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.
The Seminole Gulf Railway needs repairs to help speed up SWFL recovery from Ian. (CREDIT: WINK News) Lumber, drywall, and stone are just some of the essential items being brought to the Southwest Florida area by the Seminole Gulf Railway. The railway is a key feature in the rebuilding process for Southwest Florida, but damage from Ian is disrupting that vital link. Think about it like this, what the trains can bring in through one railcar is the equivalent of five semi-truck loads of material. The Seminole Gulf Railway. (CREDIT: WINK News) That means one railcar can hold more than 117,000 board feet of drywall, which adds up to walls for more than 150 bedrooms. The Seminole Gulf Railway can’t get any of that material to the area because the bridges over the Caloosahatchee and Peace River are down. So, getting these trains back on track becomes paramount for Southwest Florida to recover. But, it’s also another expense for the owners of the railway who hope to add the federal and state government’s tab. Seminole Gulf Railway is home to the well-known murder mystery Dinner Train. Bruce Fay and his family put in all that work because the train tracks mean to him a lot to him. “You’re sitting in this dining car, it actually came out of Ringling Brother’s Circus. And we took, and we built this in house,” Bruce said. “We cut it all apart, put the windows in, put the tables in.” “This is everything. This is my family’s business since 1987, so we’ve been here working on this as a private enterprise to serve Southwest Florida since that time,” Bruce said. But this isn’t just everything to the Fay family, they need to make major repairs to the more than 100 miles of train tracks. That’s because the trains would really benefit and help Southwest Florida recover from Ian. Train tracks on the Seminole Gulf Railway. (CREDIT: WINK News) That’s exactly the reason why Bruce’s brother, Robert Fay, called upon elected officials, like representative Byron Donalds, to see the damage. The hope is that state and federal funding will get the engines chugging North of the Caloosahatchee. “We can transport the necessary goods as part of the critical infrastructure to rebuild Pine Island to rebuild Fort Myers Beach to rebuild Island Park on our own go. The countless communities that have been affected,” Robert said. When asked if Robert believes the officials understood the urgency, Robert said he thought he did because seeing the damage in person can be a difference-maker. “Once again it demonstrates the level of damage we’ve seen here and how deep it’s gone into every aspect of Southwest Florida,” Donalds said. However, as one would imagine the price tag for the repairs is not cheap. “Our estimate’s now it’s going to be in the neighborhood of $28 million,” Robert said. Some of the damages to the Seminole Gulf Railway. (CREDIT: WINK News) But Robert said the $28,000,000 would be well spent. That’s because the faster they get chugging, the stronger Southwest Florida stands against another disaster like Ian. “Everything that makes up your backyard barbecue, or in this case, everything that we need to rebuild our homes and our community is what Trent Seminole golf railway transports,” Robert said. Don’t forget, that this is a family business, and that means it’s privately funded. So government funding ordinarily doesn’t flow to the railway. In the end, however, they get the money the Fay family hopes to get the railroad up and running again within the next 90 days.