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 discovery of a 13-year-old girl alone in downtown Fort Myers on a school day is raising questions about the agencies tasked with her care. The girl is involved with a foster program through Lutheran Services Florida, a subcontractor under the Children’s Network of Southwest Florida, which itself is contracted by the Florida Department of Children and Families. She told a woman who found her outside the Fort Myers Regional Library that she was waiting for someone to bring her birth certificate so she could get a library card. The girl also said she was hungry, so the woman took her to the nearby Gwendolyn’s Cafe. “She knew we would feed her,” cafe owner Gwendolyn Howard-Powell said. “And then through some time and food and conversation, it was asked of her, ‘Why aren’t you in school?’ And she said, ‘My case worker dropped me off.'” ‘Disturbing’ encounter Howard-Powell called the DCF’s hotline to report the unattended girl. Hours passed before anyone from DCF showed up. Eventually, a woman in a black mustang pulled up to the cafe. “The woman in the vehicle said, ‘Get in the car.’ And when we saw that, we were like, ‘Wait a minute, we don’t know who you are,'” Howard-Powell said. The woman was Jacinta Brunson, a Lutheran Services Florida family support worker. But Brunson wasn’t forthcoming with that information. “I asked her who she was. She said she didn’t have to give me that information,” Howard-Powell said. “Her attitude was disturbing. She was not kind or friendly to the child, which is even more disturbing.” Brunson refused to show her badge. Howard-Powell called police and didn’t let the girl get in the car with her. Shortly thereafter, two DCF workers arrived, showed their badges, and took the girl. Later, another woman showed up and displayed her badge identifying herself as a Lutheran Services Florida worker. She also told Howard-Powell she was there for the girl, who’d already left with the DCF workers. The affair left Howard-Powell feeling uneasy. “We feel like we just threw her back into the wolves,” she said. Who’s to blame? Lutheran Services called what happened “inappropriate.” DCF and Children’s Network of SWFL called it “unacceptable.” “The actions of those involved in this incident are absolutely unacceptable,” Natalie Harrell, communications director for the Suncoast Region of DCF, wrote in a statement. “We have very high standards for all employees, including those hired by case management organizations. Immediately upon learning of the incident, the department opened a child protection investigation.” That investigation is now complete. Brunson is still employed with Lutheran Services Florida, but the child’s case manager, Regina Jeffrey, was fired, along with Brunson’s supervisor. “The actions of the two staff were not in the best interest of the youth and as such unacceptable to both LSF and Children’s Network of SWFL,” the Children’s Network said in a statement. Jeffrey calls her firing unfair. “I was in shock that she [Brunson] wasn’t [fired] because she actually had custody of the child that morning. It was a total shock,” Jeffrey said. “…Basically I got fired because I was trying to do my job. I left the child with another worker who was supposed to supervise her until further notice, and I was the one terminated.” The girl refused to go to school that day, according to Jeffrey, who said she followed protocol by taking her to the library to meet with Brunson. “So Jacinta said that she would spend time with her [the child] during the day until they come up with a plan,” Jeffrey said. “That was, as far as I knew what happened with her that day.” If Brunson was unable to do so, she was to bring the child back to the office, where another staff member would take care of her, according to Jeffrey. But Children’s Network CEO Nadareh Salim contends it was ultimately up to Jeffrey to ensure the girl had supervision. “I believe there was a communication breakdown between the staff involved on that day. The primary responsibility of the children rests with the case manager.” Salim wrote in a statement. Brunson declined to comment. Brunson’s supervisor could not be reached for comment.