Sean Penn slams those who question his Haiti aid

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean Penn has strong words for those who think he’s showing off with his aid to earthquake-ravaged Haiti. In an interview airing on this weekend’s “Sunday Morning” on CBS, the outspoken actor says he hopes any cynic who dismisses his efforts as a star turn will “die screaming of rectal cancer.” Penn has visited the devastated Caribbean nation accompanied by doctors and a U.S. businesswoman with whom he established a relief organization. He has brought water filters for distribution to villages and met with aid groups. Besides raising funds, Penn says he has contributed his own money. When asked how much, he replies with a laugh, “Enough that I’d better get a job soon.” — CBS is a division of CBS Corp. — On the Net: http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/sunday/main3445.shtml

American missionaries freed from Haitian jail, arrive in Miami overnight

American missionaries freed from Haitian jail, arrive in Miami overnight By WINK News By Associated Press Story Created: Feb 18, 2010 at 5:05 AM EST Story Updated: Feb 18, 2010 at 5:05 AM EST MIAMI (AP) – Eight American missionaries charged in Haiti with child kidnapping have landed in Miami. A U.S. military official says a C-130 cargo plane carrying the Americans landed at Miami International Airport. After arriving, seven of the eight went to a hotel adjoining the airport. They were allowed to leave by Haitian judge Wednesday, nearly three weeks after they were jailed for trying to take a group of children out of the earthquake-stricken country. Hours after a judge decided to free 8 of the 10, the group – looking bedraggled and sweat-soaked – walked out of the Haitian jail escorted by US diplomats just after dusk. They waited until they were safely inside a white van before flashing smiles and giving a thumbs up to reporters. Previous article Cape Coral Intersection “Dangerous”. Next article Globetrotters show Rob & Lindsay some moves on air

Kris Allen back on ‘Idol’ for Haiti fundraiser

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kris Allen next week will make his first appearance on “American Idol” since winning the show last year, to help raise money for earthquake-ravaged Haiti. As part of the Fox TV show’s “Idol Gives Back” charity effort, Allen will travel to Haiti with the United Nations Foundation. He’ll share video from his visit and sing on the Thursday, Feb. 25, episode of “American Idol.” Fox said Wednesday that viewers will be asked to make donations online or by text-messaging, with the money going to the Idol Gives Back Foundation to help support the U.N. Foundation’s work in Haiti. “Idol Gives Back” takes place on the April 21 episode of “American Idol,” raising money for five charities, including Feeding America and Malaria No More. — On the Net: http://www.americanidol.com

WINK News Now at your desk

WINK News Now at your desk By WINK News Story Created: Feb 15, 2010 at 4:17 PM EST Story Updated: Feb 15, 2010 at 4:17 PM EST A quick look at the top stories in southwest florida. Previous article Florida Student Found Dead in Haiti Earthquake Next article CALL FOR ACTION: Defective Drywall Test

Charlotte County man accused of molesting daughter

Charlotte County man accused of molesting daughter By WINK News Story Created: Feb 10, 2010 at 3:57 AM EST Story Updated: Feb 10, 2010 at 3:57 AM EST A Charlotte County man is accused of sexual battery on his daughter, who tracked him down online. WINK News is not identifying the father to protect the identity of the victim in this case. But he has bonded out after being arrested on charges of performing lewd acts on his daughter. According to Deputies the girl was 14 at the time of the incident. She located her estranged father through the internet 2 years ago. The two communicated on the social networking site Myspace. Shortly after, a visit was arranged and the teen got to stay with her father in his Port Charlotte home. According to police reports the father began to molest the teen on the final days of the trip. The girl then went back to her Virginia home and said nothing about the incident for two years. Investigators say her boyfriend convinced her to come forward. Previous article Magnitude 4.3 Earthquake reported near Chicago, IL Next article Housing Market: Signs of recovery in Cape Coral

Magnitude 4.3 Earthquake reported near Chicago, IL

Magnitude 4.3 Earthquake reported near Chicago, IL By WINK News Story Created: Feb 10, 2010 at 5:58 AM EST Story Updated: Feb 10, 2010 at 5:58 AM EST The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting a magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck in Illinois early Wednesday morning. The earthquake struck about 4 miles from Virgil, Illinois and about 48 miles WNW of Chicago. No injuries or damage have been reported. Stay with WINK News for complete coverage. Next article Charlotte County man accused of molesting daughter

Local man helping to re-build Haiti

Local man helping to re-build Haiti Owns a concrete business By WINK News Story Created: Feb 2, 2010 at 1:51 PM EST Story Updated: Feb 2, 2010 at 1:51 PM EST A local man is talking to WINK News about what it will take to rebuild Haiti and how he’s playing a part. Michael Gay, 62, owns GDG, a concrete business headquartered in Haiti. He built the two most prominent buildings that survived the earthquake – the American Embassy and the Digicel building. Gay, a Haitian-American, says he located his business in Haiti a few years ago after retiring early in the U.S. He hopes his experience will help the Haitians. “I came back here mostly to help to try to see what I could do as far as helping this country develop as far as using the knowledge and the resources that I had acquired and invest them in Haiti,” he said. Gay has been meeting with international officials to help coordinate the massive rebuilding effort in Haiti. He says the priority right now is restoring power. Previous article Bomb sniffing dogs to protect Super Bowl Next article Escaped teens caught in Glades County

Haiti’s Quake Was Just A ‘Little Kick’: Experts

By SUNIL Sonkar
Port-au-Prince, Feb. 02 — There may be another major earthquake taking place in Haiti says experts and this may be triggered by the catastrophic that happened last month and killed up to 200,000 people leaving capital Port-au-Prince in ruins.

Teams of geophysicists has been tracking the movements in the fault line, which slashes across [...]

10 US Baptists detained for taking kids across border

By SUNIL Sonkar
Port-Au-Prince, Feb. 01 — While taking out 33 children out of Haiti after the earthquake without any permission of the government, 10 U.S. Baptists have bee detained. The Baptists said that they were trying to just do the right thing. They said that they were applying Christian principles to save Haitian children.
However, the [...]

Mother/daughter nurses help victims in Haiti

Mother/daughter nurses help victims in Haiti By Christina Hernandez, WINK News Story Created: Jan 29, 2010 at 3:24 PM EST Story Updated: Jan 29, 2010 at 6:47 PM EST FORT MYERS, Fla. – Two Fort Myers nurses said they faced the unthinkable in Haiti after flying to their homeland to help the wounded. Betty Mesidore and Christina Theogene didn’t think twice about visiting their home country after some of it was destroyed by an earthquake. “When I saw the pictures on CNN and was unable to reach my family, I knew,” Mesidore said. The mother and daughter took pictures while they were there. “I didn’t know that could happen in Haiti because I grew up in Haiti and to know what it was and see what it is now – that was a big shocker for me,” Theogene said. Once they found out their family was okay, they went to work – helping the people who were hurt. “We went there and did the best we could. We had very little to work with,” Mesidore said. “I never thought in my lifetime, as a nurse, that I would be faced with that.” Mesidore said she helped perform a c-section on a woman without any anesthesia. “We had about eight people pressing her down to do a c-section on her because she was having seizures and thankfully she was safe, and the baby,” she said. Theogene said the wounds in Haiti are physical and emotional. They learned that first-hand. “The Tuesday that 6.2 earthquake hit, we were there and I believe God made us feel that so we could understand.” That mother and daughter, who have lived here for six years, hope to return to Haiti in the next few weeks to follow up with their patients.