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.
Gabor Sandor Fazekas (Credit: CCSO) A Golden Gate Estates man faces multiple fraud and theft charges after detectives say he took tens of thousands of dollars for contracting work he never intended to complete. Gabor Sandor Fazekas, 53, is charged with grand theft from a person 65 years or older, impersonating a contractor and two counts of contracting without a license. “Thanks to an extensive investigation by our Financial Crimes Bureau detectives, there’s one less unlicensed contractor in Collier County preying on senior citizens in our community,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said. The arrest culminated a two-year CCSO investigation which involved meticulous detective work including obtaining subpoenas for the bank accounts of Fazekas and the victims, interviewing witnesses, and researching county and state records for licenses, permits and certificates. The investigation revealed between February 2020 and October 2020 Fazekas had proposed two bathroom renovation projects to the two elderly victims. Fazekas collected over $26,000 from the victims and failed to start the projects. Fazekas was arrested at the Naples Jail Center after turning himself in on the CCSO warrant. After letting Fazekas’s neighbor, Michael Schneider know it was upwards of $26,000, Schneider was surprised. “Oh my goodness, that’s bad,” said Schneider. “It’s not 500 or 100 or someone you paid to mow your lawn and they never came back no that’s bad.” “There’s so many fly-by-nights, you know that,” said Schneider. “People do stuff and they say they got a license but really don’t.” Detectives said state prosecutors are currently reviewing their request for an additional arrest warrant for Fazekas connected to this investigation. Detectives said Fazekas received $65,000 from an elderly victim and never performed the work. “99% of the time the money is spent,” according to Chad Parker a Collier County lieutenant for the financial crimes bureau. Florida law requires that persons who want to perform general, building and residential construction to become licensed. Sheriff Rambosk reminds residents seeking to hire a contractor that they should verify proper licensing and proof of insurance. Always ask to see their credentials, and references from other customers, and never agree to pay the full amount for services upfront. Checking a contractor’s license can be done online through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Web site. All consumers will need to know is the contractor’s name: • Visit MyFloridaLicense.com • Click on “Verify a License” • Select “Search by Name” and click “Search” • Enter the contractor’s last and first names • Select “License Category” and click “Constructions Industry” • Click “Search” • A list of licenses that match the individual name entered will be displayed. Click on each record to view the business name associated with that individual license.