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Osceola County is now under an inland Tropical Storm Watch issued by the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

Osceola County is now under an inland Tropical Storm Watch issued by the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

IDALIA UPDATE: Osceola and Orange counties added to Tropical Storm Watch

News Staff
Monday, August 28, 2023
At 5:30 a.m. Monday, the National Weather Service issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties, adding them to the advisory that Polk County was included in on Sunday. A Watch means that those conditions -- winds of 40-75 mph -- are possible in the next 36 to 48 hours.
Fuel purchased after 10 a.m. Saturday, August 26, at stations supplied by Citgo from the Port of Tampa has a strong likelihood of gasoline reportedly being contaminated with diesel, state officials said. PHOTO/CITGO

Fuel purchased after 10 a.m. Saturday, August 26, at stations supplied by Citgo from the Port of Tampa has a strong likelihood of gasoline reportedly being contaminated with diesel, state officials said. PHOTO/CITGO

As if a storm isn't bad enough -- contaminated gas? See if you might have gotten some

News Staff
Monday, August 28, 2023
Did you get gas on the west coast of Florida this weekend? If so, you might have a problem. Over the weekend, The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services identified a potentially widespread fuel contamination caused by "human error" at the Port of Tampa. Fuel purchased after 10 a.m.
Tropical Storm Idalia was officially named by the National Hurricane Center at 11:15 a.m. PHOTO/TROPICAL TIDBITS

Tropical Storm Idalia was officially named by the National Hurricane Center at 11:15 a.m. PHOTO/TROPICAL TIDBITS

NHC UPDATE: TD 10 upgraded to Tropical Storm Idalia

Ken Jackson
Sunday, August 27, 2023
At 11:15 a.m., the National Hurricane Center reported that observations from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicated Tropical Depression Ten has strengthened into Tropical Storm Idalia. The maximum winds are estimated to be 40 mph.
Scenes like this are against a new Osceola County School District rule this year banning cell phone use during the school day. Students say they should be able to use them during lunch.

Scenes like this are against a new Osceola County School District rule this year banning cell phone use during the school day. Students say they should be able to use them during lunch.

Osceola students take up case of cell phone rule; ask to be allowed at lunch

Ken Jackson
Sunday, August 27, 2023
At the last Osceola County School Board meeting, a number of students asked the Board to be allowed to use cell phones during lunch, despite a new district policy that does not allow their use from “morning bell to dismissal bell”.
Those counties do not include Osceola -- but close.  Polk is among the counties.

Those counties do not include Osceola -- but close.  Polk is among the counties.

Ahead of expected tropical system, Governor issues state of emergency for 33 counties -- see where

News Staff
Saturday, August 26, 2023
With what the National Hurricane Center currently calls Invest 93L expected to intensify into at least a tropical storm and potentially Hurricane Idalia, Gov. Ron DeSantis Saturday declared a state of emergency for 33 counties in preparation. Those counties do not include Osceola -- but close.
With the possibility of something brewing in the Caribbean, headed toward the Gulf of Mexico with Florida possibly in its sights, retailers hope Floridians will stock up on storm supplies — they won't pay sales tax on most of it.

With the possibility of something brewing in the Caribbean, headed toward the Gulf of Mexico with Florida possibly in its sights, retailers hope Floridians will stock up on storm supplies — they won't pay sales tax on most of it.

Second disaster-prep ‘tax holiday’ starts Saturday — just in time?

Ken Jackson
Friday, August 25, 2023
Just like at the start of the hurricane season back in June, the state of Florida is offering a sales tax holiday on supplies needed to ride out or recover from a storm.
Park Place Behavioral Health Care CEO Jim Shanks, shown at the March groundbreaking of the Dillingham Apartments project in Kissimmee, passed away Aug. 15 at the age of 87.

Park Place Behavioral Health Care CEO Jim Shanks, shown at the March groundbreaking of the Dillingham Apartments project in Kissimmee, passed away Aug. 15 at the age of 87.

Park Place CEO and “institution” Jim Shanks dies at 87

Brian McBride
Friday, August 25, 2023
Jim Shanks, who served as CEO of Park Place Behavioral Health Care in Kissimmee since 2002, and was known community-wide as an "institution" for his contributions, passed away Aug. 18 at age 87 after a brief illness. A Celebration of Life will be held for Shanks on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 2 p.m.
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