Waste Management drivers plan memorial parade for driver who died from COVID-19 complications

Waste Management of Charlotte County driver, Eric Hollinger, passed away on Aug. 29 from complications with COVID-19. The 14-year veteran driver was well-respected by his peers for his leadership style, friendly smile and distinguished performance record. He also helped improve safety and efficiency processes by assisting with the Waste Management Service Delivery Optimization morning launch protocols in Charlotte County.

On Saturday, Sept. 25, more than a dozen WM of Charlotte County drivers will pay their respects to the Hollinger family with a memorial parade.

Hollinger is survived by his children Brik, Lakin, Jillian and Ashton Hollinger as well as his fiancé, Kimberly Herman. He also leaves behind his parents Chester (Chet) and Margaret (Marge) Hollinger, as well as sister Tanya Hollinger-Izzo.

The memorial parade will take place at 10:30 a.m. at Kid Space Park, 23312 Avacado Ave., Port Charlotte. In addition to the memorial parade, Todd Peres, senior district manager of WM will present Hollinger’s family members with the Mack Dog from his original truck and a keepsake uniform.

To learn more information about Waste Management, visit www.wm.com.

Southwest Florida International Airport reports record passenger count in August

During August, a record-breaking 647,534 passengers traveled through Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. This was an increase of 180 percent compared to August 2020 and 23 percent more than the passenger traffic in August 2019. Year-to-date, passenger traffic is up 66.7 percent compared to last year.

The traffic leader in August was Southwest Airlines with 155,548 total passengers. Rounding out the top five airlines were Delta (129,825), American (113,168), United (98,715) and JetBlue (49,646).

Southwest Florida International Airport had 6,664 aircraft operations, an increase of 57.2 percent compared to August 2020. Page Field saw 8,857 operations, a 13.8 percent decrease compared to August 2020.

Southwest Florida International Airport served nearly 6 million passengers in 2020 and is one of the top 50 U.S. airports for passenger traffic. No ad valorem (property) taxes are used for airport operation or construction. For more information, visit flylcpa.com or facebook.com/flyRSW.

Air Pros USA to award an A/C unit to deserving veteran in Fort Myers

With the approach of Veterans Day, Air Pros Residential and Commercial Air Conditioning Services will honor local men and women who served or are currently serving in the U.S. military. Air Pros USA launched its second annual Veterans Day Giveaway in Fort Myers to share the stories of military heroes and award one Veteran or active-duty service member a free air conditioning unit with installation.

Anyone can nominate a deserving veteran for Air Pros USA Veterans Day Giveaway by filling out a short application at https://airprosusa.com/veterans-day-air-conditioning-giveaway/. The deadline to submit nominations is Monday, Oct. 7. The contest is open to active military, retired service members and veterans who were discharged under general or honorable conditions. All nominees in Florida need to own a home in Fort Myers.

Up to five finalists in Fort Myers will be announced on Air Pros USA’s website where the public can read their stories and vote for a winner from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1, 2021. The winner will be announced by Veterans Day.

For more information and a complete list of official rules for the Veterans Day Giveaway, visit https://airprosusa.com/veterans-day-air-conditioning-giveaway/.

Air Pros USA was founded in South Florida in 2017 on the promise of integrity, reliability and putting our customers first. The company has quickly expanded to many metro areas within Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Colorado, Georgia, Texas and Washington, with more locations expected to be introduced soon. For more information or details on franchise opportunities visit www.airprosusa.com.

FEMA awards $8.9 million for Hurricane Irma recovery in Florida

FEMA has awarded grants totaling $8,912,357 for the State of Florida to reimburse applicants for debris removal, emergency response, repairs and administrative costs following Hurricane Irma in 2017.

The FEMA Public Assistance program grants include:

• Miami-Dade Public Schools: $2,316,803 for removal of more than 12,640 cubic yards of vegetative debris, 80 hazardous leaning trees and 294 hanging limbs from school buildings, fences and playground equipment,

• Miami-Dade Public Schools: $2,121,482 for removal of more than 19,700 cubic yards of vegetative debris, 4,577 hazardous leaning trees and hanging limbs from school buildings, fences and playground equipment,

• Volusia County: $1,559,061 for emergency measures taken to protect life and property, including the cost of emergency pumping for wastewater lift stations, evacuations, medical care and transportation, placement of barricades, safety inspections, security and staffing the emergency operations center.

• Vero Beach: $1,476,514 for repairs to power lines and poles, power generation, transmission and distribution facilities caused by severe flooding and high winds.

• Lee County Electric Cooperative, Inc: $1,438,497 for the administrative costs of tracking and accounting for labor, equipment, materials and other expenses after the storm.

The program provides grants to state, tribal and local governments, and certain types of private nonprofit organizations, including some houses of worship, so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies. The Florida Division of Emergency Management works with FEMA during all phases of the program and conducts final reviews of FEMA-approved projects.

The federal share for Public Assistance projects is not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost. The state determines how the nonfederal share of the cost of a project (up to 25 percent) is split with subrecipients such as local and county governments.

FPRA SWFL Chapter’s October program on public speaking

The Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association’s October program, “Simple Tips to Ace Public Speaking,” will take place virtually Tuesday, Oct. 12, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Lynn Hobeck Bates, APR, CPRC, VP of external relations at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, will serve as the event’s main presenter.

This virtual program will provide attendees the opportunity to touch up on their public speaking and learn effective ways to capture an audience and keep them engaged – even through virtual meetings and presentations. Hobeck Bates will discuss ways to build on and practice speaking skills in order to elevate leadership and improve your ability to successfully communicate.

Pricing for the webinar starts at $5 for students, $15 for members and $20 for future members. To register, please visit www.fpraswfl.org/events, and select “October Seminar.” Registration deadline is Oct. 8.

Established in 1938, FPRA is comprised of 15 professional and 14 student chapters throughout the state, providing professional development, networking and professional recognition opportunities. The Southwest Florida Chapter serves professionals in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. For information, please visit the Southwest Florida Chapter of FPRA website at www.fpraswfl.org.