Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCUFGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony
FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCU San Carlos Park Fire District responded to a dumpster fire Sunday afternoon.
FORT MYERS FGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony Graduation is a right of passage from school to the real world, but for these students, reality hit them in 2020.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcycle crash leaves 1 dead One person has died after a motorcycle crash in Charlotte County.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Know your risk Hurricane season starts on June 1st, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designated the week of May 5 through May 11 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Each day, Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler will be highlighting ways to stay prepared ahead of this year’s hurricane season.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Stay alert – chance of showers and storms on Sunday Hot, humid, and more rain for parts of Southwest Florida on Sunday.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCU San Carlos Park Fire District responded to a dumpster fire Sunday afternoon.
FORT MYERS FGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony Graduation is a right of passage from school to the real world, but for these students, reality hit them in 2020.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcycle crash leaves 1 dead One person has died after a motorcycle crash in Charlotte County.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Know your risk Hurricane season starts on June 1st, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designated the week of May 5 through May 11 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Each day, Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler will be highlighting ways to stay prepared ahead of this year’s hurricane season.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Stay alert – chance of showers and storms on Sunday Hot, humid, and more rain for parts of Southwest Florida on Sunday.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
WINK NEWS DEO to remove online option to backdate unemployment claims; must call to request change The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is removing the online option to backdate your unemployment claim if you have had issues filing. Backdating claims have been a big topic among people filing for unemployment — especially because website issues early on made it so hundreds if not thousands of people submitted claims days or weeks […]
FORT MYERS DeSantis claims billions of dollars paid out for unemployment, while some still wait to be paid A picture of success? The Department of Economic Opportunity is showing that nearly all of the 1.5 million eligible unemployment claims have been paid. Governor Ron DeSantis talked a lot about getting the situation under control, but is it really? While we’re still hearing from people every day, you say you’re missing three, four, five […]
WINK NEWS SWFL jobless rate declines as more return to work; statewide unemployment increases Southwest Florida unemployment rates are going down, while the state’s number is going up as of May 2020. Lee: 14% Charlotte:13.5% Collier: 13.1% Hendry: 11.5% Glades: 7.9% DeSoto: 7.1% Friday, the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) released new numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Southwest Florida is doing better in other areas of the […]
‘Technology concerns’ may have caused missed unemployment payments, state says The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity said Thursday that 97 percent of unemployment claimants have been paid, but that doesn’t mean they’ve been paid in full. For weeks, you’ve been asking WINK News reporter Sara Girard, “where is my money?” Girard created a Facebook poll, and out of almost 1,500 people in Southwest Florida who […]
TALLAHASSEE Frustrated workers across the state protest failing unemployment system Frustrated workers across the state are protesting the unemployment system. Multiple groups of about a dozen or two people took to the streets to take a stand against Florida’s failing unemployment system. WINK News Investigative Reporter Sara Girard has been following Florida’s unemployment crisis from the start of the pandemic. She spoke with one of […]
WINK NEWS Nationwide unemployment rate drops, but people in SWFL still struggle to find work While bars, restaurants, and other businesses begin to reopen, the possibility of going back to work for many increases. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report Friday that shows the nationwide unemployment rate for May is 13.3 percent, down from 14.7 percent in April. The U.S. added 2.5 million jobs in May. Economists estimated […]
FORT MYERS Payments held or missing, unemployment system continues to frustrate people in SWFL Unemployment continues to frustrate countless people in Southwest Florida. While the state’s dashboard says 97% of claimants have been paid their benefits, you say that number is misleading. Paid doesn’t mean paid in full. Thursday, some of you say payments have stopped altogether. If you’re even remotely familiar with the current unemployment system, this will […]
WINK NEWS New virtual unemployment ‘waiting room’ frustrates claimants Florida Department of Economic Opportunity says it has a new feature to help you during your unemployment process, but people using the systems are only describing more frustration. We’ve been getting mixed reviews on what you think of the new virtual waiting room. Some of you say it’s smoother once you actually log on. Others […]
WINK NEWS Unemployment: Judge says he has no ‘authority’ to order state to fix system, make immediate payments A Tallahassee judge said Thursday he cannot order the state to pay people immediately because he doesn’t have the authority, which comes as disappointment for hundreds of thousands unemployed Floridians. Serious, scared, devastated and frustrated — that is how Judge John Cooper described the people waiting to be paid their unemployment benefits and struggling to […]
Emergency hearing outlines unemployment issues, ruling continued A judge in Tallahassee held an emergency hearing Tuesday on unemployment compensation to address an injunction filed on behalf of more than 200,000 unemployed Floridians. The marathon hearing went from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. WINK News investigative reporter Sara Girard live-tweeted what happened. Read her summary: The plaintiffs are demanding the Department of Economic […]