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.
A new bill filed in Tallahassee, if passed, will allow all students in the state of Florida to receive private school vouchers. All students would be eligible, regardless of income or whether they are in public school or are being home-schooled. Some lawmakers call this bill the start of a new era of Florida education. Critics worry about where the money will go if the bill is passed. If the bill becomes law, public schools could see fewer students, and that would mean fewer dollars because public schools are, in large part, funded based on enrollment. School is in session, and lawmakers will soon be too. Between now and March 7, the legislature will be setting the agenda, and school choice figures to be a hot topic. Speaker of the House Paul Renner filed the bill that, if passed, would dramatically expand the state’s school voucher program. “The conservative republicans who are pushing this believe that educational choice is a good option for all students and shouldn’t just be limited to low-income families and families with disabilities,” said Political Scientist Aubrey Jewett. Jewett reviewed the proposal and said the measure opens up the school vouchers program to all students, K through 12, regardless of their family income. Children from families with an annual income of $55,500 and children in foster care would get priority. Families would be allowed to spend the money on private school, homeschooling, college courses, and or private tutoring. No student enrolled in public school would be eligible for the voucher, which currently is worth $8,200 a year. There are about 9,400 kids currently on a waiting list for vouchers FCGU college of education professor and associate dean, Fenwick English, said wanting to go to a private school and going to a private school are not the same thing. “Students are eligible to be admitted. But that doesn’t mean there’s any guarantee that they’re going to be admitted.” If the bill is passed, would Governor Ron DeSantis sign it? “It seems to me that he would gladly sign on to something that increased educational choice for all students,” said Jewitt. Jewitt said that would give the governor something else to celebrate with conservates if he were to run for president. The way the law is written now, students from low-income families and with special needs are eligible for vouchers. The new measure opens up the school vouchers program to all students. “The critics are concerned that historically if you have a voucher program like this, it may lead to cuts in public education and less money available for public schools,” Jewitt said. Charlotte County Public School’s Spokesman Michael Riley said if more kids opt out of public school, there will be less money for public schools. Enrollment is a large factor in annual funding, and public schools can’t turn a child away. “We’re ready for whatever. It does matter. The dollars do matter. Don’t think they don’t, but we’re here about educating children. And we’re going to do it with more, or we’re gonna do it with less and whatever we get. We’ll make it work for the kids,” said Riley. Lee County schools say they are aware of the bill but offered no comment when asked. You can read the bill being proposed by clicking here.