Cybersecurity news & to dos

This cybersecurity “To Do” goes out to everyday, accidental procrastinators. Like me, you’re perfectly capable of managing your iPhone settings, but something always comes up to prevent you from finishing routine tasks - like getting TikTok completely off your device for the past 6 months.

Applications like this (even if they sit on personal devices), enable threat actors to infiltrate your corporate network, so the time to act is now.

We are grateful for the explanation provided in the short YouTube video “How to Remove App from App Library” and permanently removed TikTok halfway through the demo.

Why does this matter? You can easily remove an app from your home screen but removing it from your app library is another story. To completely remove an unwanted iPhone app: www.swfloridabusinesstoday.com

• Go to Settings.

• Scroll down and press Screen Time.

• Scroll down and press Content & Privacy Restrictions.

• Click on iTunes & App Store Purchases.

• Enable (Allow) Deleting Apps.

• Then go to your home screen, click on the app you wish to remove, and it’s gone for good.

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Estero High seniors complete personal finance program

Reprinted from Engage Estero e-newsletter.

There were 95 Estero High School Seniors who participated in the eightweek Junior Achievement program on Personal Finance. The content was taught by six Engage Estero volunteers with the support of two high school teachers in four separate class periods, each for eight weeks.

The program included budgeting, credit/debit card usage, debt/loan management, credit scores, insurance, risk management, and investing. Classes had videos, interactive slides, and student discussions. At the start of the 2023 / 2024 school year, high school students must complete a financial literacy course to receive a high school diploma.

The Senate Bill 1054, titled the Dorothy L. Hukill Financial Literacy Act, signed in March of 2022, will require high school students to earn onehalf credit in personal financial literacy and money management, including instruction on types of bank accounts, credit scores, taxes, and managing debt.

Engage Estero (formerly the ECCL) has worked with Junior Achievement and Estero Schools on Personal Finance programs since 2018.

Don’t forget to post your in-person and virtual event on our B2B events calendar at www.swfloridabusinesstoday.com/ calendar

Lee County projects are underway

Recently, Lee County Commissioners approved a contract to build the first section of the four-lane extension of Three Oaks Parkway that will eventually connect to Daniels Parkway. The project also includes a new bridge crossing over the Fiddlesticks canal, two on-road bike lanes, concrete sidewalks, and street lighting. Construction is estimated to begin in June.

The second phase will widen Daniels Parkway to eight lanes from east of Pinto Lane to the I-75 interchange. We expect to start construction in 2025 in coordination with the Florida Department of Transportation’s plans to improve the Daniels Parkway interchange.

Also in the works is a Project Development and Environment Study to assess improvements to the Cape Coral Bridge. The existing westbound and eastbound bridges over the Caloosahatchee River were built in 1964 and 1989, respectively. The study will be focusing on the bridges and roadway approaches from Del Prado Boulevard to McGregor Boulevard. This project is needed to improve roadway capacity and overall traffic operations to reduce traffic congestion, improve safety conditions, and enhance bicycle and pedestrian connections.

I’m happy to report that the redevelopment in North Fort Myers continues to move forward with three exciting projects. The Hancock Bridge Apartments development is planned for the old Hancock Bridge Square Plaza site where Office Depot used to be. The existing buildings and paved areas will be fully demolished in order to construct 320 multi-family residential units within 8 buildings with heights of 3-4 stories. A club-

BY BRIAN HAMMAN Guest Columnist

house and other residential amenities are also proposed, including approximately 5 acres of green space and lakes - twice the amount of open space that exists there today. Also at this location, we recently learned that there is interest to purchase the old supermarket and retrofit the existing space for a high-end gymnasium with a restaurant and other amenities.

Merchants Crossing is also moving forward. That project will include 279 multi-family dwelling units in four 4-story mid-rise buildings which will be connected by pedestrian paths to the collection of stores already on-site. Amenities for new residents include a clubhouse, pool, and public plazas. This mixed-use development with an in-place set of residents to support Planet Fitness, the AMC movie theater, etc. is really a key component of bringing U.S. 41 back.

The third project is the waterfront property owned by the county in Waterway Estates. This property will be leased to Safe Harbor Marinas who in turn will put in about $9 million of capital improvements to return this piece of property to its original use which included a marina with dry storage, boat slips and a waterfront restaurant.

Brian Hamman is chairman of the Lee County Commission. Contact (239) 533-2226 or dist4@leegov.com.

North Port celebrates small businesses

The City of North Port celebrated another successful Quarterly Business Welcome, reinforcing our business-friendly community standing. With a remarkable population increase of 6.6% between July 2021 and July 2022, North Port ranks in the top ten on the U.S. Census Bureau’s list of fastestgrowing large cities, boasting a total population of 85,099.

During January through March 2023, an impressive 84 new businesses opened their doors in the city.

“The rate at which small businesses are sprouting and thriving here is nothing short of phenomenal,” said City Manager Jerome Fletcher. “It’s not just growth, it’s transformative growth – reshaping our economic landscape at a pace that’s been both exciting and inspiring.”

North Port’s commitment to supporting businesses, facilitating growth and nurturing entrepreneurial endeavors has solidified its reputation as an emerging powerhouse in the business world.

He continued, “And the other thing is that term, ‘denied.’ To a lot of small businesses, ‘Mom and Pops,’ that means it’s over. So consider changing the terminology so they understand that it’s not over, that there’s still a chance.

“We’re sitting here nine months after the storm and the SBA business loan approval rates stand at around 18% on the applications submitted right now. But there’s a lot more need out there. So I hope the SBA looks back at this event and says, what can we fix?”

Kem Fleming, SBA Director of Field Operations and Disaster Assistance, responded, “You’re absolutely right, that’s why Executive Director (Isabel) Guzman has changed things and that’s why I’m still here. We just need to figure out how to have the most impact, and that’s why we’re all sitting here today. A lot of people probably got denied simply because they did not do the paperwork. So we have to see how we can fix that moving forward.”

Lee Ford of Southwest Florida Impact Partners, a small-business support organization, shared his thoughts. “We all talk a language of our own in our own worlds,” he said. “But we need to explain the acronyms to applicants; we can’t assume that people know what we’re talking about. It doesn’t work that way. We have to be willing to and understand that we have to break down language so that people can truly understand and comprehend what as possible.”

— Rafaela Monchek, SBA Deputy Associate Administrator for Disaster Assistance

is being communicated.”

After the meeting, Fleming stated, “My biggest takeaway today was validation, that we’re going in the right direction and the attendees also validated that what we thought we weren’t doing so well, we’re going to try to change, that was validated today as well. This meeting will help us as we put together our plan moving forward.”

Monchek added, “There are a lot of resources out there to support disaster survivors and we need to figure out the best way to connect business owners to these resources to help them get through the recovery and get back on their feet as soon as possible.”

She continued, “SBA Administrator Guzman has really gotten us to think differently about how we respond after an event, and thinking about that longer term impact. So we’re excited to be implementing this new approach of being here for the longer term recovery, making sure we provide a much bigger service, through and beyond our disaster recovery services.”

The City’s business-friendly culture has placed North Port in the top 3% nationwide of WalletHub’s 2023 Best Small Sized Cities to Start a Business. As the city continues to flourish, its strategic approach and collaborative efforts aim to ensure North Port’s entrepreneurial community thrives.