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.
A tragic incident last month is shining a light on a potential issue facing every family. Dr. Laura Berman’s son died of an accidental overdose after using Snapchat to buy fentanyl-laced Xanax. Berman posted a photo and message on Instagram and also shared her son’s story to alert other parents. Her son’s friend alerted her to the drug connection. This also raises the issue of how teens communicate online, perhaps using technology their parents don’t completely understand, and using codes to get around the watchful eye of adults. You pick up your teen’s phone and see these in a text message: C-D-9; G-N-O-C; D-O-C. Should you be worried? Well, those acronyms stand for, in order: Code 9, parents around; get naked on camera; drug of choice. It’s all part of a language kids have developed to keep adults out of the loop. “There’s definitely different things that can mean different things,” said David Urban, a student at Fort Myers High School. Whether it’s acronyms, code words or emoji, kids are usually one or maybe two steps ahead of adults. Fort Myers dad Dennis Egan understands that. “They have literally a completely different language. They have abbreviations and different things for different words for sex, drugs and rock and roll, or whatever these kids do today…I don’t know.” A wireless industry study found teens average more than 3,000 texts a month, with some exceeding 10,000. Mom Suzanne Shorten knows parents are often left in the dark. “These kids are exposed to so much that we have … we as parents have no idea about. I still can’t use this (shows phone) as well as these kids can.” Rich Wistocki, a retired police detective, is an expert in teen communication, and says, “There’s a whole dictionary of secret terms that parents can download and compare them to what they’re seeing on their kids’ devices.” For example, a “pepper” emoji means “hot stuff,” inappropriate content. A pill can mean heroin for sale, and shifty eyes? Send a sexy selfie. Wistocki says as parents, we’re often not aware of what kids are doing or saying. “Parents suffer from a disease. That disease is called the n-m-k syndrome – not my kid. So when parents find themselves saying not my kid, that’s exactly when it’s happening.” A parent’s first inclination is to punish their child for online behavior, which isn’t a tactic Wistocki recommends. He likes the “golden ticket.” “The problem is, is that parents need to not threaten them into compliance,” he said. Instead, let them know they won’t get in trouble and you won’t take their phone away if they come to you with an online problem. There is software available to monitor your kids’ texting activity, but as they get older, they earn and deserve more privacy, which is why communication is key. RESOURCES BeSure Consulting: Training for Law Enforcement, Parents and Children Bark Parental Control App: Parent Guide to Teen Text Speak Codes Internet Safety 101: Acronyms Parents Should Know DOJ: Online and Texting Safety Tips for Kids and Parents FTC Consumer Information: Kids: Texting and Sexting