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) – With Florida’s death penalty law in limbo due to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Emily Cope on Wednesday described in chilling detail how her father, Keith, was hog-tied and left for dead back in 2009 when she was a teenager. Cope recalled how her father suffered a stroke while he was left bound with rope and duct tape for days and then later died. She pleaded with state legislators to reject a proposal to require that juries unanimously recommend the death penalty because her own father’s killer did not receive a unanimous recommendation. The role of juries in death cases has become the central focus of lawmakers scrambling to pass a bill that could help the state resume executions. But while legislators are hearing from the families of murder victims Gov. Rick Scott has remained mum. Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled nearly a month ago Scott has not made any recommendations and on Wednesday the governor said that he won’t weigh in until state legislators send him a bill. “The Legislature has not gotten me a bill yet,” said Scott, who has conducted the most executions under a single governor since the death penalty was reinstated in Florida in 1979. “When the Legislature gets me a bill I’ll be glad to review it.” Scott’s decision to let legislators work out the details contrasts sharply with former Gov. Jeb Bush. After botched executions threatened Florida’s death penalty, Bush called a special session in early 2000. The governor recommended changes that included the state’s switch to lethal injection from the electric chair. The Legislature is tasked with rewriting how to sentence someone to death after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Jan. 12 that the current method is unconstitutional. The high court in an 8-1 ruling found that the state’s sentencing procedure is flawed because it allows judges to reach a different decision than juries. Juries play only an advisory role in recommending death in Florida. The Florida Supreme Court last week delayed the pending execution of inmate Michael Lambrix after his attorneys argued that the ruling should apply to all 389 people on Florida’s death row. Other judges across the state have also said they lack the authority to impose the death penalty in light of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Legislators have responded by quickly writing up a bill to overhaul the death penalty, but the House and Senate remain divided on what it takes for a jury to agree to the death penalty. The Senate bill requires a unanimous decision of all 12 jurors, but the House measure requires only nine. Current Florida law requires a simple majority of seven. Senators say they are pushing for the change to avoid future legal scrutiny of the state’s death penalty. According to data compiled by the Florida Supreme Court’s Clerk’s office, only 69 of 330 death penalty cases- 21 percent – in the past 15 years had unanimous jury recommendations. Florida’s prosecutors remain solidly opposed to requiring juries to reach a unanimous decision which is why Scott’s position on the issue could wind up being crucial. “I think particularly given the veto pen it would be important for the governor to weigh in,” said Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez, a Miami Democrat who tried unsuccessfully to change the House proposal to mirror the Senate one. Before the vote Cope told legislators that her father’s killer – Joseph Jordan – was sentenced to death in 2013 after a 10-2 jury recommendation. Jordan is currently imprisoned at Florida State Prison in north Florida. “The death penalty to me is equivalent to euthanizing an animal,” Cope said. “They’re given peace and they don’t have to suffer anymore meanwhile my father suffered horribly and I wish he could have traded places with his defendant.”