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.
Homebound senior being vaccinated by a BrightStar Care worker. Credit: WINK News Homebound seniors have run into major issues trying to get vaccinated, but after months working tirelessly every day to get doses of the vaccine for patients, a Southwest Florida home health company finally got its hands on the shots. This is a critical need that many say has been overlooked. People who have mobility issues or those who are immunocompromised cannot safely leave the house, and many more cannot figure out the state’s complicated system to book an appointment. So BrightStar Care is making it easy, not only for their patients, but for others, too. One woman, Melanie O’Dea, has a blood disorder that causes a weak immune system. She just got the shot Tuesday after months of waiting. “I feel great right now, I’m very excited!” O’Dea said. “I’m so glad to get the vaccine because I’ve been waiting for a while. When I got the call that I could actually get the vaccine at my home, I was so excited that I didn’t have to be going out into a public situation again, or waiting in line and exposing myself to people, you know, that might be compromised.” Gov. Ron DeSantis announced last week that homebound seniors can send an email and emergency management will call back, but that hasn’t been without issues. BrightStar Care says putting seniors first means including all seniors: those who are not just physically bound at home, but those who have Alzheimer’s or are severely immuno-compromised and don’t have the stamina to figure out the system or stand in line. The vice president of the company. Susan Nimnuan, says it’s been a fight since the pandemic started to get these seniors Personal Protective Equipment and testing. They were often forgotten about, and she didn’t want the same thing to happen with the vaccine. “We have been trying to work tirelessly the past three-and-a-half months now, trying to get [DeSantis’] attention,” Nimnuan said. “We brought not just a problem to the table. but a solution. You know, we have nurses, we have dedicated phone lines, we’re registering the homebound community and the in-home care industry, the patients and the caregivers, by telephone. They’re not dealing with the internet, they’re not dealing with an answering service. They’re nine times out of ten getting me, answering their questions, getting them registered.” Nimnuan registered the company with Florida SHOTS, the state’s way of granting permission to health care providers who want to administer the shot. They’re able to track where the vaccine goes from there. After a lot of work, she finally got doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine from Lee County last week and immediately started the process. In just three days, BrightStar Care has vaccinated more than 300 seniors, and plans to do a lot more. People can email HomeboundVaccine@em.myflorida.com to register for shots or for more information, according to the governor’s announcement. Residents can also reach the state’s COVID-19 Call Center at (866) 779-6121 for assistance. If you want to receive the vaccine through BrightStar Care, Susan Nimnuan can be called at (239) 300-1884.