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 Enrollment numbers for summer school are expected to be up by the thousands, as parents work to catch up their kids to where they should be and let them rebuild socially from the stress of the past year. A school district in Southwest Florida says is prepared to teach 25 times the number of summertime students compared to before the pandemic. The School District of Lee County expects to see 25,000 students to stay in school for the summer. That’s 10,00 more than last year and 24,000 more than 2019. “We know that there has there was some learning loss due to COVID,” said Rob Spicker, the assistant director of media relations and public information at the District. Spicker says Lee County schools started to offer virtual summer classes when the pandemic hit. Kindergarten through eighth-grade students can also take part in summer enrichment programs, which are 45 minutes per week to keep their minds active in math or reading. “It’s not a huge commitment, but it’s enough to keep you fresh and keep you ready,” Spicker said. “You see a normal slide in those two and a half months that we’re out,” said Carole Gauronskas, the vice president of Florida Education Association. Gauronskas with the Florida Education Association told us virtual options give families more flexibility, but the District’s in-person and hybrid summer classes are just as valuable. “Nothing replaces in-person learning,” Gauronskas said. “It’s being able to see the light bulb moment in front of you happen.” Lee County schools are in the process of recruiting and training teachers for the summer session. The District wants to help all students. It’s ot limited to those falling behind. Virtual and hybrid programs are available this summer in Lee County. The deadline to register is June 17, the last day of the spring semester. “This is a way to keep fresh, keep current, keep involved, keep active,” Spicker said. Collier County Public Schools also responded to questions we asked about student enrollment for the summer. CCPS Statements Q Is your district expecting a spike in students registering for summer enrollment? A CCPS will be offering additional supports this summer to help mitigate the impacts of lost learning and accelerate student achievement. Therefore, we do expect an increase in summer school enrollment. Q If so, how many students are you expecting to enroll? A More than 8,300 students are eligible for summer programming. Q How many students are already signed up? A Numbers are still being compiled from invitations shared with parents of eligible students. Q Will the district offer virtual summer classes this year? A No; however, the District encourages students to take advantage of the activities and lessons available in Canvas this summer to help prevent loss of learning (typically referred to as the ‘summer slide’). All students will have access to Gear Up for Next Year activities posted to the District website and may access these engaging activities by using their Collier Connect devices. All students entering grades 2-12 will have their devices for use during the summer.