ALVA Woodpeckers build home in 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 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.
Governor Ron DeSantis was in Morse Shores on Thursday to announce help from the state for hurricane victims. DeSantis discussed everything the state government has done to help those most affected by the hurricane. DeSantis said the state has handed out 140 trailers, roughly 60 more than FEMA has, and said there are 2,400 more trailers on the way. The governor introduced us to a woman who now calls one of those trailers home. Barbara Morgan is one happy camper. “I’m as neat as can be.” Barbara Morgan in her new Unite Florida trailer. (Credit: WINK News) She can call her property home again. “Oh my God, that was Sunday, yeah, when we moved in. Like I said, brand spanking [new]. I never expected we were gonna have… I thought we had to clean it up. We never expected anything like this.” She loves that her trailer is brand new. “It’s got everything in it, including a microwave, a TV, heating, and cooling.” Morgan also loves that nearly four months after six feet of water filled her home, she can finally relax and pay attention to the work that needs to be done to her home. “I don’t have a worry about, you know, not going anywhere. My contractors said four months. We don’t know. The problem is the Lee County permit process,” Morgan said. Morgan made the call to Unite Florida for a trailer four weeks ago. Every week she heard about more and more progress. “I was ecstatic, I could not believe like when she called me and said, ‘hey, I’m in your driveway.'” Morgan said the one thing that took the longest was getting Lee County permits. It’s what the Department of Emergency Management’s biggest challenge is to get the trailers on any property. “For example, there are no units, there is no uniformity at local levels on timelines, permits, inspections, required documentation, and so on within any individual jurisdiction. Today, we have 411 people waiting to go into a congregate group site,” said Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Department of Emergency Management. Guthrie is still urging people to reach out to Unite Florida if they need a trailer, but he wants folks to know why the process can be so challenging. “We were going to be here. We’re going to be here time and time again to help the citizens of Southwest Florida,” said Guthrie. The goal is for everyone in Southwest Florida to be as happy as Morgan. If you want to apply for a Unite Florida trailer, you can call 1-800-892-0948 or apply online. Trailers weren’t the only good news the governor came to Southwest Florida with on Thursday. He also announced that $1 million is going to schools from the Florida Disaster Fund after Hurricane Ian. This comes after the governor already awarded $8 million to teachers, first responders, and the National Huard. He left the door open for them to get more and said let me know we’ve definitely got the money. That’s how teachers across Lee, Collier, Sarasota, Hardy, and DeSoto counties got the extra million; they asked. Teachers can use the cash to help with food, gas, baby supplies, home repairs, and even transportation. The governor said that’s money well spent because the sooner students and teachers are back in the classroom, the sooner parents are back at work. One step closer to normalcy. “The first day that the Sanibel School reopened on the San Carlos Elementary campus, I was there to greet our students, parents, and faculty members. Despite my own personal circumstances at home, I powered through the day because I wanted to be there for my students and staff, especially those that had already lost so much. I wanted them to see a smiling familiar face and to give them a reassuring hug to remind them that everything was going to be OK,” said Michelle Heuck, with the Sanibel School. Heuck said after months of repairs, the school is expected to open up again in just a couple of weeks. Governor DeSantis also announced that $23 million would go to recover and renourish Lee County Beaches. You can watch DeSantis’ remarks in the player below or by clicking here.