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 Florida Highway Patrol held a “Stay at the Scene” press conference in the hopes of driving home the consequences of hit-and-run crashes. Hit-and-runs are an all-too-familiar phenomenon in Southwest Florida. In December, security camera footage caught the moment a bicyclist was hit and killed in Golden Gate near 41st Street Southwest. The man’s phone was left ringing—he was hit while calling his wife. Another hit-and-run from March 2021 affected two women vacationing in Fort Myers Beach were hit. A video was taken just 20 seconds before one of them was killed, and the other’s life was changed forever. The car was seen continuing its drive toward the beach. The numbers in 2022 alone are alarming: In Lee County, there were 4,190 hit; 795 had injuries, and 11 were deadly. In Charlotte County, 568 hit-and-runs; 89 had injuries, and two were deadly. In Collier County, 1,485 hit-and-runs occurred; 236 had injuries, and three people died from them. Law enforcement lot filled with evidence vehicles. (Credit: WINK News) A total of 216 cars fill a law enforcement evidence lot. Most are beat up, missing windshields and parts, and are tagged with a homicide case number. Each car tells a story. “Every day gets a little bit easier, but it never gets better,” said Linda Beni. “I passed the accident to go to the gym. I said a little prayer and hoped everyone was OK.” They were not. One of the two people killed in the crash was Beni’s daughter Brittany Lynn. “As a catholic. I keep knowing that I have to give forgiveness, but no one can ever be forgiven for taking my daughter away from it,” said Beni. Bni’s daughter and the other person killed died in a hit-and-run on a Port Charlotte road. Six years later, she still feels the pain. At a Thursday morning news conference, Beni joined FHP, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers to discuss the importance of drivers staying at a crash scene. “Listening to Ms. Beni speak of the loss of her daughter is heartbreaking,” said Lt. Greg Bueno. “Yet here we stand six years later, and there’s still countless, hundreds of thousands of crimes of hit-and-run that occur every year.” Law enforcement found Lynn’s killer. He is now serving 14 years in prison. Had he stayed, his time behind bars might have been less. “She was my little buddy. So she was my baby. She was, you know, she’ll always be my baby. Always,” said Beni. “Anybody who takes a human life or injures a human life and then takes off like a coward needs to be held accountable for their actions,” said Trish Route, with Crime Stoppers. Route and Bueno agree those who leave the scene of a crash are selfish. “On November 4, a pickup truck entered a McDonald’s parking lot up in Charlotte County. There was a pedestrian standing in that parking lot. That pickup truck proceeded to literally drive right over top of that pedestrian like he wasn’t even there,” said Bueno. In 2022 in Lee County, there were 4190 hit-and-runs, 795 with injuries. Eleven people died. In Charlotte County, there were 568 hit-and-run cases, 89 of which had injuries. Two were fatal. Collier County had 1485 hit-and-runs, with 236 involving injuries. Three people died.