FORT MYERS BEACH Little League is back on Fort Myers Beach The crack of the bat is something these little league players never thought they’d get to see again here on Fort Myers Beach.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Aunt and father of Christopher Horne Jr. released from jail The aunt and father of Christopher Horne Jr. have been released Saturday afternoon.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Salad Knife, Fish, and Shooting Update This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a knife-wielding customer, a fish named ‘Bean,’ and an update on a double shooting.
The Weather Authority National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Take action today For Hurricane Preparedness Week, we are recapping the importance of taking action to be better prepared for when a storm develops.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Warm weekend but lower humidity briefly in the forecast The Weather Authority Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler said to expect a warm weekend, but there is a present for Mom on Sunday – lower humidity.
CAPE CORAL 3 family members of teen accused in murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller arrested New details have emerged surrounding the arrest of a woman whose 16-year-old son is accused of being involved in the murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller, and now her husband and sister are also in jail.
FORT MYERS Death investigation in Fort Myers after body is found in truck bed Fort Myers Police confirm that there is a death investigation at the corner of Market Street and brown street.
NAPLES Naples ‘celebrity bartender’ stirring up new cocktails at LoLa 41 Michael Slabach often researches ideas, finding a new balance of layers, color, texture and selective glassware to turn his drinks into art.
FORT MYERS New affordable housing program in Fort Myers begins Affordable housing is a rare sighting these days, but one city is making it a priority.
NAPLES ‘Live simply and never give up’ – Motto for Naples couple needing a helping hand A husband wants nothing more than to share the world with his wife while she is suffering from an illness determined to keep them separated.
NAPLES Music teacher dilemma at Gulf Coast High School leaves students anxious Parents are outraged, and students are unsure what the future holds after one of their two beloved music teachers was told they will have to transfer.
FORT MYERS Mom celebrates first Mother’s Day with cancer-free daughter We have one of the best weekends ahead, a time to celebrate mothers everywhere, and as any mother knows, celebrating with your family matters most.
Glades County Should commissioners have to live in the District they represent? WINK Investigates why one commissioner doesn’t The Glades District 1 Commissioner was elected while living in that district. He has since moved. What does that mean for his position?
FORT MYERS Boats stuck since Hurricane Ian being removed from Centennial Park area Boats that have been stuck since Hurricane Ian are in the process of being removed from a messy yard next to Centennial Park and Joe’s Crab Shack.
CAPE CORAL Man accused of waving knife at Metro PCS workers in Cape Coral Two women try to help a customer and end up fearing for their lives. One man started waving a seven-inch knife in the faces of two Metro PCS workers.
FORT MYERS BEACH Little League is back on Fort Myers Beach The crack of the bat is something these little league players never thought they’d get to see again here on Fort Myers Beach.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Aunt and father of Christopher Horne Jr. released from jail The aunt and father of Christopher Horne Jr. have been released Saturday afternoon.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Salad Knife, Fish, and Shooting Update This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a knife-wielding customer, a fish named ‘Bean,’ and an update on a double shooting.
The Weather Authority National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Take action today For Hurricane Preparedness Week, we are recapping the importance of taking action to be better prepared for when a storm develops.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Warm weekend but lower humidity briefly in the forecast The Weather Authority Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler said to expect a warm weekend, but there is a present for Mom on Sunday – lower humidity.
CAPE CORAL 3 family members of teen accused in murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller arrested New details have emerged surrounding the arrest of a woman whose 16-year-old son is accused of being involved in the murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller, and now her husband and sister are also in jail.
FORT MYERS Death investigation in Fort Myers after body is found in truck bed Fort Myers Police confirm that there is a death investigation at the corner of Market Street and brown street.
NAPLES Naples ‘celebrity bartender’ stirring up new cocktails at LoLa 41 Michael Slabach often researches ideas, finding a new balance of layers, color, texture and selective glassware to turn his drinks into art.
FORT MYERS New affordable housing program in Fort Myers begins Affordable housing is a rare sighting these days, but one city is making it a priority.
NAPLES ‘Live simply and never give up’ – Motto for Naples couple needing a helping hand A husband wants nothing more than to share the world with his wife while she is suffering from an illness determined to keep them separated.
NAPLES Music teacher dilemma at Gulf Coast High School leaves students anxious Parents are outraged, and students are unsure what the future holds after one of their two beloved music teachers was told they will have to transfer.
FORT MYERS Mom celebrates first Mother’s Day with cancer-free daughter We have one of the best weekends ahead, a time to celebrate mothers everywhere, and as any mother knows, celebrating with your family matters most.
Glades County Should commissioners have to live in the District they represent? WINK Investigates why one commissioner doesn’t The Glades District 1 Commissioner was elected while living in that district. He has since moved. What does that mean for his position?
FORT MYERS Boats stuck since Hurricane Ian being removed from Centennial Park area Boats that have been stuck since Hurricane Ian are in the process of being removed from a messy yard next to Centennial Park and Joe’s Crab Shack.
CAPE CORAL Man accused of waving knife at Metro PCS workers in Cape Coral Two women try to help a customer and end up fearing for their lives. One man started waving a seven-inch knife in the faces of two Metro PCS workers.
The projected sale this month of what used to be the late Billy Fuccillo’s Kia dealerships in Cape Coral and Port Charlotte have fallen through. LMP Automotive, which is selling a portfolio of six dealerships, still owns what are now called Kia of Cape Coral and Kia of Port Charlotte. LMP Automotive and the two dealership general managers could not be reached for comment. The other four dealerships that were going to be part of the deal are in West Virginia. Ali Ahmed, owner of Miami Lakes Automall and Cape Coral Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, confirmed via email his company is no longer under contract to buy the dealerships. Fuccillo Kia in Cape Coral, for about a five-year stretch, was considered the No. 1 Kia dealership in the world for sales volume. Ahmed declined to comment as to why he’s no longer buying it. After Fuccillo died in June 2021, his company sold his dealerships in Cape Coral and Port Charlotte for a combined $36 million to LMP Automotive Holdings. That company announced this summer it would be liquidating between $115 million and $126 million to its shareholders. LMP Cape Coral KOCC LLC paid $13.1 million for the legacy Fuccillo property at 404 NE Pine Island Road in March 2021, property records show. The fact that the sale of the dealerships fell through surprised Courtney Bernhard, a Tampa-based broker with Performance Brokerage Services. She specializes in corporate purchases or sales of car dealerships. She had no insider knowledge of the Cape Coral Kia deal, but she said it’s not typical for contracts to fall through at the last minute like this. “The market has been very strong for automotive,” Bernhard said. “There aren’t a lot of sellers raising their hands. The margins and the profits, even with reduced inventory, have been strong. Going into the pandemic, and coming out of the pandemic, these dealers are making really good money. They’re just not really interested in selling unless there’s a really strong buyer with deep pockets, and they know they’re going to be approved by the manufacturer.” The turnaround time from marketing the sale of a car dealership to closing the deal typically takes months, she said, meaning the Cape Coral and Port Charlotte dealerships could be in limbo for a while. “Even if you have all your ducks in a row, you can be looking at a minimum of six months,” Bernhard said. “Part of that is just the normal process. Going through the application and getting the approval. A lot of it is just normal stuff. And you have to account for normal.” The price of a dealership always depends on the location and the number of vehicles on hand that would be included in the transaction. “What it comes down to is, what’s a seller willing to sell it for, and what’s a buyer willing to pay?” she said. “A lot of it is based on the franchise and the location. What’s the desire of the buyer to have that franchise in their portfolio? A buyer always tends to think they can come in and do better. They could be willing to pay more to get a return on their investment.” Bernhard said she did not think the recent impacts of Hurricane Ian would play much of a factor in finding a new buyer for the Cape Coral Kia dealership, not with the amount of Kias in the area that need servicing and the regional popularity of the brand established by Fuccillo. “Florida’s hot. Everybody wants to come down to Florida,” Bernhard said, despite the hurricane risk. “When you come down here, you know that. In Florida, part of the beauty of this state is we all run the risk of dealing with Mother Nature. “We’re based out of Tampa. We thought it was coming here, and we evacuated. And then down south just got destroyed. Which was heartbreaking because we didn’t want to see anybody suffer. But this hasn’t deterred anyone from moving here.” Because of the growth, she was confident LMP Automotive would find a new buyer soon. “It doesn’t happen very often in today’s market, because the market’s just hot,” she said of deals falling through. “But it does happen. It’s not fun when it does. It’s not fun for either side, because a lot of expenses have gone into it.” For more news on the Southwest Florida business community’s recovery from Hurricane Ian visit gulfshorebusiness.com