WINK NEWS Restaurants and retail stores can increase their capacity to 50% Monday, and gyms can reopen under guided restrictions. Professional sports teams are welcome to Florida, and venues can open and operate for games, the governor said. Friday, we wanted to know how restaurants are doing under current restrictions. We spoke with two local restaurants that are… Read More »
London (CNN Business) Will Murrell had hoped to pass his further education exams this summer, at a college in London. He was hunting for a job, in a retail outlet or supermarket, to earn some extra money alongside his studies. Then Covid-19 struck. Now the 17-year-old is stuck at home with his parents. His exams have been canceled… Read More »
FORT MYERS This weekly WINK News segment features fugitives from justice right here in Southwest Florida. This is your chance to help out the community and give the tip that gets these people off the street. These suspects need to be found – and you can help. If you have seen them, reach out to Crime Stoppers or… Read More »
CNN With the spread of coronavirus, millions of Americans are out of work. And with many restaurants closed due to social distancing measures, the food industry is one of the hardest hit. That’s why celebrity food personality Guy Fieri partnered with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation to raise money for the foundation’s Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. And… Read More »
(CBS News) The United States Space Force released its first recruitment video Wednesday. The 30-second clip encourages potential recruits to ponder if their “purpose on this planet isn’t on this planet.” “Some people look to the stars and ask, ‘what if?’” a narrator is heard over footage of a man looking up at the sky. “Our job is to… Read More »
(CNN) Tom Cruise wants to fly into outer space in the name of filmmaking, and NASA says it’s happening. The head of NASA confirmed Tuesday that the space agency is working with actor Tom Cruise to make a movie on the International Space Station. A NASA spokesperson also confirmed to CNN Business that Cruise will launch into space… Read More »
NAPLES Two Fort Myers teenagers are facing felony charges after they led Collier County deputies on a brief pursuit in North Naples and crashing the cars they’d stolen, according to the department. Deputies responded to report of a possible burglary around 1 a.m. Tuesday in the 6100 block of Cypress Hollow Way. The caller told deputies he heard… Read More »
FORT MYERS There’s a new website to address the mental and emotional health challenges created by the global coronavirus pandemic. The Pandemic Crisis Services Coalition website aims to help connect those in need with appropriate mental health resources. Until now, there’ hasn’t been a comprehensive searchable database making it harder for people to find help quickly. The new… Read More »
FORT MYERS Some Southwest Florida malls and shops are already working to reopen after Governor DeSantis announced the state would move into phase one of reopening following the “safer-at-home” order. In accordance with phase one, retail establishments are permitted to open with 25% capacity. WINK News is working to compile a list of malls and shops that are… Read More »
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FORT MYERS One of Southwest Florida’s most prominent local businesses is getting ready to reopen. Chico’s says it will do this in three phases starting next week and they’re rolling out a whole new shopping experience to adapt to these changing times. In late January, Chico’s management and employees were all smiles, cutting the ribbon to celebrate the… Read More »
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The School District of Lee County on Tuesday said it will postpone changes to middle and high school class schedules until the 2021-2022 school year. District spokesman Rob Spicker said the district will use the 2020-2021 school year to solicit more input from staff, students, families and advisory committees. Most high schools were to move to a seven-period… Read More »
ENGLEWOOD Businesses around Southwest Florida have closed during the coronavirus pandemic. And another group hit especially hard are dairy farmers. Many have been forced to throw away gallons of milk that can’t be sold. But a woman in Southwest Florida found a better way to use it this weekend. Dakin Dairy Farms was supposed to start selling milk… Read More »
FORT MYERS The WINK News newsroom has been flooded with questions from concerned Southwest Floridians over unemployment issues. We set out with a goal to get all of your questions answered. Below are the questions we have answered for you so far and we will continue to update this list as many questions remain. The Florida Department of… Read More »
As businesses shut their doors or reduce their hours, many are hoping they can get a small business loan to stay afloat until the economy improves, but some business owners said the loans aren’t coming fast enough. Michael Fattah owns Ristorante Farfalla, an Italian restaurant in Estero. “It’s a bunch of good employees that I am afraid to… Read More »
LEE COUNTY Fort Myers Police Department says the state attorney’s office will not charge three of its police officers who were involved in a fight that took place at a Cape Coral bar in February. On Feb. 20, an incident occurred at Dixie Roadhouse in downtown Cape Coral between three off-duty FMPD officers and a civilian. According to… Read More »
ROTONDA WEST If you take a walk through downtown Punta Gorda right now, there’s not much to see or hear. But the lack of people and noise is actually a sign of hope that we may get back to normal even sooner. Southwest Florida realtor Steve Reed knows some of his neighbors are struggling. He said, “I was… Read More »
FORT MYERS Limiting where you travel and who you interact with is changing how every business operates and it’s turning some start-ups into booming businesses. “Necessity is the mother of invention,” says Dr. Tom Smythe, professor of finance at FGCU. Out of necessity, businesses have had to broaden their horizons. “You have to be able to adapt to… Read More »
NEW YORK (AP) Stocks are opening moderately higher on Wall Street following weakness overseas as global trading remains unstable amid deep uncertainty over how bad the economic toll of the coronavirus will be. The tentative climb early Wednesday came a day after a big gain for the S&P 500 vanished suddenly. Investors have been blindly trying to guess… Read More »