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 Tiffany Nemec doesn’t see herself as a survivor but she is. More than a decade ago, her boyfriend shot her in the face. Nemec still lives with the scars, and sadly this is just one of her many stories. “13 years ago, I was shot by my daughter’s father,” said Nemec. 13 years later she’s still living with the trauma, scars and pain of that situation. “13 years later, I’m still asking for help,” Nemec said. She was in an abusive relationship. At one point, she was able to escape but he found her. “He tracked me down to my new apartment, shot the locks off the door, shot my face, or shot my stomach first then in my face,” said Nemec. “I was shot with birdshot. It’s not like one thing hit one tooth, or three or five. I had my back teeth blown out, my front teeth some of them were blown out, some were just chipped.” And, he kept shooting. “When he shot me the second time, he stood over me and then shot himself.” The entire time, the only thing on her mind was saving her daughter. Luckily, she was able to do just that. Fast forward 13 years and you may see her as a survivor but Nemec doesn’t see herself that way. But, she hopes to one day. “It went from I would not survive, to if I did survive, I would have major deficits both mentally, from being shot in the head to physically,” Nemec said. Her injuries devastated her. “To see half of my face was missing and my teeth were shot out, it was detrimental to me,” she said. “I am 33. I was 20 when I was shot, I don’t want dentures.” “I know a lot of people are like ‘do you really need it, right?’ do I need it? I feel like I need it for my mental health. The first thing you notice about somebody are their eyes and their teeth,” she said. Nemec wants dental implants. And, as if she hasn’t paid enough, she says the lowest estimate she’s gotten is $35,000 for reconstructive surgery. Her insurance won’t cover the procedure because they categorize it as cosmetic. For Nemec, it’s so much more than just a cosmetic procedure. “There is such a stigma with domestic violence and for a long time I heard, man you’re so strong, to the point where I felt like a hypocrite on the inside because I knew I wasn’t strong,” she said. “My grandma would be like ‘Tiffany why are you ashamed you were shot in the face?’ ‘do you know that I was shot in the face? If you met me on the street and you saw me smile, would you know I was shot in the face or would you think I did drugs or bad hygiene?” Nemec said. It’s because she’s afraid of the backlash that she could face. “Society doesn’t think that. they think the worst in people,” said Nemec. “I haven’t smiled in 13 years.” 13 years later, she’s still trying to get her smile back. Tiffany says that she’s seen dentists across Southwest Florida and while some are willing to help, but all visits have fallen through. If you are in an abusive relationship or a survivor of domestic violence, Tiffany wants you to know that you are not alone and encourages you to seek help. The Domestic Violence Hotline phone number is 1-800-500-119. Resources Below are anti-human trafficking and mental health resources available to Southwest Floridians at the national and local level: National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888 Path 2 Freedom https://www.path2freedom.org/ National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255 suicidepreventionlifeline.org David Lawrence Center (Collier County) (239)455-8500 davidlawrencecenter.org National Alliance on Mental Illness, Collier County namicollier.org National Alliance on Mental Illness, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry Counties namilee.org The National Alliance for Caregiving offers a free handbook Circle of Care: A Guidebook for Mental Health Caregivers Collier County Mental Health Court ca.cjis20.org/home/collier Lee County Mental Health Court ca.cjis20.org/home/lee Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance convio.net Local Support Groups: Anxiety and Depression Association of America adaa.org U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Mental Health and Addiction Insurance Help) hhs.gov/programs/topic-sites/mental-health-parity