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.
CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian voters head to the polls Sunday to elect a parliament, the first since the military-led ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. The vote will mark the final step in what has been billed as a post-Morsi transition to democracy. But critics here and abroad describe it as part of a rolling retrenchment of authoritarian rule nearly five years after long-serving autocrat Hosni Mubarak was toppled by a 2011 pro-democracy uprising. Political parties — those that are eligible to run — are weak with little popular following. They are hurt even more by the law governing how the election will be run. And there is a general societal atmosphere strongly against public criticism of the government, with many Egyptians seeking stability after years of turmoil that have devastated the economy. THE SYSTEM The elections law designates three categories of seats in the 596-seat House of Representatives: those elected through a party list (120 seats or 20 percent), those elected individually (448 seats or 75 percent), and those appointed by the president (28 seats or 5 percent). Political parties are heavily disadvantaged by an election law, passed by presidential decree last year. The party list that wins an absolute majority will take all the seats in each district, making it harder for small parties to secure seats. The law also uses the list system to fill quotas of underrepresented minorities. Each 15-candidate party list must include three Christians, two workers or farmers, two youth candidates, a disabled person, and an Egyptian residing abroad. Seven of the 15 candidates must be women. A full 75 percent of the assembly is reserved for candidates running as individuals, races in which prominent, wealthy local government-affiliated power brokers have a presumed advantage. Moreover, individuals can form a slate and run against parties for the list seats. The government’s supporters reject the criticism from opposition political parties, insisting the field is wide open for anyone who wants to compete. Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is not a member of any party and portrays himself as being above the political fray. Another 5 percent of the parliament will be appointed by the president, a measure meant to ensure seats for underrepresented minorities. THE DATES Egypt’s election will take place in two phases. Phase one includes the governorates of Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, Wadi el-Gedid, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, Red Sea, Alexandria, Beheira and Marsa Matrouh. Elections will be held October 18-19, with runoff elections on October 27-28. Results will be announced October 29-30. Phase two includes the governorates of Cairo, Qalyoubiya, Dakahliya, Menoufiya, Gharbeia, Kafr el-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North and South Sinai. Elections will be held November 22-23, with runoff elections on December 1-2. Results will be announced December 3-4. A total of 54 million Egyptians are eligible to vote in the parliamentary elections, according to government figures. THE CANDIDATES The High Electoral Committee said last month that they had accepted the candidacy papers of nine lists and 5,420 individual candidates. Few candidates have broad recognition or clear platforms, and most have a pro-government bent. The “For the Love of Egypt” list, put together by a prominent retired army officer, includes former government ministers and high-profile businessmen. It openly supports el-Sissi and is seen as the front-running list. While the Muslim Brotherhood and its political party have both been banned, ultraconservative Muslims have an option: candidates from the Salafi Al-Nour Party. Al-Nour won about a quarter of the vote in the country’s first post-revolution parliamentary election held in late 2011 and early 2012 — coming behind only the Brotherhood. It later backed the army’s overthrow of Morsi in 2013, adding crucial legitimacy to a move decried by most Islamists as a war against political Islam. Today, Al-Nour argues that it is not a religion-based party — which are banned according to the 2014 constitution — but rather one with a “religious background” that focuses on social priorities such as health insurance and economic development. THE PARLIAMENT Egypt’s 2014 constitution_arguably the most liberal Egypt has ever had — grants the House of Representatives ample power. For example, the parliament can withdraw confidence from the president and call for early presidential elections with a request signed by the majority of its members, the approval of 2/3 of its members and the approval of a public referendum. If the president objects to a draft law, the parliament can push it through with a 2/3 majority. The parliament can also alter expenditures listed in the state budget. However, rather than challenging the power of the president, analysts and activists say the next legislature is likely to be a rubber-stamp body that further solidifies el-Sissi’s hold on power.