ALVA Woodpeckers build home in 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 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.
Keoni Vaughn, the “crazy cat guy” at the Lanai Cat Sanctuary. CBS NEWS Welcome to “Purr-adise.” These cats on the small Hawaiian island of Lanai have got it made. Amazing weather, meals served in their own “catfurteria,” occasional massages, and a steady influx of adoring fans ready to give them all the love and attention they could ever want. “All the cats are happy, like, you could tell,” said Wendy Louie. “They are so friendly. And you could tell they enjoy being here.” Lanai is the least-visited of the publicly-accessible Hawaiian Islands. Overnight guests typically come stay at the fancy Four Seasons resort down on the coast. But tourists with a cat fancy have started flying over just to spend time at a rustic outdoor sanctuary known locally as the “Fur Seasons.” “Ninety-five percent of the cats that we bring into the sanctuary are completely feral, meaning they were born in the wild and they have never had any human interaction, until us,” said Keoni Vaughn, the executive director of the Lanai Cat Sanctuary, created to help address the island’s feral cat problem. “I’m a 45-year-old male that runs a 600-cat sanctuary. I don’t mind being labeled the crazy cat guy!” Vaughn laughed. “Yeah, the cat ladies get a bad rap, but you never hear about the crazy cat guys!” said Knighton. “Time to break the mold!” It was actually a lady named “Kat” with a crazy idea, who got this project off the ground. Kathy Carroll moved to Lanai in 2001 to open an art gallery with her husband. “I’ve always had an affinity for them. Since I was little, we always had a cat. One or two. But not 600!” Carroll was surprised to discover so many starving cats roaming across the island. “As you look around the sanctuary today, all the cats you see here were roaming in town, or down at the resort at the golf course, and in pretty sad shape – very hungry, homeless cats.” Cats were originally brought to Hawaii long ago on passing ships. Lanai’s open spaces and lack of predators led to an explosion in the feral cat population. On the cliffs right beside the Four Seasons, cats were running wild, and destroying the wildlife. The cats began to prey on native birds, like the wedge-tailed shearwater, which nest right into the sand. In the higher elevations, cats discovered the endangered Petrel, a Hawaiian bird that’s especially vulnerable. Since the cats are an invasive species in Hawaii, there was a fear that they might be euthanized. But Kat had a different idea. “Those birds are protected by state law and federal law,” Carroll said. “And we wanted to find a way to love and protect the cats, love and protect the birds, and help the community.” Now, cats that are trapped on the island are brought to this enclosed sanctuary. There’s no vet, so twice a month one flies over from Honolulu. While some of the feral cats spend all day in hiding, those who do venture out receive no shortage of attention. Wendy Mendoza was on her 12th visit to the cat sanctuary. “We stay for, like, an hour, two hours at a time. The kids just love it.” The Fur Seasons has turned into a surprisingly popular attraction. Only 3,000 or so people live on Lanai, so the sanctuary survives on donations from outside visitors. “In the last 12 months we’ve had over 10,000 visitors,” said Vaughn. “People from all over the world, of all ages come here. And it’s really, really nice to see their smiles on their face. And it’s really great that all these cats are getting the attention.” Today, there are definitely still feral cats roaming wild on Lanai, but Knighton didn’t see any. Maybe the word is starting to get out. “If I was a cat I’d be knocking on the door, like, ‘Hey, how do I get into this place?'” said Mendoza. It’s a place that the humans seem to enjoy just as much as the felines. Just be careful not to fall toodeeply in love, or else you might end up going home with a cuddly souvenir: All of the cats are available for adoption.