Published On: Thu, Sep 3rd, 2020

Boca Beat 09/03

• The School Board of Palm Beach County announced that the Superintendent’s reopening plan for the 2020-2021 school year is approved. After 10.5 hours of deliberation from parents and school board members, the School District will start off the year with distance learning. The district has taken the spread of the virus into account as the average number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased significantly. According to their agenda, when the school district initially closed in mid-March, there were less than 70 new cases per day.

• Palm Beach State College has been invited by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in its Second Chance Pell experiment, which will provide more education opportunities for incarcerated individuals in Palm Beach and Martin counties. The initiative, first created in 2015, provides need-based federal Pell grants for individuals in federal and state prisons to enroll in postsecondary programs offered at local colleges and universities or distance learning providers. PBSC is among a new cohort of 67 schools invited to participate this year.

• Officials in Palm Beach County are witnessing a massive spike in COVID-19 cases due to gatherings and parties happening after dark at local bars and food establishments. As a result, restaurants, and bars can expect to be closed starting today from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. in an effort to issue an order prohibiting the selling of alcoholic beverages and food.

• Florida Atlantic University recently announced the appointment of Kelly J. Shannon, associate professor of history and the Chastain-Johnston Middle Eastern Studies Distinguished Professor in Peace Studies, as the new director of FAU’s Peace, Justice, and Human Rights Initiative (PJHR). PJHR’s mission is to work toward developing and sharing the best practices for promoting tolerance and understanding of diverse cultures. It offers a unique multidisciplinary framework operating across the University to invite engagement by all members of the community and external partners in research, scholarship, creative activities, and applied practices that realize a more just and peaceful world.

• If you are deciding what type of mask to wear when going out, the N95, cloth mask may be the best choice to protect yourself from the spread of COVID-19. On July 10, WPTV and Florida Atlantic University’s biology department conducted an experiment to determine the effectiveness of three different popular face coverings against the COVID-19 virus.

• Florida Atlantic University Pine Jog Environmental Education Center took a new approach this year to honor winners of its 2020 Green Schools Awards. Foregoing a traditional ceremony, the center created a series of more than 30 award videos to showcase the exceptional efforts of local schools that are “going green” as participants in the center’s nationally recognized Green Schools Recognition Program (GSRP).

• The Early Learning Coalition is seeking assistance in helping child care centers serving emergency personnel, and essential workers obtain the necessary supplies they need to stay open safely. During this time of need, The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County has generously received a donation of $10,000 in highly coveted hand sanitizer from the Medical Group of South Florida.

• Officials at Boca Raton Regional Hospital today announced the appointment of Kerry-Ann McDonald, MD, to the medical staff of the Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute (LWHWI) and BocaCare® Physician Network. She specializes in benign and malignant breast disease.

• Art enthusiasts can expect to be moved this fall by three exhibits that cover a range of topics including sexual assault and its effect on victims. The exhibits, which will be displays at The Art Gallery at Eissey Campus and The Gallery at Lake Worth Campus, showcase stories, ideas and perceptions through paintings, drawings, photography, graphic design and more. They are free and open to the public and feature artwork created by PBSC students and community artists.

• Baptist Health South Florida is once again the most awarded healthcare system in South Florida by U.S. News & World Report with 32 high-performing awards in 14 types of care. Boca Raton Regional Hospital is once again the highest-ranked hospital.

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