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.
FILE- This Jan. 11, 2019, file photo shows the Impossible Burger, a plant-based burger containing wheat protein, coconut oil and potato protein among it’s ingredients in Bellevue, Neb. From soy-based sliders to ground lentil sausages, plant-based meat substitutes are surging in popularity. Growing demand for healthier, more sustainable food is one reason people are seeking plant-based meats. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File) From soy-based sliders to ground lentil sausages, plant-based meat substitutes are surging in popularity. And carnivores — not vegans or vegetarians — are among the biggest consumers. Growing demand for healthier, more sustainable food is one reason people are seeking plant-based meats. That’s also the reason behind rising sales of oat milk, cauliflower pizza crust and even coconut oil-based makeup. “There’s a lot of messaging that plants are powerful. It feels like something that gives you a quick fix, something is really good for you,” said Melanie Bartelme, a global food analyst with the consulting firm Mintel. Better technology and marketing wizardry is also fueling sales. Newer startups like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat — both backed by investments from Microsoft founder Bill Gates — have won over carnivores with plant-based products that look and taste like meat. “Meat lovers don’t love the fact that their meat comes from dead animals. They love it because of the sensory pleasures and the familiarity,” said Impossible Foods CEO Pat Brown. “If we can provide the things they value and make it from plants, not only will meat lovers be willing to buy it, but they will prefer to buy it.” Los Angeles-based Beyond Meat is sold alongside regular meat in the grocery store, not shuffled into freezers or natural food aisles like traditional veggie burgers. It’s also served at juicy burger chains like Carl’s Jr. as well as TGI Friday’s. Impossible Foods, which is based in Silicon Valley, introduced its burgers three years ago at trendy restaurants like New York’s Momofuku Nishi. That led to partnerships with more than 5,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Asia, including the White Castle chain. Earlier this week, Burger King became the first global quick-service restaurant to embrace the Impossible burger. It’s testing an Impossible Whopper this spring at 59 restaurants in St. Louis. Burger King already has a veggie burger on its menu, a MorningStar Farms patty made from carrots, mushroom, oats, and other ingredients. But Chris Finazzo, president of Burger King’s North American division, said that primarily appeals to vegans and vegetarians. Burger King’s research indicated that 9 percent of people buying plant-based meat are vegetarian, but 90 percent are meat eaters looking for healthier options. “There’s a lot of people who want to eat a burger every day but don’t necessarily want to eat meat every day,” Finazzo said. Bartelme notes that only around 7% of the U.S. population is vegan or vegetarian and that hasn’t changed significantly in recent years. Instead, she says, many people are becoming “flexitarians,” picking and choosing from various diets. The Impossible Whopper is healthier on some counts but not on others. It’s 630 calories, compared to 660 calories for a meat-based Whopper. It’s lower in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. But it’s higher in sodium and carbohydrates. The burgers have about the same amount of protein. MorningStar’s veggie burger, on the other hand, has 390 calories, less fat and cholesterol, but a similar amount of sodium and carbohydrates as a regular Whopper. There are other benefits to meatless burgers. Beyond Meat says it takes 99% less water, 93% less land and 50% less energy to make plant-based burgers. They also emit 90% fewer greenhouse gases. The North American Meat Institute, a lobbying group for the meat industry, counters that livestock production in the U.S. accounts for just 4% of total greenhouse gas emissions. And U.S. meat consumption was expected to reach a record high in 2018 because of the strong economy. Still, U.S. sales of plant-based meat are rising faster than sales of regular meat. Nielsen says annual U.S. sales of plant-based meats jumped 42 percent between March 2016 and March 2019 to a total of $888 million. Traditional meat sales rose 1 percent to $85 billion in that same time frame. Bartelme doesn’t see that trend slowing down. Over last five years, there’s been a 25 percent increase in the number of meat alternative products launched, like pinto bean-based “bacon bits” from Cool Foods. Going forward, some smaller brands could get gobbled up by larger rivals, she said. She also wonders if there will be consumer backlash against companies that rely on slick chemistry to make their meats. Impossible genetically engineers yeast to make heme, the molecule found in both plants and animals that gives burgers their meaty flavor. Memphis Meats, another California startup, is growing meat from actual animal cells. “Is that going to turn off someone who is looking for very unprocessed foods? Maybe there will be a resurgence in old-school burgers made of beans and vegetables,” Bartelme said. But Brown says that would be a mistake, because science is everywhere in the food chain. “Pretty much everything that’s in the world’s diet is not something that just fell off the tree,” Brown said. “The foods we eat are products of nature combined with science, research and ingenuity.”