Endangered Bornean orangutan born at Busch Gardens in Florida3 Fort Lauderdale men arrested for armed robbery at North Naples retail store
WINK NEWS Unemployment system glitch keeps benefits from formerly incarcerated people UPDATE: The DEO announced June 4 that the chat feature is no longer available. — Another glitch in Florida’s unemployment system is keeping people from their benefits. The Department of Economic Opportunity’s website is accidentally flagging thousands of accounts with holds. The system thinks they’re in jail, but they’re not. “How is this relief package […]
FORT MYERS Homelessness in Lee County: Millions of dollars provided, but is it helping? For the last four years, Vicky Bond has carried her past and her belongings with her, sleeping on a bamboo mat at Lions Park. “I got real depressed, lost my job, lost my apartments and just started living homeless,” Bond said. Alcoholism and unmonitored medications caught up with her, and then, Hurricane Irma hit. “And […]
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man suing Lee County Sheriff’s Office after typo leads to wrongful arrest An innocent Lee County man is suing the Lee County Sheriff’s Office over a typo that led to his wrongful arrest. Carlos Javier Lobos, 44, was arrested in 2018 and accused of child molestation. His lawyer says shortly after the false arrest, the sheriff’s office administratively expunged all records of it. While he was cleared […]
WINK NEWS New Labor Department guidance expands unemployment eligibility The U.S. Department of Labor is issuing guidance to state unemployment insurance agencies that expands the number of instances in which workers may be eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. “Our nation cannot afford to continue compounding the already-devastating effects of the ongoing pandemic-related economic crisis by leaving workers destitute and living in fear for their […]
WINK NEWS Top three unemployment system issues plaguing jobless in SWFL, explained UPDATE: The DEO announced June 4 that the chat feature is no longer available. — Nearly a year into the pandemic, issues continue to plague jobless people across the state. Despite doing exactly what the Department of Economic Opportunity recommends, people like Janna Glassberg are hitting roadblocks. A performer, she’s been unemployed since last March. […]
WINK NEWS Scammers steal Collier County couple’s info to apply for unemployment benefits Scammers are stealing information to apply for unemployment benefits, and it’s happening in Southwest Florida. The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office released a warning Thursday explaining how to avoid these kinds of scams. Meanwhile, a Collier County couple told us they’re getting unemployment checks they never applied for, and they have no clue how it happened. […]
WINK NEWS Pandemic Academics: How SWFL students are performing one year later Whether online or in-person, learning looks different in the age of COVID-19, and parents in Southwest Florida are worried about their kids’ education. How have our kids been coping with the pandemic and performing in school? And what does it mean for their futures? WINK News surveyed parents in our area to gauge what the […]
FORT MYERS How to find your unemployment tax documents for filing season Today’s the first day you can file for your tax refund and experts say you should file early. But tax time is also causing some trouble. Many of you who are collecting unemployment for the first time have encountered issues. WINK News walks you through getting the necessary documents. Many of you are wondering where […]
WINK NEWS Survey – One year later: Education in Southwest Florida during a pandemic While students have faced extraordinary obstacles to education over the last year, WINK News is setting out to learn how our kids, and next generation, are holding up. Complete the survey below and watch WINK News for an upcoming story. *If you don’t see the form above, click HERE.
FORT MYERS Florida still working to extend federal unemployment programs, begins paying out extra weekly $300 The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity says it’s started processing the $300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) payments which were extended and modified by the Continued Assistance Act, also known as the extension of the CARES Act in the second federal stimulus bill. People collecting unemployment should see these payments hitting their accounts along with […]