ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva 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 Alva 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 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Drivers in Florida can’t be prosecuted for leaving the scene of an accident unless there is proof they knew they were in a crash. The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously agreed with a lower court’s decision to throw out the conviction of a South Florida man charged after he hit a skateboarder while driving in the rain. Zachariah Dorsett was driving his truck down Florida’s famed A1A highway in Boca Raton when he struck a then-15-year-old skateboarder who had fallen into the crosswalk. Dorsett maintained that he did not know he had hit Nicholas Savinon when he was pulled over by police about 3 miles from the accident. There was no evidence of damage to the truck, braking or any skid marks in the 2007 accident. Dorsett, who was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, said he had his radio, windshield wipers and air conditioning on at the time. Savinon was dragged nearly 90 feet under his truck. One witness testified seeing the truck back tire go up and down over Savinon, while another saw the skateboard get spit out from underneath the truck and split in two. A jury convicted Dorsett of leaving the scene of a crash that caused an injury. He was sentenced to two years in prison. An appeals court in 2013, however, overturned the decision and ordered a new trial because jurors were never asked to decide whether they thought Dorsett knew he had been involved in an accident. The state Supreme Court in its ruling sided with the appeals court. In the decision, Justice Charles Canady wrote that felony convictions require proof that someone “willfully” broke the law and knew what they were doing. “The state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the driver had actual knowledge of the crash, an essential element of the crime of leaving the scene of a crash,” Canady wrote. Michael Savinon, the father of Nicholas Savinon, said the decision means that other hit-and-run drivers in the state may be able to get away with the crime in the future. “This allows everyone to flee the scene and use that as an excuse and say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know I was in a crash,'” Savinon said. Nicholas Savinon, who is now 22, had a traumatic brain injury as a result of the accident and spent weeks in a coma. His mother, Lydia Savinon, said he still lives at home with his parents and just recently began working at a Publix grocery store. She said she remains convinced that Dorsett did know that he hit her son. “In my opinion, there’s no way he couldn’t have known,” Savinon said. The ruling by the court means that the case could wind its way back to prosecutors in Palm Beach County. An assistant state attorney said Thursday that until the case is officially remanded back to them they cannot decide whether they will push for a new trial. Questions about the case were emailed to Dorsett’s attorney, but she said she could not comment until she had spoken first to her client. Lydia and Michael Savinon said they are more concerned now about taking care of their son instead of focusing on whether Dorsett is charged again. “We’re surviving,” said Michael Savinon. “Our whole focus as parents is just to help him be part of our family.”