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.
Sherman’s fox squirrel. Credit: FWC photo by Steve Glass The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in July endorsed an ambitious national strategy, presented by The Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America’s Diverse Fish and Wildlife Resources, to conserve fish and wildlife, keep thousands of U.S. species from becoming endangered, and leave a legacy of healthy wildlife populations for future generations The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, introduced on Dec. 14 by U.S. Reps. Jeff Fortenberry, R-NE, and Debbie Dingell, D-MI, would implement recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Panel, a coalition of business, energy and conservation leaders assembled by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The Blue Ribbon Panel emphasized both the environmental and economic benefits of creating a long-term dedicated funding source to conserve the nation’s fish and wildlife. “Currently there are major gaps in funding to sustain fish and wildlife species and keep them off the emergency list of endangered species,” said FWC Chairman Bo Rivard. “These species are important to our nation’s heritage and at the heart of how people connect to nature throughactivities such as boating, bird-watching, camping, fishing, hiking and biking.” The Blue Ribbon Panel recommended dedicating $1.3 billion annually in existing revenue from the development of energy and mineral resources on federal lands and waters to provide funding to state fish and wildlife agencies to more fully implement well-established and widely supported state wildlife action plans. Under the act, Florida potentially could receive about $50 million a year to conserve and protect Florida’s most vulnerable species and their habitats through Florida’s Wildlife Legacy Initiative and State Wildlife Action Plan. “For decades, wildlife conservation in the U.S. has largely depended on the unique and highly successful system where hunters and anglers willingly provide most of the funding for wildlife conservation work,” said FWC Executive Director Eric Sutton. “But we need to do more, and the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would provide a sustainable, solution-based answer to funding conservation of fish and wildlife species.” The FWC resolution requests support from Florida’s Congressional Delegation for the legislation implementing the Blue Ribbon Panel’s recommendations. The resolution also calls for support from Florida’s conservation community and other state fish and wildlife agencies. The Alliance for America’s Fish & Wildlife (alliance), a coalition of the partners supporting this initiative, is using the theme “Our Nature. Our Nation. Our Future.” to summarize the seriousness of what is at stake. The alliance is actively working to inform the public about the importance of securing the fish and wildlife conservation funding proposed in the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. According to the alliance, the act’s benefits include: Funding conservation of over 12,000 species of fish and wildlife and their habitats across the U.S. Supporting the outdoor recreational economy, which generates 7.6 million U.S. jobs and over $124 billion in tax revenue. In Florida, the combined economic impact of fishing, wildlife viewing, boating, hunting and the seafood industry is about $42.8 billion and over 347,000 jobs. Helping families get back to nature and away from cellphones and computer screens. Children now spend an average of 50 hours a week on their electronic devices. The FWC’s Florida’s Wildlife Legacy Initiative, which develops Florida’s State Wildlife Action Plan,is the well-established, state-based framework for implementing the Restoring America’s Wildlife Act in Florida and delivering on the commitment to conserve and restore Florida’s fish and wildlife resources. For additional information, go to OurNatureUSA.com.