News-Gazette Photos/Martin Maddock

Children visiting the Kissimmee Sports Arena Saturday evening for the rodeo were able to take part in the calf scramble, which had a $75 cash prize. The rodeo, which will be held monthly, includes events such as team roping, bull riding, barrel racing, slack barrel racing and slack calf roping. Cowboys from throughout the state came to compete for cash prizes.

By Fallan Patterson
Staff Writer
Union representatives for Osceola County teachers and support staff may solicit new members on school campuses next year after a state commission ruled in their favor July 21.
The Osceola Classroom Teacher Association filed an unfair labor practices lawsuit against the Osceola School District in October for failure to provide on-campus access to teachers and paraprofessionals while allowing commercial solicitation to occur.

By Brian McBride
Associate Editor

The city of Kissimmee plans to cut 15 employee positions, continue with park improvements and work to complete a major roadway project in the municipality’s tentative $125 million budget.

There were no plans, however, for any property tax increases as the tax rate will stay at 4.62 mills, which is equivalent to $4.62 for every $1,000 of assessed property value. For a house assessed at $100,000, the annual property bill would be $462.

By Marvin G. Cortner
Editor

Amid criticism from the local medical society, the Osceola County School Board July 13 on a 4-1 vote authorized negotiations with North Carolina-based Healthstat to administer a medical clinic to serve School District employees and their families.

Healthstat could be paid up to $795,000 over five years to administer the facility, which would be housed at School District headquarters on Bill Beck Boulevard in Kissimmee. The mid-level clinic is projected to open in January.

By Rick Madewell
Assistant Editor

It was supposed to be a fun and healthy bike ride for Roxanne Carter and her boyfriend.

Instead, it became a tragic and almost deadly excursion.

On Sunday, Roxanne’s running group, the St. Cloud Pavement Pounders, will sponsor a special, nearly five-mile swim relay starting at the East Lake Fish Camp to raise funds for Roxanne, who was critically injured over two months ago.

Roxanne, a St. Cloud resident, has been a health nut, of sorts, for most of her 47 years, and two years ago even joined up with the city’s Pavement Pounders group, which has weekly runs for its members. Every Saturday she would set out on a bicycle — often with friends — and ride for miles and miles just to stay in shape.

By Sam Gilkey
For The News-Gazette

The developing tropical wave this weekend may give rise to weather interest or concern, but credit the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons in Florida with revealing there was an ample supply of gasoline at the state’s retail stations.

There also was the realization that many stations could not dispense the fuel because they did not have an emergency generator to operate the pumps.

The Florida Legislature in 2006 passed House Bill 7121 that set out the requirements for both distributors and retailers to provide a constant flow of gasoline to motorists.