Couple accused of drugging and molesting girl make court appearanceLee County Schools receives over $2M in Juul settlement
SAN CARLOS PARK Couple accused of drugging and molesting girl make court appearance A San Carlos Park couple accused of drugging and molesting a girl while covering it up for two years appeared in court.
FORT MYERS Lee County Schools receives over $2M in Juul settlement The Lee County School District has received over $2 million in a settlement with Juul, and now, it’s putting that money to use.
JERUSALEM (AP) Israel says it reopened a key Gaza crossing after a rocket attack but the UN says no aid has entered The Israeli military said Wednesday that it has reopened its Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza after days of closure, but the U.N. said no humanitarian aid has yet entered and there is no one to receive it on the Palestinian side after workers fled during Israel’s military incursion in the area.
ATLANTA (AP) Georgia appeals court agrees to review ruling allowing Fani Willis to stay on Trump election case A Georgia appeals court on Wednesday agreed to review a lower court ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue to prosecute the election interference case she brought against former President Donald Trump.
WASHINGTON (AP) Police clear pro-Palestinian protest camp and arrest 33 at DC campus as mayor’s hearing is canceled Police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators.
2 Collier County men arrested for street racing Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies have arrested two men after catching them street racing.
CLEWISTON Lewis Boulevard in Clewiston closed after semi-trailer carrying palm trees loses load Lewis Boulevard in Clewiston from U.S. 27 to 13th Street is closed this morning while crews remove trees from the roadway.
ARCADIA Juvenile and 18-year-old arrested for stealing, burglarizing multiple cars in DeSoto County A juvenile and an 18-year-old have been arrested after allegedly stealing several cars and burglarizing them in DeSoto County.
IMMOKALEE Immokalee man arrested for child porn possession An Immokalee man has been arrested and charged on ten felony counts after allegedly being in possession of child pornography.
ESTERO Caught on Camera: Alligator chases after teen’s catch while fishing in Estero A 15-year-old teenager from Estero bit off more than he could chew while fishing for Peacock Bass as a hungry alligator chased after the fish and him.
Gainsville Gov. DeSantis responds to Pro-Palestinian protest held at University of Florida Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke about the dispersal of pro-Palestinian protestors at the University of Florida.
The Weather Authority Hotter and drier Wednesday with a few inland storms this afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild and drier Wednesday morning with rain expected inland this afternoon.
Cape Coral City Council to discuss repairs for yacht club pier The Cape Coral City Council will discuss and possibly decide upon three options to repair the damaged yacht club pier.
LEHIGH ACRES Kitchen fire causes substantial damage to a home in Lehigh Acres The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue responded to a kitchen fire at a Sunset Boulevard home on Tuesday night.
FORT MYERS Lee County making changes to fix bus issues In the past, the Lee County School District struggled to find enough bus drivers.
SAN CARLOS PARK Couple accused of drugging and molesting girl make court appearance A San Carlos Park couple accused of drugging and molesting a girl while covering it up for two years appeared in court.
FORT MYERS Lee County Schools receives over $2M in Juul settlement The Lee County School District has received over $2 million in a settlement with Juul, and now, it’s putting that money to use.
JERUSALEM (AP) Israel says it reopened a key Gaza crossing after a rocket attack but the UN says no aid has entered The Israeli military said Wednesday that it has reopened its Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza after days of closure, but the U.N. said no humanitarian aid has yet entered and there is no one to receive it on the Palestinian side after workers fled during Israel’s military incursion in the area.
ATLANTA (AP) Georgia appeals court agrees to review ruling allowing Fani Willis to stay on Trump election case A Georgia appeals court on Wednesday agreed to review a lower court ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue to prosecute the election interference case she brought against former President Donald Trump.
WASHINGTON (AP) Police clear pro-Palestinian protest camp and arrest 33 at DC campus as mayor’s hearing is canceled Police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday and arrested demonstrators.
2 Collier County men arrested for street racing Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies have arrested two men after catching them street racing.
CLEWISTON Lewis Boulevard in Clewiston closed after semi-trailer carrying palm trees loses load Lewis Boulevard in Clewiston from U.S. 27 to 13th Street is closed this morning while crews remove trees from the roadway.
ARCADIA Juvenile and 18-year-old arrested for stealing, burglarizing multiple cars in DeSoto County A juvenile and an 18-year-old have been arrested after allegedly stealing several cars and burglarizing them in DeSoto County.
IMMOKALEE Immokalee man arrested for child porn possession An Immokalee man has been arrested and charged on ten felony counts after allegedly being in possession of child pornography.
ESTERO Caught on Camera: Alligator chases after teen’s catch while fishing in Estero A 15-year-old teenager from Estero bit off more than he could chew while fishing for Peacock Bass as a hungry alligator chased after the fish and him.
Gainsville Gov. DeSantis responds to Pro-Palestinian protest held at University of Florida Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke about the dispersal of pro-Palestinian protestors at the University of Florida.
The Weather Authority Hotter and drier Wednesday with a few inland storms this afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild and drier Wednesday morning with rain expected inland this afternoon.
Cape Coral City Council to discuss repairs for yacht club pier The Cape Coral City Council will discuss and possibly decide upon three options to repair the damaged yacht club pier.
LEHIGH ACRES Kitchen fire causes substantial damage to a home in Lehigh Acres The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue responded to a kitchen fire at a Sunset Boulevard home on Tuesday night.
FORT MYERS Lee County making changes to fix bus issues In the past, the Lee County School District struggled to find enough bus drivers.
A UnitedHealthcare facility is shown in Cypress, California. Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters A major insurance company wants to cut back on covering visits to the emergency room, but pushback has led UnitedHealthcare to announce they will delay the new policy until after the pandemic is declared over. If UnitedHealthcare goes through with it post-pandemic, people on a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicaid would not be affected. The aim is to have the insurance company and their customers save money but experts say the consequences could be more costly or even deadly. The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) strongly condemned the decision by UnitedHealthcare to retroactively deny emergency care claims. “While we’re dismayed by United’s decision, we are not, unfortunately, surprised to see an insurance company once again try to cut its costs at the expense of necessary patient care,” said Mark Rosenberg, DO, MBA, FACEP, president of ACEP. “UnitedHealthcare is expecting patients to self-diagnose a potential medical emergency before seeing a physician, and then punishing them financially if they are incorrect.” The health insurance giant was slated to instate a new policy on July 1, but after public backlash, has decided to defer implementation until the pandemic is over. ACEP said they believe that the new policy is in direct violation of the federal Prudent Layperson Standard, which requires insurance companies to provide coverage of emergency care based on the presenting symptoms that brought the patient to the emergency department, not the final diagnosis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 3% of emergency visits are “non-urgent.” With 90% of symptoms overlapping between non-urgent and emergent conditions, in many instances, even physicians cannot know if a patient’s symptoms require emergency treatment without conducting a comprehensive medical examination. They say it’s the very reason the Prudent Layperson Standard exists, to protect patients. Throughout the pandemic, ACEP and other medical societies have been encouraging the public to not delay medical care, especially in case of an emergency. ACEP says decisions like this from insurance companies could severely undermine collective efforts to get the virus under control. Anthem, which operates Blue Cross, announced a similar policy in the past, leading to a lawsuit from ER doctors. That litigation is still continuing. For Lori Nespoli, the new policy is not fair. “I’m like, I should just go to the ER, I’m having an issue. But then again, it’s like, do you ride it out? Like, you just don’t know,” Nespoli said. “I’ve had a primary care [doctor] tell me to book an appointment with a specialist. If I can’t get into a specialist and I’m still having issues, just go to the ER, because it would just be faster to get tests done.” The idea is to get people to use less expensive options for non-emergencies, like urgent care clinics. “The cost reduction they may be expecting may not really exist, depending on who is looking for that help or not looking for help,” said Amir Neto, an economic expert with Florida Gulf Coast University. Neto said people might start to avoid treatment which could make their health deteriorate and end up costing more. And people with lower incomes will be the most affected. “It’s really hard for us to tell if it’s an emergency or not,” Neto said. “That’s the big thing.” Nespoli thinks about her sister who died of an aneurysm last year. “It’s always in the back of my mind,” Nespoli said. “Someone like her who should have gone to the emergency room, but had she called the doctor probably on Friday on a holiday weekend, they would have told her to just get out, see an orthopedic or put ice and heat on it.” Neto said now is time to reconsider your insurance provider, if you can, and save for potential health costs. Lee Health feels the policy could be dangerous. They sent WINK News the following statement: “Lee Health stands with the American Hospital Association in encouraging UnitedHealthcare to reconsider their new emergency department coverage policy. This policy asks patients to make medical decisions they are not trained to, and could lead to catastrophic health outcomes if people become hesitant to seek emergency care when they truly need it. This is a dangerous policy that is not in the best interest of patients or their safety.” American Hospital Association President and CEO Rick Pollack had this to say: “Today’s announcement from UnitedHealthcare to delay its new policy on emergency coverage offers a temporary reprieve for patients, and we urge its full and permanent reversal. If enacted, this policy would have a chilling effect on patients seeking emergency services, with potentially dire consequences for their health. It is also part of an unfortunate pattern of commercial health insurers denying care for needed services. Patients should have the confidence to seek the emergency care they need without worrying about coverage being denied. There is no justification for these restrictions now or after the public health emergency.” Here is UnitedHealthcare’s response: “We have decided to delay this program. Based on feedback from our provider partners and discussions with medical societies, we have decided to delay the implementation of our emergency department policy until at least the end of the national public health emergency period. We will use this time to continue to educate consumers, customers and providers on the new policy and help ensure that people visit an appropriate site of service for non-emergency care needs.”