Sara Girard

Some senior living communities in Southwest Florida must jump through hoops to get their residents vaccinated, and it’s taking a toll. The uncertainty that comes along with it makes it emotional for many people. Vi at Bentley Village in North Naples got 98% of its skilled nursing facility vaccinated in December 2020, and it pushed […]

A new year brings with it fresh questions related to unemployment. Many of you are writing in to WINK News about payments, a lack of them, or partial payments. There are questions about Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) — those are the unemployment programs continued in the stimulus bill — […]

As the state begins to roll out changes and extensions to unemployment compensation, courtesy of the new stimulus bill, some Floridians worry it won’t be smooth. Community activist Vanessa Brito, who’s been helping decipher and guide people through the unemployment system for months, is preparing for the worst. “I want people to be prepared for […]

Our most vulnerable communities continue to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but some at a living facility in North Naples got left out and aren’t sure when they’ll be vaccinated. The problem starts with two companies: Walgreens and CVS. They’ve been distributing the vaccine to health care workers and long-term care facilities. The Centers for Disease […]

A new stimulus bill means more money is on the way for unemployed people across the country, but some in Florida are still trying to collect the payments they’re already owed. Now without 13 weeks of unemployment benefits, Julio Rivera says tough times got even tougher. “I eventually started getting behind, owing for this month, […]

Missing unemployment benefits means more hardship for people in Southwest Florida. Two men, like many others, are pleading for the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) to get their checks. David Westerman is now homeless for Christmas, a situation he never thought he’d be in. “I’m stuck on unemployment now because of this, he explained. “If […]

We were with you every step of the way in 2020 when it came to Florida unemployment. We brought your questions directly to leaders charged with handling the unemployment problems in the state. We wanted to take a look back at the timeline for the unemployment process in Florida as the year comes to a close. Since […]

The U.S. Postal Service is asking everyone to be patient during the holidays, as it navigates shipping delays across the country. This includes a warning holiday gifts are at risk of arriving late for Christmas. Some USPS employees are working almost 70 to 80 hours a week to get loved ones their gifts on time. […]

A Florida mom is struggling to make ends meet at Christmastime thanks to Florida’s unemployment system. Charity Morris of Lawtey, Florida, says she can’t get her kids any gifts this year after missing unemployment benefits and months of struggling to pay the bills. She says she has tried everything she can to get it fixed, […]

Businesses already hurting from the pandemic will take another hit next year. The tax they pay tied to the unemployment system is going up. “It’s been a tough year already with coronavirus, but we have to do we have to do,” said Chris Blauvelt, the owner of The Standard restaurant in downtown Fort Myers. Blauvelt […]