Former News-Press Food Critic writes powerful memoir, “The Mango Tree”‘It was incredible’ Couple has close encounter with shark while kayaking on San Carlos Bay
NAPLES Former News-Press Food Critic writes powerful memoir, “The Mango Tree” For 15 years, Annabelle Tometich wrote under the famous byline Jean Le Beouf as a food critic for the News-Press. Now, she tells her personal story in her book, “The Mango Tree.”
SAN CARLOS BAY ‘It was incredible’ Couple has close encounter with shark while kayaking on San Carlos Bay Sandrine Fontaine and Arnaud Fontaine come to Southwest Florida twice a year from France, and they try to spend every day kayaking out on the water.
GOLDEN GATE Deputies investigating stabbing at home in Golden Gate Deputies are outside of a house for a stabbing investigation. Collier County deputies said there is one person hurt.
Is there an arsonist on the loose in Lehigh Acres? Fire investigators are looking into a series of suspicious fires in Lehigh Acres that have them wondering if there is an arsonist on the loose.
Collier commissioners push plan to allow rental of guesthouses in Urban Estates The 4-1 vote, which includes a review after one year and a Code Enforcement report, involves homesteaded properties in an area of North Naples west of Collier Boulevard.
Gulf Citrus Growers Association shuts down The association’s closure means farmers across the region no longer have a group that can provide them support with local governments in lobbying for citrus-friendly public policies.
FORT MYERS Maintenance work to temporarily shut down section of Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve boardwalk The section of the boardwalk trail along Gator Lake at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers will temporarily close on Monday for maintenance.
New transplants bring hope for knee injuries This kind of injury can keep athletes from playing for a long time, sometimes forever. However, there are new ways to do knee transplants.
NEAR DUNNELLON 8 dead, at least 40 hurt after bus transporting farm workers overturns At least eight people have been killed, and dozens of others have been hurt in a bus crash near Dunnellon after it was hit by a pickup truck.
HENDRY COUNTY Burn ban in effect in Hendry County after 9 fires break out from lightning storm A burn ban is now in effect for unregulated fires for all of Hendry County as dry weather conditions impact the area.
Punta Gorda could extend deadline for Fishermen’s Village improvements If Council doesn’t provide additional time for receivers to complete improvements agreed to in 2018, Punta Gorda could take steps to have the property transferred back to the city, Punta Gorda Assistant City Manager Melissa Reichert said.
Tim Aten Knows: Old Naples Pub closing after 35 years The owners of the popular local hangout at 255 13th Ave. S., off Third Street South near the Naples Pier, have announced their retirement.
NAPLES Man arrested following Naples Manor shooting that injured 3 The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man suspected of shooting three people Sunday in Naples Manor.
Developers of Arches Bayfront push for rezoning Ben Freeland said he will return to Town Council and the Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency with his request to change the land-use designation and with his detailed plans for the project.
FORT MYERS Lee County Sheriff’s Office holds memorial service for deputies The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is set to hold a memorial service to honor the deputies who had died in the line of duty.
NAPLES Former News-Press Food Critic writes powerful memoir, “The Mango Tree” For 15 years, Annabelle Tometich wrote under the famous byline Jean Le Beouf as a food critic for the News-Press. Now, she tells her personal story in her book, “The Mango Tree.”
SAN CARLOS BAY ‘It was incredible’ Couple has close encounter with shark while kayaking on San Carlos Bay Sandrine Fontaine and Arnaud Fontaine come to Southwest Florida twice a year from France, and they try to spend every day kayaking out on the water.
GOLDEN GATE Deputies investigating stabbing at home in Golden Gate Deputies are outside of a house for a stabbing investigation. Collier County deputies said there is one person hurt.
Is there an arsonist on the loose in Lehigh Acres? Fire investigators are looking into a series of suspicious fires in Lehigh Acres that have them wondering if there is an arsonist on the loose.
Collier commissioners push plan to allow rental of guesthouses in Urban Estates The 4-1 vote, which includes a review after one year and a Code Enforcement report, involves homesteaded properties in an area of North Naples west of Collier Boulevard.
Gulf Citrus Growers Association shuts down The association’s closure means farmers across the region no longer have a group that can provide them support with local governments in lobbying for citrus-friendly public policies.
FORT MYERS Maintenance work to temporarily shut down section of Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve boardwalk The section of the boardwalk trail along Gator Lake at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers will temporarily close on Monday for maintenance.
New transplants bring hope for knee injuries This kind of injury can keep athletes from playing for a long time, sometimes forever. However, there are new ways to do knee transplants.
NEAR DUNNELLON 8 dead, at least 40 hurt after bus transporting farm workers overturns At least eight people have been killed, and dozens of others have been hurt in a bus crash near Dunnellon after it was hit by a pickup truck.
HENDRY COUNTY Burn ban in effect in Hendry County after 9 fires break out from lightning storm A burn ban is now in effect for unregulated fires for all of Hendry County as dry weather conditions impact the area.
Punta Gorda could extend deadline for Fishermen’s Village improvements If Council doesn’t provide additional time for receivers to complete improvements agreed to in 2018, Punta Gorda could take steps to have the property transferred back to the city, Punta Gorda Assistant City Manager Melissa Reichert said.
Tim Aten Knows: Old Naples Pub closing after 35 years The owners of the popular local hangout at 255 13th Ave. S., off Third Street South near the Naples Pier, have announced their retirement.
NAPLES Man arrested following Naples Manor shooting that injured 3 The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man suspected of shooting three people Sunday in Naples Manor.
Developers of Arches Bayfront push for rezoning Ben Freeland said he will return to Town Council and the Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency with his request to change the land-use designation and with his detailed plans for the project.
FORT MYERS Lee County Sheriff’s Office holds memorial service for deputies The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is set to hold a memorial service to honor the deputies who had died in the line of duty.
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.