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.
Even in a tranquil setting, there can be rumblings of trouble. Traffic noise was enough to rattle the peace at a Fort Myers cafe. Jeremy Allen and his two friends were trying enjoy a quiet lunch. “Some guy came by on a motorcycle, and he had his radio so high you can barely hear,” Allen said. It comes from stress, anxiety, annoyance. From just lower levels of sound that are interfering in your daily life. Fort Myers audiologist, Jack Adams It turns out that it’s the sounds you don’t expect that sneak up on you and could leave long-lasting damage. Things like loud vehicles, leaf blowers and jets at levels are not high enough to hurt your ears, but if constant, can hurt your health. Audiologist Jack Adams is tuned into all things hearing. “Well sound comes in hits your eardrum, there are three bones in your middle ear that vibrate the sound from your middle ear into your inner ear. And the inner ear is where all the nerves are for your hearing.” The EPA regulates exposure to extremely loud noise because it can wreck your hearing. People who work in landscaping, for example, wear ear protection because they spend hours a day with the volume up. Now, research shows that low-volume noises pose another threat. “It comes from stress, anxiety, annoyance. From just lower levels of sound that are interfering in your daily life. But it’s not actually damaging to your hearing. The sound levels that they’re talking about can affect blood pressure, and affect heart rate and can affect sleep,” said Adams. Urban noise pollution is what it’s sometimes called. The background track to everyday life. We notice it, but at most consider it an aggravation. Without thinking that what constantly bothers us can make us sick. Allen, one of the sidewalk diners, said a lot of noises grate on his nerves. “Trucks like this are annoying to me. And motorcycles. They’re obnoxiously loud. And sometimes it interrupts conversation like we’re having right now,” Allen said. “Another noise that bothers me is jet noise. One more, dog barking obnoxiously annoys me.” Getting steamed up about sound experts found can lead to a cascade of bad things. Beginning with the release of stress hormones that, over time, can trigger an inflammatory response. Resulting in a higher risk for heart disease, diabetes and more. Natalie Mathweg also gets riled up about traffic noise. “Like the loud motorcycles. Or even like an engine like that, RRRRR, like that is a little bit obnoxious sometimes.” She had no idea the cumulative effect could of repeated sounds could be damaging. “Really?” Mathweg said. “My neighbors sometimes thud on the floor.” It’s an aspect of sound even Adams, the audiologist, didn’t see coming. “The distraction of the noise and the effect it has on health and on cognitive processing of information is usually one of the last things that people consider.” The simplest solution is to unwind, unplug or distance yourself from sounds that stress you. “Maybe I should spend some more time in silent meditation,” said Allen. Makes you truly appreciate the sound of silence.