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.
Outgoing Senate President Bill Galvano hands the gavel over to new Senate President Wilton Simpson during the Florida Legislature’s Organization Session in Tallahassee, Fla., Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. Lawmakers begin their annual 60-day session on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 facing budget uncertainties and COVID-19 complications and with new leadership in the House and Senate. (Tori Lynn Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat via AP, File) Coronavirus, budget questions, anti-riot legislation and an attempt to reign in large technology companies will be among issues lawmakers will take up in their 60-day session that begins Tuesday. But so will bicycle seats, alcohol-to-go and baby boxes. More than 2,500 bills have been filed ahead of the 2021 session. While most won’t pass, the Legislature will be grappling with a wide variety of issues under new Republican leaders, House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson, all while figuring out how to do business in a pandemic. The budget is the only bill lawmakers are required to pass, and lawmakers won’t get the latest revenue estimates until after session starts. One factor they won’t consider is potential federal COVID-19 relief money. “We were being told at the end of last year the federal government is going to bring in money for the state governments, and they didn’t. I don’t think you can depend on Washington to do anything right. A lot of clowns in Washington and they don’t get a lot done,” said Simpson. Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed a $96.6 billion for the fiscal year that begins July 1, or $4.3 billion more than the current budget. That might be overly optimistic considering the financial hit Florida has taken during the pandemic. “It’s just not feasible, it’s not realistic and, most importantly, it’s not going to happen,” said Democratic Rep. Evan Jenne, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kelli Stargel also said it will be a tough budget year. “While we have all been relieved to see revenue collections come in over estimate in recent months, it is important to remember our starting point for planning for this budget was a $2.7 billion shortfall,” said Stargel, a Republican. “Modest gains do not negate the challenge before us. Reductions will be necessary.” A priority for DeSantis, Sprowls and Simpson is passing protections for businesses and health care facilities that would shield them from COVID-19 lawsuits. “What our bill says is, ’Look, if you’re trying to do the right thing, if you’re following guidelines by the state or the CDC, we want to make sure that you have a sense of financial security,” Sprowls said. The speaker says he wants the protections to be the first legislation to pass, along with a bill that would make it a felony to profit off a pandemic by making false or misleading marketing claims about personal protective equipment or the availability or access to a vaccine. Another priority for DeSantis and Republican leaders is a so-called anti-riot bill that would enhance penalties for crimes committed during a violent protest, not allow people arrested during such a demonstration to be released from jail before a first court appearance and create new felonies for organizing or participating in a violent demonstration. DeSantis proposed the idea after a summer of protests held around the country to call attention to police violence against African Americans. But he has since pointed to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol as a reason to support it. Still, Democrats say he’s trying to squash the voice of groups like Black Lives Matter. “This law would disproportionately hurt communities of color trying to exercise their constitutional rights,” said Democratic Rep. Dianne Hart. “This will give bad actors in law enforcement and the criminal justice system additional weapons to harm, incarcerate and kill Black and brown Floridians.” Republican leaders will also target large technology companies like Twitter, Facebook and Amazon. DeSantis calls them “Big Tech cartels” that manipulate consumers and censor conservative politicians and ideologies. He and other Republicans point to then-President Donald Trump being banned from social media, and Amazon shutting down the conservative social media site Parler. “Big Tech has come to look more like Big Brother with each passing day,” DeSantis said at a recent news conference. “But this is 2021, not 1984, and this is real life, not George Orwell’s fiction.” Beyond leaders’ priorities, there are hundreds of other bills covering a wide variety of topics. One would permanently allow restaurants to sell alcohol with delivered or take-out meals. DeSantis allowed the practice to help restaurants during the pandemic. A number of bills involve children, like one that would increase the time parents can surrender an infant from one week to one month. It also would allow “baby boxes” at some fire stations and hospitals so parents can drop off infants without doing so face-to-face. Two child safety bills would require child care facilities to install alarms in vans so drivers can check to make sure no children are left inside and raise the age children must be in booster seats from 5 to 6. Among more obscure bills is an effort to amend a law that makes it illegal to ride a bike without a seat. Violators face a $15 fine. It would make an exception for elliptical bikes and others that are manufactured to be used without a seat.