‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidationHomeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
SARASOTA Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court A priest accused of sexually abusing four altar boys in Iowa nearly 40 years ago returned to Charlotte County court.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema prepares for opening at Mercato The newest movie theater in Southwest Florida opens April 29, and it does so with an array of entertainment offerings that go beyond the usual options across the region.
Let’s Waffle opens in Cape Coral Let’s Waffle is one of two businesses the Feix family launched locally, with the FMS Florida Boat Tours and Limousine Service owned and operated by Feix’s husband, Alexander.
Planned Punta Gorda hotel, pub, brewery faces construction delay Kevin Doyle, owner of Celtic Ray Public House Irish pub in downtown Punta Gorda, and his partner, S4 Global Investments, were found in violation of the city’s exposed soils code.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
SARASOTA Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court A priest accused of sexually abusing four altar boys in Iowa nearly 40 years ago returned to Charlotte County court.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema prepares for opening at Mercato The newest movie theater in Southwest Florida opens April 29, and it does so with an array of entertainment offerings that go beyond the usual options across the region.
Let’s Waffle opens in Cape Coral Let’s Waffle is one of two businesses the Feix family launched locally, with the FMS Florida Boat Tours and Limousine Service owned and operated by Feix’s husband, Alexander.
Planned Punta Gorda hotel, pub, brewery faces construction delay Kevin Doyle, owner of Celtic Ray Public House Irish pub in downtown Punta Gorda, and his partner, S4 Global Investments, were found in violation of the city’s exposed soils code.
Boy on the playground. (Credit: CBS News) The cost of child care is taking a toll on families all across Southwest Florida and the nation, but it does not only affect those with children. Moms Kaylee Polich and Megan Johnson don’t know each other, but they share the same problems: how to take care of their kids and how to pay for it. “You get up every morning, you don’t want to get up. You wake them up, they don’t want to get up,” Polich said. “But they just keep you going.” Polich splits custody of her two kids, Jovie, 1, and Jace, 4, with her ex-husband. “I didn’t have a choice. I wanted a better life for me, I wanted a better life for my kids,” Polich said. “And I just had to do what I had to do.” So she has to work. But before her new boyfriend stepped in to help, being a single mom on a waitress’s salary made life nearly impossible. “Previously daycare was out of the question,” Polich said. “When I was living by myself I could barely afford to feed myself, but I made sure my kids had everything that they needed.” WINK News called more than 50 child care centers all over Southwest Florida to compare prices. We found the cost to take care of one infant ran between $150-$240 a week. That means for one year, some parents are spending more than $12,000 on child care alone, without taking into account registration or enrollment fees. To put it into perspective, the cost of a year’s tuition to Florida Gulf Coast University is $6118. The high costs of child care left Megan Johnson and her husband Evan with a decision to make. “It just became impossible to keep up with the financial responsibility of our son, and our soon to be daughter and continue to work full time,” Megan Johnson said. Megan just quit the commission-based retail job she loved, because staying at home actually saves them money in the long-run. “It definitely makes it more of a challenge,” Johnson said. “You have to make unconventional ways to make ends meet.” It is unconventional because after spending the day taking care of two-and-a-half-year-old Caleb, Johnson still stays up to drive for Uber at 6 months pregnant. “So just to kind of supplement,” Johnson said, “a little bit of cash daily.” Parents like her pay the price. A 2018 study by Child Care Aware of America shows working U.S. families without access to affordable child care lose roughly $30 billion in wages combined every year. It is not much better for their employers, either. U.S. businesses lose about $4.5 billion every year when parents have to leave or skip work because of unreliable child care. “It is a little scary,” Johnson said. “But you kind of can’t think about it, you just have to go day by day.” Dr. Elizabeth Elliot, FGCU professor and former family resource center director, said when parents have to work child care can have a highly positive impact on kids, developing their basic social skills, their physical development, their social emotional development, etc. But she said the high costs leave some parents stuck. “I know that many young families look at that, and say, ‘is it cost-effective for one of the two of us to work, or is it cost-effective to stay at home?’” Elliot said. While there are government programs in Florida that can help with costs, space and funds are limited. Elliot said more government subsidies could be one solution. Child care advocates are looking for ways to increase government funding, scholarships, grants and tax credits. They say a simpler financial aid application process would help more families gain access to funding that is already available. “If we want to have a qualified workforce of people working,” Elliot explained. “They need to feel comfortable that their children are being taken care of.” Parents looking for help can reach out to the Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida for information on government programs or financial aid. Take the survey WINK News created a survey to gauge how families in Southwest Florida are dealing with child care costs. Of the more than 325 responses: · 79% were two-parent households · 85% spend $501 or more on child care every month · 88% say child care is not affordable · 80% say it has impacted family planning (i.e. when to have kids, etc.) · 82% say they’ve experienced financial strain due to child care expenses · 84% say they’ve had to give things up in order to pay for child care