News Briefs

Free autism screening for young children

Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, in partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Florida, offers a free monthly autism spectrum disorder screening for toddlers 18 months to 5 years of age. The next screening will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, May 17, at the Pediatric Specialist Office, 15901 Bass Road, Suite 102, Fort Myers.

It is estimated that one in every 44 children is diagnosed with some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder, making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined. Medical consultants for the project stress that an early diagnosis can make a vast difference for toddlers and their families.

The ASD screening is conducted by the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. The screenings are administered by an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, who has extensive training and experience in typical child development and developmental disorders.

A physician referral is not required. To schedule a screening, call 239-343-6838.

Donated not Wasted results in donation of 7,623 pounds of food

Donated not Wasted, Lee County’s seventh annual food rescue campaign, successfully diverted 7,623 pounds of food from potential disposal, exceeding 2023 collection total of 5,746 pounds by 32.66%.

This annual effort, in partnership with Harry Chapin Food Bank, encourages seasonal residents to donate unopened pantry items to divert as much food as possible from final disposal and the effort exceeded last year’s collection by almost a ton. Doug Whitehead, director of Lee County Solid Waste, said the food provided more than 6,300 meals.

Partners in the Donated not Wasted campaign included:

• Harry Chapin Food Bank

• Lee County Government – Lee County Solid Waste, Lee County Parks & Recreation and the Lee County Library System

• Waste Pro

Since the program’s inception, more than 33,008 pounds of food has been diverted from potential disposal and sent to the Harry Chapin Food Bank — enough food to provide more than 27,300 meals to residents.

Recreation centers and libraries provided 18 convenient drop-off locations throughout the county.

LeeTran announces new mobile app for on-demand transit service

A new mobile app is now available for the LeeTran ULTRA On Demand Transit service in Lehigh Acres and Bonita Springs. Beginning May 6, ULTRA On Demand Transit users will no longer use Uber to book their ULTRA On Demand trips. LeeTran now has have a proprietary app to book rides. The free ULTRA On Demand Transit branded app is available for download in the Google Play and Apple stores.

The ULTRA On Demand Transit service features multi-person vehicles that take riders anywhere within the defined service areas in Lehigh Acres and Bonita Springs. The on-demand service is available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Passengers can use the ULTRA app or make ride requests via the telephone at 239-533-8726.

LeeTran began the mobility-on-demand initiative in 2022 in the Bonita Springs area. Following the successful launch of the ULTRA program, LeeTran began a pilot program in the Lehigh Acres area in 2023, thanks to a grant awarded by the Florida Department of Transportation.

The service supports LeeTran’s fixed-route services by allowing passengers to travel to destinations within the ULTRA on-demand service area or to stops along bus routes to reach destinations outside of the service area.

Rides are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Vehicles are equipped with real-time tracking software that allows passengers to schedule rides at their convenience through the ULTRA app, made possible through a partnership with RideCo.

Additional information about the service is available at www.leegov.com/leetran/ ultra.

LeeCares Hurricane Ian Housing Recovery Program application deadline May 15

The online application portal and submission of new applications online or in-person for the LeeCares Hurricane Ian Housing Recovery Program will conclude at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 15.

Lee County currently is processing more than 1,300 applications requesting assistance for repairing, reconstructing, elevating or purchasing a home. Lee County and its partners directly contacted more than 62,000 Lee County residents to provide LeeCARES program information.

Programs for which individuals now can apply:

• The Housing Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Elevation program may assist income-eligible property owners to repair, replace and/or elevate property that suffered hurricane damage.

• The Home Purchase Assistance may assist income-eligible home buyers to purchase a qualifying primary residence outside of the flood zone in Lee County.

To view a full list of eligibility requirements and documents needed to apply, visit www.leeflcares.com .

Questions can be emailed to leecares@leegov.com . Individuals also can call 239-382-5453.

Once an application is submitted, individuals will be assigned a designated LeeCares case manager to provide updates. If an application is approved, the funding is a grant — not a loan — and does not need to be repaid if applicants comply with the terms of the grant.

Comprehensive and detailed information about Lee County’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Action Plan, program allocations, activities and expenditures are provided on the county’s website at cdbgdr.leegov.com . ¦

The post News Briefs first appeared on Bonita Springs Florida Weekly .