Lead Photo: Terence M. Igo, CEO and S. Albert D. Hanser, founder and chairman of The Sanibel Captiva Trust Co. Details below.

FLORIDA WITHDRAWING FROM FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT PROGRAM ON JUNE 26

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity announced Monday that the state will end its participation in the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, the $300 per week supplemental FPUC payment. It will be effective June 26 as part of DEO’s “Return to Work” initiative, which means beginning June 27, eligible Reemployment Assistance claimants will no longer receive the supplemental $300 weekly FPUC payment. DEO cited April’s labor statistics which show total private-sector employment increased by 18,800 jobs and more than 460,000 online job postings available throughout the state. The federal benefit programs are set to expire Sept. 6, WINK News reports.

COLLIER COMMISSIONERS VOTE TODAY ON PROPOSED LONGWATER AND BELLMAR VILLAGES

Collier County commissioners will vote today on resolutions regarding two proposed villages in the undeveloped area between Golden Gate Estates and Ave Maria. One resolution designates nearly 1,000 acres within the Rural Lands Stewardship Area zoning overlay district as a Stewardship Receiving Area to be known as Longwater Village, which will allow the development of up to 2,600 residential units, 65,000 to 80,000 square feet of commercial and office space, and a minimum of 26,000 square feet of civic, governmental and institutional uses. A second resolution designates another nearly 1,000 acres within the Rural Lands Stewardship Area Zoning Overlay District as a Stewardship Receiving Area, to be known as Bellmar Village, which will allow the development of up to 2,750 residential units, 68,750 to 85,000 square feet of commercial development and a minimum of 27,500 square feet of civic, governmental and institutional uses. Longwater is proposed east of Desoto Boulevard, south of Oil Well Road and west of the intersection of Oil Well Grade Road and Oil Well Road. Bellmar is proposed about 4 miles south of Oil Well Road, east of Desoto Boulevard between Fourth Avenue NE and Eighth Avenue SE. The public hearing on the villages begins at 1 p.m.

NCH TO OFFER COVID-19 VACCINE TO AGES 12 AND UP AT NEW VACCINE CLINIC

The NCH COVID Vaccine Clinic is accepting appointments for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for all community members ages 12 years and older at its new vaccine clinic site at the NCH Eagleview Building, 2450 Goodlette Road, Suite 201, in Naples. Individuals 12-18 years of age must be accompanied by a guardian at the time of vaccination. To make an appointment, click here.

 

Video courtesy of WINK News

FIRE DANGER RISK REMAINS VERY HIGH IN SWFL AS TROPICAL SEASON BEGINS

The brush fire danger has been peaking in the high to very high categories across Southwest Florida with fires raging in Golden Gate Estates and Lehigh Acres. Late this week, an increase in humidity and rainfall potential will bring slight relief, but rainfall deficits still remain between 3 and 6 inches. Plus, the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season has begun more than a week early as Ana was already named and has become a post-tropical cyclone in the open ocean. No more advisories will be issued on Ana as it heads away from the United States. The next storm name on the list is Bill, WINK News reports.

FLORIDA GAS PRICES DECLINING AS MEMORIAL DAY NEARS

Florida gas prices are declining as more than 2 million Floridians prepare to travel for Memorial Day, May 31. AAA recently forecast that 1.9 million Floridians will take a road trip of 50 miles or more. It’s unclear exactly what price those travelers will find when they fill up next weekend, AAA states, but Floridians are currently paying an average price of $2.87 per gallon. That’s 2 cents less than a week ago and 4 cents less than the highest price this year. Punta Gorda was listed among the least expensive metro markets in the region for gas, at $2.79 per gallon. Daily gas price averages can be found here. 

LEE COUNTY MPO’S CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO MEET

The Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Citizen Advisory Committee will meet at 3 p.m. on June 3 in room 200 of the Cape Coral Public Works Building. Agenda topics for the meeting include endorsement of the fiscal year 2021/2022 through the fiscal year 2025/2026, Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), review and recommend MPO priorities for multi-modal projects, review and recommend MPO priorities for Highway Safety Program funds, and review and approval of proposed Long Range Transportation Plan amendments. For more information, click here.

BIDS WELCOME ON SWFL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TERMINAL EXPANSION PROJECT 

Manhattan Construction is welcoming trade partners to bid on the Southwest Florida International Airport Terminal Expansion Project. The multi-phased project starts on Oct. 1 with a completion date of Oct. 1, 2024. The project consists of a multi-story expansion of the existing terminal’s north face along its entire length between the current checkpoint queues of concourses B, C and D. It will centrally locate the three existing TSA checkpoints into one, increase post security concessions opportunities and adds spaces on a mezzanine level for an airline lounge. The deadline to submit a bid is 2 p.m. on June 15. Information about the project and bidding process can be found on the Manhattan Construction website. Marc McCance of the Florida Small Business Development Center at Florida Gulf Coast University is available to assist with the bid if requested. 

APEX AWARDS FINALISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED ON JUNE 2

The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Committee will announce the top finalists of its annual APEX Awards during its monthly networking program held from 4-6 p.m. on June 2 at Crowne Plaza Fort Myers at Bell Tower. The APEX Awards recognizes women with outstanding reputations for professionalism, philanthropy and leadership in Southwest Florida. The June networking event will celebrate all 17 nominees and reveal the finalists of this year’s awards program. Tickets to the finalist announcement are $10 for chamber members and $20 for nonmembers. Admission includes a complimentary beverage with light appetizers. Advance registration is encouraged. The Women in Business Committee will recognize the finalists, celebrate all of the nominees and reveal the APEX Award recipient on Aug. 27 at The Westin Resort at Marina Village in Cape Coral. Sanibel Captiva Community Bank presents the event. Tickets are $75. Tables and sponsorships are available.

NAPLES-BASED TAMIAMI ANGEL FUNDS INVESTS IN WELLBOX

Tamiami Angel Funds III and IV invested $950,000 in Wellbox, a health care technology company accelerating the transition to virtual care driven by medical providers who have recently adopted remote management mandates in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with the investment Tamiami Angel Fund III made last year, the combined total investment of $1.575 million makes Wellbox the second largest investment of any single company across the Naples-based Tamiami Angel Funds portfolio. Founded in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2015, Wellbox works predominantly with high-risk populations, including those with chronic conditions, which require high-touch clinical care. Headquartered in Naples, Tamiami Angel Funds consists of four member-managed funds that allow high-net-worth individuals and families to invest in promising early-stage and expansion-stage companies located in the U.S., with a preference for those in the state of Florida. 

SANIBEL CAPTIVA TRUST EXCEEDS $3 BILLION ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT

S. Albert D. Hanser, founder and chairman of The Sanibel Captiva Trust Co., announces the company’s assets under management have surpassed the $3 billion mark. Founded in 2001 on Sanibel Island, the company began with a team of four people and $5 million in capital to establish its standing as a trust company in Florida. Two years ago, the company’s assets under management were at $2.4 billion and today stand at $3.2 billion with 50 employees and more than 400 client relationships. The Sanibel Captiva Trust Co. provides family office and wealth management services, including investment management, trust administration and financial counsel to high-net-worth individuals, families, businesses, foundations and endowments.

Rick Johnson

OUTGOING WGCU GENERAL MANAGER HONORED WITH ENDOWMENT FUND

WGCU announces the establishment of the Rick Johnson Endowment for Innovation and Education at WGCU Public Media, in honor of Rick Johnson, the organization’s outgoing general manager. Johnson’s career in broadcast media spanned 52 years, 12 of them at the helm of WGCU. The Rick Johnson Endowment Fund will pay tribute to Johnson’s professionalism, passion for leading-edge technology, collegiality and commitment to the people who have helped public media to flourish in Southwest Florida, WGCU states. Proceeds from the endowment will support new technology training at WGCU, professional development and educational opportunities for WGCU staff to support continuous improvement, innovation, and efficiency. A gift from Katherine Todd, a friend of Johnson, helped to establish the fund. This perpetual, named fund will be invested and managed by the FGCU Foundation in alignment with their policies and procedures. Additional contributions can be made via check or credit card payable to WGCU or the FGCU Foundation, designated for the Rick Johnson Endowment for Innovation and Education, or online here. 

HOPE HEALTHCARE WORKERS COMPLETE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR DEMENTIA CARE

Hope Healthcare’s nurses, chaplains and social workers have completed Aliviado Dementia Care, a specialized training program created for hospice care teams. Hope’s staff members learned about recognizing different types of dementia in older adults, identifying strategies for treating pain, and tailoring care for people with dementia through an interactive, video-based program. Studying the most up-to-date, evidence-based best practices also helps Hope’s hospice team improve communication with family caregivers, the not-for-profit organization states. Approximately 16% of patients in hospice care have dementia as their primary diagnosis, according to New York University’s Rory Meyers College of Nursing, making it the second most common hospice diagnosis after cancer. Alzheimer’s disease, which is a form of dementia, was the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2019, Hope says.

CHARITABLE NOTES

Madisen\’s Match Founder Duane Chaney with Luke Jensen

Madisen’s Match Week raises nearly $30,000 for Golisano Children’s Hospital

The Madisen’s Match charity tennis event raised nearly $30,000. The funds will support the new neurosurgery program at Golisano Children’s Hospital. Madisen’s Match founder Duane Chaney served as host as he sat down virtually throughout the week with tennis professionals including Mike and Bob Bryan, Murphy and Luke Jensen, Sam Querrey and Tom Gullikson. In addition to the interviews, Madisen’s Match featured an online auction. Madisen’s Match event sponsor First Horizon Bank offered a matching grant of $5,000. The match was secured after the first $5,000 in donations were received early in the week. Since its inception in 2008, Madisen’s Match has raised more than $1.3 million for Barbara’s Friends and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. 

2022 Naples Winter Wine Festival to take place in January

The Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF), announced that the NWWF will return with a live, in-person event on Jan. 27-30, 2022. With the theme “Rise Up – Twenty Twenty Twogether,” the festival will highlight food, wine and auction lots at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples. The NWWF will celebrate its 22nd year, impacting more than 50 nonprofit organizations in the community and providing more than 275,000 children with services to excel. A team of NCEF trustees will lead the next NWWF, including Nena and Bill Beynon, Debbi and Bill Cary, Denise and Brian Cobb, Shirlene Elkins, Valerie Boyd and Jeff Gargiulo, Libby and Rick Germain, Julie and Rob Heidt Jr., Barbie and Paul Hills, Scott Lutgert, and Shirley and Peter Welsh. Since the event’s inception in 2001, the NWWF has raised nearly $220 million for NCEF.

Don’t be the last to know what’s happening in Southwest Florida. Sign up for our free daily newsletter, Gulfshore Business Daily, to stay connected.