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.
For the businesses that are back, the business itself is booming on Fort Myers Beach. Dozens of people visit the beach every single day, grabbing lunch at the popular spots that have made a comeback, but balancing recovery efforts and business ventures hasn’t been easy. One woman is helping to spearhead it all. Fort Myers Beach is a train that fell off the tracks and got right back on, and Jacki Liszack is helping to conduct the train. “Jacki is a bad— gal. And we are so lucky to have her as a leader on Fort Myers Beach,” said Barry Frank, a volunteer at the FMB Chamber of Commerce. Liszak said she is so impressed with the resiliency she sees from beach residents every day. Some people say it doesn’t happen at all without her. She is the president of the Chamber of Commerce. Forty businesses are back open in some capacity on Fort Myers Beach as of Feb. 1, but getting there has been the opposite of easy. “It’s been difficult for all of us, obviously, lots of changes happening all around us. And we’re having to put away the old and kind of look forward to the new spot,” Liszak said. Creativity has taken control. Some, like La Ola and Rude Shrimp Company, brought in giant shipping containers. What are the long-term implications of these shipping containers placed in spots that will become active construction zones? “I know these business owners,” Liszak said. Liszak is confident it won’t be a problem at all. “They’re willing to do whatever it’s going to take to make sure that those containers can stay in an appropriate manner,” she said. “And then if we do have an emergency coming up, that they’ll be able to get those out of there pretty quickly. And some of them are saying 24 hours’ notice, and some of them even are willing to do contracts with contractors that would come in and remove that within a 24-hour period.” To be very frank, Barry Frank would not be here if it were not for Liszak. “For me personally, I would be up where I came from four or five years ago. And she’s influential with a lot of people who care, and no one cares any more than her,” said Frank, a volunteer with the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce. Frank wasn’t always a Floridian. He came down years ago from Chicago, trading the wind for sunshine. That trade sometimes has a nasty tradeoff. “The waterline was about six inches from the ceiling,” said Frank. Hurricane Ian destroyed his home on the beach. He had nothing left, and he was about to leave town. “I don’t have my place. I don’t have power or water. And she did. And she said, bring it on. So that’s where we’ve been ever since,” said Frank. That was until Liszak said there is room for you at my place. “And that’s where we live right now in the RV. In Jackie and Scott’s driveway,” Frank said. The Chamber of Commerce lost its entire headquarters in the storm. All that remains a tiny mobile camper named “Roxie.” Frank mans the little trailer. He’s technically one of Liszak’s employees, but at this point, he feels more like family. “She’s wonderful. I really can’t even explain how good she is. And Jackie, thank you,” said Frank.