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 message to people hit hardest by Hurricane Ian on Fort Myers Beach is, knock it down we will rebuild. However, it’s easier said than done. People need wood, drywall, bricks, cement, and more materials to get their life back to the way it was. More than five months after the storm passed and people are still rebuilding on the island. Building Fort Myers Beach back up. CREDIT: WINK News In October 2022, the United States Army Corps of Engineers evaluated all buildings on Fort Myers Beach to decide which ones required demolition and which needed to be further assessed for damage. That evaluation helps FEMA document the number of buildings that were destroyed for funding and flood insurance rate purposes. Fort Myers Beach has sent letters to the property owners listing whose houses were determined to be substantially damaged. The list is 23 pages long, single-spaced, and includes more than 1,000 total addresses. Some people were surprised their homes or properties were included on the list, while others were stunned theirs weren’t included. Brad Reeves, a property owner in Fort Myers Beach, thought he had it all figured out. “My wife and I bought the property just over a year ago as a rental as an investment as part of our retirement plan. And it was doing very well as an Airbnb, lot of great reviews,” Reeves said. Brad Reeves home on Fort Myers Beach. CREDIT: WINK News But Reeves can’t figure out recovery efforts surrounding Hurricane Ian. “I, fortunately, was here the day before, and I was able to get the home boarded up, protect it,” Reeves said. The second-story rentals on his property faired pretty well compared to many others nearby. “Fortunately, most of its cosmetic in terms of what we’re having to repair,” Reeves said. Although Reeves did have to gut his downstairs unit, making matters worse for Reeves, his source of income drifted away just like the storm did. So Reeves was forced to get back to work. And when he’s not back at work, he is at his property fixing it up himself. “I’ve done all this kind of work before fortunately, but the contractor prices are they’re crazy. You know? Who could blame him? I mean this at some level, this is their golden age,” Reeves said. Fort Myers Beach five months after Hurricane Ian. CREDIT: WINK News Reeves’s property is one of the more than 1,000 homes and properties deemed substantially damaged by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after Hurricane Ian. “They gutted everything out at my residence. And I don’t know how long it’s gonna be till it gets put back in shape,” Ellie, a property owner in Fort Myers Beach, said. Two of Ellie’s properties are on that 23-page list. One of them was a home that’s been in her family since the 70s and the other are rental units that were also gutted. It’s been a slow rebuilding process for her. “Everybody’s trying to get permitted. Many homes are down,” Ellie said. A lot of work remains undone and the question many people are asking is, when will it get done? A window contractor at the beach told WINK News on Tuesday that it can be tough getting necessary parts, sometimes waiting as long as six months for the parts. Late Tuesday afternoon the mayor of Fort Myers Beach said in a Facebook post that FEMA used its 50/50 rule to determine what homes and buildings suffered “substantial damage.” Because Fort Myers Beach is a special flood hazard area that triggers a series of requirements for rebuilding. The full statement can be seen below. Click here to see the full Facebook post from the Fort Myers Beach mayor.