Flowers and chocolate for Valentine’s Day not enough? Then get married!
Register now for the Osceola County Clerk & Comptroller’s Office annual Valentine’s Day wedding celebrations.
The first 16 couples to register will be able to say “I do” during the cherished annual group wedding ceremony and reception on Friday, Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. in the Historic Courtroom of the Osceola County Historic Courthouse, the oldest active courthouse in Florida.
Couples will be able to will exchange vows in both English and Spanish. The event includes professional photo opportunities to capture the special occasion, a decorative marriage certificate and a certified copy of your marriage license. Following the ceremony, the newly-wedded couples will enjoy a reception featuring sweet treats and a chance to celebrate with attending family and friends.
“Love is the beginning of every great adventure. We are thrilled to witness and support once again the union of so many couples on this joyous occasion. May this Valentine’s Day mark the start of a lifetime filled with love and happiness,” said Osceola lerk & Comptroller Kelvin Soto, Esq.
Registration closes on Friday, Feb. 7, or once all 16 spots are filled. Interested couples must register in person at the Osceola County Courthouse. To schedule an appointment, visit www.osceolaclerk. com/marriage/. For other information, call 407-742-3500 or email specialweddingevent@osceolaclerk.org.
OCSA headed back to Essentially Ellington’ For the fourth year in a row, Osceola County School for the Arts has been selected to compete in the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival. This year’s event, the 30th, is May 7-11 at the Lincoln Center in New York. To mark the anniversary, the number of invited school bands has been doubled to 30 and expanded to international schools.
Last year, OCSA placed second behind Newark (N.J.) Academy and took home the Outstanding Rhythm Section and Outstanding Brass Section awards. Individually, Matthew Black and Sonialynn Jackson were selected for Outstanding Drums, Solomon Geleta for Outstanding Alto Saxophone and Danial Browne for Outstanding Trombone. The Snookie Young Award, named or the renowned trumpeter who pioneered use of the plunger mute and given for just the second time, went to OCSA’s Xavier Anderson. And Justin Anderson brought home hardware himself; he was named as Outstanding Director. The band won first place overall at Essentially Ellington in 2022.
Give Kids the World Village awarded $200K grant Give Kids The World Village in Kissimmee reported it has been awarded a $200,000 grant as the Southeast Regional Winner of the annual Chickfil- A True Inspiration Awards program.
To be selected for a grant, organizations must work to address key issues that align with Chick-fil-A’s corporate social responsibility priorities: Caring for People, Caring for Others Through Food, Caring for our Communities and Caring for our Planet.
“We are grateful beyond words to receive the True Inspiration Award from Chickfil- A. This grant will have a profound impact on our ability to change the lives of countless families facing unimaginable challenges due to pediatric illness,” said Give Kids The World Interim CEO Jordan Lomas. “Chick-fil-A Kissimmee has been a great friend to the Village and with Chick-fil-A’s support, we look forward to continuing to deliver joy and hope to those who need it most.”
KUA announces student winners in electrical safety calendar
Kissimmee Utility Authority announced it has released its 2025 Calendar of Electrical Safety, a bilingual calendar in English and Spanish, featuring the winning entries from its 31st annual elementary school student art contest.
The calendar is available free of charge at KUA’s customer service center at 1701 W. Carroll St. Per usual the calendar, a way to promote electrical safety among students and their families, features helpful electrical safety tips and incorporates the Osceola County School District calendar for convenient planning.
The annual art contest is open to Osceola County students through fifth ground. Almost 1,000 art entries were received from 15 area public, private, and charter elementary schools. Judges selected entries for each of the 12 calendar months, who will receive prizes for their schools. This year’s featured students are: Victor P. Grezeskowiak, Holy Redeemer Catholic School, 5th Grade; Annalise Trilla, Holy Redeemer Catholic School, 1st Grade; Emily Bolanos, East Lake Elementary School, 5th Grade; Maria Virginia Pirela, Holy Redeemer Catholic School, 4th Grade; Morgan Grey M. Eltanal, Osceola Science Charter School, Kindergarten; Imaan Akhai, Highlands Elementary School, 4th Grade; Krystal Montalto, Osceola Science Charter School, Kindergarten; Alice Ayala Filomena, Michigan Avenue Elementary, 3rd Grade; Kylan Esquivel, Holy Redeemer Catholic School, 3rd Grade; Xavier Gonzalez, East Lake Elementary School, 1st Grade; Jayson Bombard, Lakeview Elementary School, 3rd Grade; Isabella V. Salas Humbria, Holy Redeemer Catholic School, 2nd Grade.
