Trumparilla Boat Parade kicks off in Fort MyersThe Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics
FORT MYERS Trumparilla Boat Parade kicks off in Fort Myers The Lee County GOP is hosting the Trumparilla Boat Parade in support of the Republican nominee.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
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.
FORT MYERS Trumparilla Boat Parade kicks off in Fort Myers The Lee County GOP is hosting the Trumparilla Boat Parade in support of the Republican nominee.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
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.
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The principal at a Lee County high school embattled with a sex scandal is being transferred to a different school, according to Lee County school board documents. The announcement of her transfer comes with news that the staff at South Fort Myers High School had requested improved security months before a 15-year-old girl was discovered having sex with a number of boys in a bathroom. As early as Oct. 6 Assistant Principal Samone Mitchell aired her concerns about whether halls, stairwells and bathrooms were monitored enough during after school hours in emails obtained by the News-Press through a public records request. The email read in part: “There are way too many unsupervised students after school. We need more supervision throughout the halls and in the stairwells. If you are not supervising the ISS room, to walk the halls/stairs/bathrooms more often. Tutors, sponsors, coaches are required to supervise students at all times until transportation arrives. Students are required to be in their assigned location by 1:45. No exceptions.” The incident involving South Fort Myers High school student happened months later on May 17. It quickly gained international attention even as district officials desperately tried to guard information. Three days later on May 20, Principal Melissa Layner emailed students’ parents to ensure them that the campus was safe “providing students cooperate with the expectations articulated to them each day.” But before that, on May 19, the mother of the girl involved, emailed Layner twice. In her first email, she announced that she would not press charges in an email she addressed to the male students involved, in which she called the sex on school property “a mutual decision:” “This could have been you sister, your cousins, or your future daughters. I am not taking legal action because I understand it was a mutual decision. However, the video is considered child pornography and can cause you guys lots of trouble.” In the mother’s second email to Layner, she presses for answers about the school’s security. “If this went on for 50 minutes and cameras saw all this activity were was school staff or security? I am sure they would have seen all the people in and out? Was it the girls restroom or boys? I thought it was the boys restroom?” A little over a week passed when on May 25 Director of Athletics Don Payne sent out an email asking for the removal of unsupervised students and that exterior doors be locked after classes end. His email suggests that South Fort Myers High School was still working to secure its campus after school. It reads in part: “SUBJ: The improvement document I gave you this morning After school policy doc pretty much: supervision at all times – exterior doors to the building will be closed and secured by 1:45 pm every day – security staff will sweep the building and remove any student who is not with a coach or sponsor” The October email resurfaced when it was forwarded to Principal Melissa Layner more than a week after the May 17 incident and day after Payne’s email. Layner will be the new principal at Bonita Springs Middle Center for the Arts starting in fall 2016. According to a multiple officials, Layner requested a transfer months ago. The principal said her job was becoming stressful and mentioned her young children all before the bathroom incident. Lee County School District Superintendent Gregory Adkins said he will recommend Ed Mathews, Assistant Principal at East Lee County High School, to replace Layner. Adkins admits that South Fort Myers High School failed to follow up on communication about protocol. He has called for the creation of a safety and security task force, which will be responsible for standardizing protocol throughout the district.