The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropicsWoodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
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.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
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.
Anaja Brackett, center, runs with a football at the NFL Experience for Super Bowl LV Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) There have been four previous Super Bowls in Tampa, some amid war and economic distress, but none have faced the challenges this year’s event encounters because of the coronavirus pandemic and its fallout. Tickets for the Feb. 7 game are limited to about a third of the capacity of Raymond James Stadium. There will be no tailgating. While the usual fan festival and other side attractions are happening, masks and social distancing are required. Most player appearances will be remote. Last year’s pre-pandemic Super Bowl in the Miami area generated an estimated $572 million in new spending in the three main South Florida counties, according to that game’s host committee. This year, the Tampa Bay region probably won’t generate even half that, said Sean Snaith, director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Forecasting. The usual economic take for a Super Bowl is somewhere between $300 million and $500 million for the host regions, he said. For example, large corporate and sponsor events will be limited if they are held at all, he said. Bars and restaurants are open but with some restrictions on seating and an emphasis on social distancing. “A lot of things you associate with a Super Bowl aren’t going to happen,” Snaith said. “That’s going to have an impact economically. The circumstances put kind of a wet blanket on it.” Tourist development tax collections in Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, show the hit the area has taken during the pandemic. This is a tax on short-term rentals, such as hotels. Before the pandemic, tax collections for sales in January to February were at an increase of about 30% in comparison to 2019 during the same time period, according to county data. After the pandemic hit, tourist tax collections for sales in March to November decreased by almost 49% in comparison to 2019 during the same time period. Hillsborough lost at least $11.1 million in tourist tax collections for sales from January to November, if not more when compared to numbers from 2019 for the same time period. Across the bay, Pinellas County experienced a similar tax downturn, losing at least $17.9 million in tourist tax collections for sales from January to November. Yet leaders in the Tampa Bay area are putting a brave face on hosting the game, which was initially supposed to be held in the Los Angeles area until stadium construction there hit a snag that led the NFL to look elsewhere. L.A. is getting next year’s game. The region is thrilled that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by quarterback Tom Brady in his first year with the team, will face the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs and their young star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. People have already been lining up at sporting goods stores to buy team merchandise. Beyond that, officials say it’s hard to put a price tag on the publicity the Super Bowl will generate for the entire region, its beaches and other attractions. Disney World and the other Orlando theme parks aren’t far away, either. Rob Higgins, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl host committee, said the region is looking at the Super Bowl as an unparalleled marketing opportunity. Higgins said the event will mark the most hotel rooms occupied since the pandemic started in the region – some estimates say perhaps as many as 100,000 guest room nights – and that flights to Tampa are starting to fill up. “We have an opportunity to tell our story,” he said, noting that the last Super Bowl in Tampa was in 2009, during the Great Recession. “This is really a platform to share how far we’ve come as a community.” Still, it’s costly to put together a Super Bowl and its related events. Officials estimate local governments and entities such as the Visit Tampa Bay tourist promotion organization are spending at least $7.5 million, not counting in-kind services. Hotel occupancy in the Tampa area was about 53% during the first three weeks of January this year, said Visit Tampa Bay CEO Santiago Corrada. Last year during the same time, it was 74%. “We have suffered over the last 11 to 12 months. We also have been very resilient,” Corrada said. “Every month has seen a slow and steady increase in occupancy.” It’s been a strange sports year or so for Tampa Bay during the coronavirus pandemic. It was extremely successful by any measure for the region’s teams, except not having home games during the title runs and fans in the seats. First, the NHL’s Lightning won the Stanley Cup, but the championship was played in Edmonton, Canada. Tampa didn’t get to host any of those games. Same with baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, who lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers – in Arlington, Texas. To top that off, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors are playing their home games initially at Tampa’s Amalie Arena because of coronavirus restrictions in Canada. Again, no fans allowed inside at least for now. Now it’s Brady and the Buccaneers’ turn in Tampa’s own Super Bowl that won’t be the same as the previous 54 title games. No team has ever before played a Super Bowl in its home stadium. Put all of this down as economic opportunities lost. Super Bowl LV airs Feb. 7 on WINK-TV. Coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. ET.