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.
Joseph Comperchio (Credit: LCSO booking photo) A former Catholic school teacher was arrested Monday in Lee County for sexually assaulting students decades ago. Joseph Comperchio, 66, who lives in Fort Myers, is facing six charges in Michigan for assaulting children ages 9 to 11 in the 1970s, according to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Those charges include two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony charge punishable by up to life in prison and four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, which is a 15-year felony. Aaron Averhart is a sexual abuse survivor. He said this story hit home for him. “Embarrassment and shame is usually the biggest factor for us keeping it inside and bottled up for decades.” Averhart was saddened to learn about what Comperchio stands accused of. “They should be caught sooner, without a doubt,” Averhart said. Averhart knows personally the amount of courage it takes for victims to come forward, even years later. “When we are grappling with other issues in life and this thing just keeps rearing its ugly head until it has to get dealt with,” Averhart said. “That’s why you see a lot of people come forward 20, 30, 40 years down the line.” Rich Kolko, WINK News safety and security specialist, said the amount of time that has passed makes this a complex case. “Evidence may be gone, may have disappeared,” Kolko said. “Witnesses no longer remember what they saw, or they may even be dead at this point, very complicated.” As complicated as it might be, Averhart said survivors feel comfortable now more than ever to share their stories with hope for justice. “It’s a different time. It’s OK to talk about it. It’s OK to be a survivor instead of feeling guilt and shame,” Averhart said. “It’s nice to see potentially justice served after decades for someone.” Comperchio taught drama and music at St. John Catholic School in Jackson, Michigan. We learned through the Michigan attorney general Comperchio also formerly taught at Canterbury School in the Cypress Lake community of Lee County. Comperchio is in custody at Lee County Jail without bond. His arraignment is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday. The Canterbury School said there were two former employees from two different decades accused of misconduct involving minors, but the school did not release their names. Canterbury School statement Protecting our students is paramount. We learned through news accounts that two former employees from two different decades have been accused of misconduct involving minors. Neither of the accused has a current relationship with our school. There is nothing more important to us than the safety and well-being of our students and staff. We are taking these allegations very seriously. We have zero-tolerance for even the perception of wrong-doing and will vigorously conduct our own thorough internal investigation and will fully cooperate with authorities.