District eyes options for high school graduations
By MEGHAN BRADBURY - | Feb 3, 2021
The Lee County School District is looking at options for graduation this year, including the possibility of stadium graduations at individual high schools as a second plan.
Superintendent Dr. Greg Adkins said Florida Southwestern State College has committed to graduation and they are still working on Florida Gulf Coast University.
The school board unanimously approved Friday, June 4, Saturday, June 5, and Sunday, June 6, as the recommended graduation dates during its meeting Tuesday. When the facilities have been secured, a final schedule will be determined for individual schools.
As a backup plan, graduations will be held at high school stadiums, like they once were years ago, Adkins said. Graduation would have to be held earlier in the day because of summer Florida weather.
Detecting new coronavirus strains
Published: February 3, 2021 8:53 AM EST
In addition to a flu shot each year, we are all likely going to need COVID-19 booster shots, because (like all viruses) the novel coronavirus that causes the disease keeps mutating.
Strains from the U.K. and South Africa are already here and scientists are struggling to keep up. There are currently three known mutations: U.K., South African and Brazilian.
Robert Hawkes, program director of Florida Gulf Coast University’s physician assistant program, says these new variants won’t be detected as they emerge with the rapid COVID-19 test; the more in-depth PCR test will detect it. Health experts call it the gold standard because it’s the most accurate.
Lee Schools looking at options for high school graduations
By MEGHAN BRADBURY - | Feb 3, 2021
The Lee County School District is looking at options for graduation this year, including the possibility of stadium graduations at individual high schools as a second plan.
Superintendent Dr. Greg Adkins said Florida Southwestern State College has committed to graduation and they are still working on Florida Gulf Coast University.
The school board unanimously approved Friday, June 4, Saturday, June 5, and Sunday, June 6, as the recommended graduation dates during its meeting Tuesday. When the facilities have been secured, a final schedule will be determined for individual schools.
Five teachers at Lehigh schools recognized as Golden Apple finalists
By MEGHAN BRADBURY - | Feb 3, 2021
Five teachers from Lehigh Acres, from among 30 teachers district-wide, were recognized for the Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Program Finalist, now in its 34th year.
The finalists were personally interviewed and observed in their classroom by the Golden Apple selection committee. Thirty teachers were surprised in their classroom on Jan. 22 when they found out they were among the finalists. Six teachers then will selected as the Golden Apple Award Recipients, who are honored during the Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Banquet, an event to be held at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center & Amphitheater on Friday, April 16.
Naples Daily News
Fresh research out of Florida Gulf Coast University aims to better understand how young blacktip sharks are exposed to mercury along Southwest Florida’s coast.
Two complementary studies looked at about 60 immature blacktips around Charlotte Harbor to try to understand how mercury is passed to young blacktips and if it causes any negative effects.
“Sharks have a very unique, diverse reproduction strategy,” said Darren Rumbold, one of the study authors and an FGCU professor. “Some produce eggs and some produce a combination of eggs that hatch in the uterus.”
Blacktip shark populations in the Gulf of Mexico remain above target levels, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but FGCU’s research could be used as a model for species with similar reproductive strategies.