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 brush fire that has been burning since Wednesday is now about 38 acres in Cape Coral. Crews are still out there near El Dorado and Southwest 5th Terrace working to put it out. Now that the dry season is here, consider this: Did Hurricane Ian make it easier for fires to start and spread? Michael Harris with the Florida Forest Service said everyone can reduce fire risk. Andrea Schuch with the Cape Coral Fire Department said to start by keeping the grass lean, green, and clean. “We want you to thin out any sort of vegetation that might be near your home. We want you to clear out any dead debris,” Schuch said. Cape fire spent the last 24 hours fighting this brush fire behind the German Americal Social Club. “About 90% of brush fires are human-caused, so it’s something that we really can control ourselves. So as it’s really dry, even something as simple as starting your car on dried grass can cause a spark,” Schuch said. Brush fires are going to be more difficult to contain for the next two to three years. That is according to Cape Coral’s fire chief and a wildfire specialist from the Florida Forest Service. It’s all thanks to Hurricane Ian. “You’re going to see, not only fires be more intense, but we’re going to see them spread much further before we have an opportunity to get it put out,” said Cape Coral Fire Chief Ryan Lamb. We know the Cape Coral brush fire began Wednesday afternoon when someone using a lawnmower hit a piece of metal, which caused a spark and set the wooded area on fire. What we’re learning now is why containment is a challenge. “You’ve basically had trees blow down in horizontal, diagonal, and they’re actually propped up against all the vertical trees that are still standing. And you’re almost created a wall, almost a lattice-work of trees for these dozers to have to get through,” said Michael Harris, a wildfire mitigation specialist. Fallen trees and branches and other debris from the hurricane are also drying out, and that’s adding fuel to the fire. “All of this vegetation that would normally be growing is now broken, drying out, and adding to the fuel in the forest. You’re going to see more intense fires, more rapid intensification, and much harder time for our crews to get access to actually suppress those fires,” said Lamb. As we head into the dry season, firefighters know this will be a challenge in many places Hurricane Ian touched, and there’s also a growing danger to firefighters. “You can almost think of it like Pixy Stix. You pull one of them out, and you can actually have multiple trees come off of that tree that you just pushed and end up falling. They can fall on the dozers; they can fall on firefighters,” said Harris. This kind of challenge is not something firefighters see every year, but they are prepared. “Higher response, more heavier equipment, more units to each fire to help counteract the challenges that Ian has produced for us,” Harris said. Fire crews have a perimeter built around the fire off Pine Island Road, but they’re only saying it’s 90% contained since they can’t reach the center area of the fire with all the debris in the way. To keep yourself safe, the experts say it’s important to maintain a 30-foot buffer zone around your house so fire crews can get in there and protect your home, and use caution if you’re using machinery outside.