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.
ESTERO ISLAND Precautionary boil water notice issued for parts of Estero Island A precautionary water boil notice has been issued for Estero Island on Friday.
SANIBEL Helene aftermath in Sanibel While much of the water has receded, the Sanibel Causeway was closed for several hours Friday morning because city crews were trying to clean up the flooding and debris.
LEE COUNTY WINK News Player of the Week: Riverdale RB Cole Hayes Riverdale running back Cole Hayes rushed for 336 yards and five touchdowns against Cypress Lake to be named the WINK News Player of the Week.
Matlacha resident on difficult road to recovery after Helene Matlacha residents are recovering from Helene’s storm surge on Thursday.
FORT MYERS BEACH Neighbors begin to clean up after flooding on Fort Myers Beach Waking up Friday morning, Fort Myers Beach neighbors had deja vu. The site of debris, the sound of alarms and the unmistakable smell of mud brought back memories of Hurricane Ian.
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.
ESTERO ISLAND Precautionary boil water notice issued for parts of Estero Island A precautionary water boil notice has been issued for Estero Island on Friday.
SANIBEL Helene aftermath in Sanibel While much of the water has receded, the Sanibel Causeway was closed for several hours Friday morning because city crews were trying to clean up the flooding and debris.
LEE COUNTY WINK News Player of the Week: Riverdale RB Cole Hayes Riverdale running back Cole Hayes rushed for 336 yards and five touchdowns against Cypress Lake to be named the WINK News Player of the Week.
Matlacha resident on difficult road to recovery after Helene Matlacha residents are recovering from Helene’s storm surge on Thursday.
FORT MYERS BEACH Neighbors begin to clean up after flooding on Fort Myers Beach Waking up Friday morning, Fort Myers Beach neighbors had deja vu. The site of debris, the sound of alarms and the unmistakable smell of mud brought back memories of Hurricane Ian.
The Tampa Bay Rays are ending their affiliation with the Charlotte Stone Crabs in 2021. The Ray announced Wednesday they’ve invited the Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs to join the Durham (N.C.) Bulls, Montgomery (Ala.) Biscuits and Bowling Green (Ky.) Hot Rods as an affiliate team. The change comes as part of Major League Baseball’s new player development structure, which begins next year. Along with the Stone Crabs, the Hudson Valley (N.Y.) Renegades and Princeton (W.V.) Rays will no longer be affiliated with the Rays. The Stone Crabs play at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte and became a Rays affiliate in 2007. The Rays will continue spring training there, but the future of the Stone Crabs is up in the air. The team is one of at least 40 minor league teams that lost their Major League connection. John Vittas called Charlotte Sports Park his office for three years as the team’s play-by-play broadcaster. “It’s a game of musical chairs and the Stone Crabs lost the game of musical chairs,” said Vittas. “For the communities that are losing that chance to see great baseball talent in their hometowns that are largely smaller markets, it’s a shame. And Port Charlotte is one of those smaller markets that really relish in having the Stone Crabs in their back yard.” Brion Travis went to many Stone Crabs games. Count him among those who will miss the minor league baseball experience. “These things bring people together and enjoy baseball and we need that now so … and it helps the economy too.” “I know this year was especially tough on them because they weren’t able to go out and do things, and they weren’t able to see their team. And to know that it’s gone permanently now, those are the people I feel for,” Vittas said. The county said it will be reviewing the “impacts of the changes as it relates to future sports and event programming at Charlotte Sports Park.” On a related note, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels were invited by the Minnesota Twins to remain an affiliate. Statement from Charlotte County: “Charlotte County is aware of the changes made to the affiliation between the Tampa Bay Rays and Charlotte Stone Crabs owner Caribbean Baseball Initiative Group. We wish the Stone Crabs organization, players and coaches well and appreciate our partnership with them since 2016. “Charlotte County will be reviewing the impacts of the changes as it relates to future sports and event programming at Charlotte Sports Park. The county is a well-known and respected host for a number of professional, collegiate and amateur baseball organizations, tournaments and events. We look forward to exploring opportunities to expand the number of events at Charlotte Sports Park.”
A Cape Coral man said he was looking for “fun” and propositioned an undercover deputy at a Charlotte County park, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy was part of an undercover operation Tuesday at Charlotte Flatwoods Environmental Park, where sex acts have been known to happen, when he encountered John Marler, 69. Marler was sitting on a picnic table when the deputy walked through, and a conversation ensued before the deputy walked on down the trail. He returned and another conversation began before the two walked down the trail. The sheriff’s office says that while the two were walking, Marler said he was looking for “fun” and knew of a hidden location away from the picnic table where “stupid people” get caught. During the conversation, Marler was pleasuring himself and removed his penis from his pants, then attempted to grab the undercover deputy’s genital area and pull down the zipper on his pants, the report states. At that time, Marler was taken into custody by additional deputies who were nearby assisting with the operation. Deputies located a condom and two different types of lubricants inside Marler’s backpack. He faces charges of exposure of sexual organs and battery by intentional touch or strike. He is being held in the Charlotte County Jail on $2,000 bond.
What do Animal Crossing, “Tiger King,” sourdough bread, Timothée Chalamet and “social distancing date ideas” all have in common? They were all popular Google searches in 2020. Google released its annual “Year in Search” list Wednesday. The list acts as a sort of chronicle of the decades worth of newsworthy things that took place during this one weird year. The list features the year’s top trending searches, which had a high spike in traffic over a sustained period in 2020 compared to 2019. As people tried to make sense of the overwhelming barrage of news in 2020, global queries including the word “why” — such as “why is the NBA postponed?” and “why is toilet paper sold out?” — were searched more often than in any year before, Google said in a video released along with the list Wednesday. Unsurprisingly, “election results” and “coronavirus” topped the U.S. trending searches list, as people sought answers about the deadly pandemic and a crucial election that took longer than usual to play out because of the pandemic. Also among the top 10 on the list: Zoom, Naya Rivera, Chadwick Boseman and PlayStation 5. Google also broke out top U.S. trending searches in a number of categories. The “news” category includes queries about stimulus checks, the payments given to millions of Americans as part of the $2.2 trillion congressional coronavirus relief package passed in March; Iran, whose general Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US airstrike in early January, setting off a period of tension between the two countries; and murder hornets, the giant invasive bugs spotted in Washington state earlier this year. The news category also includes two of the year’s major natural disasters: Hurricane Laura, a Category 4 storm that caused death and destruction in Louisiana and Texas, and the Australia fires, which devastated large swaths of the country and killed an estimated 3 billion animals. Elsewhere, the list highlights some of this year’s prominent losses: basketball star Kobe Bryant, trailblazing Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and renowned guitarist Eddie Van Halen, as well as George Floyd, whose death sparked a nationwide reckoning and movement for racial justice. Despite all of the hardships of 2020, people stepped up to help one another in some extraordinary ways. The “how to help” section of the list shows people searched for ways to help the Black Lives Matter movement, Yemen, Beirut and someone having a panic attack. People also looked into how to donate blood, plasma and N95 masks, among other things, during the health crisis. And, of course, the top trending searches list also features some of the ways we coped and kept ourselves entertained this year. Popular searches included “drive in movie theater near me,” “virtual EDC rave,” “how to cut men’s hair at home”, and “how to make hand sanitizer.” And lest we leave out any of the other events that contributed to 2020’s chaos, here are a few other things not yet mentioned that also appeared on the list: the U.S. crackdown on TikTok, Elon Musk’s baby, stock market madness, a boom in popularity of whipped coffee, online school, a number of companies making Juneteenth a corporate holiday, “The Last Dance” documentary series chronicling Michael Jordan’s career, “Parasite” making history as the first non-English language film to win the Oscar for best picture, and the list goes on.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is circulating a framework for their $908 billion coronavirus relief proposal, but the six-page summary obtained by CBS News does not include specifics on liability protections and aid to state and local governments, two of the major sticking points in negotiations. The summary includes an “agreement in principle to provide $160 billion” for state and local governments “as the basis for good faith negotiations,” which is critical for Democrats, as well as an “agreement in principle” on liability shields, a priority for Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The summary also makes no mention of another round of direct payments to Americans, although it would reinstate a scaled-down version of the popular unemployment supplement that expired at the end of July. The proposal would provide an additional $300 per week benefit on top of unemployment insurance from the end of December until April of next year. It would also extend unemployment programs set to expire at the end of December by 16 weeks, and provide $300 billion to the Small Business Administration for the popular Paycheck Protection Program. The proposal would provide direct grants to state, territory, tribal and local governments for vaccine distribution and testing and tracing efforts, as well as funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It would provide $82 billion for education providers, and extend student loan forbearance through the end of April. The bipartisan framework responds to the looming eviction crisis, providing $25 billion in rental assistance to states and local governments and extending an eviction moratorium through the end of January. It would also attempt to address the problem of food insecurity in the country, temporarily increasing SNAP benefits by 15% and extending pandemic nutrition services. The framework also addresses funding for the airline industry and public transit, the U.S. Postal Service, agricultural subsidies and broadband expansion. However, this framework does not amount to concrete legislative text, and lawmakers remain divided over the scale and scope of a relief package. There is a shrinking timeline for Congress to pass any relief proposal, as it also must negotiate and approve an omnibus government funding bill before December 18 to avert a government shutdown. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement posted to Twitter on Tuesday that he had spoken to Speaker Nancy Pelosi this evening and made a $916 billion offer for a relief bill. But Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said it “must not be allowed to obstruct the bipartisan Congressional talks that are underway.” They also rejected part of the White House proposal — a reduction in unemployment insurance funding from $180 billion to $40 billion. “That is unacceptable,” they wrote. Schumer and Pelosi also condemned the suggestion by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that Congress drop the most controversial items from any coronavirus package to be picked up again at the beginning of the year.
A homeless man who was trying to bathe in a Bradenton creek fell and was stuck there for two days before being rescued. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that the man aggravated an old injury when he fell and was unable to get up. He was found partially clothed in about two feet of water under a railroad bridge. He said he had been yelling for help but no one had responded. The rescue happened Nov. 18, but MCSO on Wednesday released details and bodycam footage of the rescue, which began when a person heard someone yelling for help. The area where the man was stuck is remote, so medics couldn’t reach him with a stretcher. Deputies eventually carried the man out on a blanket, about 250 yards down the railroad tracks, before he was placed into a wheelchair. The sheriff’s office says the man’s extremities were waterlogged to the point that his skin was coming off, and he was suffering from the early stages of hypothermia. His current condition has not been released.
A Bradenton man who had been storing a trash can for a friend for more than two months found a badly decomposing body inside when he opened it, authorities said. Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said the unidentified man had been holding the 55-gallon container at Windmill Manor Mobile Home Park for a friend who promised to retrieve it later. But that person never returned and after about two months, the man smelled a foul odor and opened the container. Inside were human remains that had been wrapped up. The Herald-Tribune reported Tuesday that the sheriff’s office is investigating the identity of the remains and how they died. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday. Detectives are following leads as the investigation continues, but have not named a suspect. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.
The family of a Lee County high school football player who died of heatstroke during practice has received some closure. Lawyers for Zachary Tyler Martin-Polsenberg’s family announced Wednesday that the family has settled a $950,000 lawsuit with the school district, which unanimously approved the settlement. Zachary was 16 when he died in July of 2017, days after he collapsed at practice with the Riverdale High School football team. “Standing there and seeing my son in that condition and then the 10 days that followed that day, you know, struggling for survival,” said his mom, Laurie Giordano. Zachary’s mom, Laurie Giordano, said the settlement brings closure, but there’s plenty of work ahead, and the settlement the family received will help. “To the moms and dads I have connected with who have lost their child to heatstroke, you give me the strength to continue to fight and these are our laws. I am fighting for your kids and that fight will not stop. I look forward to bringing about national change as well. We did it in Florida and we will do it in every state.” The change Giordano refers to is the Zachary Martin Act, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law in June to protect Florida’s prep football players during the hottest months, when practices are usually held. The law requires defibrillators and immersion tubs to be at every practice, game, and workout. Those items could have saved Zach’s life, had they been available on the field the day he collapsed. A spring football game will also be held in Zach’s honor. Proceeds will go to the Zach Martin Foundation.
A social media challenge may be why a 12-year-old boy from Queens, New York, took his parents’ luxury SUV for a joyride more than 100 miles long across state lines Monday. The boy and his 7-year-old cousin, who was in the passenger seat, are back home tonight after police from New Jersey and New York spent the day tracking them down, CBS2’s Lisa Rozner reported. The joyride lasted five hours, with the boy behind the wheel of a white Range Rover that police said he drove from his home on 115th Street in South Ozone Park to nearly the Delaware border. Police were alerted around 9 a.m. and said surveillance video showed the cousins leaving in the vehicle. E-ZPass and license plate readers tracked them crossing the Verrazzano Bridge into New Jersey around 11 a.m. State troopers used flashing sirens, but the boy allegedly sped off. Police eased off the pursuit for the safety of the children, CBS2’s Natalie Duddridge reported. At 2:15 p.m., the NYPD says the boy tried using his dad’s credit card to buy cookies at a rest stop near the New Jersey-Delaware border. The kids managed to avoid getting into an accident and were taken into custody shortly after. They were brought to the NYPD’s 106th precinct Monday night. Outside, the little girl said: “Yeah, it was good. I wish I was driving.” “He drove good?” an officer asked. “Yeah,” she replied. “You had a good time?” the officer asked. “Yeah,” she said. The children were released to their family and taken home. Police said no one will face any charges. “The kids are OK. They’re OK,” said Joe Gangaram, the boy’s uncle. “I thank the precinct for doing a good job. Everybody’s fine.” Rozner asked how the boy learned to drive, but Gangaram would not answer. Neighbors were incredulous and said they’ve never seen the boy drive, and that he’s usually supervised. “He’s a very nice kid. I’ve seen him. He just sits there at home with his family,” said Muhammad Irfan. “I’m very happy that he’s back.” “First of all, that’s very brave to get behind a car at 12. Not sure what’s going on, maybe some family issues, I don’t know what it is. If it’s a joyride that’s not safe at all,” said Justin Kellman. “Everyone gets a temptation at that age to do something crazy. You just hope as a parent they don’t hurt themselves or anyone else,” said Lawrence Keyser. Police sources say the boy told law enforcement this was part of a social media challenge to drive a vehicle until it runs out of gas. Even though the children traveled through New Jersey, ultimately they crossed into Delaware and were taken into custody by the Delaware River and Bay Authority police.
U.S. employers advertised slightly more job openings in October, but hiring slipped as a resurgence of COVID-19 threatens the economic recovery. And the number of Americans fired or laid off rose for the first time since June. Job postings rose to 6.65 million in October from 6.49 million in September, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. But employers hired 5.81 million workers, which is less than the 5.89 million hires in September. In its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary (JOLTS), the Labor Department reported that companies and government agencies laid off or fired 1.68 million workers, up from 1.44 million in September. Federal government layoffs of temporary Census workers contributed to the uptick. The American job market has been slowly healing since it collapsed in the spring when the coronavirus pandemic struck the United States hard. Employers slashed 22 million jobs in March and April, then began recalling furloughed employees back to work. But the job rebound has been slowing and is threatened by a rebound in COVID-19 cases. The Labor Department reported Friday that employers added 245,000 jobs last month, marking a sharp and steady deceleration from 4.8 million new jobs in June, 1.8 million in July, 1.5 million in August, 711,000 in September and 610,000 in October. In all, the American economy is still 9.8 million short of the jobs it had in February.
The Salvation Army’s kettle bell ringers have already appeared outside storefronts to raise money for families in need, but the pandemic has led the charity organization struggle in putting on its largest fundraiser this year. The Salvation Army divisions in Lee and Collier counties said they saw around a 40-50% decrease in volunteers in 2020, making it hard to meet their financial goals and provide for people in need. “That’s a really tough place for us to be, because we depend upon our volunteers; we cannot be an army, a Salvation Army, without our army of volunteers, ” said Maj. Carlyle Gargis, area commander of the Salvation Army of Lee, Hendry and Glades counties. “We’re providing shelter for individuals 365 days a year, we’re providing meals for people 365 days a year, food boxes for folks in great need, really those life-sustaining needs.” To help keep people safe, the Salvation Army has disposable aprons, masks and gloves for its volunteers to use. The organization says that while this is a holiday fundraiser, many people don’t realize how far their donations go—without it, the charity would be in trouble. “If you couldn’t have had it? It would’ve been substantial,” Gargis said. “This is our greatest fundraiser that we do, that not only helps us at Christmas, but it helps the Salvation Army throughout the year.” “The reality is that the money that goes into those kettles during the Christmas season helps to operate 365 days a year,” said Capt. Ben Bridges of the Salvation Army of Naples. “So it helps keep people housed, it helps keep the lights on for folks, that helps us keep our doors open to our affordable childcare center and our after-school program.” Something new the Salvation Army tried this year is its virtual red kettle. You can go online and create a team or raise money individually, and the money raise will stay in your community.