Chokoloskee, FL

Talk about a whale of a tale! A Maine man on vacation catches a prehistoric fish off the coast of Florida!. Michael Treworgy was on vacation in the Sunshine State when he and his father went fishing for tarpon off Marco Island. Initially things weren’t going well. “The day started off really bad,” Treworgy explained. “Every bait we put in the water, we couldn’t even get into position before losing it to small sharpnose sharks.”

MAINE, USA — A Hampden man’s fishing trip off the coast of Florida turned up quite the catch during a vacation in May. Michael Treworgy and his father were fishing for tarpon near Marco Island, Florida. "The day started off really bad," Treworgy explained. "Every bait we put...

1. Florida joins feds to target illegal caller ID spoofing and robocalls. Sick of spam calls? So are state leaders. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody last week announced a new investigative partnership against illegal caller ID spoofing and robocalls with the Federal Communications Commission. The partnership, Moody explained, will allow...

Eighteen pre-kindergarten students, draped in caps and gowns, graduated from the YMCA of Collier County’s “Early Learning” program on Marco Island. Smiling faces from over 100 proud parents, relatives, friends and guests provided excitement to the ceremony and support for the children, inside of the Y’s Youth Development Center.

It has been eight years since Marco Island Foundation for the Arts (MIFA) has been recognizing an “Artist of the Year,” an individual or group who has been making outstanding artistic contributions to our community. Individuals from the local community are asked to submit nominations each spring. This...

The Rotary Club of Marco Island Sunrise has a long working relationship with Marco Island Academy. The club sponsors the Interact Club at the high school and has done so almost since the school was chartered. The Club’s faculty sponsor is principal Melissa Scott. Interact Club members joined Sunrise...

Isles of Capri residents remain steadfast in opposing a proposal to rezone commercial parcels for mixed-use development that would open the door for residential condominiums—specifically, three luxury high-rise towers up to 168 feet tall—to be built on a tiny island just north of Marco Island. A succession of...

The Lykos Group has announced construction is progressing for its two-story, 7,235 total square foot spec home located at 617 Crescent St. The coastal contemporary residence is an open great room floor plan with a den, living room and family room open to the kitchen. The home is designed by South Florida Architecture...

Our next dining destination is also a delicious diversion from our typical stops, the Tropical Smoothie Café located on Marco Island. Feeling low energy or vitamin deficient? Start with a smoothie. I selected the “Acai Berry Boost” ($6.99, 470 calories). It’s a blend of acai, pomegranate, banana, blueberries and strawberries. Oh, and it’s delicious.

Donald Anthony Camplese of Bloomsburg, PA and Marco Island, FL passed peacefully on April 16, 2022. He was born on March 29, 1934 to Anthony Camplese and Madeline (Fratis) Camplese in Wheeling, West Virginia. He embodied the American dream as a first generation American, his father immigrating to the United States from Italy and his mother immigrating from Portugal in the early 1900s.

OCHOPEE, Fla. – Python hunting is not just for men. Back in March of 2017, the South Florida Water Management District started a python elimination program. Initially, there were only 25 people signed up to participate and among them, was Donna Kalil. “The first 25 that were hired on…there...

Callie Ruth Anderson, 97 years old, a long time Marco Island resident with her husband, Captain Ray Anderson, passed peacefully from this world with many family members by her side on December 15, 2021 in Maryville, Tennessee. Callie was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, lived for many years in Miami where she and Captain Ray raised their children and moved permanently to Marco Island in 1981. Previously they spent many weekends at their Mariner condominium and the South Seas North before building their home on Bimini Avenue. There they enjoyed many family gatherings and pontoon boat trips from their dock out to the Marco River. Callie became an accomplished stained glass and porcelain dolls artist, many items of which members of her family enjoy today. She and Captain Ray truly enjoyed living on Marco and their many "tennis player" friends. They saw many changes to the Island since first visiting the Marco Island Hotel and Villas in the late 1960s.

Members celebrated May’s luncheon in full Derby style! Ladies showed off their hats in honor of the Kentucky Derby. Members had fun displaying their personal style and creativity in all the hats. The favorite hat went to Lori Donatelli with roses flowing down her back. Our guest speaker during...

I’ll admit it, these past eight months took the starch outta me. It began the day after Halloween for my staff and me. We rode the crazy train through the holidays and even after January 1st, I felt like I was in the batting cage from Hades and the fast balls were coming all at once from every direction. (All you longtime residents…remember when January was a “Quiet Month”?) Call it wishful thinking, I figured the crazy train would finally make a stop in the month of May but no it raced right past… “Next stop Paradise Station, Marco Island.”

Thanks to May’s beach cleanup sponsor – the Marco Island Area Association of Realtors, representing over 500 local real estate professionals that know and love Marco Island. Another big thanks to the students from Marco Island Academy’s Key Club, families, friends and visitors who just love to come...

Work continues to progress nicely on the construction of the new Fire Headquarters at the corner of Bald Eagle Drive and San Marco Road. The construction is proceeding at the same time, and at the same intersection, as storm water drainage improvements. Since the early ‘90s when the present-day structure...

Marco Island property owners are missing out on a significant jump in their property values that is now suppressed by the polluted waters around the island. A study completed by the Florida Realtors Association showed how property values in Lee County and Martin County increased with clear water next to their waterfront homes. The report is titled, “The Impact of Water Quality on Florida’s Home Values, March 2015.”

Monday, June 1 is the beginning of the summertime fertilizer blackout. Per Marco’s Fertilizer Ordinance No. 16-02, during this period (June 1 – September 30), you cannot apply any fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus to your lawn. This ban also coincides with Florida’s rainy season, when rain is...