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.
Ross Chastain is introduced to the crowd before the NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Alva native and Riverdale High School graduate Ross Chastain snagged one of the coveted open Cup seats on Monday in a promotion at Chip Ganassi Racing to drive the No. 42 next season. This year marks a particularly active free agency period with heavy turnover expected among a limited number of rides. The No. 42 Chevrolet at Ganassi has been filled by Matt Kenseth, who came out of retirement to drive after Kyle Larson was fired in April. Chastain, a 27-year-old Ganassi development driver, could have gotten the nod when the seat first opened. Ganassi instead went with stability from veteran Kenseth to placate sponsors left skittish after Larson was fired for using a racial slur while playing a video game. The opening was considered one of the top available seats in NASCAR’s “silly season” period. “I can’t thank Chip enough for this opportunity. The faith he and the organization showed me back in 2018 was a real turning point in my career and I am extremely happy for the chance to join the team again,” Chastain said. “Racing in the Cup Series with a serious contender has always been my goal, and I’m looking forward to joining what is a very strong team. “I know I have my work cut out for me, but I’m ready to get to work and help bring more success to the organization.” Chastain is one of many Xfinity Series drivers hoping to jump to the Cup Series. Chase Briscoe began the year chasing eight victories, the number he believes will earn him a Cup ride, and he won his seventh race last weekend. Austin Cindric, the regular-season champion, could be in play for a promotion via Team Penske. The No. 48 being vacated by seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson at Hendrick Motorsports is considered the top available ride, while rumblings persist that Denny Hamlin has put together some sort of ownership group that will field a Toyota next year. Bubba Wallace, who has parceled together millions of dollars in sponsorship since becoming vocal in social equality issues, is the top prize in the free agency because of the funding he will bring to a team. A contract offer from Ganassi was revoked by the team owner when Wallace delayed a decision. Wallace has since said he won’t return to Richard Petty Motorsports and is believed to be part of Hamlin’s efforts. With Wallace out of the picture for Ganassi, he went with the driver he’s long had in his plans. Chastain will be teammates next season with Kurt Busch, who has advanced to the second round of the Cup playoffs. Chastain has had a rocky rise through NASCAR’s national series and a deal on a full-time Xfinity Series ride that seemed too good to be true turned out to be indeed just that. Jeff Carpoff, a CEO of a small player in NASCAR sponsorship, noticed Chastain working odd jobs at the race track on weekends he was also competing. Carpoff made Chastain his project and the centerpiece of company DC Solar’s plans to expand its sponsorship program. Carpoff in November 2018 named Chastain the driver of a full Xfinity Series ride at Ganassi that would be sponsored by DC Solar. But the FBI raided the company just a month later and Carpoff was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. The sponsorship money evaporated, Ganassi shuttered the Xfinity Series team and Chastain was out of a job about six weeks before the 2019 season opener. Chastain, an eighth-generation watermelon farmer from Florida, parceled together every race he could for 2019. He ran 35 Cup races, made 19 starts in the Xfinity Series and raced for the Truck Series championship for Niece Motorsports. He won three Truck Series races and finished second in the championship standings. This year, Chastain has run a full Xfinity schedule for Kaulig Racing and is ranked eighth heading into the opening race of the playoffs Saturday. He scored his fifth runner-up finish of the season on Friday night and noted how hard he’s working to make it in NASCAR. “It’s tough fighting for everything. I want this so bad. I want to be in this sport and win races,” Chastain said after Bristol. “I know it is second and it’s great … there’s a lot of things I could do different and I just didn’t get it done.”