MARYANN BATLLE

A taxpayer-funded incentive agreement between Lee County and Bonita-based Source Interlink Companies, Inc., might be modified again to give the company more time to reach its job creation goals.

Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass said Hertz wants to lease and sell cars from its headquarters, too. Is this a deal-breaker?

Hertz's move to Estero will place hundreds of Hertz employees and their families closer to Estero businesses owners who have been waiting for the local economy to stabilize.

As part of the agreement, the company - known as "Project A" in government documents - would commit to employ 700 people at an average wage of $102,000, and it would agree to build and equip a 300,000-square-foot corporate headquarters ...

Lee County commissioners this morning unanimously approved a $4 million incentive award agreement between the county and an unnamed Fortune 500 company that is considering relocating its corporate headquarters to Lee.

An unnamed Fortune 500 company might relocate its corporate headquarters to Lee County, and some hope taxpayer-funded grant money will help close the deal.

There is not enough evidence to say that Jon Price, 59, of North Naples, was at fault for the crash that killed Robin Wallace, 48. But the 18-wheeler he was driving for Oakes Farms, 2205 Davis Blvd., did run her ...

Lazaro Arbos isn’t going to be the next “American Idol,” but he did accomplish a dream: he inspired. The Naples-area resident, who was voted off the show on Thursday night, is being lauded by stuttering community for his bravery.

Long-time judge Randy Jackson seems to think it could be the end for Arbos, the lone man left in the Top 6. "It's a girls' race right now," Jackson said.

“They love me for me,” Lazaro Arbos said last week. Viewers voted the Collier County singer into this week’s “American Idol” Top 3.

“My baby,” she said. “I was liking it. I was loving it. It was crack juice,” singer-judge Nicki Minaj said.

“One thing that I’ve learned: When you come into show business, not everyone is going to love you. Not everyone is going to love every song that you sing. But you can’t let that get to you,” Arbos said.

“I don’t know if you’ve completely redeemed yourself, but this is far better than last week,” Judge Randy Jackson said. The show was Motor City-themed, and eight remaining contestants sang songs that came straight from Detroit.

Seacrest asked Arbos what he thought of the judges’ comments. “They were right for the most part,” he said. “But the lesson that I got from the night is that I have to do the songs that I love.”

Judge Randy Jackson was blunt. “This was your worst performance ever,” Jackson said. “I’m staring to wonder: Where did all the vocals go?”

"American Idol" judges may not have thought Lazaro Arbos shined Wednesday night, but enough viewers thought he did. Arbos' fans flexed their voting muscles and ensured that he would remain in the competition for

The crash knocked out Crystal McClure's teeth, punctured her lungs, fractured her hip socket, crushed her pelvis, ankles and lower extremities, said an attorney representing the family.The crash knocked out Crystal McClure's teeth, punctured her lungs, fractured her hip socket, ...

Collier County resident Lazaro Arbos tried to shine during his "American Idol" live performance Wednesday night, but the judges were underwhelmed.

Lazaro Arbos, 21, a 2009 Gulf Coast High School graduate, is competing for a spot in the Top 10 singers on "American Idol."

Collier resident Lazaro Arbos is one of 10 male contestants who will compete tonight for a chance to become an “Idol” finalist.

Collier County resident Lazaro Arbos will continue singing his way to a possible "American Idol" crown.

“No matter what, she will always be our little girl who sang in her car seat with a hairbrush for a microphone,” Gayle Inge, the late singer’s mother, said during McCready’s funeral in Fort Myers.

Lazaro Arbos’ fans were left wondering for days if their favorite singer would continue on the show when judges revealed a twist last week that left the male singers in “American Idol” limbo.

The 21-year-old, who said he didn't have many friends in high school, has gone from 90 followers on Twitter to more than 13,000 after appearing on the show.

Bedtime Bundles is a sweet name for a serious mission: getting the basics for comfort and health to children in Southwest Florida, wherever they are.

Print journalism will survive, veteran journalist Peter Copeland assured a Naples audience Friday.

Developers are still fleshing out the concept for the 100-acre University Village, FGCU President Wilson Bradshaw said, but they seem to be interested in the amenities and housing university faculty and staff may want.

The community momentum to reopen the Bonita Springs Golf and Country Club impressed city council members enough that they moved Wednesday to create a resolution in honor of local organizers and volunteers.

Sitting on a green plastic lawn chair outside of his apartment and sipping his favorite beer — “because it’s the cheapest” — a man called “Gator” watches as people came and went from the parking lot behind Buffalo Chips.

The sky over B3 Skate Park was inky, but there was no lightning, a sign that the skateboarders were free to keep riding.

Holding a bouquet of pink flowers in his hands, Delric McNeal stood outside the doors of Germain Area on Saturday afternoon. The commencement ceremony drew many people who, like Delric McNeal, were there to watch a loved one transition from ...

The vastness of the universe led astrophysicist Carl Sagan to say, “Somewhere, something incredible is yet to be known.” Kristin Jones, one of Estero High School’s two commencement speakers, shared that quote with her classmates during her speech to illustrate ...

The theme for this year’s event, which was chosen about two months ago, was “A Bridge to the Future,” and the coincidence between it and reality was kismet, according to Marshall Bower, executive director for the Foundation. “Stars aligned and ...

Mamta Trivedi has tried to maintain a sense of kinship between herself and others of her native culture ever since she moved to Naples. Her efforts to maintain ties with her homeland led to the creation of the annual Naples ...

Alan Korest is a fearless globetrotter, a generous philanthropist, and a tireless advocate for social issues. Because of his dedication to empowering others through public service and his quiet, passionate leadership, Korest was named the 2011 Naples Daily News Outstanding ...

Edison State College conferred about 100 diplomas at the ceremony, which was held Wednesday night in the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers.

Nest Fest, an annual concert held by Florida Gulf Coast University, is delivering four energetic alternative acts to its Southwest Florida audience. Taking Back Sunday, 3OH!3, the Maine and Jack’s Mannequin will all be rocking out on the Germain Arena ...

Bush, who was the featured speaker at the inaugural Marco Town Hall Speaker Series event held at the Marco Island Marriot, addressed federal policies and agenda in his 45-minute speech, but later dispelled rumors of a presidential run in two ...

Former United States Senator Rick Santorum admitted he is traveling to early primary states, such as Florida, to gauge if he and his message are a “credible alternative to Barack Obama.”

On Sunday evenings, members of FGCU’s Greek sororities and fraternities gather in separate rooms across the campus to host their respective chapter meetings.

Once just a carnival-esque slice of its surrounding swamp, Everglades Wonder Gardens now sits between urban sprawl and commercial ventures on Old 41 Road between Naples and Bonita Springs. It’s not unusual to hear the sounds of cars zooming on ...

The bill, which would give illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children a chance at legal status if they go to college or join the military, appears doomed in the Senate.

On a Wednesday night, children and adults ride on their skates at a local rink, as the DJ plays the latest pop music. When the last song ends, the lights come on. “We’ve got a derby practice coming up,” the ...

A little before 8 a.m. Monday morning, Phil Woods walked over the Edison Bridge into downtown Fort Myers. The view, he said, was “so pretty.” Phil Woods, 72, of Naples, came to that view on a North-to-South walk that began ...

The singer-songwriter writes music from and for the heart.

When defining his sound, local songwriter and musician Nathan Brooks mixes existing genres to fit his creative credo: “soul rock.” His music is simple, but deliberately so. Brooks’ vocals, melodies and messages merge to create a legato blend of warm ...

To raise funds for the nonprofit organization’s animals, the Calusa Nature Center’s planetarium occasionally switches from projecting the night sky to projecting “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” the racy adult musical starring Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon, on its white ...

Members of Sheffield Crew, a Marco Island-based reggae fusion band, consider themselves a tight-knit group of “little monsters.” At night, they come out to play. On stage, they feed off the crowd’s energy.

When Argentina native Erika Grispino tells people she’s an “American,” she has to add an asterisk at the end of her sentence because of her immigration status. “It feels like I don’t belong here and I don’t belong (in Argentina) ...