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.
Cassandra Smith, accused of killing Charlotte County Deputy Christopher Taylor in a November DUI crash, was denied bond for a second time on Friday. Judge Geoffrey Gentile denied Smith bond the first time because the November DUI arrest was not the first time law enforcement said she was caught drinking and driving. An attorney who looked over the case—Lance Dunford of the Scott T. Moorey law firm—says the judge overseeing Friday’s hearing will either issue a bond or keep Smith in the same status she is in right now. Gentile ordered her to stay behind bars, feeling she could be a danger to the community. In the video from her prior DUI arrest in Palm Beach, the 30-year-old woman can be heard slurring her words and can be seen failing sobriety tests, unable to stand on one leg or recite the alphabet. Cassandra Smith attempts to follow a light with her eyes without moving her head during a field sobriety test in April 2021. Credit: Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office “That’s the thing; I need to protect the community,” said Gentile. “I find that the bond… or even the scramblers, that those things don’t do… nothing blows up and stop somebody from getting a car after they’ve drank, and driving fast. So, I can’t protect the community. And she’s shown twice that needs to happen in very short order. Twice in two years.” Gentile did oversee Friday’s hearing; Judge Scott Cupp oversaw the proceeding this time around. Smith’s attorney failed to convince Cupp that she was not a danger to the community nor a flight risk. Smith’s attorney had asked for a $250,000 bond, a GPS monitoring bracelet, and any other conditions the court deemed fit. The state argued that there were no conditions that would be acceptable other than her remaining in jail. Charlotte County Deputy Christopher Taylor. Family and friends of Charlotte County Deputy Christopher Taylor walked into the courtroom Friday and looked straight into the eyes of Cassandra Smith. “She didn’t learn from her mistakes. And that’s why we make mistakes so that we can learn from them and go on and do the right thing. I don’t ever remember Christopher doing anything wrong. Except being a teenager,” said Joanne Corliss, Deputy Taylor’s grandmother. Corliss showed up to Smith’s bond hearing for one reason. “I really wanted to have her to see us and know that he has so many people. Those that are sad and they will never get to experience, maybe a wedding, maybe grandkids great grandkids, birthdays, holidays. It’s that I wanted her to see that he was from a great family.” Smith faces DUI manslaughter charges for the death of Deputy Taylor. He was performing a traffic stop on I-75 when crash investigators say Smith lost control and hit Taylor. The scene from November 22, 2022, will forever haunt Corliss. “We just passed his flag on the highway. And it brought back memories of the people on the overpasses. With their hands on their hearts and signs that said, ‘thank you, Chris.’ That meant so much to us.” His family and friends filled three courtroom benches. They listened as Smith’s lawyer argued she should be freed on bond. “This is somebody where the idea is a lesson wasn’t learned, somebody continues to make a mistake, accidents continue to happen, not an intended evil that goes out looking to hurt or harm,” said Smith’s defense attorney. The judge didn’t buy it; his ruling Friday was no bond. “I was just kind of glad for her that she’s not going to be put in a position to do this again. And I felt really, I didn’t feel happy. You don’t feel things like this,” said Corliss. Corliss knows she’ll never hug her grandson again, but she prays to feel justice for him. During the bond hearing, the state attorney said Smith’s blood alcohol level measured .285 hours after the crash. The state attorney estimates her blood alcohol level was closer to .300 when her car hit Deputy Taylor. That’s nearly four times the legal limit.