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.
Petito and Laundrie families lawsuit hearing (Credit: WINK News) Claims that the Laundrie family knew that their son Brian killed Gabby Petito took center stage in court on Wednesday. The Petito family filed a lawsuit against the Laundries in March claiming they knew Gabby was dead and had hired a lawyer for Brian. The lawsuit says it resulted in “Intentional infliction of emotional distress.” Brian and Gabby went on a road trip out west last summer. Brian returned home without her and she was later found murdered in Wyoming. Credit: Gabby Petito via Instagram Brian went missing after he returned to his family’s North Port home, but before Gabby’s body was found. He was later found dead in Myakkahatchee Park from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Petito family was in the Venice courtroom on Wednesday, but the Laundries were not. The Laundries want the Petito family lawsuit thrown out. Gabby’s parents argue that Brian’s parents knew where Gabby was dead and they intentionally hid that fact, causing them undue anxiety. The Laundrie family attorney argues that they have the right to remain silent. There were a lot of tears and holding onto each other as the Petito and Schmidt families entered the courtroom. Throughout the 70-minute proceeding, Gabby’s mother fidgeted with her necklace. Inside it is Gabby’s ashes, a constant reminder of what she lost. The Laundries on the other hand were noticeably absent. Their attorney, Matt Lukka, argued silence is their right, but the judge pushed back. “This is where I’m having some difficulty. I fully understand constitutional right to remain silent, that being said we’re on a motion to dismiss on a complaint where I have to assume the facts are true,” said Judge Hunter Carroll. The Petito-Schmidt attorney, Pat Reilley, said there has to be a crime in order for the Laundrie’s to invoke their fifth amendment rights. “I’m waiting for the day for the Laundries to tell us what crimes they committed so hopefully they’ll do that. I don’t know what crimes they’re asserting they did. We did allege that they were trying to move some money around to get Brian out of the country but there was no arrest warrant out for Brian. He wasn’t a fugitive,” said Reilly. Gabby’s parents argue the Laundries knew that Brian killed Gabby and that they knew where she was buried and they chose to say nothing. They also say the Laundries issued a statement through their attorney saying they hoped she would be found and reunited with her family, giving them false hope. “Laundries knew of the fragile state they were in. They knew she was not alive. They knew they were out searching,” said Reilly during the hearing. The Laundrie family lawyer said in his own news conference that there is no basis in the law for this lawsuit and believes the judge has no choice but to dismiss it. “We do believe there’s no basis in the law for this cause of action so we don’t feel like it should go any further than this point,” said Lukka. Judge Carroll said he will take a couple of weeks to go over the case before he issues a ruling.