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 trial of Wisner Desmaret for the murder of Fort Myers police officer Adam Jobbers-Miller sparked a deeper conversation about mental health in the Black community and the barriers that prevent this community from reaching out for help. Desmaret was sentenced to life in prison for shooting and killing Jobbers-Miller. In the trial, Desmaret was deemed competent to represent himself despite claims from himself and his family that he has a history of mental health issues. “Just the history of his mental illness charts… like, it’s thousands of pages,” said Shellie Desmaret, Wisner’s sister. “This didn’t just start now; it’s been going on since he was younger. From the juvenile cases… this is not a yesterday thing.” Cape Coral therapist Dr. April Brown says that when someone is dealing with mental illness in a Black household, the family typically handles it one of two ways. First, you might work through it. “I think it started way back, of course, in how we came in… how some of our ancestors came into this country through slavery, and just that aspect of, ‘We keep working no matter what, work, work, work, work, work, work, work,’ and not to address our needs,” Brown said. Or, you might try to pray through it. “It’s also the aspect of us in our deep faith, spiritually, that, of course, we can just pray through things… you know, ‘If you have faith, then you don’t need anything else,'” Brown said. Brown says many Black families feel the stigma of admitting someone has a mental health problem and needs help. But there are also barriers to getting that help. In 2020, the American Psychological Association revealed the demographics of this nation’s psychiatrists, psychologists and counselors: 80.85% white, 5.08% African American. “I’ve been in the field since 1998, and in the beginning, maybe 2% of my clientele was African American, and I was probably one of the few counselors in the area,” Brown said. “Now, I would say probably about 15% of my base are people of color, people that look like me.” Sherline Herard, a therapist and Lee County high school counselor, says even if Black patients find a Black professional to help them, that doesn’t eliminate the other huge barrier. “I know cost is a big thing,” Herard said. And Black kids and adults who run into these barriers and cannot get help can suffer in other ways. In 2020, the National Center for Learning Disabilities found Black students are three times more likely to be labeled as having a learning disability than white students. “When people did not have adequate funds and adequate services, you have these little kids that come in, they start the school system, and maybe they haven’t seen a book before,” Brown said. “So, they’re like playing around, using it as a skateboard or whatever. And then teachers would see that as ‘maybe they’ve got ADHD, maybe they’re slow,’ and they start treating them that way, which then causes them to be labeled as a ‘problem child.'” Herard says more Black people in need of mental health counseling are seeking treatment nowadays, but it’s slow going. “I still feel like we still have a long way to go because I still see a lot of judgment and stigma of people saying they don’t need a therapist or are just looking for attention,” Herard said. “It’s OK to get help, and it’s not a sign of weakness,” Brown said. If you see a warning sign in someone you love or someone you know, say something. You could change someone’s life.