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.
Southwest Florida communities are still rebuilding nearly six months after Hurricane Ian destroyed homes, businesses, restaurants, nonprofits, and more. But, donors from all across the country have chipped in to make sure our community builds back stronger than before. Since September 2022, $7 million has been raised for Southwest Florida emergency relief efforts. United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades has led the way, making sure the funds end up in the hands of those who need it most. “The generosity in our community is absolutely incredible,” said Jeannine Joy, president and CEO of United Way. “Altogether, between grants and corporate gifts and individual gifts, we’ve seen about $7 million come through the relief fund.” United Way started the SWFL Emergency Relief Fund after Hurricane Ian, in partnership with the Collaboratory organization. A total of $2,591,323.57 was donated directly to the fund. Proceeds are distributed to local nonprofits like Beacon of Hope, Blessings in a Backpack, and Family Initiative, which serves autistic children, teens and young adults in Southwest Florida. “We are super fortunate to be a United Way partner,” said Anjali Van Drie, co-founder and vice president of Family Initiative. “They pretty immediately came to us as a resource, and were able to provide financial support for us to help our families.” Fort Myers resident Lisa Christy was in tears speaking about Family Initiative. Her son has utilized the nonprofit’s programs for about a year. “It’s like an extended family, it’s just pretty much me and my son, and everybody here is so awesome and supportive,” Christy said. “So, I’m super grateful for that.” Cape Coral resident Elizabeth DeMelo also talked about how grateful she is for Family Initiative. She said the programs have made a huge difference in her daughter’s life. After Hurricane Ian, she continued to receive incredible support. “More than anything else, I will tell you I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support that I received from them,” DeMelo said. “They were here giving of themselves out of the goodness of their heart really, to help our special needs children feel just a little bit of comfort, and ease and normalcy during that time.” Thanks to the donated relief dollars, Family Initiative opened its doors right after Ian. The agency served more than 1,800 families in just two weeks. “It was an awful, horrible, devastating situation,” Van Drie said. “But there was also a lot of good that you saw come from it. You saw people really stepping up and caring for each other, and for us that’s life changing.” In addition to the $2,591,323.57 donated directly to the fund, United Way was given $3,763,922.40 in restricted grant funding, meaning the funds are only allowed to be spent on certain types of relief or recovery. United Way worked with large corporations like PNC, CVS, and Ford Motor Company to write these grants. United Way also received $795,501.04 in unrestricted funding for disaster relief efforts. That brings the total to just over $7 million. Here are some other agencies that the money has been distributed to. Beacon of hope – $70,000 Blessings in a Backpack – $10,000 Community Cooperative – $125,000 Interfaith Charities – $55,000 United Way also has received over $10 million in donated goods. So far, about $3 million in brand new donated shoes, clothing, school supplies, and hygiene products have been distributed to Lee County school children through the United Way School Resource Center. United Way is also working with Rebuilding Together and Eight Days of Hope to provide volunteers, construction supplies, and furniture to rebuild homes. According to Joy, United Way is working with an independent auditor in mid-April. The 2022 audit will take a couple of months, and the nonprofit will provide a more detailed breakdown of the funds once that’s complete. Click here to see previous coverage.