Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concernsStudents benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars
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.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
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.
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.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
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.
Photo via Flckr / Jamie L. Williams (CBS) Some parents won’t let their kids play sports due to concussion risks. A new survey found that parents are also limiting their children only to certain sports because of head injury concerns. When more than 1,000 parents were asked if they’d let their kids play sports given the risk of concussions, 16 percent said no to all sports, a new Harris Poll conducted on behalf of the American Osteopathic Association found. While a little more than half of parents were OK with letting their offspring participate in a sport — 51 percent said yes to athletics — over a third of parents were on the fence, saying it would depend on the game. Of those parents, 66 percent said they’d allow their children to play basketball, 63 percent said baseball was a go, and 57 percent approved of soccer. Gymnastics (47 percent) and cheerleading (36 percent) were next in line. Parents who based their decision on specific sports would mostly bar their kids from rugby (only 6 percent would let their children play), hockey (12 percent), field hockey (16 percent), lacrosse (17 percent), football (18 percent) and wrestling (18 percent). Moms and dads seemed to perceive the sports that involved protective equipment – football and lacrosse, for example – as riskier sports for concussions, Joelle Rehberg, an osteopathic sports medicine physician, told CBS News. There are probably some misconceptions, she said. “Parents aren’t doing their homework,” said Rehberg, who treats youth concussions at Atlantic Neurosurgical Specialists in Morristown, New Jersey. “Personally I’d be leery of cheerleading, to be honest with you,” she said, noting that she often sees cheerleaders in her practice who’ve suffered a concussion after being dropped. The media may have helped shape attitudes about sports and concussion risk, she said. For example, in higher level cheerleading events featured on television, the participants are often older, there are spotters for safety, and there are many young men at the college cheerleading level strong enough to catch their teammates when they are thrown into the air, Rehberg explained. But it’s a whole different ballgame at a middle school or high school football event. “Ten- or 11-year-old girls shouldn’t be lifting and throwing other 10-year-old girls. And when they perform at a game, it’s on grass or potentially a hard track,” said Rehberg. A study out last June in the journal Pediatrics estimated that between 1.1 and 1.9 million sports- and recreation-related concussions occur annually in U.S. children aged 18 and under. Football tends to get a lot of attention as a high-risk sport, but other sports may fly under a parent’s radar. “Parents need to be particularly aware of a heightened risk of concussions associated with girls soccer and girls basketball, according to a recently published study,” Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and assistant professor of emergency medicine, told CBS News. Part of the risk may be related to hormonal influences with the timing of the menstrual cycle and accompanying head trauma, he said. But adolescents with a history of migraines also seem to be at greater risk for developing more severe symptoms, research suggests. Staying hydrated, getting good sleep and developing strong neck muscles may also help young athletes prevent or minimize concussions, Rehberg and Glatter said. Even though many sports pose a concussion risk, parents who allow their kids to play sports say it’s because the lessons they learn on the field about teamwork, self-esteem and staying physically healthy outweigh the risks of concussion, according to the survey. How parents can help To reduce head injury risks, moms and dads can help by getting more involved up front, before their child’s sport season launches, by asking their local recreation departments and schools if coaches are trained in concussion safety. Do they have the proper protective gear and does it fit, said Rehberg, who is also the medical director of the athletic training education program at William Paterson University. “If it’s a recreation program, check and ask what did the coaches have to go through. A parent should step up and say hey, if I’m not at a game I want to be sure the coach isn’t going make my kids keep playing if they get a head injury,” said Rehberg. The survey underscores that parents are making sports decisions for their kids based on concussion concerns, Dr. Jamie Ullman, director of Neurotrauma at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, told CBS News. So it’s important that when concussions do occur, families, coaches and doctors all are on the same page — that an athlete needs rest and for the symptoms to resolve before he or she heads back to their sport, Ullman said. “Once a concussion occurs, it is agreed that the athlete should not participate in the sport until the symptoms resolve. However, rather than prescribing full cognitive and physical rest, researchers and thought leaders are now endorsing a more active approach to concussion care,” said Ullman. “Active rehab” includes initiating aerobic exercise and specialized therapy when needed as soon as possible after a concussion to help speed recovery.