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Friday, July 23
Video courtesy of WINK News
NCH REQUIRING COVID-19 VACCINE FOR ALL NEW HIRES
NCH Healthcare System announced Wednesday that all new hires will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 within 30 days of their hire date when the new policy becomes effective Aug. 16. The health system says this policy is similar to its flu vaccination policy, which allows for approved exemptions. NCH says its new policy complies with all federal, state and local rules and regulations and was based on CDC and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recommendations, WINK News reports.
Thursday, July 22
Video courtesy of WINK News
LEE COUNTY MAKING UP FOR TEACHER SHORTAGE WITH TRAINING PROGRAM
Three weeks away from the start of another school year, Lee County still needs about 50 teachers, so the county’s school district is helping people in other professions to become educators. The district is hiring more teachers through Alternative Lee, an alternate program allowing anyone with a degree, no matter what the focus, to become professionally certified as a teacher. Alternative Lee simplifies the process by allowing prospective teachers the chance to meet state requirements through job-embedded tasks designed to support their effectiveness in the classroom. The district offers the program free to qualifying teachers who, in turn, agree to teach in Lee County for three years after graduating. More than 50 teachers have graduated from the program since it launched in 2019, WINK News reports. For school district employment opportunities, click here.
Wednesday, July 21
Video courtesy of WINK News
SWFL BUSINESSES CONTINUE SEARCH FOR MORE EMPLOYEES
Due to short staffing, many who dine out are experiencing longer lines, slower service and lengthy delays, even dealing with longer wait times for food while it’s being prepared. This is what people across Southwest Florida are dealing with as finding employees and retaining them remains difficult. For more than a year, some people have been making $700 to $800 a week from unemployment benefits, so businesses that can’t pay their employees more than that are suffering. Even though unemployment funding from the federal government was withdrawn weeks ago, businesses are still having trouble finding new employees, WINK News reports.
Tuesday, July 20
Video courtesy of WINK News
SWFL BUSINESSES CONTINUE SEEING BOOM DURING SUMMER MONTHS
An unexpected but welcomed spike in business is happening in Southwest Florida during the summer months long after the season ended. Capt. Ryan Riegsecker, the owner of Fin Crazy Charters, is sailing through summer busier than ever. His charter boat business picked up in the spring as usual but, unusually, never slowed down. He’s sailing twice as often as last summer. “It’s been every day non-stop, hardly any days off compared to the regular season,” he says. Kevin Sawyer, general manager of Snook’s Bayside Restaurant & Tiki Bar, agrees. Sawyer said his local restaurant usually closes a few times during the summer because business is so slow but that’s not the case now. Instead, Snook’s is dealing with a staffing challenge. The host and managers are all serving food because they are having a hard time finding help, WINK News reports.
Monday, July 19
NEW OWNERS REBRAND RENOVATED ZOOMERS, REOPEN AS FASTTRAX
The former Zoomers amusement park in Fort Myers Beach reopened Friday as FastTrax under new ownership at 17455 Summerlin Road. The entertainment venue is now owned by Pat Ciniello, who also owns Bowling Management Associates, operator of the HeadPinz and Bowland entertainment centers in Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties. The change in ownership brings a go-kart focus and total renovation to the local attraction. In addition to resurfacing its two go-kart tracks and importing state-of-the-art electric karts from Italy, BMA installed new arcade games, built a full-service Brickyard Bistro, added seven lanes of duck-pin bowling and refurbished all of the midway rides. “After more than a year of renovations and $3.5 million spent, we’re thrilled to open the most unique amusement park in Southwest Florida,” Ciniello says.
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