Trumparilla Boat Parade kicks off in Fort MyersThe Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics
FORT MYERS Trumparilla Boat Parade kicks off in Fort Myers The Lee County GOP is hosting the Trumparilla Boat Parade in support of the Republican nominee.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
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.
FORT MYERS Trumparilla Boat Parade kicks off in Fort Myers The Lee County GOP is hosting the Trumparilla Boat Parade in support of the Republican nominee.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
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.
Coffee grounds from Starbucks to be used as compost and fertilizer. (Credit: WINK News) As consumers, we’re continuing to add to the amount of discarded trash, and as more people move to the Sunshine State, it’s only growing. One Fort Myers family is working to lessen their environmental impact through composting and shows us how they do it – in hopes to encourage others to do the same. The big idea is once this family is done eating things like avocados, oranges, and bananas, they take it out to the trash, but not to your ordinary trash can. Vik Chhabra said, “What you’re looking at here is two different compost bins. This is from yesterday and today. You’ve got banana peels, and apples, and some eggs, and what we do is, my little guy will come out and his job is to get rid of the compost.” Chhabra learned how to garden from his parents, and now he’s teaching his son. “We look back at like what we did as children; that was a lot of fun. What can we do to get our kids outside?” he asked. Instead of their own food going to the landfill, it goes in the Chhabra family’s garden as compost creating free fertilizer. He showed a bag of used coffee grounds from Starbucks. “This right here is a 40-pound bag from three hours at Starbucks this morning during a rush hour. This is how much coffee they go through, and this would make its way to the landfill.” Coffee energizes us and their lawn. “My lawn is chemical-free, herbicide-free, and the only fertilizer I use is spent coffee grounds,” Chhabra explained. In turn, they enjoy a lawn with native grasses and weeds, a far cry from the common manicured lawn. But, you’ll need to get used to some differences. “One thing that we notice is that our lawn will turn completely brown for four months, and that just needs to be acceptable. You know, a lawn is not supposed to be green all year,” he added. By using coffee grounds and composting, the goal is to cut down waste. “Every trash day, we would have two large bins outside, and we’ve gone from having two every single week down to one.” At a “Waste-to-Energy” facility in Buckingham, Lee County Solid Waste Director Doug Whitehead will tell you, it adds up. “Right now, at our centerpiece facility,” Whitehead explained, “We take in 600,000 tons a year of municipal solid waste and other materials.” That waste gets turned into renewable, sustainable energy. “We’re creating about 60 megawatts of electricity that we sell on the open market right now,” he added. From turning yard waste to mulch and compost to taking in household chemical waste and electronics, Whitehead believes Lee County’s sustainability is what sets it apart. “We’re in a really good position with our waste-to-energy facility, our recycling facility and our composting facility to manage a lot of the material.” By remaining vigilant about where waste goes and cutting out chemicals, the Chhabras hope to protect our water quality too, all while inspiring the next generation. He said, “It’s education, that’s extremely simple to teach at home, but you just got to take that first step.” As for the cost of this family’s set-up? The garden beds cost around $150 each with planks and cinder blocks. The compost bins are around $20, and it takes eight months to form the compost. And the garden yields about $50 worth of vegetables a week.