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.
Habitat for Humanity home. (Credit: WINK News) As record-high inflation continues, more Americans use credit cards to pay their bills. Florida has the third most credit card debt in the U.S., according to a WalletHub study. Habitat for Humanity gives you the tools to knock out that debt. Habitat for Humanity home. (Credit: WINK News) This Habitat for Humanity home in the works symbolizes Desiree Lewis-Dahlke’s hard work, and in just a couple of months, she’ll move in. “I can’t even explain it. It’s amazing. I’m so ready. I’m already planning in my head all the things I need to purchase,” said Lewis-Dahlke. A year ago, she walked into the organization’s office, hoping someone could help her get her finances in order. “It was my last hope,” said Lewis-Dahlke. “I was struggling. I was barely making minimum wage, and then my landlord came and told me he was raising my rent again. I was already paying about half of my income to rent, and then it was going up to almost 3/4 of my income was going to be rent.” Her credit counselor taught her how to budget, pay down debt and save, putting her on the road to being a habitat homeowner. The non-profit builds homes for qualified lower-income families. “It’s been exciting and nervous. I still have to keep watching my credit, which is hard with teenagers going through senior year, which is so expensive,” said Lewis-Dahlke. Habitat for Humanity offers a variety of free financial counseling like financial management, homebuying counseling, and foreclosure prevention. It’s for anyone who needs it, no matter how much you make. “We understand that families right now are struggling,” said Karen Rodriguez, vice president of family services with Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry counties. “Families really need to put their finances in order, and sometimes they are so overwhelmed that they don’t know where to start. So we teach them.” If you join the program, you’ll be partnered up with a counseling advisor to build out goals and give you the tools to keep your finances on track. “There is always light at the end of the tunnel. There is always hope. There is always a way to get out from that hole. You just need to establish priorities, and you need to set up goals in order to reach those goals, get out of the hole and improve your whole situation,” said Rodriguez. Lewis-Dahlke said it hasn’t been easy, but every step of the way has been worth it. After all, she has a home to show for it. “It’s been so exciting. I came by early today just so I can walk through my house again and look at it.” Before you attend your housing counseling session, you’ll need to fill out an intake packet. You can find a link to fill one out here. The organization also offers an eight-hour homebuyer education workshop. It’s approved by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development.