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 NEW YORK (AP) – A former teacher who laced her two young children’s grape juice with windshield wiper fluid, then drowned them in a bathtub promised on Tuesday to raise awareness of postpartum depression before a judge sentenced her to eight years in prison. Dressed in an all-white suit, her hands cuffed behind her back, Lisette Bamenga spoke quietly to Judge Martin Marcus, who found her guilty in April of manslaughter in the July 2012 deaths of 4-month-old Violet and 4-year-old Trevor. She had been charged with murder, but her attorney argued she suffered from crippling undiagnosed postpartum psychosis. The judge agreed she suffered from an emotional disturbance severe enough to knock down the charges. “Never in my mind would I hurt anyone, especially my children, who meant the world to me,” the 32-year-old Bamenga said. “After this tragedy, I’ll make it my mission to raise awareness about postpartum depression so that other families won’t suffer through what I’ve suffered.” Bamenga was portrayed as a model mother and dedicated third-grade teacher at Public School 58 in Carroll Gardens, a leafy brownstone Brooklyn neighborhood. About a dozen supporters, some of whom were former parents of children she taught, attended the sentencing in Bronx State Supreme Court and helped raise about $20,000 for her defense. Her mother, Liliane Bamenga, who cried and prayed after the sentencing, said outside court that she believed the sentence was fair. “We don’t have anything to say but thank you, Jesus,” she said. “Just give thanks to God. There’s no joy because we lost two kids, two beautiful kids.” The children’s father, Trevor Noel, didn’t attend. His aunt Susan Boose stormed out of the courtroom as soon as the judge announced the sentence. “I feel like there really is no justice in this situation,” she said. “Lisette played judge and jury in the lives of her children. Not only did she sentence us to a life of misery and pain … eight years, that’s not enough time because she can have more children and put other children in danger.” Bamenga’s attorney Michael Dowd had argued during her trial that she wasn’t in her right mind when she killed her children. After Bamenga drowned the children, she turned on the gas stove and slit her wrists. Emergency crews responding to the smell of gas at their Bronx apartment found her and the children’s bodies. But prosecutors argued that Bamenga acted in a jealous rage after learning her boyfriend had fathered a child with another woman and that she coldheartedly pulled off the killings to punish him. They asked for 20 years on each manslaughter charge. “The entire Noel family will never be the same,” Assistant District Attorney Nancy Borko said. But the judge gave her eight years on each count to run concurrently, saying it was the most difficult sentencing he’s done during his 26 years on the bench. He received 18 letters from psychiatrists, 32 letters from friends, colleagues and parents of her former students, and nine from jail staffers who said she’s been a model prisoner. “Postpartum psychosis is very real and a devastating illness … especially when undiagnosed,” he said.