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.
17-year-old Mena Hawkins with cerebral palsy walked across the finish line at the Las Vegas Great Santa Run. (Credit: Roger Hawkins) A 17-year-old with cerebral palsy just walked across the finish line at the Las Vegas Great Santa Run. Mena Hawkins, a junior at at Liberty High School in Las Vegas, completed the one-mile course, using her walker, in 38 minutes, her father, Roger Hawkins, told CNN. Friends and family walked with her, clad in Santa garb, and hoisted signs that said “Go Mena.” Her grandmother flew all the way from England to see her walk. To top it off, a team of cheerleaders lined up at the end of the course to welcome her across the finish line with confetti. Mena uses a manual wheelchair and cannot walk without help from her reverse walker. But she was determined to push through to her new personal milestone. She’s been training since March Born nine weeks premature, Mena developed cerebral palsy when she was 16 months old. The condition primarily affected her legs, along with her fine motor skills. Writing, in particular, is very difficult for her. About 1 in 345 children has some form of cerebral palsy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than half of children with CP can walk independently. About 1 in 10 children with CP walk with a hand-held mobility device, the CDC says. Mena participated in the Santa Run six years ago, but she was still walking when the event officially ended. She was so far behind that officials opened up the roads to traffic before she was finished. “We were tucked in on the sidewalk to avoid the cars,” Roger Hawkins told CNN. That experience sparked something in her. “I felt like it was a huge achievement,” she said. And she vowed to try again. She’s been training for this year’s Santa Run since March, with a regimen walking various routes with hills and inclines. She even trained on 110-degree days during the summer. She spent time in the gym lifting free weights and focusing on core work, which helps her stand up taller and longer. Mena said it’s been “really rewarding” to get her training time down to 42 minutes. For Saturday’s race, she slashed through that training time, hitting the mile mark in just 38 minutes. She wants to help inspire others In the run up to the event, Mena created a fundraising page to help collect money for Opportunity Village, a non-profit that helps people with disabilities find jobs or pursue their dreams. Donations poured in from friends and relatives in England and America. They raked in donations “from people we don’t even know,” her father said. “Our whole family is inspired,” he added. “She’s really developed as a person.” From here, Mena says her plan is to “continue practicing walking and get stronger over time.” She hopes her story could help motivate others to overcome adversity in their own lives. “Be confident in yourself,” she says. “Achieve your end goal. And be happy about it.”