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.
Thomas Raynard James. Credit: CBS Thomas Raynard James is a free man after spending more than 30 years behind bars for a murder he did not commit. He walked out of a Florida prison on Wednesday and sat down with CBS Miami’s Kendis Gibson the following day to talk about life as a prisoner, and what’s changed since he was incarcerated. “I never stopped believing it would happen,” he told Gibson, speaking of his release. James learned he would be freed on Tuesday night, and he was out of prison less than 24 hours later. After hearing the news, James said he was at peace and able to sleep through the night that last night in prison. But first, he spent a lot of time talking to fellow inmates and guards, telling them he was leaving. That night, he said he thought to himself: “The war, the fight, the battle, it’s pretty much over.” When he walked out Wednesday morning, the first person he hugged was his mom. “That was a warm feeling,” James said. “That was a real hug.” Afterward, he had some comfort food and slept in a “real bed.” James described the joy he felt waking up and being able to stretch out his limbs without the fear of falling off a bunk. He said over the years spent behind bars he never gave up hope he would one day be freed. James was convicted in 1991 of the 1990 death of Francis McKinnon. As he described it to Gibson, James, then 23 years old, was arrested on an unrelated charge. He failed to appear in court for a hearing and was subsequently arrested for McKinnon’s death, months after the murder. His trial lasted for two and a half days, he said, and despite the fact that nine fingerprints that did not match his were found at the scene, he was convicted. An eyewitness had told jurors she watched him gun down her stepfather during a robbery in his Coconut Grove apartment. While behind bars, James, who is now 55, said he told his story to everyone who would listen: “If you had ears, I told it to you.” “I wasn’t gonna stop until I was either free or dead,” he later added. Although he believes that most people involved in his case — the jury, the prosecutors, the police — did not do their due diligence, James said he has forgiven all of them. And while he doesn’t feel he was robbed of a life, he knows he lost a lot. Prior to entering jail, James wanted to be a businessman. He had opened a car wash and wanted to begin investing. He hoped to marry and have a family, too. Now, James will meet with his attorney to decide whether they can sue for the wrongful conviction. If he succeeds with a lawsuit, he says he’d use the money to get to some of his dreams and to aid his transition back into society. He did try to keep up with what was going on in the world while behind bars so that he wouldn’t have too much culture shock when he got out. James said he had access to tablets and email while in prison. He tried to read as much as he could about technological advances and said he asked newer inmates questions about the world beyond the prison walls. When he was released, though, he said he was surprised by the tall buildings in downtown Miami, and the new cars on the road. Soon, he will get his first smartphone. James also wants to visit his childhood neighborhood, try a Popeyes chicken sandwich, which he’s heard a lot about, and ride the new trains.