Sheriff Blackmon appointed to state council
Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon was appointed, and Ed Hudak and Carolyn Timmann reappointed, by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Information Systems Council. Hudak is chief of police for Coral Gables. Timmann is the Martin County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller.
St. Cloud Mayor Robertson appointed to Regional Planning Council
The City of St. Cloud announced Mayor Chris Robertson has been appointed to the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council.
The Planning Council provides coordinated planning assistance to governments and organizations within the eight-county region, including Osceola County. The collaborative planning approach seeks to promote a vibrant regional economy and reduce competition among local communities.
“St. Cloud has a strong stake in how our region grows, and I look forward to working with other leaders in the region to support smart planning and economic opportunity for our residents, and solutions to some of the issues growth brings,” Robertson said.
St. Cloud’s Afolabi headed to state Civics Bee finals
Ara Afolabi of Voyager K-8 School in St. Cloud finished in third place in Friday’s National Civics Bee regional competition at the Rosen Centre. The competition featured two rounds of multiple-choice civics quiz questions emceed by Chamber President/CEO John Newstreet, providing a platform for students to showcase their civics knowledge. The 5 top-scoring students from the first two rounds then moved on to a Q & A round of questions posed by a panel of judges: Kissimmee City Clerk Tameara Crespo, Judge Christine Arendas and Valencia College Community Engagement Director Sandie Martinez.
Afolabi receives $100 for the third-place finish, the tablet used in competition, a National Civics Bee t-shirt, goody bag and, the biggest piece: he National Civics Bee Florida State Finals at Florida State University in Tallahassee on June 30. Afolabi will have the opportunity to win additional cash prizes, and the first-place winner of the State Finals will earn a trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the National Championship in the Fall of 2026, where prizes include a grand prize of $100,000 for first place, $25,000 for second place, and $15,000 for third place.
“Our great country and every community within the United States is built on the foundation of civics. Middle schoolers are at the perfect age to become better informed about American democracy as well as learn to respectfully and constructively engage in our community,” Newstreet said. “The National Civics Bee provides a great platform for our young Americans to build greater trust in others and in our institutions. Kissimmee, St. Cloud, and Osceola County will benefit in the short term and long term when citizens are knowledgeable about how government works, lessons learned from our past, and constructive ways to engage in the process—a process which affects each and every one of us each and every day.”
HCA Florida Osceola and Poinciana Hospitals earn Healthgrades safety awards
HCA Florida Osceola Hospital and HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital have each received the Healthgrades 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award from HCA Florida Healthcare announced last week.
Healthgrades is an online platform that evaluates doctors, hospitals, and healthcare providers based on objective quality ratings.
Alongside this national recognition, HCA Florida Osceola Hospital was recently named one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals™ by Healthgrades. A Level II Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center, the hospital was recognized last fall as Healthgrades’ No. 4 hospital in the state for surgical care and among Healthgrades’ 100 Best Hospitals™ in the nation for stroke care for the second consecutive year.
“HCA Florida Osceola Hospital is honored to be recognized by Healthgrades for our steadfast commitment to patient safety and clinical excellence,” said CEO David Shimp. “These distinctions underscore our team’s dedication to providing compassionate, high-quality care and achieving exceptional outcomes for every patient we serve.”
HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital was recently recognized by Healthgrades as a five-star recipient for exceptional clinical outcomes in several categories including treatment of heart failure, hip fracture, gallbladder surgery, diabetic hospitalizations and respiratory failure.
“HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital is honored to be recognized by Healthgrades for our commitment to patient safety and high-quality patient care,” said Cullen Brown, HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital’s chief medical officer. “These achievements serve as a meaningful reminder of our team’s dedication to delivering compassionate, individualized care at every step of a patient’s journey.”
To determine the national leaders in patient safety, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted complication and mortality rates from approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide across 13 patient safety indicators (PSIs), with each PSI representing a serious, preventable complication.
