Lead photo credit: Pexels
JCPENNEY CLOSING 154 STORES NATIONWIDE, INCLUDING TWO IN SWFL
Amid filing for bankruptcy, JCPenney says it plans to permanently close 154 stores of its nationwide locations following a comprehensive review of its retail footprint. Of the nine Florida locations being closed by the department store chain, two JCPenney stores are closing in Lee County. The stores at Gulf Coast Town Center in Fort Myers and Coralwood Center in Cape Coral are closing. Click here for the full list of JCPenney store closings.
LEE HEALTH ANNOUNCES RELAXED VISITATION RESTRICTIONS STARTING TODAY
Starting today, Lee Health is easing visitation restrictions while following strict guidelines that will continue to protect the safety of patients and staff during the coronavirus pandemic. Visitation was suspended in March, with some exceptions for compassionate care, to limit the number of people entering health care facilities in an effort to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. All visitors are required to practice physical distancing, complete a health screening, temperature check, and thoroughly sanitize their hands with alcohol-based gel before visitation. Visitors are also required to bring their own mask or face covering, and wear it all times while in a Lee Health facility. Visitation to any COVID-19 units or patients requiring airborne precautions (in an isolated room because they are potentially infectious) will continue to be restricted to compassionate care. Compassionate care generally refers to end-of-life situations to give family members the opportunity to say goodbye to their loved ones but can cover other areas depending on individual circumstances. Compassionate care visitation is at the discretion of hospital leadership. For more details, click here.
Dr. April Fleming
FLEMING NAMED DEAN OF FSW SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) announces Dr. April Fleming as its new dean of the School of Education. Prior to joining FSW, Fleming was director of education programs at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. She has more than 20 years of leadership experience in higher education, pre-K and K-12 public education, and educational research and policy, as well as extensive teaching experience at the undergraduate level, including both associate and baccalaureate degrees. Fleming earned bachelor’s degrees in biology and chemistry from Dillard University. She earned a master’s degree in early childhood education and a doctorate in education, with a concentration in higher education leadership and a minor in early childhood education, from Nova Southeastern University.
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF LEE COUNTY BEGINS REOPENING NEXT WEEK
Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County plans to reopen at Renaissance Preserve in Lehigh Acres on Monday, June 15. Because of the pandemic, the organization’s four locations temporarily closed more than three months ago. To ensure compliance with CDC guidelines, the Boys & Girls Clubs says it will initially serve no more than 40% capacity at each location,
WINK News reports. Online registration for those sites, along with detailed information, can be found at
loveleekids.org. Pre-registration begins today for current members and children of first responders. Effective Tuesday, registration will be open to the public, on a first-come-first-serve basis. Effective June 15, the Boys & Girls Clubs plans to launch its “Summer Feeding Program” with grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches at Lee County schools. Visit the school district’s website (leeschools.net) for distribution sites.
SUNSPLASH WATER PARK REOPENED SATURDAY AT 50% CAPACITY
Sun Splash Family Waterpark in Cape Coral reopened Saturday at 50% capacity. New social distancing and sanitation measures were put in place, such as more spacing marked by tape at ticket booths, attraction lines and restaurant areas; one-way traffic in the gift shop; sanitation of public life jackets between uses; more frequent checks and cleaning of the restrooms; and, regular public announcements made over the speaker reminding guests about social distancing. Sun Splash will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Aug. 9, then weekends only through Sept. 27. In addition to daily admission, Sun Splash will offer swimming lessons beginning Saturday, June 13, plus Splash Camp and Junior Lifeguard Camp starting next week,
WINK News reports.
CCCR TO CHANGE ITS NAME DURING VIRTUAL LAUNCH PARTY
Collier Child Care Resources (CCCR) will be changing its name on July 1. CCCR’s new name, logo and brand colors will be revealed during a virtual launch party on Facebook Live. The public can attend the Virtual Launch Party by following Collier Child Care Resources at
facebook.com/collierchildcare to watch the Facebook live event at 7 p.m. on July 1. The Virtual Launch Party is hosted by Matt Devitt, WINK News Meteorologist. Other local celebrities will be joining the Facebook Live event to commemorate CCCR’s rebrand and acknowledge CCCR’s contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic. CCCR partnered with the Early Learning Coalition to provide free childcare for first responders and essential health care workers for the next several months. Recently, CCCR began enrolling the children of people returning to work in addition to essential workers. CCCR’s Board of Directors initiated the rebrand last October to better reflect their current mission to break the cycle of poverty for at-risk and underserved children by providing scholarships for high-quality early education and care.
PABST JOINS GATES CONSTRUCTION
GATES Construction has added Karl Pabst as assistant project manager. Pabst will assist in overall project coordination from the pre-construction stage and permitting through to owner occupancy. He has over 20 years of construction experience with a wide variety of project types and holds a bachelor’s degree in construction management. He will be based out of GATES Construction’s headquarters in Bonita Springs.
CHARITABLE NOTES
DLC receives federal grant to implement Medication-Assistance Treatment for opioid use disorder in Collier County jail
David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health (DLC) announced that through the Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR), supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Collier County Community and Human Services received an $84,750 Building Bridges grant to implement a Medication-Assisted Treatment community integration program. Building Bridges grants fund projects that enhance collaboration between jails and community-based treatment providers for opioid use disorder. These grants provide funding to eligible Building Bridges sites to support projects that increase the capacity of local communities to collaborate across the areas of public safety, behavioral health, and public health. Collier County partnered with DLC, in collaboration with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Armor Correctional Health Services, to implement support for Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for inmates in the jail with substance use disorders. For more details, visit
DLCenters.org.
Regular customer gives Naples cafe $40K to stay open
Bill’s Cafe in Naples probably wouldn’t be open now if it weren’t for the generosity of a Naples man, who wishes to remain anonymous. The customer gave local restaurateur Bill Salley about $40,000 throughout the coronavirus pandemic to help him keep the doors open of his eponymous cafe. The generous donation was sort of a pay-it-forward from one of his breakfast regulars. The man also bought 100 sandwiches daily to send to NCH hospital across the street in downtown Naples,
WINK News reports. “As it worked out, it literally saved my cafe,” Salley said.
Storm Smart donates a portion of sales to Harry Chapin Food Bank
Storm Smart, which sells whole-home hurricane protection systems, from June 1-30 is giving back by donating $100 per qualifying purchase to the Harry Chapin Food Bank. As we kick off hurricane season this month, $100 will be donated for every purchase of $2,500 or more to help provide food to those in need in the Southwest Florida Community.
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