Punta Gorda man accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of marijuana products1.6 Million gallons of raw sewage released in Charlotte County
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda man accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of marijuana products When they reviewed the security footage they saw 23-year-old Tyrese Jackson wearing a mask, gloves, and carrying tools with tags still on them to pry open that door.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR 1.6 Million gallons of raw sewage released in Charlotte County The Department of Environmental Protection is investigating how southwest Florida will be impacted after 1.6 million gallons of raw sewage seeped into the Charlotte Harbor over the weekend.
NORTH PORT North Port man accuses insurance carrier of fraud A North Port man went on 60 Minutes to accuse his home insurance carrier, Hertigate Insurance of fraud and worse.
Adopt a Mangrove event helps protect Sanibel’s shoreline Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation invited you to adopt your very own mangrove tree. The program allows volunteers to adopt and grow mangrove seedlings to help the island’s storm surge defense.
BOKEELIA Community comes together to help Bokeelia fish house The owner of Capt’n Con’s Fish House recently said she didn’t think they would be able to keep their doors open.
Fort Myers Beach couple remains positive ahead of heavy rain Fort Myers Beach is projected to receive inches of rain on Saturday, a little over a week after Helene. A Fort Myers Beach couple remains positive despite losing so much during Helene.
Lee County School District announces Helene makeup days Hurricane Helene canceled school days across Southwest Florida, and now schools are making up for the lost days.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors worried about future rain in Port Charlotte Flooded streets and road closure signs. These aren’t from a hurricane. Just an afternoon rain shower.
Charlotte Sheriff opposes Amendment 3 A highly debated topic that is going to be on the ballot in the state of Florida this November is Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana.
CAPTIVA Sanibel and Captiva picking back up after Helene It’s a race against the clock for all of Southwest Florida as communities pick up from Hurricane Helene. Rain is in the forecast again.
FORT MYERS BEACH A village helps a man rebuild on Fort Myers Beach With Helene on our minds, it’s hard to miss the impact Hurricane Ian still has on so many people two years later.
Charlotte County says they don’t have drainage issues in Port Charlotte A community left water logged over and over again is ready for it to end.
Bank of America says outages have been fixed Bank of America said an apparent glitch that caused widespread outages has been fixed.
TICE Second woman dead after September stabbing in Tice A second woman is dead after a stabbing. It happened on Sept. 20 on Montgomery Avenue in Tice.
VILLAS WINK News Game of the Week: Oasis at ECS Our WINK News Game of the Week brings us to Evangelical Christian School as the Sentinels host the Oasis High School Sharks.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda man accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of marijuana products When they reviewed the security footage they saw 23-year-old Tyrese Jackson wearing a mask, gloves, and carrying tools with tags still on them to pry open that door.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR 1.6 Million gallons of raw sewage released in Charlotte County The Department of Environmental Protection is investigating how southwest Florida will be impacted after 1.6 million gallons of raw sewage seeped into the Charlotte Harbor over the weekend.
NORTH PORT North Port man accuses insurance carrier of fraud A North Port man went on 60 Minutes to accuse his home insurance carrier, Hertigate Insurance of fraud and worse.
Adopt a Mangrove event helps protect Sanibel’s shoreline Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation invited you to adopt your very own mangrove tree. The program allows volunteers to adopt and grow mangrove seedlings to help the island’s storm surge defense.
BOKEELIA Community comes together to help Bokeelia fish house The owner of Capt’n Con’s Fish House recently said she didn’t think they would be able to keep their doors open.
Fort Myers Beach couple remains positive ahead of heavy rain Fort Myers Beach is projected to receive inches of rain on Saturday, a little over a week after Helene. A Fort Myers Beach couple remains positive despite losing so much during Helene.
Lee County School District announces Helene makeup days Hurricane Helene canceled school days across Southwest Florida, and now schools are making up for the lost days.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors worried about future rain in Port Charlotte Flooded streets and road closure signs. These aren’t from a hurricane. Just an afternoon rain shower.
Charlotte Sheriff opposes Amendment 3 A highly debated topic that is going to be on the ballot in the state of Florida this November is Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana.
CAPTIVA Sanibel and Captiva picking back up after Helene It’s a race against the clock for all of Southwest Florida as communities pick up from Hurricane Helene. Rain is in the forecast again.
FORT MYERS BEACH A village helps a man rebuild on Fort Myers Beach With Helene on our minds, it’s hard to miss the impact Hurricane Ian still has on so many people two years later.
Charlotte County says they don’t have drainage issues in Port Charlotte A community left water logged over and over again is ready for it to end.
Bank of America says outages have been fixed Bank of America said an apparent glitch that caused widespread outages has been fixed.
TICE Second woman dead after September stabbing in Tice A second woman is dead after a stabbing. It happened on Sept. 20 on Montgomery Avenue in Tice.
VILLAS WINK News Game of the Week: Oasis at ECS Our WINK News Game of the Week brings us to Evangelical Christian School as the Sentinels host the Oasis High School Sharks.
The fight between NCH and Florida Blue is down to the wire, as neither side has reached an agreement for months. If there’s no deal by Sept. 30, patients with Florida Blue will not have any NCH doctors in-network and will have to pay out of pocket. Patients are nervous about losing their doctor or paying more to keep seeing the same physician. “We’re going to have to be really careful about having a plan to get to an emergency room other than the ones nearby us,” said Rich, an NCH patient. “That’s number one. We will have to switch for the doctors and the care we have now at NCH. We’ll have to leave that unless they can come to terms here.” Right now, the two sides are pointing fingers at each other. NCH patients with Florida Blue insurance received a letter saying the contract isn’t keeping up with inflation. WINK News received a statement from Florida Blue, which reads, “Their current demands for higher rates without commitment to improve the efficiency of care would only result in higher costs for those in the community, many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet.” Florida Blue is one of the biggest insurers in the state and is offered at Florida Gulf Coast University and government agencies. NCH and Florida Blue have until Oct. 1 to make a deal. WINK News reached out to NCH for a statement on Monday. A spokesperson responded with the following quote: “NCH continues to proactively negotiate with Florida Blue to resolve contract terms with the insurance company. The system is seeking fair reimbursement from the insurance company to cover the rising cost of patient care and preserve local access to doctors and vital services for families across Southwest Florida.” The statement continued to mention the following: “If Florida Blue forces NCH out of network and refuses to pay our community healthcare system fairly, thousands of patients will be without access to local doctors and specialists,” said Betsy Brothers, MD, NCH North Hospital Chief Medical Officer. “As the only birthing center in Collier County, it’s critical that Florida Blue recognizes the role NCH plays in community health and listens to the patients and their customers, who depend on us when they say they want – and need – to keep their doctors in-network. We hope Florida Blue recognizes that and does the right thing.”