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 family is left searching for answers after 41-year-old Scott Schmitz died in February. There are still plenty of unanswered questions surrounding what happened. On March 2, WINK News reported a person died from a brain-eating amoeba. The Department of Health in Charlotte County believes the person got sick using tap water in a Neti Pot. Scott Schmitz. CREDIT: WINK News WINK News was told Schmitz rapidly got sick after using a sinus-rinsing allergy treatment like Neti Pot. On March 2, the Florida Department of Health confirmed somebody in Charlotte County died from a likely infection from a brain-eating amoeba and was investigating whether something like Neti Pot and tap water led to the death. Charlotte County DOH confirming brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, death. CREDIT: CHARLOTTE COUNTY DOH The family said they aren’t sure how their loved one died and want answers. “All I know is that he told me his son died,” Schmitz’ neighbor, Jim Fish, said. Fish told WINK News the Charlotte County neighborhood they shared is a place more likely lined with house numbers than tragedy. “He talked about his youth. Only being 41 years old,” Fish said. Schmitz’s family fears that Scott is the victim of a brain-eating amoeba. And while the Charlotte County Health Department confirmed such a death occurred in February, no other details were made public. Fish told WINK News that in his conversations with Scott’s father, something interesting. “He asked me if I was familiar with some flushing of the nostrils,” Fish said. The Schmitz family believes Scott fell ill after using a sinus-flushing allergy method, like Neti Pot. “It was mentioned with several things about the way he was dying. How he couldn’t move … or was moving out of control and had to be tied down,” Fish said. Without a lot of answers, the Schmitz family is full of questions. The timeline begins on February 23, four days after Scott died the Florida Department of Health confirmed one case of a rare brain-eating amoeba and specifically stated that it was possibly a result of “sinus rinse practices utilizing tap water.” Then, on March 2, after being pushed on the subject, the Department of Health confirmed with WINK News that someone in Charlotte County died from a brain-eating amoeba. Scott’s family believes Scott was the one who died from the brain-eating amoeba. But the health department’s not answering their questions. They were so concerned for their neighbor’s safety after their sons’ death they asked Fish if he used the sinus flushing technique too. “He asked me if I had did that … and I said I don’t even know what it is,” Fish said. That is the precise uncertainty leaving Fish to worry for his safety. It’s incredibly rare to get infected by a brain-eating amoeba. It’s off the charts to be infected by tap water ran through a water treatment facility. In conjunction with the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority, Charlotte County Utilities said that starting on Wednesday, it will temporarily change the disinfection process for its water supply out of an abundance of caution.