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.
Three young men brought together by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in Fort Myers have made their shared love of basketball the basis of a lifelong friendship. Cliff Smith was matched with David and Jonathan Delices through Big Brothers Big Sisters 6 1/2 years ago. “When we first were matched, literally, you could count the words combined they both would say on your hands,” said Smith, who was assigned to be the Delices’ big brother. “They would answer questions with ‘yes,’ ‘no’… I mean, they were always unbelievably polite, always unbelievably friendly, but as shy and untalkative as you could get.” But many late-night games of basketball eventually got everyone talking. “I can’t even recognize the old me, because I’m so different,” said David. “I think of [Chris] as another father figure, in a way, because he essentially is… like, if I’m playing my sports, he’s always there,” said Jonathan. On and off the court, Smith swooped in at the perfect time. “Before we met cliff, our environment was not the greatest; you know, we had friends that were smoking and drinking; the basketball court we used to play, there were fights there all the time, we would watch drug deals happen, like, right in front of us while we were hooping, and we were like 12, 11 years old,” David said. “And that was one of the first things lifted was removing us from the environment by giving us access to the YMCA.” The love of the game brought them together initially, but Smith became a sort of point guard in their lives, setting them up for college and successful careers. Jonathan is dual-enrolled at Fort Myers High School. He’s already been accepted to The Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University. David is working towards his master’s degree in social work at FGCU. Smith bounces between cheering on the sidelines and being at the center of the action. “I actually was the officiant at David’s wedding, which was unbelievably cool,” Smith said. In Southwest Florida, 111 young men are on a waitlist to be matched with a big brother: 28 in Lee County, 13 in Collier County and 70 in Charlotte County. “You don’t know what everyone’s situation is,” David said. “But I know—I can predict—that a lot of people that are on that waiting list are in great need because their situation is very difficult. And they just need someone to support them and encourage them and tell them that they’re there for them.” The minimum commitment to be a big sibling is four hours per month. That can be a couple of meals or a long afternoon working together on something, or even playing basketball. Whatever it is, the real reward is the difference you make for someone. “He truly changed my life, and he didn’t have to do that,” Jonathan said. “But he did that with the kindness of his heart” Big Brothers Big Sisters is working to recruit 100 men in 100 days. If you think you can be a match for someone, head to the organization’s website.