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.
FILE- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gestures as he speaks to the media at a coronavirus vaccination site at Lakewood Ranch Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Bradenton. 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, March 2. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, File) Florida lawmakers gavel into session Tuesday amid a pandemic that will play a starring role on their agenda and influence how they conduct business over the next two months. The state Legislature will have to grapple with a health threat that has loomed large on public life and the state’s economy, as lawmakers deal with reduced government revenues as they draft a state budget. The coronavirus is already influencing how lawmakers are conducting business. Social distancing rules will remain in place at the Capitol to keep the coronavirus from infiltrating the hallways of power — even though a fourth of the state Senate, perhaps more, has been infected by the disease, including the chamber’s president and its top Democrat. Lawmakers and staffers — and anyone regularly given entry into the Capitol, such as journalists — must undergo weekly testing for the virus. Temperature checks will also be conducted. “Think if half of us were out for two to three weeks,” Senate President Wilton Simpson said at a recent press briefing. “It’s something very important so we can get the people’s work done, and we fully intend to bring the process back to normal as soon as we can — normal meaning where people can come in and the visit their Capitol and come into committee rooms and visit with their senators.” It’s unclear how many of the 120-member House have been infected, but some members over the months have gone on social media to share news that they had come down with the disease. Citing privacy laws, a spokesperson for the Republican-controlled House declined to provide statistical information on what percentage of members have come down with the disease. Widespread infections among lawmakers could lead to an abrupt recess to the session if attendance falls below the necessary quorum. That could scuttle debate over key legislation being advanced by Republican majorities in the House and Senate, including a measure that would shield businesses from COVID-related lawsuits. Senators and House members will hold floor sessions without witnesses in the public galleries, although the press will be allowed to chronicle proceedings in person. Even as Gov. Ron DeSantis has opened up much of the state, and even preempted local governments from enforcing fines for not wearing masks, the state Capitol and its legislative meetings will be off-limits to the general public. Hearing rooms will not have the usual throngs of lobbyists, policy advocates and ordinary citizens who seek to influence or witness the work of the Legislature and American democracy. As it did during committee weeks, the House will provide limited seating in committee rooms and allow people to deliver their comments in person. But seating will have to be reserved ahead of time. The House gallery, where the public is allowed to witness floor sessions, will be reserved for lawmakers’ families and guests. The Senate has been more restrictive and will require anyone desiring to comment on legislative action to do so from the Tallahassee Civic Center, located several blocks away from the Capitol, from which their testimony will be beamed into hearing rooms. And its public gallery will be closed. Democrats have sought to provide broader public access to legislative meetings. On Friday, Sen. Perry Thurston renewed his request to set up sites across the state from which ordinary citizens could deliver their comments remotely using videoconferencing services that have become widely used during the pandemic. “There is a growing concern that the limited input of voices in advance of the upcoming 2021 legislative session has essentially granted a green light to a very narrow agenda tailored more for the well-heeled than the average citizen,” Thurston wrote in his letter to Simpson. Simpson and fellow Republicans have declined to take that action.