Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
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.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
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.
NAPLES, Fla. Donna Goodhart signed up for Naples Singles in hopes of meeting new people. “I lost my daughter to a tragedy,” she said. “And through that I went through a divorce. Everybody mourns differently and it was very difficult on my husband. After 34 years of marriage, it was very difficult. So I became a single lady nine months ago.” She agreed to pay nearly $6,000 for the service, which promised her eight dates. “I didn’t want to go out into the dating world,” she said. “I had been married too long and I just felt very vulnerable. So I thought if I went to some kind of upscale service, which is how they presented themselves, that I could meet people and they would be matched by certain backgrounds, certain likes or dislikes rather than me going on the internet.” But after four months, she only had one date – and he wasn’t a match. Pattern of breaking hearts Naples Singles is operated by Romance Pros International, which also runs Tampa Singles, Sarasota Singles, D.C. Singles and Virginia Singles. The state Attorney’s Office received nine complaints about the company within the past three years. The Better Business Bureau in Florida and Virginia received more than 60 complaints. One of the complainants, Susan Howard, said she paid $1,500 for four matches. “This is not a fair game,” she said. “They are stealing money. They come through with nothing. They enter your information on some computer program that obviously isn’t working. The one person was so polar opposite from me, it was laughable.” Romance Pros International was ordered to pay more than $21,000 in restitution and fees to consumers in 2012. At the time, the company was required to comply with the state’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. “The 2012 Romance Pros International citation, and the 31 BBB complaints, all of which, accrued over a three-year period, were amicably resolved,” the company said in a statement. Only five of the 31 complaints were resolved to the customer’s satisfaction, according to the BBB. Difficulty canceling One woman, who is being identified as ‘Beth’ for this story, has a similar story to Goodhart’s. Then she received some scary news from her doctor. “She told me that I had a negative test come back and that I might have cancer,” she said. “They would not refund my money and not let me out of the contract, which was extremely upsetting to me because I didn’t know what my health situation was and I didn’t think they should be forcing me to date and forcing me to meet under what I consider fraudulent circumstances.” Naples Singles’ fees are non-refundable except if the customer has a doctor’s order stating the client can’t physically receive services. Romance Pros International, when contacted by Call For Action, agreed to refund ‘Beth’ her money but said they would not refund Goodhart’s fees because her doctor’s note addressed ‘preexisting conditions.’