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.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – The hurricane planes known affectionately as “Miss Piggy” and “Kermit” are getting new Rolls-Royce engines, new wings and better radar. Every hurricane season for nearly four decades, the two technologically packed planes have flown into storms at speeds of up to 300 mph, collecting research and forecasting data to transmit back to the mainland. The 38-year-old planes are getting $42 million “nose-to-tail” upgrades of key components. The money comes from the post-Superstorm Sandy Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013. While the planes are routinely maintained, this is the first big overhaul in more than a decade. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that the refurbishments could keep them flying for decades. The improvements also will mean better fuel efficiency and additional safety for the crew and scientists who fly in the mobile weather stations. “We’ll be able to see things better and react better,” said Devon Brakob, a NOAA navigator aboard the hurricane missions. At MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, the plane dubbed “Miss Piggy” sits in a cavernous hangar. Affixed to the plane’s rear are dozens of red hurricane symbols, some with familiar names: Andrew, Floyd, Katrina. Every storm gets its own decal. In the weeks before the start of hurricane season June 1, the plane’s interior and exterior are in pieces, although a touch of whimsy hangs in the cockpit: a pair of black fuzzy dice. The aircraft’s four engines are being swapped for new Rolls-Royce engines that will not only get better gas mileage but will allow the plane to stay in the air longer. Currently, the planes fly missions of about 10 hours; it’s not unusual for the crew to fly three or four hours to a storm in the Caribbean, spend a couple of hours inside the storm gathering data, and return home. The plane also is receiving upgraded radar in the tail, fuselage and nose. During a storm, researchers and forecasters use the radar and other instruments to measure a storm’s track and strength. They also slip small buoys through specially designed tubes that shoot out the belly of the plane and into the storm and ocean below, to collect data such as sea temperature and wave height. This year, only Miss Piggy will soar through the storms. Kermit is in Jacksonville at the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center, getting new wings. Next year, the planes will swap places, and Miss Piggy will be out of commission. NOAA officials note that while they’ve never lost a plane during a hurricane mission, they are risky and turbulent flights. “It’s like a huge, wooden roller coaster, times 100,” Brakob said. NOAA also has a Gulfstream IV that flies over storms and provides a detailed picture of upper atmosphere forecasts and steering currents during a hurricane. Last year, U.S. government scientists launched winged drones into Hurricane Edouard, hoping to collect data that could help forecasters understand what makes some storms strengthen into monsters while others fade away. It was the first time that unmanned aircraft were dispatched from the hurricane hunter planes flying through Atlantic tropical storms. Capt. Harris Halverson, the commanding officer of the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center in Tampa, says that while the planes’ mission is to aid research, it’s also to help the public. The data collected on the plane eventually filters to meteorologists, TV weather forecasters and the media. “People’s memories are short,” he said. “We’re helping people have a plan for hurricane season.”