Free gas cards to be offered at City of Life Easter service

City of Life Church in Kissimmee has announced its Easter Experience program at 10 a.m. Sunday, April 24, at the Silver Spurs Arena, 1875 Silver Spurs Lane, Kissimmee.

During the program, attendees will witness the debut of “The Blood,” a short film from the producers of “Blink: The Door.” More than 17,000 people attended performances of “Blink: The Door” in September at the church.

“The Easter Experience will be a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection for Central Florida that will include live music, powerful dramatic presentations, film, dance, aerialists and visual marvels,” church officials stated in a press release. “This will be an Easter service like none other.”

As a thank-you at this event, the church will give away $7,777 in free gas cards randomly to first-time visitors on Easter Sunday. The denominations of the cards will range from $10 to $100. In addition, each attendee of the City of Life Easter Experience will receive more than $2,000 in free/discounted goods and services from local businesses. Examples include a 50-percent discount on laser therapy at Laser Health Centers, a 60-percent discount on framed art, discounted flooring from Tile It, one free life coaching session from Thrive Now Coaching, a 50-percent discount on haircuts from Simply Gorgeous, and one free consultation, spinal analysis and massage therapy session from Haselden Chiropractic.

City of Life has three Sunday services and a Wednesday night service at its main campus in Kissimmee and a service on Sunday at its Poinciana campus. City of Life’s Easter Experience will be the first time all of the church’s attendees from both campuses and all service times will be in the same building at the same time, church officials stated.

Sheriff’s Office to participate in Take Back Initiative

On Saturday, April 30, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration and other local law enforcement agencies, will participate in a program to remove potentially dangerous prescription drugs from homes.

The initiative provides an opportunity for residents to safely turn over expired, unwanted or unused pharmaceutical controlled substances or other medications to law enforcement for destruction.

This one-day effort brings national attention to the issue of pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse. This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. More than 7 million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

The program is completely anonymous and free. Residents who have unwanted prescription drugs can drop them off at four sites in Osceola County: Publix, 841 Cypress Parkway Blvd., Poinciana; Publix, 4401 13th St., St. Cloud; Publix, 2915 Vineland Road, Kissimmee; and Publix Sabor, 1980 E. Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee.

All locations will have deputies from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All solid dosage pharmaceutical products and liquids in consumer containers will be accepted. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original containers with the cap tightly sealed to prevent leakage. Intravenous solutions, injectables and syringes will not be accepted due to potential hazards.

OSCAR to host forum Thursday at its office on Shady Lane

The Osceola County Association of Realtors (OSCAR) plans to host an International Alliance Forum for its members and their guests Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Speakers for the event will include Carlos Fuentes and Dave Garrison. Fuentes, is from Lutz and is a commercial Realtor. Fuentes has received many national and international awards dating to 2003.

Garrison is the vice president of finance and internal operations for Florida Realtors. Garrison is responsible for the management of financial activities investment portfolio, physical assets and risk management for the state’s association.

“We are extremely thrilled to have two highly qualified and respected gentlemen from the real estate industry speaking at our event,” Carol Platt, OSCAR’s association executive, said.

The forum will be at the OSCAR Auditorium, 1105 Shady Lane, Kissimmee. This event is free to OSCAR members and they are permitted to bring one guest. Non-members must pay a $35 fee.

To register, visit www.osceolarealtors.org or call 407-846-0117.

Law enforcement Torch Run scheduled for May 4

On May 4, employees at the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Kissimmee Police Department and St. Cloud Police Department will participate in the Law Enforcement Torch Run to raise awareness for Special Olympics.

Beginning at 9 a.m., the run starts at St. Cloud City Hall and concludes at the Kissimmee Civic Center.

“This is a great event for Special Olympics and will have a direct effect on the athletes who are working hard to achieve their goals of personal fulfillment through athletic competition,” Sheriff Bob Hansell stated in a press release.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is the largest grassroots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle for Special Olympics. Law enforcement officers from around the country carry the Flame of Hope in honor of the Special Olympic athletes in their areas and around the world. Since its inception in 1981, more than 80,000 individuals have raised $113 million.

If you would like to participate or obtain more information, call 407-348-1105.

County opens permitting station at St. Cloud City Hall

The Osceola County Community Development Department opened a remote permitting station within the Building Department at St. Cloud City Hall Friday.

The location will provide full-service permitting, with the exceptions of “Vehicle for Hire” and “Contractor Comp Cards.” The county will be able to immediately scan all applications and site plans and route them for review by county staff; once approved, the office will issue all permits and accept payments.

The remote permitting station will initially be open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays but hours may increase if customer demand warrants it, county officials stated in a press release.

“I’m pleased to announce the opening of this remote location for the residents and businesses on this side of the county in the beautiful St. Cloud City Hall,” Osceola County district 5 Commissioner Fred Hawkins Jr., in whose district this station is located, said. “I’m proud of our partnership with St. Cloud to make this service more convenient, and look forward to more opportunities like this in the future.”

For more information, contact the Osceola County Community Outreach/Public Information Office at 407-742-0100.

Learn how to do business with the School District

Osceola County School District’s Purchasing Department will host two training sessions on how to do business with the district Thursday, from 4 to 5 p.m. (session 1) and from 5 to 6 p.m. (session 2) in the Media and Instructional Technology Training Room 2, 817 Bill Beck Blvd. (Building 2000), Kissimmee.

This session will provide an informative overview of VendorLink, the district’s automated online solicitation notification system. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the district’s solicitation process, obtain assistance with VendorLink’s online registration process and receive answers to questions about specific commodities and services that the district procures.

Call the Purchasing Department at 407-870-4630 for additional information and to RSVP for this event.

Warm weather means active alligators and crocodiles

The onset of warm weather in the spring is when Florida’s alligators and crocodiles start getting active, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reminds Floridians and visitors to be cautious when having fun in and around water.

Florida is home to two native crocodilians: the American alligator, which is found in all 67 counties, and the American crocodile, which may be found in coastal areas of the Keys, Southeast and Southwest Florida. Both species have shared Florida’s waters with people for centuries.

The commission recommends keeping pets away from the water. There are other precautionary measures people should take to reduce potential conflicts with alligators and crocodiles, and they are available in the “Living with Alligators” brochure at MyFWC.com/alligator and the “Living with Crocodiles” brochure at MyFWC.com/crocodile.

The commission advises that if you have concerns with an alligator or crocodile that poses a threat to you, your pets or property, call the agency’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (392-4286).

Alligators and crocodiles are an important part of Florida’s heritage and play a valuable role in the ecosystems where they live.

For more information on alligators and crocodiles, visit MyFWC.com/alligator.