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.
PRIDE Cape Coral 2023 kicks off Friday, celebrating inclusion and love in the city’s LGBTQ+ community. This year’s event, however, comes after the former city manager accused the mayor and council members of discriminating against gay employees and reluctance to support the pride festival. Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter says the allegations by Rob Hernandez—accusing a handful of city leaders of discriminatory employment practices against both LGBTQ+ and Black employees—are categorically false. Hernandez claims Gunter objected to a lesbian employee’s promotion, saying the city should not hire people like that for positions that come into contact with the public. Hernandez says after he allowed an in-kind donation to be made to PRIDE Cape Coral in 2022 to help pay for security and traffic details, City Councilman Dan Sheppard told him the city should not be providing support to “those people.” Gunter responded to the allegations in a meeting on Feb. 17, saying “The accusations against me are categorically false, and, apparently, his statements are retaliatory due to the Cape Coral City Council’s decision on Feb. 1, 2023, not to renew his contract.” Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter appears in the parade during PRIDE Cape Coral 2022. Credit: WINK News Several states and individual cities have recently looked to change the way LGBTQ+ events are held or ban them altogether. In August, a group came to a Naples City Council meeting to speak out against allegedly “lewd” performances at the Naples Pride Festival. Representatives of Naples Pride were also present at the meeting to say those allegations were false. Some people in the Naples community are currently trying to push a ban on drag performances in front of children. A new Florida law went into effect in 2022 prohibiting instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through 3rd grade. It also requires such instruction to be “age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate” in higher grades. The law, officially called Parental Rights in Education, has been labeled the “Don’t Say Gay” law by critics. Other states are taking things to another level: On Thursday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill into law that will restrict public drag show performances. PRIDE Cape Coral debuted in 2019 as a first-of-its-kind event celebrating all people from all walks of life coming together in harmony. Drag performances are set for this weekend, and local entertainers say they’re fun for everyone of all ages. “I know this year is gonna be just as fun and family-friendly, truly family friendly as, as we say it is,” said Andrew Spaulding. Spaulding has been named Southwest Florida Entertainer of the Year and has been performing as a drag queen for almost 20 years. “I equate it like a comedian. They know how to do family-friendly shows. They know how to do raunchy shows.” Alex Gonzalo is the entertainment director of Rascal’s in Fort Myers and also a performer this weekend. “It’s never really been an issue up until this point, and drag has honestly it’s, it’s really mainstream, whether you watch Mrs. Doubtfire on the movie on TV, or even if taking your kids to your normal Hooters” Governor Ron DeSantis doesn’t see it that way. He calls drag shows “Inappropriate” for kids. President of the Florida Senate, Kathleen Passidomo, agrees. “If you bring in, you know, a 7 or 8-year-old, and I’ve been seeing photos of children as young as 5, that’s so confusing to them that I almost liken it to child abuse, frankly.” On Thursday, a state senator filed what he called the “Protection of children” bill. The legislation calls for hotels or restaurants to lose their licenses if they “Admit a child to an adult live performance.” Critics fear the bill will target drag shows. “Parents should know what to take their kids to. That’s the parents’ discretion at the end of the day,” said Gonzalo. Organizers stressed all music and topics at PRIDE Cape Coral will be what they call “Family-friendly.” If you would like to attend PRIDE Cape Coral, it takes place Saturday and Sunday, with activities beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday. There will be a parade, live entertainment, food, drinks, and vendors.