Morgan Rynor

People are back out on the beach. But that doesn’t mean tourists are heading to Southwest Florida to soak up the sun just yet. Tourism officials say getting back to pre-pandemic numbers in our state could take years. Tourism businesses in Southwest Florida continue to follow safety practices, as it continues to slowly reopen Friday. […]

The region’s largest employer is projecting millions of dollars in losses for the past couple months and says it could take years to recover. We looked at what Lee Health’s projected $85 million in losses through March and April could mean for employees and the future of patient care. Making up $85 million is not […]

Low stock prices and accusations of wrongdoing by employees recently laid off have been an issue at Chico’s FAS. Lee County-based Chico’s said it’s experiencing one of the fastest turnarounds in fashion retail with three consecutive quarters of unprecedented growth and a 9.4% increase in sales from Q1 to Q4 of fiscal year 2019 prior […]

Hertz is reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy after missing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of payments that have come due. A Southwest Florida economist told WINK News, Hertz is likely making this move in advance of asking a judge for protection from its creditors. Those creditors expected a big payment Monday that never […]

On Monday, about a dozen former Chico’s employees participated in a protest outside one of the Southwest Florida stores because of the way they say the company treated them. They say hundreds of employees with years of experience were laid off. Just a few months ago—Chicos celebrated the opening of brand name stores. Former employees […]

Lee County says testing is crucial in moving forward and monitoring the county as they continue to open up. They announced Friday they will be opening two new testing sites. One of the new testing sites will be a drive-through site at CenturyLink Sports Complex and you don’t need to be exhibiting any symptoms or […]

Chico’s confirmed deep job cuts on Thursday, both locally and nationwide. The Fort Myers-based fashion company filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission outlining what it calls a “significant restructuring.” In late January, Chico’s management celebrated the opening of brand new Chico’s, Soma, and White House Black Market stores in south Fort Myers. Weeks […]

With businesses set to reopen next week, does that mean we’ll see Florida’s economy climb back up? The one-time chief economist for Wells Fargo believes so – and he thinks we’ll bounce back faster than much of the country. John Silvia, the founder of Dynamic Economic Strategy, sees what we see: an economy that looks […]

Pregnancy can be beautiful, but it’s a heartbreaking topic for others. IVF treatments are on hold because of the pandemic, and women who have become pregnant may be left to deal with some complications at their homes. One reproductive doctor said these women can’t get the surgery that would ease their pain or feel comfort […]

As Campaign Central in Southwest Florida, we hosted a virtual debate with eight candidates running for the U.S. House seat representing Florida’s 19th Congressional District Monday. The candidate who wins would assume the seat U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney plans to step down from upon the end of his term. During the debated we moderated over […]