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.
Credit: WINK News After a year of living with masks as a necessity, the CDC says people who are fully vaccinated can take them off almost anywhere. The new guidance clears the way for a full-scale reopening, and doctors say people can return to doing the things they stopped doing because of the pandemic. This announcement is welcomed news for many parents in Lee County, who have continued fighting for their students to not be required to wear masks in school. One Lee County woman fought to attend a school board meeting without a mask — and she won. “Had they arrested me, I believe that I had strong standing to not only have the case thrown out, but also to be able to go against the school district for targeting me,” said Tara Jenner, a retired Texas attorney. Jenner argued the school district’s policy now invalidates the mask mandate. She points to District 1.181, which provides guidance for PPE requirements during the pandemic and says in part, “The procedures or guidelines shall expire as soon as the CDC, State of Florida Department of Health, and/or other local health officials advise that the protective gear is no longer recommended and/or required.” Jenner argued the public health advisory issued by the state surgeon general on April 29 indicates mask mandates are no longer recommended or required. It says continuing restrictions such as masks with no end in sight poses a risk of adverse, unintended consequences. She won the argument when the school board attorney said Jenner and everyone else without a mask could enter the building. “We basically said we weren’t going to go anywhere because we were complying with the policy,” Jenner said. The School District of Lee County has allowed people without masks to leave the designated “no-mask” room and enter the auditorium for only public comment for the past several months. Now, folks without masks are allowed to be present in the auditorium for the entirety of the meeting. So why no masks at board meetings but masks still in schools? Both board members and the board attorney have pointed to the agreement the District has with the teachers association. Jenner argues that agreement can and should be modified now that there’s been a change in circumstance. Response from school board member Gwyn Gittens Gittens told WINK News, “The district is looking into the legalities and responsibilities of all stakeholders.” She also said there are many moving parts to changing a policy, including working conditions and bargaining with teachers and staff. Gittens noted there is one month left with the present mask mandate, Superintendent Greg Adkins has already recommended the board vote to drop the mandate next school year. “Let’s working together to finish the school year in a positive way as we send out the thousands of 2021 graduates,” Gittens said.” Statement from Kevin Daly, Teachers Association-Lee County president “We, at TALC, have worked hard with the district to ensure the safe reopening of schools based on a model chosen by parents. Many employees of the district have continually been at work and in person during the 2020-2021 school year. We have worked and will continue to work to follow the advice and guidance of medical professionals who are experts in this field. It has, and continues to be, our position that we follow CDC recommendations for the safe operations of schools during these unprecedented times.” Statement from school board member Cathleen Morgan “I think perhaps the operative phrase is local health officials. It is my understanding that we consult regularly with local advisors who consider conditions in Lee County.”