Tim Aten Knows: Costco proposed on Collier Blvd.‘I want them beheaded’: Man arrested for disturbing threats against deputies
FORT MYERS People who can pivot will stay employed during coronavirus pandemic, says economist Sarah Goodman recently graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with her sights set on a business marketing job. But while on the hunt for a full-time career she was working at two restaurants and running a home baking business. Then COVID-19 put an end to all of those sources of income. On the side, she […]
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman reconnects with her mother amidst worldwide pandemic At a time of social distancing, Jennifer Czech said she’s the closest to her mother that she has been in four years. Czech’s mother lives in Chicago, has no social media and no smartphone, just a landline telephone. When Czech picked up the phone to call her mother as news of the pandemic spread, she […]
FORT MYERS Lee Health seeks donations of N95 respirator masks and other personal protective equipment Lee Health is seeking donations of N95 respirator masks and other personal protective equipment such as face shields and gloves. “We don’t have a critical shortage today we’re planning for the future trying to get ahead of the curve,” said Chris Simoneau, Chief Foundation and Development Officer Lee Health. Simoneau explained that just as people […]
WINK NEWS Businesses likely to stay open until they are required to shut down It’s business as usual until it’s not. And the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has ensured the unusual. The latest executive order from the Florida governor’s office for restaurants means one less option for people looking to still get out. We found businesses are probably not going to shut down until they are told they must. Southwest […]
FORT MYERS Testing supply shortage limits who can get a COVID-19 test Concerns about access to testing remain high as more and more positive cases of COVID-19 are announced across Southwest Florida and the United States. Florida Governor Ron Desantis said Wednesday that swabs used to collect samples were in short supply. On Thursday, he said the swabs were starting to trickle into the state. But, the […]
WINK NEWS COVID-19 moves therapy for special needs children online Children with special needs will be getting crucial therapies in a much different way until further notice. Focus, which offers specialized physical, behavioral and speech therapy for children, decided to shut its doors Monday amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “We really can’t ensure that they’re going to be not exposed to something so we decided […]
WINK NEWS Concerns over getting a doctor’s order for coronavirus testing Providers now have the discretion to order a test to patients who they feel should be tested for coronavirus (COVID-19), but some say they are having a difficult time getting an order for a test. “I’m like shocked I find it unbelievable,” said a Lee Health nurse who wanted to be called “Mary” for anonymity. […]
FORT MYERS Are already crowded hospitals in Southwest Florida ready for a COVID-19 outbreak? Joann Cozzolino has congestive heart failure and renal failure. She ends up in the hospital several times a year. “Sometimes I am there and then two weeks later I’m back again,” she said. Her husband, Gary Atherton, is her full-time caretaker. He diligently counts out her pills, drives her to her dialysis appointments and advocates […]
FORT MYERS How a trip to the doctor can cost 3 times more than you expect When Jan Trefzer went to a doctor for back pain, she expected to pay $45—her insurance copay for specialist care. But Lee Health billed her insurance for facility charges both times Trefzer went to the doctor at the Sanctuary, an outpatient center in Fort Myers. Those facility charges added $550 to Trefzer’s total out-of-pocket cost […]
FORT MYERS US Attorneys subpoenaed 4 FMPD officers as part of drug, murder, public corruption case Four Fort Myers Police Department officers who were put on paid administrative leave in 2017 were subpoenaed by the Offices of the United States Attorneys in November 2018. The subpoenas requested the officers appear to testify in front of a grand jury as targets of a drug, murder and public corruption case. Sources close to […]