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Oviedo Community News •

Residents worry about flooding issues at Jetta Point as it loses conservation designation

“I caught four catfish in my front yard during Ian, and I didn’t even have a fishing pole,” a resident said after flooding issues in the Jetta Point area. Residents told Seminole County commissioners they are concerned about flooding near the 46-acre Jetta Point property following Hurricane Ian in 2022 and more recent storms, arguing that drainage improvements should be addressed before the county considers what comes next for the property.


Howell Creek Reserve Homeowners Association Presiden...
Oviedo Community News •

Winter Springs budget would boost infrastructure spending without raising tax rate

Winter Springs plans to spend heavily on water and sewer improvements, stormwater projects and other upgrades to maintain aging systems and address long-term needs, but residents would not see an increase in the city’s property tax rate under a proposed fiscal year 2027 budget.


City officials reviewed the proposed $118.5 million budget during the city’s budget workshop on Monday. While spending would rise from about $80.4 million to $118.5 million, city officials said most of that increase co...
Oviedo Community News •

Siblings bring art, collaboration to Oviedo

An Oviedoan’s vision for a public art installation centered on native Florida plants will soon take shape along Oviedo Boulevard thanks in part to a collaboration with his sister.


The City of Oviedo selected Keegan Ford’s proposal for a landscaped semi-circle near Center Lake Lane, approving a design that combines a circular brick archway, native landscaping and references to Central Florida’s indigenous history. The project is described as a “living sculpture,” and was developed with artisti...
Oviedo Community News •

City of Oviedo plants Liberty Tree as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration

Newly planted hickory tree is one of seven planned Liberty Trees across Seminole County to commemorate semiquincentennial. Suspended from a bucket truck beside Oviedo City Hall, a massive American flag swayed in the morning breeze above a young hickory tree on June 25, as veterans, elected officials and residents gathered to commemorate a symbol whose roots trace back to the birth of the United States.


Editor’s note: Follow the hyperlinks in this article for a history lesson ahead of America’...
Oviedo Community News •

Oviedo Council OKs new student housing options at Reformed Theological Seminary

RTS Senior Director of Operations Rob McAdams said the changes will help serve students who visit campus for short-term and hybrid programs.Student housing at Reformed Theological Seminary’s Oviedo campus can now expand under a newly approved development amendment that allows up to 163 beds, including a 40-bed dormitory for students attending for short durations.


The Oviedo City Council unanimously approved the proposal on Monday, amending the development agreement governing the seminary’s 63...
Oviedo Community News •

Oviedo advances Reformed Seminary school student housing proposal

The City Council will hold a final public hearing for the proposal, whihc could add up to 163 beds worth of student housing, on June 15.Concerns about traffic, stormwater management and a deteriorating fence surfaced Monday as the Oviedo City Council considered a proposal that would allow up to 163 student housing beds at Reformed Theological Seminary’s Oviedo campus.


The Council unanimously voted to schedule a public hearing for June 15 on the proposal, which would amend the development agre...
Oviedo Community News •

Flood mitigation efforts continue across Seminole County ahead of hurricane season

As excavators carved through mud-filled ditches along Midway’s Sipes Avenue this month, Seminole County roads and stormwater crews worked beneath overhead power lines to clear roadside stormwater channels as hurricane prep comes to an end.


Nearby, along the Washington Street canal, a Menzi Muck M545x excavator crawled across steep canal banks connected to the St. Johns River basin, its spider-like legs gripping uneven terrain as the operator pulled 2,000 pounds of mud per bucketload from the...
Oviedo Community News •

FEMA flood insurance reforms released ahead of hurricane season in Seminole County

Insurance officials say homeowners should review flood coverage and disaster plans before storms arrive. Many homes have none. Years after Hurricane Ian caused widespread flooding and storm damage across Seminole County, a newly released federal report recommends major changes to the National Flood Insurance Program ahead of the looming hurricane season.


According to data published by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Seminole County recorded 12,544 Hurricane Ian-related insurance c...
Oviedo Community News •

Oviedo Council rejects additional Twin Rivers audit funding

Oviedo City Council members questioned the value of the $35,000 request tied to the investigation and audit of the city-owned, independently managed Twin Rivers golf course.The Oviedo City Council unanimously rejected a proposal on Monday that would have added another $35,000 to the city’s ongoing investigation involving Twin Rivers Golf Club, with Council members questioning both the value of the preliminary findings and the rising cost of the investigation.


The proposed funding would have a...
Oviedo Community News •

Names of 34 veterans added to the Oviedo Veterans Tribute in Veterans Day ceremony – Oviedo Community News

The flag above the Oviedo Veterans Tribute hung at half-staff on Nov. 11, moving lightly in the cool evening breeze as the sunset reflected pink and orange off of Center Lake. Veterans from different eras stood in small groups, some in uniform with medals, others in plain clothes, resting on walkers or canes. Families filled the space with children playing off to the side and relatives of all ages finding places to stand as the start time approached. The crowd grew steadily, quieting as people p...
Oviedo Community News •

Girl Scouts’ proposal brings crosswalk, wildlife-crossing sign to Winter Springs – Oviedo Community News

The little girl in the blonde ponytail and clear-rimmed glasses sat motionless, staring straight ahead as the mayor and a half dozen men and women in suits, ties and business blouses peered curiously back at her. When they called her name, Rylan Synan, 11, stood from her seat and took four brisk steps to the podium, her speech in her left hand and a fuzzy pink and brown wolf in her right.


Wearing her bright green, badge-covered Girl Scout vest, she stood on her toes to reach the microphone an...
Oviedo Community News •

Oviedo flag football team honored for winning national championship – Oviedo Community News

Ice-cold water – freshly and ceremoniously dumped from a cooler – dripped off of head coach Kevin Brotz’s head and shoulders as he hopped, hugged and cheered with his team. It was the third time they traveled from Oviedo to College Park, Md., to compete for the national flag football championship, but the first time they clinched the title.


Playing on the fields of the University of Maryland, the third- and fourth-grade division champions finally reached the mountaintop in July, surrounded by...
The Community Paper - •

Vision quest - The Community Paper

Orlando-based artist Kelly Joy Ladd is no stranger to the unexpected.
With her dad working for an airline, Ladd moved constantly during her childhood — an experience that shaped her comfort with change.
“I was born in Florida, and then two days later, we moved,” Ladd said. “We moved around the country for a while until I was 10.”
Ladd didn’t start as an artist. She began as a magazine writer and editor, only transitioning to art about 12 years ago. With no family background in art, she wasn’t su...
The Community Paper - •

Standing fast, not still - The Community Paper

Tony Ross didn’t start his career in fashion or sportswear, but athletics has always been a part of his life. A former bank manager and track and field competitor for Puerto Rico, Ross founded World’s Fastest Humans, a growing track and field apparel brand that outfits everyone from local high school teams to Olympic athletes.
Ross said starting WFH helps carry on the legacy of his late father, Wilbur Ross, a former decathlete and renowned track and field coach who trained multiple future track...
The Community Paper - •

Dog waste removal in Orlando gets a family touch with Scooplando - The Community Paper

Scooping dog poop isn’t something that most people think could be life-changing, but for three Orlando sisters, it was exactly that.
Norah, Andi, and Tairi Pérez know what it’s like to have a busy schedule. Between mom duties and their never-ending to-do lists, they started looking for ways to lighten their workload.
“We are working moms and have been drowning with our to-do lists,” Norah Pérez said. “One of the things was always to go outside and scoop poop, and we were like, there has to be a...
The Charge •

UCF Ph.D. candidate's work in receiving the Order of Pegasus

Growing up surrounded by wetlands near the Virginia Beach area, Tiffany Dawson developed a deep love for marine biology and a lifelong passion for ecological conservation.Dawson, a UCF integrative and conservation biology Ph.D. candidate, was recently inducted into UCF’s Order of Pegasus, the most prestigious award a student can receive at the school, according to UCF's website.
As a member of UCF’s marine turtle research group, Dawson was recognized by the school for her research on the...
The Charge •

UCF mental health professionals weigh in on potential national antidepressant investigation

UCF mental health professionals discussed how Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan to investigate antidepressants may lead to more problems in the ongoing mental health crisis in the country.During his confirmation hearing on Jan. 29, Kennedy stated his intention to investigate the use of antidepressants in the country, particularly Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, as part of his “Make America Healthy Again” campaign.
“I know people, including membe...
The Charge •

UCF scientists discuss Earth's asteroid defenses and research

NASA recently assessed asteroid 2024 YR4, also known as the "city-killer" asteroid, which now has a lower probability of impacting Earth in 2032. The chance of an impact has dropped significantly to 0.0012% at the time of publication, but questions remain about Earth's asteroid defenses.Dr. Joshua Colwell, UCF pegasus professor and associate dean for research in the College of Sciences, said lead time is critical for deflecting an impending asteroid. Lead time is the head start scientists have t...
The Charge •

UCF researchers discover data surrounding sea turtles' "lost years"

Researchers from UCF's Marine Turtle Research Group used satellite trackers to uncover new data released earlier this month regarding the behavior of young sea turtles during what is known as "the lost years.""The lost years" term is used to describe turtles lives in between leaving a beach after hatching, to returning to shore as a juvenile. The new data suggests that previous hypotheses about the turtles’ behaviors and migration routes during this time may not have been as accurate as initiall...