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.
The family of Amanda Gaeta placed flowers and balloons along the side of the road where she was hit and killed by a car in North Fort Myers. Credit: WINK News. Two young children will grow up without their mother after a crash took her life. The family of 32-year-old Amanda Gaeta says she died recently after a car hit her while she was crossing a street. Gaeta was killed when a car driven by a 19-year-old hit her on US-41 in North Fort Myers, but her family says her legacy will live on through organ donation. She’s already saved several people’s lives. Amanda’s mother, Bridgett Zielinski, told us both of her kidneys and her liver were already donated to three people across the state, and she believes her heart will soon be donated to another person. The family visited the stretch of road Wednesday where Gaeta was hit to set up flowers and balloons in her memory. Zielinski was with her daughter one final time Sunday, helping wheel her into the operating room where her organs became lifesaving gifts. “I said, ‘Amanda, I got your hand right now’. I said, ‘But when your dad reaches out for you, grab him’. I said, ‘You can go. It’s OK, baby girl,’” Zielinski explained. Zielinski says her daughter was a daddy’s girl. Her father passed away years ago, and Amanda died on his birthday. “I said, ‘It’s OK. Go with dad. We’ll take care of things here,” Zielinski shared her words of mourning. Troopers say a 19-year-old woman was driving the car when it hit Amanda Gaeta. That young woman had two young kids with her in the car, and troopers say they don’t expect her to be charged. “It’s not your fault at all. I can feel your pain already because I know that you must be traumatized and everything else,” Zielinski said. “Don’t be. Not your fault. Accidents happen.” Amanda Gaeta leaves behind a young son and daughter. Family members took a picture of her 6-year-old daughter standing in front of the flag raised at Lee Memorial Hospital honoring Gaeta’s gift of life to the strangers she is giving a chance at life to. “It just rips you apart, you know, because they’re babies, and they’ve gone through a lot,” Zielinski said. Close friends will remember the woman they called their backbone, someone who always cheered them up when they were down. Their hope now is that Amanda’s long-time boyfriend, who was there when it happened, doesn’t blame himself. “It’s not his fault. It’s just that accidents happen, you know, he’s not to blame at all, and neither is the driver,” friend Erica Coppens said. “It’s just an unfortunate event.” Amanda’s mother told us she plans to write letters to the people who received her daughter’s donated organs. She can’t contact them directly, but hopes they’ll see them and contact her one day. She says she’d like to give them and hug and talk with them about her daughter.