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.
Punta Gorda Police Chief Pam Davis (WINK News) In the wake of the George Floyd killing, the City of Austin, Texas is slashing its police budget by one third so city council can spend that $150 million to increase social services. The police chief’s reaction Friday? It’s going to make doing the job so much tougher. WINK News Safety and Security Specialist Rich Kolko talked to Punta Gorda Police Chief Pam Davis to get her take on how difficult it is to wear a uniform in 2020. It wasn’t always this way. There was a time not long ago when just about everyone respected people in law enforcement. Davis said she felt that way during her days on the streets, before she took charge in Punta Gorda. There are lots of tough days when you’re a cop. Davis said her toughest day was 9/11. She was a cop in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. “I was home for the day. We were, like, scrambling to get back in because as soon as that happened, everyone wanted to get in, back in to the department to be there to help our, protect our county,” she said. After those terrorist attacks, the nation hailed everyone in uniform as heroes. “You came into a room and everybody was thanking you for your service. It was such a good feeling back then just to be a citizen here in the U.S., let alone a police officer,” Davis said. RELATED: Punta Gorda police chief speaks on public’s confidence in police, gender discrimination Now, police officers are targets of some people’s anger. Sometimes for good reason, like in the case of George Floyd. “Unacceptable,” Davis said of what happened to Floyd. “Unacceptable. It…wow. What a complete failure to that community that those officers did.” The resulting protests? Davis didn’t have any problem with them when they were peaceful. She does have a problem, however, with the demand to defund the police. “That is sort of just a knee jerk reaction and for people to automatically say, ‘Yup, that’s what we should be doing,’ I don’t think they’ve thought through the how that would look,” she explained. Davis said some larger cities don’t spend money in the community helping people who live paycheck to paycheck, who suffer from mental illness, who need social services. In Punta Gorda, her department works to build trust with the people it serves. “We’ve added a citizens advisory council, a business advisory council, we’re a member of the community task force, which is headed by the local president of the local chapter of the NAACP,” she said. But Davis says there’s nothing more important than building relationships one-on-one. “Go out, don’t stay in your office all day, get out there and interact with the community. I think that would help us move forward.” She said transparency between police and the community is critical. That’s why the city’s worked for the last 18 months to get body cameras for its officers. She also said she demands every officer treat every member of the public with dignity and respect. If that doesn’t happen, she wants to know about it.