ALVA Woodpeckers build home in woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
MGN Online CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – A range of citizens and professional groups urged Wyoming lawmakers on Monday to accept federal money to expand the federal Medicaid program to offer health insurance to thousands of low-income adults. Medicaid expansion is a key element of the federal Affordable Care Act. The federal government has offered to pay most of the cost of adding coverage to an estimated 17,600 low-income, uninsured adults in Wyoming. The overwhelmingly Republican state Legislature has rejected the federal expansion offer repeatedly in recent years. Many critics say they don’t trust federal promises to continue to pay for the program. The Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee took public testimony Monday on a committee bill that would allow expansion of the Medicaid program while requiring recipients to pay into health savings accounts. Supporters say requiring such payments would encourage responsible behavior but it’s unclear whether the state could get federal approval for the plan. Gov. Matt Mead has urged the Legislature to approve the expansion this year without the savings requirement. He said last week in his state of the state address that he still believes that the Affordable Care Act is bad law but doesn’t believe Wyoming should pass up the federal money that’s now going to other states. The committee didn’t vote on the bill Monday. Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, said he intends to allow committee members time to draft amendments and intends to hear from the state Health Department before holding a vote later in this legislative session. Wyoming Health Department Director Tom Forslund has said expanding the Medicaid program would save the state money by getting people off other programs. The state’s Medicaid program would likely need an infusion of nearly $80 million in state general funds in coming years without the expansion, while expanding the program promises the state nearly $50 million in savings, he has said. Supporters who testified in favor of expanding the program included representatives of the business and health care industry as well as church and social welfare representatives and several tribal members from the Wind River Indian Reservation. Bill Schilling, president of the Wyoming Business Alliance, testified his group concluded that the state should proceed with expansion. He said hospitals around the state are in danger of closing if they don’t get help covering the cost of care for the uninsured. “To the extent that working poor – people who want to aspire from poverty to middle class – can be assisted in that arena by the costs they are paying for health care, that would be an advantage to our state,” Schilling said. Eric Boley, president Wyoming Hospital Association, told the committee that hospitals around the state are losing $110 million a year by providing uncompensated care to the uninsured. “That means our hospitals, our safety net hospitals, are in jeopardy,” Boley said. “We’re facing narrow, narrow margins in operations.” Boley said other states that have expanded Medicaid have seen a decline in the cost of uncompensated care borne by their hospitals. He said preventative medical care, such as colonoscopies and controlling diabetes, also can find illnesses earlier and save health care costs. Glen Fowler, health care analyst with the Northern Arapaho Tribe, testified Medicaid saves lives on the Wind River Indian Reservation. He said the health care system there receives about $17 million, of which half is Medicaid money, for more than 11,300 people. Micah Carpenter-Lott, 21, a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, testified he received Medicaid coverage for medical procedures when he was a teenager. He said he lost that coverage when he turned 18 and still is uninsured. “So for someone to say, who does this help? It would help me,” Carpenter-Lott said. “I fit into that category, I fit into the guidelines. I’m the scenario, it would help me. That’s all I have to say.” Rep. Marti Halverson, R-Etna, was the only speaker against Medicaid expansion. She said other states that have opted for Medicaid expansion have seen new enrollment exceed its predictions. Halverson said it’s not true that other states are getting Wyoming’s share of Medicaid program funds. She said it’s an entitlement program and there’s no fixed amount allocated from state to state. “I urge the committee and my fellow legislators please remember those for whom Medicaid was originally intended: poor children, impoverished seniors and individuals with disabilities,” Halverson said.