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.
Photo: NASA On Jan. 28, 1986, seven astronauts lost their lives when the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after takeoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The explosion happened after the Challenger’s external fuel tank collapsed. The space shuttle then broke apart and fell approximately 46,000 feet to the Atlantic Ocean. It was later determined that cold weather, combined with a design flaw, led to the accident. A seal on one of the solid rocket boosters was not working properly. The tragedy unfolded on live TV as many students across the country watched. Christa McAuliffe, a high-school teacher from New Hampshire, was one of the seven crew members who died. She was the first civilian teacher ever chosen for a space mission. NASA had arranged a satellite broadcast of the full mission for students to watch the historic moment in schools across the nation. The rest of the Challenger crew, remembered fondly, include: Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Michael Smith, Francis (Dick) Scobee and Gregory Jarvis. Thirty-three years after the tragic accident, President Donald Trump signed into law a bill that will create a commemorative coin honoring McAuliffe. The coins will be minted in 2021 to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the tragedy. Lawmakers said the coin reaffirms Congress’ commitment to invest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education. Today, more than 40 education centers around the country help millions of kids learn about science and space; there they are encouraged to reach for the stars. “That’s really the legacy I think of Challenger — that mission, that focus on outreach and education,” says Capt. Kenneth S. Reightler, a former astronaut. “I think (the Challenger crew members) would be very, very proud.” One man who helped in the recovery that day is U.S. Navy Veteran Captain John Arens. He was the commanding officer of a Navy ship that was just a half-mile from where the crash happened. “It was a disaster that wasn’t supposed to happen and then it did,” Arens said. An American tragedy that was seen on TV by many. “It was an awful day for the whole country because you see everybody was watching it,” Arens said. But Arens witnessed the historic event with his own eyes. “She came down a half a mile from my ship and hit the water,” he said. When asked if he realized the significance of that day as it was happening, he said, “We had no idea because it all happened so fast when it blew up into space.” Arens was the commanding officer of the USNS Redstone, anchored half a mile off the Florida coast the afternoon of Jan. 28, 1986. “I just couldn’t believe what I was looking at,” Arnes said. “It is remarkable that it hit a half a mile within my ship…It was 73 seconds into space when it blew up.” I directed the Coast Guard because I know that it was 150 feet of water because it’s under me…They called me an hour and a half later and said, ‘Thank you, Captain, for telling us where it was,’ and ‘We found it.’ They think that I was responsible for it and then I told them, I said, There’s nothing wrong with my equipment,’ and then the admiral answered back, ‘Oh, all right. It’s not you then.’ Thirty-four years later, Arnes still recalls every small detail from that day. “Even though it was years ago, nobody forgets it,” he said, “that day when they saw the thing happen,” and remembers the seven heroes who died making history. Before the explosion, Challenger had an impressive resume. The first American female astronaut and the first African American astronaut both reached space on the shuttle. In 1984, two women flew on one mission for the first time. It also had the first night launch and landing. Here are some fast facts about the Challenger crew: Francis R. (Dick) Scobee Spacecraft Commander Born on May 19, 1939 Birth place – Cle Elum, Washington Family – Wife, June, and two children Michael J. Smith Pilot Born on April 30, 1945 Birth place – Beaufort, North Carolina Judith A. Resnik Mission Specialist Born – April 5, 1949 Birth place – Akron, Ohio Ronald E. McNair Mission Specialist Born – October 21, 1950 Birth place – Lake City, South Carolina Family – Wife, Cheryl, and two children Ellison S. Onizuka Mission Specialist Born – June 24, 1946 Birth place – Kealakekua, Kona, Hawaii Gregory B. Jarvis Payload Specialist Born – August 24, 1944 Birth place – Detroit, Michigan An engineer who worked for Hughes Aircraft Corp. Christa McAuliffe First teacher in space Born – September 2, 1948 Birth place – Boston, Massachusetts Information from CNN contributed to this report.