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.
An East Naples man was arrested on Thursday after deputies say he used a fake ID and phony car equipment to impersonate a retired Mississippi deputy while intimidating other drivers. According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Jack Bowles, 51, was arrested for impersonating a law enforcement officer. Deputies say he equipped his car to look like an unmarked police vehicle and was intimidating other drivers on I-75. On March 9, a CCSO deputy saw Bowles aggressively tailgating vehicles on I-75 in a black 2019 Dodge Challenger. Bowles’ Challenger had antennae and radar devices mounted to the trunk. The car also had a handheld radio and open laptop on the inside, which was visible to the public because the windows were down. The deputy saw Bowles follow dangerously close to several vehicles in an attempt to intimidate them. Bowles then did the same thing to the deputy’s unmarked vehicle before pulling alongside the deputy and shouting that he is a retired police officer. Jack Bowles’ modified 2019 Dodge Charger. Credit: Collier County Sheriff’s Office The CCSO deputy showed Bowles his badge and said patrol units were on the way to conduct a traffic stop. Bowles cut in front of the deputy as both cars exited the highway, forcing the deputy off the road. Bowles exited his vehicle, shouted, “I am a retired police officer!” and showed an ID card from the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office in Mississippi. Bowles also had a badge with a seven-pointed star from the same agency. The CCSO deputy took the ID and badge to examine it. Bowles then tried to take the items back and struggled with the deputy. Bowles was eventually handcuffed. “He had his vehicle decked out to mimic what a law enforcement car would look like,” said Sergeant Brian Sawyer, with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. A follow-up investigation revealed Bowles was never a certified law enforcement officer in Mississippi, and he never worked for the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office. He was taken to the Naples Jail Center, facing a felony charge of impersonating a law enforcement officer and a misdemeanor charge of resisting an officer without violence. Bowles didn’t just impersonate a police officer on the interstate. He kept it up after deputies arrested him. That did not sit well with the judge Friday afternoon. “You filed a claim that you are exempt from public records because you are a retired law enforcement officer. No sir. You are not. You understand?” Bowles’ public defender said because his client only claimed to be a former officer, the felony charge was not appropriate. The judge shot that argument down too. “The impersonation or portraying a law enforcement officer, that’s a felony. We take it seriously, and we want to make sure that those people that commit that act are identified, arrested, and held accountable as much as they can be,” said Sawyer. Detectives ask anyone who had an encounter with Bowles in which he presented himself as a law enforcement officer to report it to CCSO at (239) 252-9300.