KRISTINE GILL

RaceTrac cleared another hurdle with the city of Naples Wednesday when City Council voted 4-3 to approve its site plan for a new gas station on Airport-Pulling Road. The company faces final design approval with the city early next year.

Councilwoman Teresa Heitmann gave a scathing opinion of his work this year, saying Bill Moss is lacking in leadership ability, ethics and transparency. She spent more than 12 minutes at the end of Monday's workshop outlining her concerns about Moss.

Motorists are free to blast Justin Timberlake — or any other music they choose — as loud as they wish, the Florida Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

“In 2008-2009 more than 25 first-floor retail vacancies existed on Fifth Avenue South,” Lise Sundrla wrote in an email. “Not the case today."

Days after dozens of residents attended a workshop explaining the proposed Park Shore tax district, backers of the proposal have withdrawn their request.

Friends Susan Mathews and Jazmin Geeslin sat outside a Fifth Avenue South shop this week surrounded by five children.

“It will continue to be used as a parking lot,” City Manager Bill Moss said. “There was conversation (about selling it in the future), but no one knows for sure what would happen.”

A proposed 84-home development in downtown Naples gained preliminary design approval Wednesday from the city's Design Review Board.

The average income for residents in the Naples and Marco Island metropolitan area was $59,264 last year, earning the region a sixth-place spot in a national ranking of personal income per capita, according to a report by the Bureau of ...

A visit to Naples this month by the Insurance Services Office (ISO), a national organization that rates fire districts on their abilities to fight fires, predicted Naples would drop one point on its 10-point scale.

The city of Naples approved building permits for the downtown restaurant last week. Engineer Mike Trapasso will replace the wooden beams with steel supports to maintain the look.

Last year, city police issued 390 citations per 1,000 residents, according to the report. That is more than triple the average number of citations (122) issued by the other cities.

The city will make an offer to buy the Naples Woman's Club parking lot for $1.53 million.

City officials praise Fleischer for his decision to revamp rather than demolish the building through the concept of adaptive reuse in which owners find modern uses for old buildings while maintaining their historic look.

Southwest Floridians must be happy with their representation in Tallahassee, overwhelmingly supporting veteran legislators in state House and Senate races.

The new building will be an extension of the existing hotel with additional rooms above a first-floor commercial space. Guests can begin booking the new rooms Dec. 20.

"I think a woman would add a completely different perspective and aura on City Council, and positive ones at that,” said candidate Frank Recker.

Some residents and candidates are concerned the negativity is bad for the city’s image and could cause future candidates to rethink running for election.

Council appointed former councilman Johnny Nocera to the Naples Airport Authority for a four-year term beginning next month.

City urged to buy empty lot downtown for prime parking.

Airport noise and the 75,000-pound weight limit for aircraft were among the top concerns discussed by four candidates hoping for a spot on the Naples Airport Authority board.

Mayor John Sorey said the city is challenging the Florida Fire Prevention Code, which went into effect Dec. 31 and dictates water flow requirements to new homes.

“We’re suspending the process until a consensus is reached on airline service to the airport,” JetBlue spokeswoman Allison Steinberg wrote in an email. “A positive reception from the community is a key factor in our evaluation of new cities.”

Naples Municipal Airport officials traveled to New York City and JetBlue headquarters for a meeting Monday.

The country's smallest post office will be painted pink on Monday to raise money and awareness in the fight against breast cancer.

Momentary relief swept over the faces of RaceTrac gas station agents, who received preliminary design approval for a new Naples location.

Naples airport commissioners have learned commercial service through JetBlue is more feasible with a weight waiver to allow for heavier aircraft.

On Tuesday, the trio was among 100 Golden Gate Middle School students who each received two free pairs of glasses — one for home and one for school — through the Florida Vision Quest program

Fire commissioners hope their decision to waive impact fees in the North Naples fire district will encourage businesses to move to the area this year.

Fire commissioners hope their decision to waive impact fees in the North Naples fire district will encourage businesses to move to the area this year.

The program staffed one city firefighter on a county EMS vehicle and one county EMS worker on a city fire truck during each shift. It also certified two city fire apparatuses to provide advanced life support

“We’re building some of the biggest homes in the state of Florida and we have legitimate deficiencies,” Fire Chief Steve McInerny said.

Industry experts said the increase hints at the beginning of an economic recovery for the city. The increase made it possible for the city’s building department to add four positions.

Folks in Goodland grabbed their measuring tapes Monday morning. They wanted to keep track of the rising waters creeping ever closer to their front doors as Tropical Storm Isaac swept through the Gulf of Mexico.

Isaac changed course Sunday, sending fear to the Crescent City and leaving prepared Southwest Floridians waiting and wet.

Hurricane Isaac has made landfall in southeast Louisiana with winds near 80 mph. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm's center reached land at 6:45 p.m. in Plaquemines Parish, about 90 miles southeast of New Orleans.

It was business as usual Friday for local stores and restaurants as Tropical Storm Isaac continues its approach toward Southwest Florida. Some business owners took precautions to secure their buildings

As of Thursday, no changes have been made to class or activity schedules in Lee or Collier public schools because of Tropical Storm Isaac.

Construction to add crosswalks to the Four Corners intersection at the top of Fifth Avenue South should be completed by the summer of 2013, once the project is permitted through the Florida Department of Transportation.

Board President Barbara Puch said she thinks the vandalism was in retaliation for that decision, but said this behavior is the first of its kind in the pleasant, well-manicured community.

Gov. Rick Scott cast one of the first ballots at St. Ann's Jubilee Center in downtown Naples this morning around 7 a.m. with his grandson and daughter in tow.

Renovations to the Inn on Fifth began this week with hopes of finishing in two months. Owner Phil McCabe will match the old building with his new project across the street on Fifth Avenue South.

It will likely be an uphill battle for David Bolduc, 44, a precious metals assets manager who has never held or run for political office, elections experts say.

Campaigning for the Aug. 14 primary has forced some candidates to wake before dawn or use private planes to reach some of the most sprawling districts in the state's senate and house races.

Cirque du Soleil performers seemed calm and at times even bored Wednesday during a practice session at Germain Arena.

“We wanted to be proactive,” Pinter said. “We went out and did an inventory and found we’ve just got a ton of white fly infestation on the island.”

As the economy recovers and fear of flight subsides, local agents are noticing more vacationers turning to them for their expertise, having grown tired of using their own time to scour sites for the best, legitamate deals.

Cliff Morine agreed to the settlement this week, two years after he claimed former Marco Police Chief Tom Carr fired him in retaliation.

When news of the lost kitty spread through social media this week, local animal lovers rallied to find Sam before an alligator or some other hungry critter did.

Naples lost its Main Street designation in 2009, and the program’s coordinator, Joan Jefferson, said the sign must be removed. “Now that I know, I’ll e-mail them or send them a letter and ask them to take it down," Jefferson ...