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Oviedo Community News

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...
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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...
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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...
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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’...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Oviedo council to review student housing proposal near neighborhood

Reformed Theological Seminary’s request would allow up to 163 student housing beds at Kingsbridge property in Oviedo. Up to 163 student housing beds could be added to the Reformed Theological Seminary property in Oviedo under a proposed zoning change scheduled to go before the Oviedo City Council on Monday.


The proposal would update the existing Kingsbridge development agreement for the 63.16 acre property north of East Mitchell Hammock Road at Eastbridge Drive. Plans include the student hous...
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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...
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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...
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Names of 34 veterans added to the Oviedo Veterans Tribute in Veterans Day ceremony

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...
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Girl Scouts’ proposal brings crosswalk, wildlife-crossing sign to Winter Springs

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...
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Oviedo flag football team honored for winning national championship

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...
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Seminole County honors college football icon with Lee Corso Day

ESPN host Lee Corso said he hopes to be remembered as “somebody that made you smile.”


The Seminole County Commission voted on Tuesday to proclaim Aug. 26, 2025, “Lee Corso Day,” honoring the legendary College GameDay host and longtime Lake Mary resident. Corso has been one of the hosts of ESPN’s College GameDay since its inception in 1987. After over three decades of bringing joy to millions with his humor and charm, the 90-year-old analyst has decided to call it a career.

Corso’s last sh...