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 school districts are stuck between conflicting messages from the Department of Education and the College Board. Last week, the College Board said AP Psychology would not be allowed in Florida classrooms. Then, Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz sent a letter to superintendents saying the course could be taught in its entirety in a manner that is “age and developmentally appropriate.” A district spokesperson sent WINK News a statement Monday morning saying, “Based on the guidance provided by the Florida Department of Education, we are adjusting student and teacher schedules and assigning them to different courses.” Let’s rewind to last Thursday. That’s when the College Board said in a statement Florida “effectively banned” its AP Psychology class by making it illegal to teach content on gender identity and sexual orientation. On Friday, the DOE sent that letter to all superintendents saying AP Psychology “can be taught in its entirety.” And there’s the confusion, because Florida law makes it a crime to teach students about gender identity and sexual orientation. There’s no provision for “age” and “developmentally appropriate.” Because of this confusion, some school districts are taking no chances and passing on the AP Psychology classes. Others, like Sarasota County, are keeping the course. That’s where Shari Valencic has taught AP Psychology for the last nine years. “That distrust that I feel as a veteran 34-year teacher from the state is quite disheartening,” Valencic said. “For this all of a sudden to be an issue with less than a week before students come back to school, I think shows an ignorance on the state’s part.” While he did not say because of the confusion, a Collier County schools spokesperson told WINK News that the district will review syllabi from each AP Psychology teacher and assist by creating lessons that will be in compliance with Florida law. “Teachers love AP Psychology, as do their students, and what has happened in the past four days in Florida is heartbreaking, and also very scary,” Valencic said. If Collier County schools remove the gender identity and sexual orientation lessons, the College Board may not allow those students to qualify for AP credit. Debbie Jordan, a member of the Lee County School Board, told WINK the district fears that teaching the class could be breaking the law. To be safe, the School District of Lee County is throwing out AP Psychology altogether. “We’re under that fine line… is that violating the law, because you might speak about a certain subject in a certain chapter?” Jordan said. Despite Diaz’s letter to superintendents, Jordan said the district isn’t willing to risk legal trouble. “Speaking to students who had that class, and what they believe that they learned from that and what they gained from it… for them not to be able to, you know, to receive that, I think that’s… it’s sad,” Jordan said. “I’m very concerned for the students who won’t get the opportunity to take a course that’s, you know, stood the course of time,” said Catherina Grus, chief education officer for the American Psychological Association. The School District of Lee County will instead offer psychology classes provided by International Baccalaureate and Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education. But Grus said those courses don’t compare to AP Psychology. “The major difference with the AP Psychology course is it has very clear learning outcomes for the learner,” Grus said. “Much more detailed than in the other two courses, with respect to specific content that students must master as part of the course.”