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.
FORT MYERS, Fla. The Fort Myers Police Department is getting a major technological upgrade. The department, by the end of the week, will be the first in Southwest Florida to equip each of its uniformed officers with a body camera, City Manager Saeed Kazemi said in a press conference Tuesday. It’s part of a five-year, $1 million contract with Scottsdale, Arizona-based manufacturer Axon that will allow the department to replace its fleet of 142 cameras every 30 months if a new model is available. “Technology changes all the time,” Chief Derrick Diggs said. “Basically for the next five years, our police department is going to get the latest and greatest when it comes to body cameras and tasers.” A motivating force behind the decision to get the cameras is the ability to fend off potential legal action, police Lt. Jay Rodriguez said. “You’re going to see a major increase or savings on that side, because you’re going to see that we are going to be able to disprove what may or may not have happened,” he said. The new cameras will replace the 40 the department currently has in use. These models won’t allow officers to pick and choose portions of video to save and discard, according to Diggs. “[The] policy is the cameras will be turned on when there’s any type of police interaction,” Diggs said. “If they are not turned on when there’s police interaction and we find out about it, then disciplinary action will be taken upon the officers.” Exceptions may be granted if circumstances don’t allow officers to turn the cameras on, but in some instances, the cameras will turn on automatically, according to Diggs. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Diggs said. “We will be doing more as far as technology. We are bringing more technology here.” Each officer will also soon receive a new Bluetooth-operated taser. Those tasers will be colored bright yellow so both officers and people in the community can see the difference between them and firearms, a department official said. “This is a big investment for our community,” Rodriguez said. “We have to see it that way, for our police department and our community to just feel safer with us. So we see it as a great investment more than anything else.” The Cape Coral Police Department also uses body cameras, with 120 units currently in operation. They plan to have 180 by the end of the year. Most other Southwest Florida agencies cite cost concerns as a reason not to have them. Here’s how several of them responded to inquiries about whether they use body cameras: Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office – Don’t have them. No plans at this point to get them. North Port Police Department – Don’t have them, but continually monitoring and considering for the future. Punta Gorda Police Department – Don’t have them. Not currently budgeted. Collier County Sheriff’s Office – Don’t have them. Would have to look into future plans. Marco Island Police Department – Don’t have them. Hasn’t been discussed. Glades County Sheriff’s Office – Don’t have them, but all their vehicles are equipped with video systems. The limited number of complaints the department receives doesn’t justify the expense of body cameras, a department official said. Clewiston Police Department – Don’t have them. They’re not looking at them in the near future because of cost and liability. Lee County Sheriff’s Office – Don’t have them. Naples Police Department – Don’t have them, but all of the department’s vehicles have in-car cameras and officers have microphones on their uniforms. The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, Arcadia Police Department, Hendry County Sheriff’s Office and Sanibel Police Department have yet to respond. See the Fort Myers police press conference about the cameras here: