ALVA Woodpeckers build home in 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 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 United States Attorney’s Office has announced charges in a federal civil rights investigation of a Hendry County Sheriff’s Office deputy. U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg spoke during a press conference at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Fort Myers Monday afternoon. Watch full press conference below: Handberg revealed that his office is looking into allegations of police brutality caught on bodyworn camera of a deputy who pushed a handcuffed suspect so hard he fell and was knocked unconscious. “As captured on his body-worn camera, former deputy Williams placed the suspect in handcuffs and walked the man to the rear of his police vehicle to conduct a search,” Handberg explained. “Former deputy Williams’s supervisor was also on the scene, and the two had a conversation about the events leading to the suspect being placed in handcuffs.” Handberg said the suspect, who was handcuffed, attempted to interject himself into the conversation to speak to the now-former deputy. “In response to one of those times, former deputy Williams grabbed the man by the shoulders and threw him to the ground. Handcuffed, the victim was unable to brace himself for the fall,” Handberg said. “Former deputy Williams threw the man to the ground with sufficient force that he was rendered unconscious after his chin hit the asphalt.” Handberg then talked about the moments directly following what happened after former deputy Williams threw the victim to the ground. “As the body camera shows, former deputy Williams stood over the man as he lay motionless and yelled at him. Telling him that he was warned not to push against former deputy Williams,” said Handberg. A thorough investigation had been conducted by the FBI and the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, said the U.S. attorney. The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office terminated Williams for multiple policy violations. While a federal grand jury was in Fort Myers last week, they returned a criminal indictment against the former deputy. “Charging him with two counts: one count, which is a civil rights violation, and a second count, which is a count for obstructing justice by falsifying a police report,” said Handberg. “He is facing up to 30 years in federal prison.” Hendry Sheriff Steve Whidden also spoke at the conference and noted that the department has been using body cameras for several years now. He also said that what he saw in the footage disturbed him. “I tell you what, when I watched the body camera, I was shocked,” he said, “and I was appalled.” Williams’ personnel file shows he has a checkered past in southwest Florida law enforcement. The file reveals Williams worked for the Fort Myers Police Department from 2016 to 2021. Williams was initially terminated from FMPD back in 2020, after failing to report when he found drugs, needles and a sleeping girl in the back of a vehicle when making a stop in January 2020. Less than a month later, the girl was killed when her mother blacked out behind the wheel while high. After FMPD’s union fought on his behalf, Williams’ charges were sustained but he was allowed to keep his job. He later resigned en lieu of termination. Williams’ time in Fort Myers is addressed in his personnel file with Hendry County. When asked his reason for leaving FMPD, Williams writes “irreconcilable differences.” On the next page of his application, when asked if he had ever resigned or left a job following misconduct or unsatisfactory performance, Williams wrote: “resigned from FMPD after many internal affairs investigations were [illegible] over a period of time to hold me back from career advancement.”