West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of responseCollier County nearly doubles tourism budget
FORT MYERS West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response A nearly $64 million luxury apartment complex that close to 500 people call home, but somehow, security seems to fall through the cracks.
NAPLES Collier County nearly doubles tourism budget On Tuesday, Collier County Commissioners approved a nearly $12 million budget for a tourism marketing campaign.
Florida policyholders urged to contact OIR if policies are canceled or nonrenewed If your insurance has been canceled or is not being renewed due to this year’s storms, the state of Florida wants you to reach out to the Office of Insurance Regulation.
BAREFOOT BEACH Woman thinks QR code got hacked A Fort Myers woman says a fraudulent QR code at Barefoot Beach caused her credit card to be hacked. She’s on a mission to warn others.
CAPE CORAL Sticker shock: Cape Coral residents hit with unexpected property tax hikes This is the time of year when people start paying their property taxes, but what happens when you get your bill and it’s more than you expected?
SANIBEL Sanibel workshop teaches residents benefits of elevating homes and businesses With each hurricane that brings damage to our area, many people rush to be more resilient. On Sanibel, more than 300 people have RSVP’d to learn about raising their homes and businesses.
SANIBEL Sanibel Causeway construction causing confusion and costing local business Repairing the Sanibel Causeway after recent storms has caused more than just traffic back-ups.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Speakeasy in downtown Fort Myers honors local historic figures Everything inside the Escondido Lounge whispers an authentic speakeasy, from the dim red lights to the fancy vintage glasses.
ESTERO Caught on camera: Man steals money from tip jar in Estero A business manager feels violated after a man took money from a tip jar on Tuesday.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral ranked 13th for establishing small businesses A blog set out to find the top U.S. cities where aspiring business owners can thrive in 2024, Cape Coral was named 13th.
NAPLES Minimally invasive balloon procedure for sinus issues Battling a sinus infection is bad enough, but contending with chronic sinus infections can be a real problem.
Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 13, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 13, 2024.
ESTERO Car crashes into restaurant window in Gulf Coast Town Center Authorities are investigating after an SUV crashed into a restaurant at the Gulf Coast Town Center in Estero.
WEST PALM BEACH Trump picks Sen. Marco Rubio as his Secretary of State President-elect Donald Trump named Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his nominee for secretary of state on Wednesday.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres man arrested in connection to cockfighting A Lehigh Acres man has been arrested after deputies found he was running a cockfighting ring near his home.
FORT MYERS West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response A nearly $64 million luxury apartment complex that close to 500 people call home, but somehow, security seems to fall through the cracks.
NAPLES Collier County nearly doubles tourism budget On Tuesday, Collier County Commissioners approved a nearly $12 million budget for a tourism marketing campaign.
Florida policyholders urged to contact OIR if policies are canceled or nonrenewed If your insurance has been canceled or is not being renewed due to this year’s storms, the state of Florida wants you to reach out to the Office of Insurance Regulation.
BAREFOOT BEACH Woman thinks QR code got hacked A Fort Myers woman says a fraudulent QR code at Barefoot Beach caused her credit card to be hacked. She’s on a mission to warn others.
CAPE CORAL Sticker shock: Cape Coral residents hit with unexpected property tax hikes This is the time of year when people start paying their property taxes, but what happens when you get your bill and it’s more than you expected?
SANIBEL Sanibel workshop teaches residents benefits of elevating homes and businesses With each hurricane that brings damage to our area, many people rush to be more resilient. On Sanibel, more than 300 people have RSVP’d to learn about raising their homes and businesses.
SANIBEL Sanibel Causeway construction causing confusion and costing local business Repairing the Sanibel Causeway after recent storms has caused more than just traffic back-ups.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Speakeasy in downtown Fort Myers honors local historic figures Everything inside the Escondido Lounge whispers an authentic speakeasy, from the dim red lights to the fancy vintage glasses.
ESTERO Caught on camera: Man steals money from tip jar in Estero A business manager feels violated after a man took money from a tip jar on Tuesday.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral ranked 13th for establishing small businesses A blog set out to find the top U.S. cities where aspiring business owners can thrive in 2024, Cape Coral was named 13th.
NAPLES Minimally invasive balloon procedure for sinus issues Battling a sinus infection is bad enough, but contending with chronic sinus infections can be a real problem.
Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 13, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 13, 2024.
ESTERO Car crashes into restaurant window in Gulf Coast Town Center Authorities are investigating after an SUV crashed into a restaurant at the Gulf Coast Town Center in Estero.
WEST PALM BEACH Trump picks Sen. Marco Rubio as his Secretary of State President-elect Donald Trump named Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his nominee for secretary of state on Wednesday.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres man arrested in connection to cockfighting A Lehigh Acres man has been arrested after deputies found he was running a cockfighting ring near his home.
Christopher Davis’ mugshot. Credit: The Lee County Sheriff’s Office Christopher Davis, who stands accused of killing his boyfriend Barry Schmalbach, is now in the Lee County Jail. The news of his extradition Thursday comes almost exactly five months since Cape Coral Police charged Davis with Schmalbach’s murder and issued an arrest warrant. Davis appeared in court at 10 a.m. on to be formally charged. A bond hearing was pushed until Friday. Davis did speak in court, saying, “I haven’t been able to go to the bathroom for hours this morning, stuck inside a shower.” Davis tried to plead with the judge about conditions he claimed he was dealing with while being held in detention. He said he was in fear for his life, held under psychiatric care and suicide watch. The judge told Davis he couldn’t help with any of that and all he was there to do was postpone the first appearance for 24 hours, which the judge did. Davis had been sitting in a South Carolina jail for unrelated charges; however, he has been made the prime suspect in the 2023 missing Schmalbach case. Schmalbach’s body has not yet been located by detectives and forensics. Davis was booked into the Lee County Jail at around 1:45 a.m. on Thursday and now faces around 18 charges, including murder, tampering with evidence and fraud. RELATED: From suspicious behavior to murder charges: A Timeline of Barry Schmalbach’s disappearance The Cape Coral Police Department claims that they have collected an enormous amount of evidence linking Davis to the murder of Schmalbach, stating that his involvement in the case stems back to January. “Detectives and forensics personnel have been investigating, collecting a massive amount of physical evidence, obtaining witness statements, collecting and examining digital forensic evidence and working with the prosecutors from the State Attorney’s Office all along the way,” said Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore. Tom Wilson a friend of Schmalbach spoke to WINK News last year soon after his disappearance, and suspected Davis was somehow behind his friend’s disappearance. “On Saturday morning, Christopher was texting [a friend], sharing screenshots of supposed conversations between he and Barry,” said Wilson. “At that moment, we know something was wrong because the comments were not Barry … nothing that Barry would say.” Police have also stated that Davis has not been cooperative with detectives. According to the CCPD, Davis reportedly last saw Schmalbach on July 19 in the vicinity of Beach Parkway in Cape Coral, where the couple shared an apartment. The bond hearing has been rescheduled for Friday.