they’ve dealt with more than their fair share of storm damage lately.
Miracle Moment: A rosy outlook following surprise diagnosis It’s time for Miracle Moment. Today, we meet a toddler diagnosed with a disease without known prevention or cure.
Poll workers ready for Election Day rush in Collier County Poll workers gear up for a busy Tuesday in Collier County; some have been there for a while, and this year marks their first time working at a polling place for others.
CAPE CORAL Voters decide: Will Cape Coral City Council members stay or go? Stipends, Jaycee Park and new developments have been topics of concern in the City of Cape Coral for months now.
MATLACHA Lee County residents still dealing with damage from hurricanes Hurricane recovery has been an ongoing project here in Southwest Florida since Hurricane Ian.
FGCU Former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III makes PGA Tour After playing two seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour, former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III is moving up to the PGA Tour.
Parents cast their votes for Lee County school superintendent With just hours now until the election, WINK News wants to highlight a few local races that haven’t gotten as much attention. One of them is the election of Lee County’s next superintendent of schools.
NORTH FORT MYERS Former Dollar General employee accused of stealing $7,000 in returns A woman has been arrested after defrauding a Dollar General in North Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH The Tropics and Red Tide; what happens if or when they interact? The Tropics are active despite the fact that there’s less than a month left in hurricane season. But how will a system interact with red tide?
CAPE CORAL Police investigate gunfire at Cape Coral rental home The bullet holes left behind by shots heard in a normally quiet Cape Coral neighborhood scared one woman into buying security cameras for her home.
CAPE CORAL Bimini Basin residents face housing challenges Time is running out for the families who live in one Cape Coral community to find places to call home.
Harris and Trump make a furious final push before Election Day A presidential campaign that has careened through a felony trial, an incumbent president being pushed off the ticket and multiple assassination attempts comes down to a final sprint across a handful of states on Election Day eve.
Using AI to detect pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. That’s due in part to the limited testing available for early detection.
Election Day crowds expected despite record early voting Election Day is nearly upon us. At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the polls will be closed, and our team will bring you the results.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Voters in Downtown Fort Myers ready for 2024 Election A lot can change in four years. During the 2020 election, many voters masked up as they cast their ballots, and the pandemic was at the top of many voters’ minds.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents frustrated by hurricane debris delays Many people in parts of southwest Florida feel like they’ve dealt with more than their fair share of storm damage lately.
Miracle Moment: A rosy outlook following surprise diagnosis It’s time for Miracle Moment. Today, we meet a toddler diagnosed with a disease without known prevention or cure.
Poll workers ready for Election Day rush in Collier County Poll workers gear up for a busy Tuesday in Collier County; some have been there for a while, and this year marks their first time working at a polling place for others.
CAPE CORAL Voters decide: Will Cape Coral City Council members stay or go? Stipends, Jaycee Park and new developments have been topics of concern in the City of Cape Coral for months now.
MATLACHA Lee County residents still dealing with damage from hurricanes Hurricane recovery has been an ongoing project here in Southwest Florida since Hurricane Ian.
FGCU Former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III makes PGA Tour After playing two seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour, former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III is moving up to the PGA Tour.
Parents cast their votes for Lee County school superintendent With just hours now until the election, WINK News wants to highlight a few local races that haven’t gotten as much attention. One of them is the election of Lee County’s next superintendent of schools.
NORTH FORT MYERS Former Dollar General employee accused of stealing $7,000 in returns A woman has been arrested after defrauding a Dollar General in North Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH The Tropics and Red Tide; what happens if or when they interact? The Tropics are active despite the fact that there’s less than a month left in hurricane season. But how will a system interact with red tide?
CAPE CORAL Police investigate gunfire at Cape Coral rental home The bullet holes left behind by shots heard in a normally quiet Cape Coral neighborhood scared one woman into buying security cameras for her home.
CAPE CORAL Bimini Basin residents face housing challenges Time is running out for the families who live in one Cape Coral community to find places to call home.
Harris and Trump make a furious final push before Election Day A presidential campaign that has careened through a felony trial, an incumbent president being pushed off the ticket and multiple assassination attempts comes down to a final sprint across a handful of states on Election Day eve.
Using AI to detect pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. That’s due in part to the limited testing available for early detection.
“I think they’re a bunch of crooks. I feel they’re… How would they feel if this were their family or their house?” Elaine Damiano, Cape Coral homeowner A Cape Coral couple is demanding answers and accountability. It’s been 16 months since Hurricane Ian made landfall and they say they still haven’t received the insurance money they need to fully restore their home. Elaine and Michael Damiano are in their late seventies and say they’re draining their retirement savings to make their home livable. To make matters worse, they fear the people who should be working for them, are withholding key information that may shed light on why their insurance claim is still open and unresolved. WINK News Investigative Reporter Céline McArthur has been delving into the couple’s case for almost a year and finds out what’s going on—now. RELATED: Florida CFO responds to WINK News property insurance investigation: ‘This is why I fight for people to get their claims closed.’ The Damianos are livid. It’s been 496 days since Hurricane Ian stormed through their home, and they say their insurance company, public adjuster, and attorney are keeping them in the dark about what’s going on with their claim. The couple believes some clues can be found in a document they haven’t gotten their hands on. Elaine Damiano is a hobbyist with a passion for crafting home decor. Elaine Damiano, Cape Coral homeowner “I am a Jack of all trades, master of absolutely nothing,” said Elaine. The Damianos fear their insurance provider—Cypress Property and Casualty Insurance Company—lacks the incentive to close the case. Elaine suggested, “Maybe they’re just waiting for us to drop dead so they don’t have to pay anything.” Cape Coral homeowner Elaine Damiano And now the senior couple is in debt. Michael shared, “I have a lien on my house, you know, first time in my life.” He went on to say, “They don’t want to pay the vendors that did work for me. In my opinion, they’re obligated to do that.” Cape Coral homeowner Michael Damiano Nine days after the storm, the couple hired public adjuster Scotty Moland of Tailored Loss Consultants. He submitted a claim for $384,000 on their behalf two months after Ian. Cypress paid about $51k to begin renovations soon after. Scotty Moland, Public Adjuster “It was enough money to replace the roof. It’s enough money to get something started,” said Moland. It wasn’t enough to get the job done, and Moland admits he could not get Cypress to shell out any more money. Moland explained, “Everything that could be negotiable, or workable now becomes a fight.” In March of 2023, I challenged Cypress. The executive vice president admitted his company dropped the ball and issued the Damianos a check for about $113,000. Moland collected his 10 percent fee and brought in attorney David Sholl to represent the couple and attempt to settle with Cypress or sue. He acknowledges it’s a costly strategy. “If an attorney is looking to go to litigation, they’re going to charge anywhere from 25 to 33%. So if they do the full 33%, the homeowner loses 43 percent of their claim, just to get to the end,” said Moland. Last year, Sholl argued that every Southwest Florida homeowner should partner with a public adjuster-attorney team to collectively challenge their insurance companies. Attorney David Sholl (left) and Public Adjuster Scotty Moland (right) interviewed by McArthur on WINK News | March 2023 “They come in with a whole team of people in their interest to determine, how can I say this… You should never rely on the person who has to pay you money to tell you how much they owe you. You should have your own team of people telling you how much that person owes you,” said Sholl. The Damianos hoped Sholl would make some headway with Cypress. Months went by with no more payments to repair their damage. “We pay the attorney. We pay the public adjuster, who has gotten quite a bit of money. We pay premiums to the insurance company, so we pay them; they hire attorneys… and nothing is going the way it’s supposed to go,” explained Elaine. Examination Under Oath In August, lawyers representing Cypress questioned Elaine and Michael about their storm damage, in what’s called an Examination Under Oath. EUOs are allowed under the insurance policy, but Sholl couldn’t figure out what information Cypress wanted that they didn’t have before. “I think that some of this is being done to potentially push the case under the rug,” said Sholl. Micheal Damiano during virtual Examination Under Oath with Cypress Property and Casualty Insurance | August 2023 Elaine suggested, “I think what they were looking at was for a way to say we went above and beyond ripping our house apart like, yeah, everybody wants to rip their house apart.” Elaine argues her public adjuster advised them on what needed to be torn out as he was evaluating their damage. These are images of Moland from his 3-D walkthrough of their home! Image of Public Adjuster Scotty Moland inside the Damiano home assessing the damage after Hurricane Ian. Photo provided to WINK News by Moland. “Our public adjuster was here with everything,” said Elaine. “Everything was being torn apart, ripped apart. And nobody’s advising. Nobody’s advising that this shouldn’t come out. They’re all saying it should come out.” Where’s the transcript? Moland was also ‘examined under oath’ by Cypress, which legal experts say is not unheard of. However, the results of that EUO remain a mystery. The Damianos repeatedly directed Moland and Sholl to secure a recording or transcript of the interview. She insisted, “That is ours! That’s ours. Okay, they have it, we would like a copy of it, all you have to do is just send us a copy.” They never got it. I also asked Moland, Sholl, and Cypress for a transcript, and I didn’t get it. Moland claims he asked and didn’t get it. Sholl tells us he’ll look into it and get back to us. Cypress didn’t respond to us. Céline McArthur’s requests to Moland, Sholl, and Cypress for the transcript of Moland’s EUO. Elaine pointed out, “Somebody’s hiding something because normally, that public adjuster would be glad to give us this information. Our attorney would be glad to turn this information over.” The Damianos refuse to back down from their repeated calls for responsiveness and transparency. Expressing frustration, Michael implored, “Would you please keep us as informed as to what’s happening? We have no one calling us. There’s no information whatsoever as to what the next step is.” While the Damianos battle for the money they say is owed to them—based on their policy—Cypress has raised their annual insurance rate 39%. Céline goes to Tallahassee Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis’ office in the Florida Capitol Complex I drove up to Tallahassee to talk to Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who regulates insurance in the state. We watched the Damiano story together. “Seeing people hurting… it’s not a fun part of the job, but seeing them be made a whole? That’s why I show up every day,” shared Patronis. Stay tuned to hear what else he said about the Cape Coral couple’s claim. In the meantime, share your thoughts or be part of the discussion! Email Céline at celine.mcarthur@winknews.com.