FGCU softball senior balances EMT training and Regional playHomes For Our Troops grants veteran new home
PUNTA GORDA The Weather Authority helps you prepare for the hurricane season at the 2024 Charlotte County Hurricane Expo With hurricane season less than two weeks away, it’s important to start preparing.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball senior balances EMT training and Regional play Ahead of NCAA Regional play, FGCU senior outfielder Riley Oakes started EMT training as she works toward being a trauma surgeon.
PUNTA GORDA Homes For Our Troops grants veteran new home Through all the cheers and a community-wide escort, it’s a ‘welcome to your forever home for army sergeant veteran Brandon Rethmel and his family.
ALVA Three dead in triple drowning near the Franklin Lock in Olga The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is responding to a scene of a water rescue where three people were recovered.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Beat the Heat: Stay safe during extreme weather The Weather Authority has issued a heat advisory for portions of South, Southeast, and Southwest Florida from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.
FORT MYERS Leaders discuss possibility of shutting down Caloosahatchee Bridge Should residents endure two years of partial lane closures, or fully shut the Caloosahatchee bridge down for 10 weeks?
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday until 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament The FGCU softball team couldn’t keep up with the No. 4 Florida Gators as the Eagles drop their first Regional game 6-0 to the Gators.
Summer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer The pool is warming up to be the hot spot for kids and families this summer. It’s now also the number one leading cause of drowning deaths for children ages 1-4 in the state.
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over five and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
FORT MYERS FMPD honors 7 officers and 2 K-9s who died in the line of duty dating back to 1930 Nine lives were given, and all nine will remain remembered. A lifetime of gratitude for the fallen officers.
PUNTA GORDA The Weather Authority helps you prepare for the hurricane season at the 2024 Charlotte County Hurricane Expo With hurricane season less than two weeks away, it’s important to start preparing.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball senior balances EMT training and Regional play Ahead of NCAA Regional play, FGCU senior outfielder Riley Oakes started EMT training as she works toward being a trauma surgeon.
PUNTA GORDA Homes For Our Troops grants veteran new home Through all the cheers and a community-wide escort, it’s a ‘welcome to your forever home for army sergeant veteran Brandon Rethmel and his family.
ALVA Three dead in triple drowning near the Franklin Lock in Olga The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is responding to a scene of a water rescue where three people were recovered.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Beat the Heat: Stay safe during extreme weather The Weather Authority has issued a heat advisory for portions of South, Southeast, and Southwest Florida from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.
FORT MYERS Leaders discuss possibility of shutting down Caloosahatchee Bridge Should residents endure two years of partial lane closures, or fully shut the Caloosahatchee bridge down for 10 weeks?
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday until 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament The FGCU softball team couldn’t keep up with the No. 4 Florida Gators as the Eagles drop their first Regional game 6-0 to the Gators.
Summer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer The pool is warming up to be the hot spot for kids and families this summer. It’s now also the number one leading cause of drowning deaths for children ages 1-4 in the state.
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over five and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
FORT MYERS FMPD honors 7 officers and 2 K-9s who died in the line of duty dating back to 1930 Nine lives were given, and all nine will remain remembered. A lifetime of gratitude for the fallen officers.
A new local restaurant that was forced to close a week after it opened in downtown Naples is back in business after being impacted by Hurricane Ian. Smyrna Cafe initially opened Sept. 20, a week before Ian entered the Gulf. The Turkish-Mediterranean bakery and eatery weathered the storm well compared to many businesses in the area, but still incurred damage from the storm surge that pushed saltwater from the Gulf down Fifth Avenue South and into other coastal parts of the region. The restaurant is near the corner of Fifth Avenue South and Park Street, which forms the western border of Cambier Park. The city park and the Old Naples neighborhood experienced extensive flooding from Ian. Salih Acik, the owner and chef of the family operated restaurant, had to replace wood flooring and a couple of refrigeration units but he was able to reopen the revamped cafe four days after the hurricane. Fortunately, Acik also is the manager of Delfin International LLC, an import-export business that specializes in construction and building repairs. Acik recently relocated from Turkey, where he previously had seaside cafes in İzmir, which is on the Aegean Sea in the western part of the transcontinental country. His Naples eatery adds more culinary diversity and ethnicity to the downtown area with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as house-made bakery items, served 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The new restaurant and coffee shop takes its name from the ancient Greek city of Smyrna, the historical name for İzmir, one of the largest cities and ports in Turkey. Smyrna Cafe moved into the small space at 520 Park St. that recently was home to Mitch’s Cookies Dessert Bar & Soda Fountain and previously Adelheidi’s Gelato. Mitch’s Cookies is relocating a short distance away to the center of the new Hoffmann Experience store opening on Fifth Avenue. The Mediterranean Breakfast is Smyrna’s showstopping platter with cheeses, olives, boiled eggs, salami, jams, peanut butter, honey, cucumber, tomatoes and Borek, a Balkan flaky pastry pie made with phyllo dough, seasoned ground beef, spinach and feta cheese. Borek also can be ordered a la carte as well as menu items such as gozleme, a grilled Turkish turnover pastry stuffed with cheese, spinach, or potato mash; and lahmacun, a Middle Eastern flatbread topped with minced meat. “It’s kind of like a pizza but the Turkish way,” Acik said. “One of the best things we have is a shredded chicken breast—we call it a Russian salad—which has mayo, beans, potatoes. We are serving this as a sandwich, or we can put it on a salad as well.” The menu features a variety of sandwiches, salads, and sweet offerings such as walnut or pistachio baklava and waffles topped with fresh fruit such as strawberries, banana or kiwi. Beverages include Turkish and Greek coffees, espresso, frappe and teas as well as house-made organic lemonades, smoothies, milkshakes, beer, and wine. The restaurant has a small amount of seating inside as well as streetside in front of the business.