Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plansMarco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 11, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Second leading cause of chest pain The leading cause of cardiac chest pain is coronary artery disease, which affects over 18 million adults in the United States.
Vicky Bakery opens 26th location, first in Fort Myers A Fort Myers location just opened at 4429 Cleveland Ave., at El Dorado Plaza, just east of the Ginza sushi restaurant.
WINK News’ Matt Devitt, officials address resident flooding concerns In a slide presentation, WINK News Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt showed surrounding coastal counties have the sensors that are installed and monitored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
FORT MYERS RSW offering remote parking for the holidays Southwest Florida International Airport, RSW, is offering passengers RSWRemote, a reserved holiday parking option.
Lee County man found guilty of manslaughter A 47-year-old man from Lee County has been found guilty of manslaughter after stabbing his neighbor multiple times in 2022.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 11, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Second leading cause of chest pain The leading cause of cardiac chest pain is coronary artery disease, which affects over 18 million adults in the United States.
Vicky Bakery opens 26th location, first in Fort Myers A Fort Myers location just opened at 4429 Cleveland Ave., at El Dorado Plaza, just east of the Ginza sushi restaurant.
WINK News’ Matt Devitt, officials address resident flooding concerns In a slide presentation, WINK News Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt showed surrounding coastal counties have the sensors that are installed and monitored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
FORT MYERS RSW offering remote parking for the holidays Southwest Florida International Airport, RSW, is offering passengers RSWRemote, a reserved holiday parking option.
Lee County man found guilty of manslaughter A 47-year-old man from Lee County has been found guilty of manslaughter after stabbing his neighbor multiple times in 2022.
Barry Schmalbach (Credit: Cape Coral Police Department) A 56-year-old man has vanished, and police are calling his disappearance suspicious. Thursday morning a heavy police presence was seen at the man’s Cape Coral apartment. Cape Coral Police said no one has seen or heard from Barry James Schmalbach in six days. Police are calling this suspicious because they said when someone disappears, a trail of clues is normally left behind, but they haven’t found any in this case yet. Schmalbach was last seen in Cape Coral along the 1800 block of Beach Parkway on Thursday, around 11 p.m. The police report said Schmalbach and his boyfriend got into an argument while at Cruiser’s Lounge, a day before his disappearance. “Friends and family are concerned because this is abnormal for him to not be in contact with anyone for this length of time,” Cape Coral Public Affairs officer Brandon Sancho said. His friends went to check on him on July 21, and then the police got involved the following day. “Give me a call. I need your help. I need to get rid of this (expletive) idiot. I can’t take it anymore.” Those are the last words friends heard from Schmalbach before he disappeared last week. Schmalbach’s friends said he sounded upset, so they went to his Cape Coral home and found it a mess. Schmalbach’s friends told WINK News that they believe he needed their help breaking up with his boyfriend, and more specifically, kicking him out of Schmalbach’s apartment. That’s the last time Schmalbach’s friends heard from him, and they said that’s just one of a number of red flags they’re seeing that have them concerned for Schmalbach’s safety. Friends describe Schmalbach as loving, very giving and willing to give you the shirt off his back. The last time they heard from him was one week ago when he needed their help with the breakup. “He just called me and said, ‘Miguel, can you come help me? I need to get this idiot out of my house. I can’t take this anymore,'” said Miguel Blanco, friend of Schmalbach. Two days later, Blanco and his husband Tom Wilson went to Schmalbach’s home. They explained that they have a key to his apartment since Schmalbach has previously had a heart attack. When they went inside, no one answered. “The apartment was very messy, which is highly unusual for Barry because he’s a very neat-freak-type person,” Wilson said. “All the lights were on, every room. That’s not Barry as well. He typically sits basically in the dark. And I just felt uneven, or uneasy when I was in there. Just something wasn’t right.” Schmalbach’s friends pointed out to police that his Jeep wasn’t in the parking lot Friday, but it was back there Saturday without Schmalbach. “His vehicle was there, which was always pristine and clean, but it was covered with mud on the sides, very sandy in the back of the vehicle. The police noticed the doors were unlocked, which there again, highly unusual,” Wilson said. Neighbors told WINK News that they heard someone walking around inside, but no one ever answered. Schmalbach’s friends also explained that the limited interaction they’ve had with his boyfriend sent up more red flags. “On Saturday morning, Christopher was texting Miguel, sharing screenshots of supposed conversations between he and Barry. At that moment, we know something was wrong because the comments were not Barry, nothing that Barry would say,” Wilson said. And Schmalbach’s friends said he’s never gone more than a day without speaking with loved ones. “He constantly texted with family. They have a group message, and they didn’t hear from him. So, when I got in contact with them, they told me they haven’t heard from him. I really got concerned, too, right there,” Blanco said. In a report from the Cape Coral Police Department, investigators noted that they discovered that Schmalbach’s boyfriend, Christopher Davis, gave them false information about himself. Police later discovered that Davis has active arrest warrants out of South Carolina and Georgia. However, they say neither appears to be extraditable. If you know anything about Schmalbach, or his disappearance, call the Cape Coral Police Department. You can also report anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.