Historic home and lives upended in Charlotte Harbor floodingGov. DeSantis reviews the damage done by Hurricane Helene
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Historic home and lives upended in Charlotte Harbor flooding While Hurricane Helene was not expected to cause a life-threatening storm surge in the county, the residents were walloped by rising flood water.
Dekle Beach Gov. DeSantis reviews the damage done by Hurricane Helene Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Dekle Beach.
Tracking power outages after Helene There are still several thousand neighbors in southwest Florida without power as of Saturday.
The Weather Authority The Weather Authority: Scattered rain and storms throughout your Saturday The Weather Authority is tracking scattered rain and storms throughout your Saturday afternoon.
Southwest Florida remembers Hurricane Ian 2 years later; what happened before and after the storm The storm that had devastated Southwest Florida, Hurricane Ian, has now reached its 2nd anniversary of landfall.
High School Football Scoreboard Week 6 Hurricane Helene couldn’t keep all the Friday night lights off in Southwest Florida. Week 6 was a loaded slate included a classic in the WINK News Game of the Week.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs begins clean up operations On Friday, the Department of Transportation pushed sand off the road on Hickory Island after Hurricane Helene ripped through
MANASOTA KEY Manasota woman recovers after home destroyed by Helene Whipping winds – the sound of Hurricane Helene ripping through Manasota Key, as swells smashed into the island. Even so, Marsha Viglianco stayed to watch from her back porch.
El Jobean residents fighting to recover from Helene In Charlotte County, people living in El Jobean are in recovery mode Friday night. Many were flooded out of their homes, and now they’re figuring out their next steps.
NAPLES Restoration efforts begin in the aftermath of Helene in Collier County Helene gave Naples Beach flash flooding a debris Thursday night.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda couple deals with flooding after Helene A Punta Gorda couple is recovering as the storm surge from Helene went through their dream home.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Flooding affects business in downtown Fort Myers In downtown Fort Myers, the streets may be drying up, but for one business owner on Bay Street, the true struggle is just getting started.
BONITA SPRINGS Damage in Bonita Springs from Helene It seems like nearly every place on the water was left with significant damage. In Bonita Springs, storm surge pushed into the city.
FORT MYERS BEACH Closer look at rescue operations during Helene All across Southwest Florida, we saw stories of bravery and selflessness during Helene.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Neighbors hit with flooding in Dean Park community On Friday, roads in downtown Fort Myers were fairly dry. It’s a stark contrast to Thursday night’s storm surge caused by the outer bands of Hurricane Helene.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Historic home and lives upended in Charlotte Harbor flooding While Hurricane Helene was not expected to cause a life-threatening storm surge in the county, the residents were walloped by rising flood water.
Dekle Beach Gov. DeSantis reviews the damage done by Hurricane Helene Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Dekle Beach.
Tracking power outages after Helene There are still several thousand neighbors in southwest Florida without power as of Saturday.
The Weather Authority The Weather Authority: Scattered rain and storms throughout your Saturday The Weather Authority is tracking scattered rain and storms throughout your Saturday afternoon.
Southwest Florida remembers Hurricane Ian 2 years later; what happened before and after the storm The storm that had devastated Southwest Florida, Hurricane Ian, has now reached its 2nd anniversary of landfall.
High School Football Scoreboard Week 6 Hurricane Helene couldn’t keep all the Friday night lights off in Southwest Florida. Week 6 was a loaded slate included a classic in the WINK News Game of the Week.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs begins clean up operations On Friday, the Department of Transportation pushed sand off the road on Hickory Island after Hurricane Helene ripped through
MANASOTA KEY Manasota woman recovers after home destroyed by Helene Whipping winds – the sound of Hurricane Helene ripping through Manasota Key, as swells smashed into the island. Even so, Marsha Viglianco stayed to watch from her back porch.
El Jobean residents fighting to recover from Helene In Charlotte County, people living in El Jobean are in recovery mode Friday night. Many were flooded out of their homes, and now they’re figuring out their next steps.
NAPLES Restoration efforts begin in the aftermath of Helene in Collier County Helene gave Naples Beach flash flooding a debris Thursday night.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda couple deals with flooding after Helene A Punta Gorda couple is recovering as the storm surge from Helene went through their dream home.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Flooding affects business in downtown Fort Myers In downtown Fort Myers, the streets may be drying up, but for one business owner on Bay Street, the true struggle is just getting started.
BONITA SPRINGS Damage in Bonita Springs from Helene It seems like nearly every place on the water was left with significant damage. In Bonita Springs, storm surge pushed into the city.
FORT MYERS BEACH Closer look at rescue operations during Helene All across Southwest Florida, we saw stories of bravery and selflessness during Helene.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Neighbors hit with flooding in Dean Park community On Friday, roads in downtown Fort Myers were fairly dry. It’s a stark contrast to Thursday night’s storm surge caused by the outer bands of Hurricane Helene.
We all go to the doctor. As WINK News Anchor Chris Cifatte found, there are some extra checks you may want to do before you go to a new practice. Marnie Watts worked as an office manager for a dermatology practice in Naples called Art of Dermatology. “I thought it was going to be great,” said Watts. “I put all my time and effort into it. It was set to open in early 2023.” She started a few months before that to get things ready. But she said the problems started before the doors opened and kept coming. “We got a letter from the state saying that we couldn’t get this HCCE permit, which gave us the ability to order medications from medical suppliers,” stated Watts. An HCCE or Health Care Clinic Establishment permit is required for a healthcare business to buy prescription drugs. Watts claimed because they didn’t have one, the Florida practice could not legitimately order any prescription drugs, so Art of Dermatology shipped them from their Michigan office. “Yeah, from the Michigan Office, all like wrapped in like a birthday present,” said Watts. “So was that because they couldn’t legitimately get them here?” asked Cifatte. “Correct. Because we didn’t have the HCCE permit,” explained Watts. In fact, the practice’s landlord sued to evict them from their offices on Goodlette Frank Road. In addition to not having an HCCE permit, the suit said Art of Dermatology didn’t have a business license, a business tax license, or insurance and failed to make loan or lease payments on its equipment. The dermatology office denied any wrongdoing. We found their name stripped from the building where their office was. All the issues were too much for Watts. She resigned. Watts also sued over pay. She claimed, per her employment contract, she is owed overtime and a $5000 recruitment bonus from her employers, Doctor Chethana Gottam and her husband Vikram. The suit claimed they also deducted health insurance from her pay but did not pay the premium or reimburse her for out-of-pocket expenses. In the court response, the doctor denied all of the claims above. When Watts quit, she thought it would be a good idea to warn potential patients. “I had posted something on the NextDoor app,” she explained. “That our dermatology is not open, you know, the truth of the story. And I first got a letter about a defamation lawsuit for that.” She received a cease and desist letter. She took her review down and the company did not pursue further action. But Watts punched back with her lawyer, Robert Goodman. “I responded that everything she said was true, and therefore, it’s not defamation. And that she’s got potential counterclaims,” explained Goodman. Watts said things got so bad she came home one night after quitting to find a police detective at her house. “They accused me of rerouting insurance checks to my home address through the postal department, which is very odd because they weren’t credentialed with any insurance companies in Florida,” she added. Naples Police investigated and couldn’t find any proof a crime had been committed by Marnie Watts. Now, she wants the back pay she is owed for the work she did and to move on. Watts and Art of Dermatology have now settled the lawsuit. The eviction lawsuit was also settled. The company sent WINK News the statement below through its public relations firm: Our company acknowledges that we did have some unexpected license and permitting paperwork delays when we opened our first office in Florida two years ago. We took care of these as quickly as possible and they are now behind us. For nearly a year now, we have been serving satisfied clients in our new state-of-the-art office. All of our licensing and permits have been procured and are current, and we remain in good standing with all appropriate state agencies and regulatory bodies. Regarding the wage and hour claims made by Marnie Watts, she was a former employee who worked for us for a very short period of time. While we dispute any wrongdoing, both parties have agreed to settle the matter. It’s been an absolute privilege to serve patients throughout Southwest Florida and we truly look forward to continuing our good work for many years to come. –Art of Dermatology Resources To check for an HCCE permit, click here. Choose to search by name, then enter the company name or person’s name in the appropriate space. To check for a business license, click here. You can check by business name or for an individual. To verify a medical license, click here.