Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoonStudents react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking cold morning conditions before temperatures warm up to the low 70s this Thursday.
Students react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking cold morning conditions before temperatures warm up to the low 70s this Thursday.
Students react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Restaurants like Brooks Burgers in Naples and hotels are having trouble filling open positions. (Credit: WINK News) Some Southwest Florida businesses are struggling to keep their doors open for normal operation because they say they can’t find people to staff restaurants and hotels. The pandemic has made hiring nearly impossible. We’ve seen job fairs where fewer than five people have shown up. “We can’t get cooks, we can’t get servers, we can’t get managers,” said Todd Brooks, manager of Brooks Burgers in Naples. Florida is fully open for business, but restaurants and hotels are still struggling. “Now you have all those restrictions lifted, yet you still can’t go full throttle because now you don’t have the staff to take care of the guests,” said Martin Diehr, director of food and beverage at LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort in Naples. “It’s been impossible to get employees,” Brooks said. “We can’t even get people to come in for interviews.” He said with such little staff, they’ve been forced to make changes. “We are paying more than we used to pay. We will be adding insurance to try to make some new incentives for the company.” And they’re cutting back hours due to overworked employees. “We’ve closed two of the locations on Sundays because we have to give them the day off, at least one day, right.” LaPlaya is feeling the crunch, too. “It looks like we are 25% busier in Naples with 25% less staff,” Diehr said. “We have to reduce the amount of guests that we can take care of in the restaurant by taking fewer reservations.” The hardest position for these businesses to fill? “It’s always harder to find cooks,” Brooks said. In Collier County, cooks are the second-highest concentration of jobs in the country, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “They just cannot get help,” said Dawn Lyon with Coastal Staffing Services. She said she can pinpoint why this is happening. “The stimulus, extra unemployment benefits are making a difference,” Lyon said. “If it’s not going to pay the unemployment along with the stimulus amount of money, they are going to stay home.” So, until things change, restaurants and hotels hope they can make it through. “It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better,” Brooks said. The added federal pandemic pay is $300 a week – at least until June 26. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity on Monday announced it’s withdrawing from the federal program, so beginning June 27, people will lose that extra $300. The DEO cited the more than 460,000 online job postings as a reason for ending the benefit. Employment agencies in Naples say the construction business comes to a close second when it comes to staffing issues.