WINK Neighborhood Watch: Animal abuse, grand theft auto and spousal murderPresident Biden approves Florida disaster declaration
southwest florida WINK Neighborhood Watch: Animal abuse, grand theft auto and spousal murder This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features animal abuse, grand theft auto and a man murdering his wife.
President Biden approves Florida disaster declaration President Biden approved a Florida disaster declaration after Hurricane Helene left a wake of destruction.
NAPLES Crash in Collier County leaves car in canal and driver dead A traffic crash occurred in Naples on 12th Avenue Northeast near Wilson Boulevard.
SANIBEL Sanibel couple remaining hopeful following damage from Helene A Sanibel couple is remaining hopeful after flooding impacted their home during Helene Thursday night.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents recovering from Helene two years after Ian Due to Helene, The City of Sanibel has postponed a two-year Ian celebration and turned the event into a cleanup.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach seeking to avoid unnecessary traffic after Helene The town of Fort Myers Beach is asking some people not to visit the island.
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.
southwest florida WINK Neighborhood Watch: Animal abuse, grand theft auto and spousal murder This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features animal abuse, grand theft auto and a man murdering his wife.
President Biden approves Florida disaster declaration President Biden approved a Florida disaster declaration after Hurricane Helene left a wake of destruction.
NAPLES Crash in Collier County leaves car in canal and driver dead A traffic crash occurred in Naples on 12th Avenue Northeast near Wilson Boulevard.
SANIBEL Sanibel couple remaining hopeful following damage from Helene A Sanibel couple is remaining hopeful after flooding impacted their home during Helene Thursday night.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents recovering from Helene two years after Ian Due to Helene, The City of Sanibel has postponed a two-year Ian celebration and turned the event into a cleanup.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach seeking to avoid unnecessary traffic after Helene The town of Fort Myers Beach is asking some people not to visit the island.
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.
You could get a text, a call, or an email saying that one of your accounts has been compromised. They then tell you that you need to act fast to prevent a loss of data and/or money. But don’t respond immediately because you may fall right into the scammer’s trap. The scam is defined to make you act quickly and induce nerves by putting you at risk when you actually weren’t. You can set up your bank accounts, credit cards, online shopping accounts and even streaming services to notify them of suspicious activity. They would be the ones to tell you if your account has been compromised. Scammers have figured that out as well. They can now send you alerts too. It might look legit but it could be a trick to get you to install malware onto your device. The Better Business Bureau of West Florida’s Bryan Oglesby says those problems are growing. “Scammers are really just trying to play on your emotion, they’re trying to create panic and angst and get you as a consumer act now and click on those links,” Oglesby said. Once that malware is on your phone, computer, or tablet. All of your personal information, banking information, texts and photos can end up in the hands of cybercriminals. Steps you can take to protect yourself include: Don’t panic Don’t click on unknown links call the fraud department yourself legitimate alerts will never
A local philanthropist has been named one of Gulfshore Life magazine’s Women of the Year. Janet Cohen has donated to several different Southwest Florida organizations, helping people of all ages, from children to college students and older. “Well, I somehow have more money than I anticipated having, and I thought to share it with other people was a very good thing to do,” Cohen said. “It became a habit. If you can have a habit of giving away money.” It started in the 90’s, when Cohen and her late husband Harvey donated to the Naples Philharmonic. Since then, she’s helped create a garden at the Golisano Children’s Hospital, donated to the Holocaust Museum and created a warm place for children to grieve at Avow Hospice. The Salvation Army has a youth center in honor of her late daughter, and at Florida Gulf Coast University, the couple helped build the student union, fondly known as “Harv’s Place.” “I just enjoy doing it,” Cohen said. “I appreciate the fact that I had the means to do it.” Cohen is not one to brag about how much she’s given. She was hesitant to even give an interview, saying she gives from the heart, not for publicity. “I just want to be remembered as a decent, caring, honest woman,” Cohen said.
Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference Tuesday from Okeechobee Steak House Tuesday afternoon. The governor reaffirmed restaurants will remain fully open and reassured owners and workers he is fully supporting the hospitality industry. Amid increasing COVID-19 cases and deaths recently in the state, DeSantis said statistics show the majority of coronavirus infections are happening with the home and not while people are dining out. You can watch the news conference in the player below or click here:
The first home test for COVID-19 that doesn’t require a prescription will soon be on U.S. store shelves. U.S. regulators Tuesday authorized the rapid coronavirus test, which can be done entirely at home. The announcement by the Food and Drug Administration represents another important — though incremental — step in efforts to expand testing options. The agency’s action allows the test to be sold in places like drugstores “where a patient can buy it, swab their nose, run the test and find out their results in as little as 20 minutes,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, in a statement. Regulators granted emergency use for a similar home test last month, but that one requires a doctor’s prescription. Initial supplies of the over-the-counter test will be limited. Australian manufacturer Ellume said it expects to produce 3 million tests next month before ramping up production over the first half of 2021. A company spokesperson said the test will be priced around $30 and be available at pharmacies and for purchase online. The kit includes a nasal swab, a chemical solution and a testing strip. The test connects digitally to a smart phone app that displays the results and then helps interpret the results. Users can also connect with a health professional via the app. For months, health experts have stressed the need for fast, widespread home testing so that people can screen themselves and avoid contact with others if they have an infection. But the vast majority of tests still require a nasal swab performed by a health processional that must be processed at high-tech laboratories. That typically means waiting days for the results. About 25 tests allow people to collect their own sample at home— a nasal swab or saliva — but then that’s shipped to a lab. Currently the U.S. is testing nearly 2 million people daily. Most health experts agree the country needs to be testing many times more. Ellume’s test looks for viral proteins shed by COVID-19, which is different from the gold-standard approach of tests that look for the genetic material of the virus. Like other tests that scan for proteins, FDA officials noted that Ellume’s test can deliver a small percentage of false positive and false negative results. People who get a negative result but have coronavirus symptoms should follow up with a health professional, the agency said.
The Florida Department of Health in Lee County (DOH-Lee) has notified the public of a red tide bloom near Lighthouse Beach Park. Some people may have mild and short-lived respiratory symptoms such as eye, nose, and throat irritation similar to cold symptoms. Some individuals with breathing problems such as asthma might experience more severe symptoms. Usually, symptoms go away when a person leaves the area or goes indoors. Health officials recommend that people experiencing these symptoms stay away from beach areas or go into an air-conditioned space. If symptoms do not subside, DOH advises contacting your health care provider for evaluation. The Department recommends that you: Do not swim around dead fish at this location. If you have chronic respiratory problems, be careful and consider staying away from this location as red tide can affect your breathing. Do not harvest or eat molluscan shellfish and distressed or dead fish from this location. If fish are healthy, rinse fillets with tap or bottled water and throw out the guts. Keep pets and livestock away from water, seafoam and dead sea life. Residents living in beach areas are advised to close windows and run the air conditioner (making sure that the A/C filter is maintained according to manufacturer’s specifications). If outdoors, residents may choose to wear paper filter masks, especially if onshore winds are blowing. Florida Poison Control Centers have a toll-free 24/7 Hotline for reporting of illnesses, including health effects from exposure to red tide at 1-888-232-8635. Please visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research website for additional information on the locations where red tide has been found: myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide.
NOTE: No COVID-19 vaccine is currently available to the general public on request. Staff updated the Lee Board of County Commissioners Tuesday about the COVID-19 vaccination rollout and the county’s role to serve as a support mechanism to the state. At a regularly scheduled meeting, staff presented the most up-to-date information available to commissioners, who as a county board have no decision-making authority related to who or which entities receive the long-anticipated vaccination first. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is anticipated to work through the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) and the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) on a phased-in approach. A link to the governor’s Draft COVID-19 Vaccination Plan is available at floridahealthcovid19.gov. Vaccinations will not be available to the general public until the initial phases are complete. Commissioners are committed to providing residents information and resources from federal, state and partner agencies when available. The county has created a landing page at leegov.com/vaccine. Key points made at the Board meeting include: Christine Brady, Assistant County Manager: Federal guidance has been provided regarding vaccination distribution, but final distribution decisions will be made in the Governor’s Office. The state has a vaccination plan and efforts will be led by FDEM and FDOH. Lee County’s role is to support those state operations. The county’s goal is to provide information as we receive it. Ben Abes, Director, Lee County Public Safety – Emergency Medical Services: The state’s first priority will be residents in long-term care facilities and frontline hospital workers. Next, the vaccine will be made available to first responders and older adults with higher-risk medical conditions. As supply becomes widely available, the vaccine will be available through healthcare providers to the general public. Lee Mayfield, Director, Lee County Public Safety – Emergency Management Lee County is in a supporting role to the state Division of Emergency Management and state Department of Health. Lee County Public Safety is coordinating with these lead agencies daily. Vaccine information is fluid and may change based on state guidance.
As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, there have been 1,143,794 positive cases of the coronavirus recorded in the state. The case count includes 1,124,742 Florida residents and 19,052 non-Florida residents. There are 20,082 Florida resident deaths reported, 283 non-resident deaths, and 58,612 hospitalizations at some point during illness, according to the Florida Department of Health. *Numbers are released by the DOH every afternoon. STATEWIDE NUMBERS Total number of recorded cases: 1,143,794 (up from 1,134,383) Florida resident deaths: 20,082 (up from 20,003) Non-resident deaths: 283 (up from 268) Total deaths in state (Fla./non-Fla. residents combined): 20,365 (up from 20,271) 9,411 total new cases reported Tuesday 79 new resident deaths reported Tuesday 15 new non-resident deaths reported Tuesday Percent positive for new cases in Fla. residents: 9.64% This percent is the number of people who test PCR- or antigen-positive for the first time divided by all the people tested that day, excluding people who have previously tested positive. SOUTHWEST FLORIDA NUMBERS Total recorded cases in SWFL: 67,501 (up from 66,965) Deaths: 1,247 (up from 1,240) 536 total new cases reported Tuesday 7 new deaths reported Tuesday Lee County: 35,031 cases (up from 34,717) – 622 deaths (7 new) Collier County: 20,151 (up from 20,021) – 310 deaths Charlotte County: 6,104 (down from 6,111 *DOH reclassified 7 cases) – 212 deaths DeSoto County: 2,628 (up from 2,613) – 46 deaths Glades County: 721 (up from 718) – 11 deaths Hendry County: 2,866 (up from 2,785) – 46 deaths Click HERE* for a case-by-case breakdown – updated daily. *If not linked, the final report has not yet been made available. TESTING DATA Effective Oct. 27, the Florida Department of Health ceased releasing data showing overall testing numbers. Their statement: “The Florida Department of Health is making adjustments to the COVID-19 dashboard and daily report to provide clear, accurate information for Florida families. Moving forward, the daily report will focus on the number of tests reported to the state by day and the corresponding positivity rate by day. The previously reported cumulative number did not reflect the current status of the pandemic in Florida. This change is in line with the CDC recommendation that calculation of percent positivity [is] applied consistently and with clear communication, will allow public health officials to follow magnitude and trends effectively, and the trends will be useful for local public health decision making.” RESOURCES NOW HIRING: SWFL companies adding jobs FOOD PANTRIES: Harry Chapin mobile food pantry schedule, week of Dec. 14 REPORT COVID-19 DIAGNOSIS/TEST: International self-reporting system IF YOU FEEL SICK: The Florida Department of Health has a 24-hour COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours. LINK: Florida Department of Health COVID-19 updates *The map is best viewed on a desktop computer. If you don’t see the map above tap HERE for a fullscreen version.
Lawyers for the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein are urging a judge to free her to await trial under a $28.5 million bail package that would include armed guards to ensure she remains safe and doesn’t flee a New York City residence. The bail arguments on behalf of Ghislaine Maxwell, first filed under seal last Tuesday, were publicly released late Monday with redactions in Manhattan federal court that were approved by Judge Alison J. Nathan. They were supported by numerous letters from family and friends who insisted that Maxwell sought seclusion in a New Hampshire home in December 2019 after receiving death threats and worrying that the public and media would find her at a home where she lived with her husband. A security specialist who offered to pledge $1 million toward the bail package and to provide armed security for Maxwell if she is released on bail said Maxwell retreated into a back room of her residence when the FBI approached on July 2 because it was thought reporters had found her. Maxwell, 58, is scheduled to face a July trial on charges that she recruited three teenage girls for Epstein to abuse in the mid-1990s. Her first attempt at bail shortly after her July arrest was rejected. The lawyers said Maxwell and her spouse, with whom she has been living for most of the past four years, were offering a bail package partially consisting of a $22.5 million personal recognizance bond secured by $8 million in property and $500,000 in cash. They said it represents all of Maxwell and her husband’s assets, including three homes. The husband wasn’t identified in court papers, but a financial report among exhibits said the couple was married in 2016 and that Maxwell had put the majority of the $20.2 million in assets she had in 2015 into a trust controlled by her spouse. It said the assets, $16 million of which were in cash or equities, were worth $22.5 million on Oct. 31. The financial report also noted that prosecutors in their initial bail submission cited transfers totaling more than $20 million from 2007 to 2011, describing them as transfers from Epstein’s accounts to Maxwell’s accounts and vice versa. The financial report noted that Maxwell acted during those years as an officer of various corporate entities related to aircraft and air travel associated with Epstein and there were substantial transfers involving those corporate entities. The identities of seven other close friends and family members who the lawyers said were willing to pledge about $5 million of their own assets toward the bail package were also not revealed. The lawyers said bail would include electronic monitoring. “Ms. Maxwell vehemently maintains her innocence and is committed to defending herself,” the lawyers wrote. “She wants nothing more than to remain in this country to fight the allegations against her, which are based on the uncorroborated testimony of a handful of witnesses about events that took place over 25 years ago.” To support the bail request, the lawyers included a letter from Maxwell’s spouse. They said the letter tells how Ms. Maxwell was forced to leave her family and drop out of public view, not because she was eluding law enforcement, but because of “the intense media frenzy and threats following the arrest and death of Jeffrey Epstein.” In one letter attached to the bail request as an exhibit, an individual wrote: “Her love for … her husband was a principal reason that she stayed close by as possible while fighting for her innocence.” “I can attest that when she moved, it was always and only due to fear of being discovered by the press or ‘vigilantes’ – the fear was palpable,” the unidentified individual wrote. “The only reason that she was forced to find quiet places to be in all this time, is due to the howling ‘mobs’ screaming for her ‘scalp’ on Twitter and other social media outlets.” The individual added: “She has never hid from the authorities and is frustrated that she never had the opportunity to talk to them personally to counteract all the lies pouring out in the media.” Epstein killed himself in a federal Manhattan lockup in August 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. He was 66. A spokesperson for prosecutors declined to comment.
Which winter sports are safest to play during the pandemic? The best physical activities for limiting the risk of coronavirus infections are the ones you do alone or with members of your household, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Staying active during the pandemic is important for mental and physical health, says Dr. Michael Terry, who specializes in sports medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Winter activities that limit the risk of infection include individual sports such as skiing, snowshoeing, and figure skating, he says. With solo activities, such as running or skiing, Terry says to “be courteous” by wearing a mask and distancing yourself when you pass others. There are also ways to mitigate risks if you choose an activity that involves other people, he says. Wear a mask, try to socially distance and wash your hands. Also, avoid sharing equipment, the CDC says. For one-on-one sports like squash or basketball, limit who you play with, preferably to someone in your household. Contact sports like hockey or wrestling with people who live outside of your household raise the possibility of spreading the virus.
A man accused of abusing foster children at a Cape Coral home plead guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child in a Lee County court on Tuesday. Daniel Spurgeon, 52, was arrested in 2016 by the Cape Coral Police Department after an investigation showed he was abusing 10 foster children in his care. Spurgeon plead no contest to three counts of lewd or lascivious molestation and two counts of child neglect. Spurgeon will serve 15 years for the Lee County charges, which will run concurrently to a 25-year sentence in Alabama. Spurgeon will also be designated as a sexual predator and will have no contact with the victims. He will also get credit for time served. Francine Donnorummo, the prosecutor in the case, said the victims in the case chose not to attend the plea hearing. The depositions in the case, she said, were “very painful for them.” Spurgeon was arrested along with his wife Jenise Spurgeon, 57, in the case. The two were then arrested on similar charges in Alabama, where the children are originally from. Jenise Spurgeon bonded out of Lee County Jail but was then picked up as a fugitive from Alabama, jail records show. In 2019, Spurgeon plead guilty to child abuse, sexual abuse and torture charges in Alabama, where he is set to do 25 years of prison time. He will serve his 15 years in Alabama. The case against Jenise Spurgeon in Lee County remains open, records show. She is scheduled for a pretrial conference hearing in front of Judge Robert J. Branning on Jan. 5.