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.
Phillip Byrd, 14, in court. Credit: WINK News A teen in a home with two risk protection orders is facing charges for violating the order after a deadly accidental shooting in his home. Philip Byrd, 15, is accused of plotting a school shooting. That is how he got a risk protection order against him. Philip’s RPO was put in his parents’ names as he is too young to purchase a firearm, and an RPO’s goal is to keep guns out of the home. Philip is now facing charges for violating that order 10 months after it was implemented. Andrew Byrd, 18. (Credit: Lee County Sheriff’s Office) Philip’s 18-year-old brother Andrew Byrd is accused of building a ghost gun that killed 17-year-old Destiny Padilla in their home in July. A judge granted an RPO against Andrew Byrd as a result. The mother of the two Byrd teens is also a convicted felon. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office says they found evidence on Philip’s phone of him holding a gun during a death investigation on July 22 that led them to search his person. They say deputies found a vape pen that tested positive for THC. Deputies also say the photo was taken in May, after the RPO was signed, preventing him from possessing guns. The RPO in place is to stop him from buying any guns or ammo, but he also can’t be around them. According to an LCSO court filing, his older brother Andrew was building guns under the same roof as Phillip. “If you’re going to own a firearm, you need to be responsible enough to keep it up away from children,” said Samantha Hush, Destiny Padilla’s stepmother. Deputies say Destiny accidentally shot herself in the face with a ghost gun built by Andrew Byrd, Phillip’s older brother who lives with him and their mother. “Him being 18, he shouldn’t have a handgun in his possession,” said Josh Padilla, Destiny’s father. There shouldn’t have been any gun in the house. Carrie Tuller, the boys’ mom, is a convicted felon. It is illegal for her to live in a home with guns. Destiny Padilla (Credit: Mullin’s Memorial) Destiny’s family is speaking out after her death, shocked that even the laws keeping guns away from this family didn’t save their daughter’s life. “No parent should have to deal with this. I mean, I gotta ride. I gotta ride around with her picture on the back of my vehicle for the rest of my life now,” said Josh Padilla. Even Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno admitted an RPO isn’t an all-encompassing force to stop someone from getting their hands on a gun. “RPO’s, obviously, our legal team petitions the court, we work with them, it’s approved, but now we have to physically make contact and make sure we’re taking those firearms. Now. That’s not to say that that person doesn’t access another firearm somewhere else,” Marceno said. The key to making sure the RPOs work is check-ins with law enforcement. Sheriff Marceno said that’s what his teams do. They stay proactive to continuously watch people and ensure they don’t slip through the cracks.