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.
On Monday, Hector A. Cafferata Jr. Elementary School students and staff reunited in portable classrooms for the first time since Hurricane Ian. The Cape Coral school couldn’t be used after the hurricane because of the severe damage it sustained, but hundreds of children who went there finally came back together, just not in the same building. Dr. Jason Kurtz, the principal of Hector A. Cafferata Elementary, says it’s been taking a toll on the staff and students. Since Ian, students have been split between Hancock Creek Elementary and Pelican Elementary. The School District of Lee County is excited to offer these elementary school students the opportunity to be back together again. The district put 46 portables on the property of Cape Coral Technical College, right next to the damaged elementary school. The portable campus will be leased for two years by the school district so they can have time to determine what will happen to the original campus. For the last two weeks, teachers have been moving their supplies and restructuring their classrooms ahead of students’ Monday morning return. Hector A. Cafferata sustained extensive damage from Hurricane Ian, from water infiltration throughout both floors to a torn roof. Monday is the day everyone has been waiting for when their long separation finally ends. Hector A. Cafferata seen from above after being damaged by Hurricane Ian. Credit: WINK News “Obviously, a lot has happened at the building,” Kurtz said. “This is just the building; Hector Cafferata Elementary School is y’all and our students.” Long-term ideas for the school will be presented in January. But Superintendent Christopher Bernier says the state is not making changes to its testing schedule, and they have a responsibility to get these students back into a school building. When the teachers returned to their classrooms this month to set up for students returning, it was very difficult for them to take in what Ian did to their beloved building. “I don’t even know what to take,” said teacher Ingrid Mugica. “They said to take stuff, but I am so overwhelmed right now. You know, this is something that I’ve done for many years, and to see it destroyed like this is very painful. So, it’s not that it’s worse than what I thought; it’s just painful. Period.” For parents like Hadasa Palacios, it’s a relief. WINK News spoke with her right after she dropped her daughter off at school. Palacios says making the trek to Hancock Creek Elementary School for the last few months was hard, so she and her daughter eagerly awaited a return to Hector A. Cafferata Elementary, or somewhere closer to it. “We are through the roof, we are so excited; we brought her teacher an apple,” Palacios said. “She was with her teacher, but it’s not the same. You know, all of the students were separate and over there in the other school. While we were so excited to be there, of course, because they were hosting us, but they have different ways of doing things. Over there, they don’t have uniform; our kids have uniform. So, it’s nice for them to be reunited as a family.” Mujica’s students are just as grateful to be reunited. “We feel really happy because we get to start learning again and get together again,” said Anniston Tomanen, a student at Hector A. Cafferata Elementary. For Mujica, this is progress. “The first time I saw destruction,” Mujica said. “Right now, I see building, I see growing, I see stepping forward. I see moving on. I see lightning and that’s amazing.”