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.
American flags. (Credit: CBS) There is a promise in the military to leave no man behind. Volunteers in Collier County want to make good on that promise to veterans long after they finish their service. More than 50 volunteers, including Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Emergency Medical Services, representatives from the Veteran Administration and several non-profits walked through the woods, along with other areas. Their mission is to reach out to homeless veterans to gather information and give them backpacks filled with supplies to meet their immediate needs. Dale Mullin, president of Wounded Warriors of Collier County, said they need to quantify the homeless veterans and their locations. “Our goal is then to provide services and housing for these homeless veterans,” Mullin said, “through grants in the county as well as the VA.” Mullin spearheaded the count and is working with the Hunger and Homeless Coalition of Collier County, as well as many other non-profits and veterans organizations. “I’m a Vietnam veteran and when I found out there are homeless veterans living in our county that there’s no place for them to sleep, no beds for them in terms of getting their lives restored,” Mullin said, “it really resonated and really touched my heart.” Mullin is a Vietnam veteran and for him and many others, the mission is personal. They have a goal of providing a stable living environment for homeless veterans. “We know that if you provide stable housing for veterans or anybody that’s homeless they can start getting back on their feet, getting jobs, restore their lives,” Mullin said. “Get back into the workplace with jobs and move on in society and support their families and that sort of thing.” It would take years for U.S. Marine Veteran Dayo Felix-Doyle to restore his life after returning from a deployment in Iraq in 2006. He was dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and faced challenges adjusting to civilian life – as many veterans do. “There was this hopelessness in a sense of how do I validate myself, where do I go next,” Felix-Doyle said. “Marine Corp had some programs available for helping you transition. But as far as becoming a civilian that was a hard thing that I think we struggle with.” Felix-Doyle was living in his car when he had an ‘aha moment.’ He remembered a book and words of encouragement he received while deployed in Iraq. “I remember there was a solider; I was standing guard duty with Perkins,” Felix-Doyle said. “He wrote some words in a book for me that were very motivating. And it was all about getting back to the very nature and those ideals brought me into the Marine Corp to help me succeed after the corp. The words in that book, I definitely embraced.” It inspired him to drive to the VA and get housing help though its HUD-VASH program, which is a joint initiative of the government agency and the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. It was a turning point. Now married and raising a toddler, Felix-Doyle is a third-year law student at Ave Maria University. He plans to become an intellectual property attorney. For other veterans who may be struggling, Felix-Doyle has a message of hope. “Understand that even if it’s difficult, even if you might not see a way out – there’s a way out,” Felix-Doyle said. “There are programs and people out there that are willing to help you.” ______ Veteran resources JFCS of the Suncoast/ Veteran Services 941-366-2224, ext 628 Veteran Services of Collier County 239-252-8387 Naples Vet Center 239-403-2377 Veterans Crisis Hotline 800-273-8255 Text 838255 to connect with a VA responder Confidential online Wounded Warriors of Collier County Home Base: Southwest Florida Warrior Health & Fitness National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255 David Lawrence Center 239-455-8500 St. Matthew’s House 239-774-0500 Catholic Charities – Family Resource Center Helps Outreach 239-593-3226 Salvation Army – Family Services Center 239-210-4009 Here is a full list of organizations in Collier County to help veterans