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.
The developers of the Margaritaville Resort in Fort Myers Beach held a topping-off ceremony Friday morning as they put the last beam on top of the $200 million project. This milestone for Margaritaville also marks a significant move toward recovery in Fort Myers Beach in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian’s pummeling. It’s been a 3 1/2-month journey for locals, from thousands of pounds of debris being picked up to the first FEMA trailer being delivered, numerous visits from the state, city, and county officials working together to rebuild this town, and the beach finally reopening. Ian wiped out many memories for people on Fort Myers Beach, but throughout the recovery, people have told WINK News, “We will rebuild.” There were people excited about Margaritaville since long before the last hurricane season, but now there’s added weight to updates on the resort’s progress. “I think everybody’s just ready,” said Fort Myers Beach resident Brenda Schmidt. “I mean, it’s been really hard on everybody, and they’re glad to see all the progress that’s being made.” “We haven’t been back at all, so I am excited to see what’s open and walk around and see what’s left, really,” said Cape Coral resident Christina Rudow. Fort Myers Beach and Lee County also used the Margaritaville topping-off ceremony as an opportunity to recognize and celebrate businesses that have reopened since Ian or plan to reopen soon. As for when Margaritaville will open, “I know a lot of the media outlets have been asking us when our opening date is. So I am here to tell you profoundly… That… We don’t know,” said Robert Kisabeth, COO of TPI Hospitality. “[Friday] is the topping off of the building. And what that means is the topping off of the structure.” It is a visual validation of the progress that has been made. “It just demonstrates human ingenuity, resolve creativity,” said David Cezario, VP & opening general manager for Margaritaville. “In order to recover, we need to stimulate our economy by getting our visitors back so that they can spend their dollars in our local businesses,” said Tamara Pigott, director of the Visitor & Convention Bureau for Fort Myers Beach. This business comes in the form of a 254-room resort with five restaurants, and “What makes us special here are our people, and the passion they have is contagious,” said Pigott. That was no more evident than when Jacki Liszak, president & CEO of the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce, welcomed all of the business owners of Fort Myers Beach to stand behind her and show how many people fought hard to keep their livelihoods standing. “Really, what this means for the construction of the building is that they’re topped off, and they’re dry. So, sheetrock is going in as we speak. Plumbing, electric, you name it,” said Kisabeth. On Fort Myers Beach, the progress, the effort, and the beauty are still there for everyone to see.