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.
Credit: WINK News. Just a few years ago, Karter Elliott says he couldn’t look at any photos of himself in the military, let alone talk about them. Elliott served twelve years as a marine, with multiple deployments. Like many veterans returning from war, readjusting to civilian life proved challenging. “I’d be like normal angry like reasonable angry sometimes, but there’s always the chance I would scream and yell and carry on for a period of time,” Elliott says. He had a short fuse. Most social situations made him feel uncomfortable, so he skipped them or would self-medicate with alcohol to get through it. Then he discovered Southwest Florida Warrior Health & Fitness which is The local chapter of Home Base Veteran and Family Care in Boston. It’s a free program for veterans that offers fitness and wellness-based coaching — including workouts at Florida Gulf Coast University, which donates the space and some staffing help. “The reason we thought the health and fitness program was so important initially, was because veterans have much higher preexisting injury rates from service related issues most of the time,” says Armando Hernandez, Southwest Florida program director at Home Base. Hernandez says the focus on fitness has been a big draw for veterans, not only because they want to improve their health, but it’s also an opportunity to find camaraderie again with fellow veterans. “You’re going to find someone there who is struggling in a similar way to you and not necessarily mentally but physically,” Elliott says. Through a partnership between the Red Sox foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base also offers an intensive two-week inpatient program, which includes trauma therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. Several local veterans who started with the fitness workouts, ultimately embraced the intensive program in Boston – which is also offered at no charge for veterans. “The least vulnerable entry into care is to say, ‘Hey let’s come in let’s focus on getting stronger and faster.’ But what it’s turning out to be is a great transition into the next-level of care for those veterans who may not have been ready to address that at that period in their life,” Hernandez says. For Elliott, it was a long process to understand what was happening to him, before he could be open to doing something about it. “Really, in my mind, I had no symptoms, right, because you build a life of avoidance,” Elliott says. Then came the nightmares, anxiety and outbursts that wouldn’t go away. It was tearing apart his family. “It got to the point before ICP, where I had pretty much just said I’m done, I can’t do this anymore,” says Renee Elliott, Karter’s wife. It was a breaking point. Elliott turned to the only place he felt comfortable asking for help, like many other veterans before him. “Some issues they may have been facing on the inside, that maybe weren’t so visible, were now starting to come to light,” Hernandez said, “and they were willing to talk about it.” That’s what happened to Elliott. And once he was ready, Home Base referred Elliott to its Boston location for trauma therapy in 2017. “I was sick of like the roller coaster ride and the low points,” Elliott says. “…but I think I was finally ready also.” Elliott says the intensive therapy changed his life. “Our marriage and relationship in general is a one thousand times stronger,” Renee Elliott says. “I feel hopeful in general. I never have a moment of hopelessness,” Elliott adds. “If we just stop avoiding, this is all very manageable. And you can live a life worth living.”\ If you would more information or want to register for Warrior Health & Fitness of SWFL click here.