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.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California women who take birth control would have to make fewer trips to the pharmacy under a bill that would require insurers to cover up to a 12-month supply at one time. Supporters say for birth control to be most effective, it must be taken consistently and argue the longer-term supply would reduce the potential for skipped doses and would lower instances of unintended pregnancy. “Women are smart enough to carefully administer and use these drugs appropriately,” said Democratic Sen. Fran Pavley of Agoura Hills, the bill’s author. She said limiting birth control to 30- or 90-day supplies – the current industry standard – may have made sense in the 1970s, when “the pill” came on the market and was unproven, but she’s surprised it’s still in practice. “They’ve been measured and reformed and are safe,” Pavley said. There’s no health-related reason why the supplies should be limited to shorter periods, and eliminating repeat trips to the pharmacy is more convenient, she added. Unlike many other medications, experts say one missed dose of a contraceptive can undo months of careful usage. At least five states and Washington, D.C., have approved legislation allowing such extended supplies. Two lobbying groups representing insurers, the Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies and the California Association of Health Plans, oppose the measure, SB999, in its current form. The groups have asked the author to change the bill to allow insurers to request a patient be stabilized on the drug before filling the full year’s dosage. They also want to delay the start date of the measure by a year to Jan. 1, 2018. Between 10 and 33 percent of women try more than one birth control method within a 12-month period, according to member companies, said Steffanie Watkins, vice president of health policy for the Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies. “We want to ensure women are on the medicine that they should be on and want to make sure it’s done in a thoughtful way,” she said. Supporters argue the bill does not require women to get a year’s worth of contraception and instead calls for supplies of “up to” 12 months. Of the states that have passed similar legislation, only Oregon and Maryland include provisions for a smaller initial amount before filling the longer supply. The California Right to Life Committee sees no need for a year’s supply, said director Camille Giglio. In a letter to the state Senate Health Committee, the organization wrote contraceptives can have “devastating consequences” on women’s health. Giglio also said she was concerned that expanded access to contraception could lead to an increase in sex trafficking. In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended prescribing or providing up to a year’s supply of pill packs at each visit. The report suggested that common insurance restrictions could result in unwanted discontinuation of birth control and increased risk of pregnancy. California’s legislation has cleared the state Senate and needs to pass the Assembly before the end of August to go before Gov. Jerry Brown for his consideration. It would include Medi-Cal managed plans and cover hormonal contraceptives including the pill, vaginal ring and contraceptive patch. A 2011 University of California, San Francisco, study of women in a state family planning program found that a one-year supply of contraceptives led to a 30 percent reduction in unintended pregnancies and a 46 percent decrease in the abortion rate, as compared to 30- or 90-day supplies. “We need to do all we can to ensure that every child is a wanted child, and part of that is being able to use birth control as effectively as possible,” said Amy Everitt, state director of NARAL Pro-Choice California.