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.
Firefighters saved a woman’s pets that she feared were trapped inside a house fire early Tuesday morning in south Fort Myers. A fire broke out in the garage of Mary Stoia’s Case del Lago home on Axis Deer Lane at around 5:15 a.m. She could grab her two dogs before running outside with the other two people living there. Stoia could not grab her cat Johnny or two birds before escaping the house. “It was… You know, like, how could you be so stupid to leave them in the house?” said Stoia. It’s hard to grab everything, every bird, cat, and dog when you wake up to a house on fire. “I woke up to my bedroom window blowing out. Oh, my God. And then my friend came down the other end of the house going, ‘Mary, get up, get up. The house is on fire. There’s a fire,'” Stoia said. “I don’t have shoes. I didn’t grab a bathrobe, I just put the leashes on my dogs because they’re not street smart.” The smarts are with the cat Johnny Guitar. “I was always bringing kittens home as a child. And I would tell my mother, ‘they followed me home.’ So when I picked him up, I said, ‘eh, Johnny Guitar was her favorite movie. That’s what I’m going to name you,'” said Stoia. Johnny Guitar, the cat, leads a much different life than the movie character. Once firefighters scooped him out from under a bed, his new favorite spot to rest was right in their arms. “The firefighter says once they were able to actually secure him, he settled right in, and they were able to walk around with him and bring him outside,” said Amy Bollen, with the South Trail Fire Department. South Trail firefighter rescues Johnny the cat from a house fire in south Fort Myers, Tuesday, January 3, 2023. Credit: South Trail Fire Department The cat was brought to safety and to his mom, who has a long way to go to make her house home again. “I’ll survive. That’s about it,” Stoia said. The animals make Stoia’s home whole, but after a fire started in her garage Tuesday morning, she feared there’d be a hole in her home and heart. “I still think one’s not going to make it. Between the smoke inhalation and just being a nervous wreck. I don’t think he is going to make it,” said Stoia. WINK News was in south Fort Myers Tuesday morning, moments after Stoia escaped from her house. She had time to leash up her dogs and yell for the cat but couldn’t get to her birds. The firefighters on the scene grabbed Pumpkin and Pretty Girl’s cage and wheeled it out to mary… Gail: “Is Pretty Girl the one…” Stoia: “No. Wish she was. It’s Pumpkin.” Gail: “Why do you say that about Pretty Girl!” Mary: “She’s a slob. She’s a pig. She throws her seeds all over. Oh, man. I know. You’re gonna be stuck with him for a while. Yeah. And she’s vicious. He’s not. He’s a gentle little bird.” Even though Stoia would charge Pretty Girl rent if she could, she still loves the bird and is happy firefighters came to the rescue. “Just thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” said Stoia, whose life is whole despite the fire that ruined her home. Stoia’s birds and dogs are with one of her neighbors. She said Johnny Guitar is staying with one of her friends. One person from the home reported minor injuries and was treated at the scene by firefighters. The Red Cross was called to assist. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.