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.
Sixteen-month-old Oliver Seay loses grip of the leash as he unsuccessfully tries to get Atlas, a purebred German Harlequin Great Dane who may be the tallest dog in the world, to walk at their home in Navarre on Friday, April 9, 2021. The Seay family is in the process of certifying that Atlas is the tallest living dog in the world at 104 centimeters with Guinness World Records. (Credit: Gregg Pachkowski/PNJ) The Seay family of Navarre knew their pup, Atlas, was special from the first time they set eyes on him. Purchased from a breeder in Missouri, the purebred German Harlequin Great Dane was the only dog in his litter and had feet so big he could barely walk without falling down. As the black and white spotted pup got older, he just kept growing bigger. Eventually his human mom, Spencer Seay, had to stop taking him to lunch with her or to public places. “People would say, ‘Oh my God! Your dog is so big! Your dog is the biggest dog I’ve ever seen in my life!‘” she said Friday, sitting in her Navarre living room with her trusted companion by her side. “I could not eat my food, I’d have so many people lining up to take pictures with him.” Now, at 6 years old and 225 pounds, Atlas is on track to becoming certified as the tallest living dog in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. Standing at 104 centimeters tall — or 3 feet and 4 inches — from his paws to his withers (the spot in between a dog’s shoulder blades, which is the official measuring point for all Guinness world record-holding dogs), Atlas has about 3 centimeters on the current living world-record holder, who is 101 centimeters tall. But Atlas’ Guinness record is not final yet, as the review process for such a prestigious designation is long and tedious. The Seays have been communicating with Guinness officials for three years. They had to take multiple videos of him running on flat surfaces, he had to be measured by certified veterinarians and had those measurements witnessed by people other than themselves or their known vet. The witnesses had to sign sworn statements, the vets had to make copies of their licenses and the records have all gone before Guinness officials in Europe and are awaiting final approval. “We had to do 20 different things, and it’s been three years,” Seay said. “We’re just waiting on them to basically confirm him at this point.” BIG DOG, TINY HUMAN So just how big is Atlas? Spencer Seay looks on as her sixteen-month-old son Oliver Seay reaches up for Atlas, a purebred German Harlequin Great Dane who may be the tallest dog in the world, at their home in Navarre on Friday, April 9, 2021. The Seay family is in the process of certifying that Atlas is the tallest living dog in the world at 104 centimeters with Guinness World Records.(Credit: Gregg Pachkowski/PNJ) He’s so big that when the Seay family was house hunting in Navarre two years ago while looking to move from Atlanta, they had to turn down houses because their hallways weren’t big enough for Atlas to fit through. He’s so big that his collars, bandanas and bow ties have to be custom made to fit his huge neck. He’s so big that he can’t fit in the car comfortably anymore, and his veterinarian has to come to him instead of the other way around. He’s so tall that he could easily knock over a grown child with a flick of his tail — but his gentle spirit and bond with his human baby brother, 16-month-old Oliver, would never allow such a thing to happen. “I think Atlas knew I was pregnant before I did,” Seay said as her rambunctious toddler ran circles around Atlas on Friday. “Atlas is so good with Oliver. Oliver treats him like a jungle gym, and sometimes he’ll just lay there for hours and Atlas won’t even get up. He just lays there and lets him do that until he falls asleep.” The top of little Oliver’s head comes about to the bottom of Atlas’ shoulder, and Seay said Oliver is “Atlas’ baby.” The gentle giant usually takes up post on the carpet floor in the living room, carefully eyeing strangers who get too close to his baby and drooling with anxiety over having humans in the house with whom he’s unfamiliar. Oliver has to get on his tip-toes to reach up and adjust Atlas’ bow tie on his neck, then laughs and hugs his giant leg with his tiny arms. Atlas stands there patiently, his droopy eyes looking around, waiting for a chance to go sit on his loveseat, where he sits upright like a human. “He’s been a phenomenal family dog,” Seay said. “He’ll hold down the floor the entire day. He’s very quirky, he’s the clumsiest dog. He can’t jump onto furniture. When he runs, he doesn’t separate his legs, he runs like a gazelle.” WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GREAT DANES Seay, whose dad bred Great Danes while she was growing up, said she always knew she wanted a Great Dane as the first dog she would get with her husband. She did two years of research before purchasing Atlas, and said people need to be acutely aware of what they’re getting into if they decided to purchase or adopt a Great Dane. “They have a short life span, typically they only last until around 7 years old,” she said, eyeing her 6-year-old aging pup. “They typically have hip issues, joint issues and many of them can get what’s called ‘bloat,’ which is when their stomachs flip a certain way and cuts off their airway and you have 10 minutes to get them to a hospital before it’s too late.” She added Great Danes are typically very expensive, like many large breeds, and can have a lot of medical issues. Cancer is common in the breed. They love water. And though most Great Danes aren’t anywhere near as big as Atlas, most of them do have gentle personalities and actually make great “small space dogs.” “Oddly enough, they don’t need a lot of exercise,” she said. “They’re not highly anxious, and they’re loyal. That’s the biggest thing, they are loyal dogs.” ‘HE’S JUST OUR SWEET DOG’ Sweet Atlas is an old man now at 6, and his age shows. He needs help standing up, so his human dad, Jordan Seay, has to awkwardly help lift his hips up when his chest and head make it off the ground. He’s “inverted,” meaning most of his weight is held on his two front legs, instead of the opposite. When he stands, his back legs shake, and he walks with a slight hunchback, almost like an elderly human person would walk. And while his family admitted he’s a little clumsy, Atlas walks with a certain grace and grandeur, moving silently from one side of the room to another to find another spot to lay down. If he weren’t taller than the furniture he’s passing, you might not even know he was there. Record-holder or not, Atlas is a special dog. He brings joy to everyone he meets, whether they’re shorter or taller than him. And, most importantly, he brings joy to his family, who are cherishing every minute they have left with their gentle giant. “I mean, he’s just our sweet dog,” Spencer Seay said. “I would say, if you’re looking for a loyal companion for the rest of their life, get a Great Dane. Do your research, know what you’re getting. But they’re the best dogs in the world, and Atlas makes our family whole.”