What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area?Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
SARASOTA Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court A priest accused of sexually abusing four altar boys in Iowa nearly 40 years ago returned to Charlotte County court.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema prepares for opening at Mercato The newest movie theater in Southwest Florida opens April 29, and it does so with an array of entertainment offerings that go beyond the usual options across the region.
Let’s Waffle opens in Cape Coral Let’s Waffle is one of two businesses the Feix family launched locally, with the FMS Florida Boat Tours and Limousine Service owned and operated by Feix’s husband, Alexander.
Planned Punta Gorda hotel, pub, brewery faces construction delay Kevin Doyle, owner of Celtic Ray Public House Irish pub in downtown Punta Gorda, and his partner, S4 Global Investments, were found in violation of the city’s exposed soils code.
Three Sisters Spring Toast the manatee released by FWC, SeaWorld and Casey DeSantis near Crystal River A manatee named Toast was released back into the Florida waters after a final medical evaluation from wildlife officials.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Man arrested and charged with over 90 counts of fraud The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a man for allegedly stealing items from a business and then pawning them.
Man accused of pulling gun on someone ordering at Collier County Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru A man has been arrested after allegedly pulling a gun on someone ordering at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru in Collier County.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
SARASOTA Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court A priest accused of sexually abusing four altar boys in Iowa nearly 40 years ago returned to Charlotte County court.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema prepares for opening at Mercato The newest movie theater in Southwest Florida opens April 29, and it does so with an array of entertainment offerings that go beyond the usual options across the region.
Let’s Waffle opens in Cape Coral Let’s Waffle is one of two businesses the Feix family launched locally, with the FMS Florida Boat Tours and Limousine Service owned and operated by Feix’s husband, Alexander.
Planned Punta Gorda hotel, pub, brewery faces construction delay Kevin Doyle, owner of Celtic Ray Public House Irish pub in downtown Punta Gorda, and his partner, S4 Global Investments, were found in violation of the city’s exposed soils code.
Three Sisters Spring Toast the manatee released by FWC, SeaWorld and Casey DeSantis near Crystal River A manatee named Toast was released back into the Florida waters after a final medical evaluation from wildlife officials.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Man arrested and charged with over 90 counts of fraud The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a man for allegedly stealing items from a business and then pawning them.
Man accused of pulling gun on someone ordering at Collier County Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru A man has been arrested after allegedly pulling a gun on someone ordering at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru in Collier County.
Dr. Drew Ramsey and chef Samantha Elkrief shopping for food for a healthier brain. (Credit: CBS News) For many companies, food plays a big part of workplace culture. Whether it’s free lunches every day, or an occasional perk like pizza or bagels to celebrate an accomplishment or an extra-long meeting with a catered lunch, employers often use free food to reward or motivate their staff. But workplace lunches could look very different when employees return to the office. A packed cafeteria, buffet-style meals in conference rooms or buzzing elevators filled with lunch-goers at noon won’t bode well for social distancing. “You can’t have 40 people in a factory trying to get out the tiny entrance and drive off to Chipotle to wait in line for 30 minutes. That is a very unsafe thing to do,” said Diane Swint, head of marketplace at ezCater, a corporate catering marketplace. “In a high rise, you can’t have folks all try to pile into an elevator.” Real estate and investment management firm, JLL, has seen a bigger focus on safety from its clients. “Health and safety are front and center, and that includes how employees access food,” said Tom Larance, JLL’s head of experience management. “We have had several clients come to us and ask about how we can work with them to safely provide food — whether that means providing lunches for employees so they do not need to venture out of the office, or if they need food and beverage service for small gatherings they are having within the office.” Boxed lunches Before coronavirus, the company review website Glassdoor served employees a daily buffet-style lunch at its headquarters. It also offered snacks and drinks in the communal kitchens across its six offices. But if lunch is provided when employees return to the office it will be different. “[I]t will likely be individually boxed and either distributed by an individual wearing gloves and face covering or will be laid out on tables for employees to queue up and pick up,” wrote Rick Friedman, Glassdoor’s senior director of global real estate and workplace experience, in an email to CNN Business. Snacks could be in prepackaged boxes that are distributed twice a day. Drinks will be limited in the fridge with new safety protocols regarding the use of hand sanitizer and paper towels when opening the refrigerators, he added. “We’ll also have signage that reminds people ‘if you touch it, you take it.'” Along the same lines, community coffee pots are likely to go away. “Some employers are transitioning employees away from a communal coffee pot and are supplying them with discounts or gift cards to local coffee shops or supplying travel mugs to bring in their own,” said Angela Simpson, human resource knowledge advisor at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). She added that cafeterias could shift to offering more pre-packaged meals and brown bag lunches. Convene, a co-working space with 30 locations across the country, used to offer buffets and food stations prepped in its kitchens for meetings and events for its members. Now, it’s serving individually-packaged meals. Before the pandemic, workers were able to order food on Convene’s app and it was delivered directly to their desks or sent to a pickup location. Now, workers get an alert when their food is ready and has been placed in a designated pickup zone on their floor to help minimize contact and exposure. Community breakfasts and lunches are also going to look a little different. Instead of people congregating in a common space to eat, individually-wrapped meals will be at a pickup station to minimize contact. Kitchen staff members also face increased safety measures. They have to change into a company-provided uniform and have their temperature checked before entering the space. They’ve also reduced the number of vendors they work with that provide food and other supplies. “We want to limit the amount of traffic that comes through our doors,” said German Villatoro, director of culinary at Convene. “We are making things in-house as much as possible,” he added. Robots, apps and other alternatives to the cafeteria Some workplaces are turning to robots to provide food safety. California-based Chowbotics, has seen an uptick in demand for its fresh food robot “Sally.” Sally can whip up a variety of cold meals, including salads, grain bowls and yogurt. Before the pandemic, one place Sally was often used was in hospitals after the cafeteria closed. Now, the machine is replacing the salad bar in the cafeteria, according to CEO Rick Wilmer. He said the number of inquiries the company has received about Sally quadrupled in June compared to April and May. EzCater said it has seen a five-fold increase in corporate orders of individually-packaged meals since the end of March. The company recently launched a new app called Relish that allows workers to place food orders from designated restaurants. By ordering in through one source, crowded elevators can be avoided and the number of delivery people coming in is also reduced as individually-packaged meals arrive in a designated space and at a specified time, the company said. Employers who use Relish can choose to set up a subsidy of 0% to 100% of meals. “Right now, the majority of businesses are picking up the tab, but we do know that some of our current customers are going to be shifting off to a lower subsidy come August,” said Swint. Breakfast orders have to be put in the night before and lunch orders have a 10:00 am deadline. Upon delivery, orders are placed at a designated spot like shelves or lockers for contactless pickup. “Companies can stagger lunchtimes in a socially distant way. You can set up two or three lunch hours,” said Swint.