New overtime rules could mean higher staffing costs for SWFL businessesTim Aten Knows: More SWFL pizzerias permanently close post-season
New overtime rules could mean higher staffing costs for SWFL businesses Big changes and potentially higher staffing costs are in store for thousands of businesses and nonprofits in Southwest Florida and around the country if new U.S. Department of Labor overtime rules go into effect as planned July 1.
Tim Aten Knows: More SWFL pizzerias permanently close post-season Naples Pizza permanently closed Memorial Day weekend after doing business for more than 15 years in East Naples.
FORT MYERS Bicyclist hit by car in Fort Myers on Veronica Shoemaker Blvd. Police are investigating a collision between a vehicle and a bicyclist on Veronica Shoemaker Boulevard that appears to be fatal.
Tropics: AL 92 expected to approach NE Florida coast, second disturbance 60% chance of development According to the National Hurricane Center, a small but concentrated area of showers and thunderstorms persists, and an area of low pressure, designated as AL92, is around 120 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida.
HENDRY COUNTY Speculation rising while hazmat teams collect air samples in Hendry County Anxiety is beginning to build in a small Hendry County community after several people and first responders got sick.
Triple-digit feels-like temps and isolated storms for your Friday forecast Isolated storms are expected on Friday, mainly in the late afternoon and just after sunset. The best rain coverage will be south of the Caloosahatchee and inland.
Meet Therese, Brianna, and Windy: OCEARCH Tracking Florida Loggerhead Sea Turtles During Nesting Season We are well into the 2024 sea turtle nesting season, and OCEARCH is now monitoring nine turtles that have pinged on the Florida coastline.
49-year-old Collier County man found guilty of molesting child A Collier County man was convicted of molesting a child following a three-day trial.
FORT MYERS Crews respond to car fire near a Fort Myers home Crews are on the scene of a car fire near a home in Fort Myers early Friday morning.
CAPE CORAL Blue-green algae reported in a Cape Coral canal Blue-green algae is back in parts of Southwest Florida. This time, authorities are finding the gunky substance in a Cape Coral canal.
CAPE CORAL Driver killed in Cape Coral rollover crash A driver has been pronounced dead after their vehicle rolled over and crashed in Cape Coral.
FORT MYERS Beat the heat with an ice-cold beer at Beerfest this weekend Summer is officially here. This weekend, you can beat the heat with an ice-cold beer at Fort Myers’s Brewing Company.
FORT MYERS Music Walk happening Friday evening in downtown Fort Myers Music is returning to the streets of downtown Fort Myers Friday evening.
CAPE CORAL Family of American hero relieved after killer’s sentencing Thursday, the man responsible for the attack that killed Daniel Eggers got the maximum sentence of 30 years.
VILLAS Land donated for permanent memorial for 12-year-old killed in crash When tragedy strikes, your community should wrap their arms around you. The Villas is a prime example of just that.
New overtime rules could mean higher staffing costs for SWFL businesses Big changes and potentially higher staffing costs are in store for thousands of businesses and nonprofits in Southwest Florida and around the country if new U.S. Department of Labor overtime rules go into effect as planned July 1.
Tim Aten Knows: More SWFL pizzerias permanently close post-season Naples Pizza permanently closed Memorial Day weekend after doing business for more than 15 years in East Naples.
FORT MYERS Bicyclist hit by car in Fort Myers on Veronica Shoemaker Blvd. Police are investigating a collision between a vehicle and a bicyclist on Veronica Shoemaker Boulevard that appears to be fatal.
Tropics: AL 92 expected to approach NE Florida coast, second disturbance 60% chance of development According to the National Hurricane Center, a small but concentrated area of showers and thunderstorms persists, and an area of low pressure, designated as AL92, is around 120 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida.
HENDRY COUNTY Speculation rising while hazmat teams collect air samples in Hendry County Anxiety is beginning to build in a small Hendry County community after several people and first responders got sick.
Triple-digit feels-like temps and isolated storms for your Friday forecast Isolated storms are expected on Friday, mainly in the late afternoon and just after sunset. The best rain coverage will be south of the Caloosahatchee and inland.
Meet Therese, Brianna, and Windy: OCEARCH Tracking Florida Loggerhead Sea Turtles During Nesting Season We are well into the 2024 sea turtle nesting season, and OCEARCH is now monitoring nine turtles that have pinged on the Florida coastline.
49-year-old Collier County man found guilty of molesting child A Collier County man was convicted of molesting a child following a three-day trial.
FORT MYERS Crews respond to car fire near a Fort Myers home Crews are on the scene of a car fire near a home in Fort Myers early Friday morning.
CAPE CORAL Blue-green algae reported in a Cape Coral canal Blue-green algae is back in parts of Southwest Florida. This time, authorities are finding the gunky substance in a Cape Coral canal.
CAPE CORAL Driver killed in Cape Coral rollover crash A driver has been pronounced dead after their vehicle rolled over and crashed in Cape Coral.
FORT MYERS Beat the heat with an ice-cold beer at Beerfest this weekend Summer is officially here. This weekend, you can beat the heat with an ice-cold beer at Fort Myers’s Brewing Company.
FORT MYERS Music Walk happening Friday evening in downtown Fort Myers Music is returning to the streets of downtown Fort Myers Friday evening.
CAPE CORAL Family of American hero relieved after killer’s sentencing Thursday, the man responsible for the attack that killed Daniel Eggers got the maximum sentence of 30 years.
VILLAS Land donated for permanent memorial for 12-year-old killed in crash When tragedy strikes, your community should wrap their arms around you. The Villas is a prime example of just that.
Insurers are figuring out if your home is worth their risk without even stepping foot on your property. Consumer advocates worry this will make Florida’s insurance crisis even worse for homeowners. Industry experts believe using drones is a better way to assess homes. Just Google your address, and you’re bound to find an aerial, satellite, or drone image of your house. Now, homeowners insurance companies are getting into the drone photography game, but not for the pretty picture of your home. Amy Bach is the Executive Director of the consumer advocacy group United Policyholders. “it’s kind of like your credit score is a big deal. Now, your insurance score is a big deal in terms of whether or not they are going to keep you, what they’re going to charge you,” Bach said. Bach noted insurers aren’t necessarily getting the video and pictures themselves, they’re buying them from insurtech companies. Those companies use innovative technology to help insurers be more efficient and save money. Homes damaged during Hurricane Ian. (Credit: WINK News) “A lot of people are finding out that their insurers are basically spying on them from the sky and then using what they see to drop them or raise their premiums,” she added. Bach suspects Florida homeowners who live in coastal counties, the counties with the most hurricane risk, will experience the highest premium increases or policy non-renewals. “[An insurtech company] showed me some of the aerial images that they have, and they literally have every single tree circle with red,” she recalled. “In Florida, it’s generally going to be the roof. Insurers are very focused on roof conditions in Florida.” RELATED: Slate of bills to reduce property insurance costs moves through Florida Senate Meanwhile, Mark Friedlander with the Insurance Information Institute said this practice isn’t new. Insurers send drones through areas hit by hurricanes and other natural disasters all the time. But Florida insurers may be the trendsetter by using them for home inspections. “It is a much more precise, accurate way to assess the condition of homes,” he responded. “Insurers have a right to inspect your home and we feel it’s much less intrusive [to use] a drone to take aerial imagery versus sending somebody out.” Drone image of homes, CREDIT: WINK News Friedlander added that the most common time your home is inspected is when it is time to renew your policy or when you just bought new coverage. Florida law requires insurers to give you 48 hours’ notice of an inspection, but they do not have to give you a copy of the inspection report. However, Friedlander said it’s a common practice. If the insurer determines your home is too risky, Florida law also requires that the insurer tell you why they’re not renewing your policy. “The goal isn’t to eliminate customers,” Friedlander clarified. “It is to assess risk and make sure that the home meets the underwriting guidelines of your insurance company. They want to write the best risk.” Still, United Policyholders is calling on lawmakers to make it mandatory for insurers to provide homeowners with an inspection report and give homeowners a chance to correct any errors they believe the insurance company made on the report. If the insurer isn’t going to renew you, the group believes you should be given some time to fix whatever issue they point out. Don’t be freaked out if your insurer sends someone to your home and they need to come inside. Friedlander later said “As Florida home insurers increase their underwriting scrutiny of properties, some are inspecting both exteriors and interiors.” Has your insurance company used drone or aerial imagery for an inspection? Has it impacted your premiums or coverage? Email us at investigations@winknews.com