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 search is on for a brand-new city manager in Fort Myers. Fort Myers City Council discussed a search of both local and nationwide candidates to replace City Manager Saeed Kazemi during the regular meeting Monday. It’s a process the council is not in complete agreement on. Kazemi submitted his letter for retirement recently after Mayor Kevin Anderson requested his resignation in November. A lot of people are not happy to see the city manager go, including two council members who asked him to rescind his retirement letter. Nearly a dozen community members also showed up to defend the city manager’s reputation, many of them sharing stories about just how much Kazemi has done for the community. Some also expressed disappointment in the mayor. “I can’t imagine being installed as the mayor and then the next day asking for his resignation without any kind of discussion, any kind of thought openly to the citizens of this area,” former Councilwoman Gaile Anthony said. “If you let him retire that probably will be one of the biggest mistakes that you can make.” Anderson started the meeting by making a motion to accept Kazemi’s resignation. That motion failed. Later in the meeting Councilwoman Terolyn Watson told the mayor she did not agree with the way he asked the city manager to resign. “Kevin, you were wrong,” Watson said. “That was wrong to do that without talking to us in public.” Watson and Councilwoman Teresa Watkins Brown both asked the city manager to rescind his retirement, but Kazemi said he plans to stand by his decision and retire May 3, 2021. “The best decision is for me to step back and let the city move forward,” Kazemi said. The council decided to advertise the open city manager position locally. Members say the public will have an opportunity to share their input about who locals think the best candidate will be. The goal is to hire a new city manager by April 1. Kazemi agreed to work with his replacement for 30 days to help create a smooth transition.
Florida authorities investigating an alleged hack into the state’s emergency response system raided the home Monday of a woman fired earlier this year from her job as COVID-19 data curator. Florida Department of Law Enforcement said that Rebekah Jones, who was fired for unauthorized public comments about the data in May, has been under investigation since early November when someone illegally accessed the state’s emergency alert health system. Jones was fired from her post in May after she raised questions about Florida’s COVID-19 data. She had been reprimanded several times and was ultimately fired for violating Health Department policy by making public remarks about the information, state records show. Since her firing, she has lit up social media with posts criticizing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and his state agencies. For months, she has tried to promote herself as a victim who was fired for telling the truth, although there is no evidence that supports her claims. Early in the pandemic, Jones wrote blog posts and reached out to media outlets and researchers sowing doubt about the credibility of the data now that she is no longer in that role. She said Health Department managers urged her to manipulate information to paint a rosier picture and that she pushed back. The data was crucial as the governor was trying to make highly controversial decisions on whether to reopen Florida’s economy State health officials strenuously deny any issue with the information’s accuracy. The office of Gov. Ron DeSantis declined comment Monday night, but the Republican governor has previously said Jones had a pattern of “insubordination” and should have been fired sooner. Agents served the search warrant on her Tallahassee home after receiving a complaint from the Department of Health regarding unauthorized access to its emergency alert system, according to a statement from FDLE. “Agents believe someone at the residence on Centerville Court illegally accessed the system,” spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said in a statement. Jones initially refused to answer the door for 20 minutes and hung up when agents called her, according to FDLE. According to video footage Jones posted of the incident, multiple officers who entered Jones’ home had their guns drawn. One pointed his gun up the stairs as authorities urged Jones to call her husband and children downstairs. The officer then lowered his weapon after Jones yelled, “Do not point that gun at my children!” “They pointed a gun in my face. They pointed guns at my kids,” Jones later tweeted. It is unclear whether authorities pointed weapons at anyone in Jones’ home. The Tampa Bay Times reported someone hacked into the Department of Health’s system in early November, warning recipients to “speak up before another 17,000 people are dead. You know this is wrong. You don’t have to be a part of this. Be a hero. Speak out before it’s too late.” “This is what happens to scientists who do their job honestly,” Jones tweeted on Monday.
President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate retired Army General Lloyd Austin to be his first defense secretary, multiple people familiar with the plans tell CBS News. If confirmed, Austin — the former head of U.S. Central Command and military forces in Iraq — would be the first Black man to lead the Pentagon. Austin, 67, retired as a four-star Army general in 2016 and would be the second former uniformed military commander to head the Defense Department in the last four years. Like former Marine General James Mattis, who served as President Trump’s first Pentagon chief, Austin would require a special waiver passed by Congress in order to exempt him from a federal law requiring military officers to wait seven years before serving as defense secretary. Mr. Biden told reporters on Monday in Delaware that he plans to formally announce his choice to lead the Defense Department during an event Friday in his hometown of Wilmington. But aides said late Monday that the announcement may now happen sooner. Austin’s emergence as a potential choice came amid growing calls from national civil rights organizations and Democratic Asian, Black and Latino caucuses to ensure that Mr. Biden nominated minorities and women to senior Cabinet posts. Late Monday, Democratic Representative Steven Horsford of Nevada, who is serving as a liaison between the Biden transition team and the Congressional Black Caucus, said his caucus “is pleased with President-elect Biden’s selection of this historic nominee. Once confirmed, former General Lloyd Austin will be the first African American to lead the Department of Defense and provide critical leadership to the men and women who serve our country and protect our freedom.” Other candidates considered for the role included Michele Flournoy, a former undersecretary for defense policy touted by many Democrats as a qualified pick who would have been another potential history-maker as the first woman to lead the Pentagon, and Jeh Johnson, the former homeland security secretary who previously served as the Defense Department’s general counsel. Austin was the top U.S. commanding general on the ground in Iraq during the major Obama-era troop drawdown, and Mr. Biden met with Austin when he visited Iraq in 2011. Austin oversaw the removal of U.S. forces and equipment from Iraq at the end of that year — a massive logistical feat that Biden allies are likely to play up in the coming weeks as the Defense Department prepares to help distribute a COVID-19 vaccine. He was also involved in the national security briefings that Mr. Biden received from experts outside government when he was not yet receiving the President’s Daily Brief. But Austin faces a couple of hurdles, including his position in recent years as a member of the board of directors of defense contractor Raytheon. And some elements of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party are likely to be unhappy about yet another former uniformed commander — and one with ties to a defense contractor — serving as the civilian leader of the military. Biden transition officials declined to comment late Monday. The news of Austin’s nomination was first reported by Politico.
This holiday season, it’s even tougher on families financially than usual. So the South Trail Fire Department decided to help out families with a toy drive. A trailer, a pickup truck and a fire truck were needed to pickup the thousands of toys they collected. Kelly Wesoloski organized the toy drive. “For the past two years we’ve done a Halloween party and this year I asked all of our friends to bring a gift for a child. And that’s how we started,” she said. Now, there are toys filling her living room. “Every steak night, every Sunday funday, you know only brought a side dish or brought money towards the steak dinner, you had to bring a toy, or toys, or money for me to go shopping,” Wesoloski said. The idea behind collecting all of these toys was so she could give them to kids for Christmas. But she hadn’t planned the logistics of doing so. “It went off in my brain! ‘hello! My son is a firefighter!’ So I texted Jonathan and he responded back that yes, they will be doing a toy drive,” she said. Amy Bollen is the public information officer for South Trail Fire District. “It became one big ‘us’ and they gathered so many toys that immediately we had to get to work to find homes and families that needed that,” said Bollen. South Trail Fire says that in just tone year they were able to more than double the number of families that receive toys. They’ve identified at least eight different organizations that the toys will be delivered to on Christmas Day.
More kids are returning to the classroom as cases are rising within Collier County Public Schools, so schools are preparing for the possibility of another spike following the holidays, paired with the return of students in the second semester. Chad Oliver, the CCPS executive director of communications and community engagement, expects more students to return to in-person learning after the holidays but says there’s good news from NCH Health System. “Dr. Lindner in particular said the data supports that the efforts of opening schools and protecting the students and teachers are working,” Oliver said. Oliver blames the rise in cases on gatherings outside of school. “So it’s one thing to have these requirements on school campus, but what happens when our students and staff are not on school campus and the requirement isn’t there per se?” Oliver said. Janelle Scott is glad to see her daughter, Maya, back in school. “She need to be with her friends to really excel,” Scott said. Meanwhile, CCPS reported more than 150 coronavirus cases in November. “I am a little afraid, especially with a spike in November, Scott said. Scott believes 6,000 students returning last month made health protocols tougher to follow. “There’s definitely not any social distancing,” Scott said. “[Maya] said, when all the kids came back in November, everything was more crowded.” The school district hopes, with emails being sent out, families will choose to be safe outside of school this holiday season. Scott said she will watch the numbers closely. “I’m very concerned about it,” Scott said. “If things start creeping up; there’s another spike; I’m considering having her come back home.”
Some of you might choose to stay home for the winter holidays this year and send flowers instead. During our 2020 Season of Savings, we are showing you how you can spend a lot and spend a little. If you’re looking to send flowers, start with discount sites such as Groupon or LivingSocial. Through Groupon, ProFlowers and Florists’ Transworld Delivery (FTD) are offering deals for half price or more. We saw prices at $15 for a $30 value. On LivingSocial, ProFlowers and TeleFlora are also more than half price. We saw prices at $12 or $13 for a $30 value. To stack the savings, check to see if your credit card or debit cards offer rewards. Websites including Rakuten and RetailMeNot also offer cash-back rebates. Rakuten is currently offering 15% back on ProFlowers and 10% on TeleFlora flowers. “Business has been tremendous,” said Jean Marie Rakich, the general manager of Fort Myers Florist. Rakich says this past Thanksgiving was one of her busiest. “A lot of people cannot be here personally,” she said. “They are sending flowers.” Rakich says, to save even more, ask what’s in season. “Those flowers are cheaper because they don’t have to bring them in,” Rakich explained. Rakich says her store is equipped to send arrangements the day of purchase for those ordering fresh flowers, such as roses, carnations, palms and more. But she recommends customers plan ahead around the holidays if possible. Reminders: Those visiting websites such as Groupon should read the fine print. Check out fees from big flower delivery services. It might be cheaper to call a florist directly. For anyone who needs a lot of flowers, Costco sells 50 roses for $40. BJ’s sells 50 stems for $46, and Sam’s Club sells 50 for $50. Keep in mind they’re showing up in a cardboard box, and you must do the arrangements yourself. Editor’s note: The deals mentioned in our story are subject to change and can double in price.
Some people are still deciding to travel home for the holidays. But will that trip be okay with your boss? WINK News looks into the possibility of your boss restricting your trip. If your boss thinks your holiday plans can put your co-workers at risk they can advise you not to go. If you do not take the suggestions and go anyway, they can force you to quarantine or fire you. The key to this slippery slope is that the same rules must apply to everyone. Labor Law Attorney Ryan Barack wants yout o know what employers can do as more people start traveling again. ” “Employers can have a pretty broad impact on employees’ lives and that might include the ability to say to employees that you cannot travel during this time because we are in the middle of a global pandemic,” said Barack. But according to him, this is just the beginning. Even if you do stay home, but still decide to throw a holiday party, if your boss can prove you engaged in risky behavior they can fire you. For example, if they see a picture at a party and you’re not wearing a mask or social distancing, even off the clock, they can fire you. “Our corporate image is that we care about our customers and coworkers and part of that is being thoughtful and respecting CDC guidance and you are not doing that. That would probably be a legitimate basis to terminate someone,” said Barack. WINK News reporter Dannielle Garcia asked Ryan if an employer can mandate the COVID-19 vaccine. While this is a gray area, he compared it to healthcare professionals being required to get the flu shot. Barack responded, “I think employers can say to employees in most circumstance that there will be an expectation that they be vaccinated, especially when you have interactions with clients or coworkers there’s a real public health risk for that.” Most labor law experts say that while employers can mandate the vaccine, they will most likely offer incentives instead. They also say exceptions should be made for those who have health or other reasons for not getting the vaccine.
Neighbors in Southwest Florida are keeping holiday traditions alive during the pandemic. People we spoke to said Christmas lights on homes are more important in 2020. Robert and Darlene Carswell like to go all out for the holidays. “It’s not so much the stuff in the yard; it’s what people get out of it,” Robert said. The couple looks forward to what their good cheer can bring others in the community. “That’s why we do this because, you know, after a while, you can’t buy anything to please yourself, but when you give somebody, when you hear their laughter,” Darlene explained. “You cannot buy that and give it to anybody. You cannot wrap it up and hand it. That’s when spirit takes you over, and this is what our home does.” The Groneman family has decked the halls for years as well. “Just give them something to look at,” James Groneman said. “It’s another reason I do this is to spread joy and cheer.” This year, Groneman is dedicating his display to his older sister Lisa. She died very recently after complications from cerebral palsy. “She loved Christmas,” Groneman said. Every single year, it was her favorite holiday. She would start in November. ‘When’s Santa coming? When’s Santa coming?” And we’d have to tell her so many days away. ‘It’s almost there, it’s almost there.’” From giant blowup figures in the Groneman yard to Rudolph leading the way at the Carswell house, the families behind the displays hope to end 2020 on a brighter note. “We hope that by doing this, by people who come to visit, that they put enough light into their heart, that their light can shine in 2021,” Carswell said. The Carswell family says they start setting up for Christmas before Halloween. Darlene and Robert say people always ask what that does to their electricity bill. They told us it triples it, but it’s a small price to pay for the goodwill it creates. You can participate in Southwest Florida holiday lights too see where you can find some of the best holiday lights. If you want to be included on the map, you can enter your address and attach videos of your decorated house. MORE: SWFL holiday lights on the WINK News website
The state of Florida recorded 105 COVID-19 deaths just today alone. WINK News is putting a face to one of the thousands of lives that have been lost during the pandemic and introducing you to Captain Rick. Dena Brothers didn’t expect her life to change when she took a trip to Fort Myers a few years ago, but that’s exactly what happened. That’s where she met Rick, the man who would later become her husband. “I left everything for him to come to Florida. I’m from Chicago originally and now I’m stuck without him,” said Brothers. Rick Brothers is one of the many victims of coronavirus. Weeks ago, he was doing just fine. Then he came down with flu-like symptoms. Eventually, he had to go to the hospital. That was the last time Dena saw the man she loved. “I couldn’t really give him a kiss because we were doing it through the mask and he said ‘I love you’ and I said ‘I love you too,'” said Brothers. Rick Brothers was a popular fishing captain, friend and mentor. Joe Lanktree won’t forget the last conversation he had with Rick. “I just did my first five-year captain renewal and that’s when he gave me a hug and said ‘proud of ya! You’re doing good’ and things like that. He did say I taught you a whole lot,” said Lanktree. COVID-19 has taken the lives of more than 281,000 Americans, and almost 20,000 of them were Floridians. “I just know its not how he wanted to go out. He was a darn good captain kind of wish he was still here with us,” Lanktree said. Dena misses her husband and she wishes there were more people just like him. “I wish there were more people like him because he was so generous,” said Brothers. His friend says if COVID-19 can get to Captain Rick, it can get to anyone.
Holiday cookies sold at Publix are under a recall. George DeLallo Co., Inc. issued an allergy alert on undeclared pecans in 20 oz. Publix Bakery Holiday Cookie Platters sold at stores across the south. (Locations in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Broward and Monroe counties are not impacted by this recall.) The product comes in a 20 oz., clear plastic package with UPC 41415 88690, marked with lot W34326 and best by date of 10/APR/2021 on the top. No illnesses have been reported to date. “The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the pecan-containing product was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of pecans. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company’s packaging processes,” read a notice from Publix. Consumers with allergies to pecans who have purchased the product are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-433-9100 or 724-925-2222.