Opinion

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR — May 8, 2026

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR — May 8, 2026

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR — May 8, 2026

News Staff
Friday, May 8, 2026
Proud of community’s crisis coordinationDear Editor:As the CEO of Hope Partnership and a faith leader who has spent the past 15 years walking alongside neighbors experiencing homelessness in Osceola County, I have seen how quickly a housing crisis becomes a health crisis.
The Chief of the Edgewood Police Department says significantly heavy semi-trucks add to the mix of congested traffic in Central Florida.

The Chief of the Edgewood Police Department says significantly heavy semi-trucks add to the mix of congested traffic in Central Florida.

Heavier trucks don’t belong on our roads

News Staff
Thursday, May 7, 2026
By Dean DeSchryverAnyone who has driven through Central Florida knows this feeling: traffic slows to a crawl. Tempers get short, and people start cutting each other off. Add a sudden rainstorm or a minor crash, and then everything can come to a standstill.
ICE and our own lawmakers are freezing our local economy. They aren’t making it easy for small business owners, as small businesses are having a challenging time remaining open, with several customers are too afraid to go out. (Photo/Amina Filkins, Pexels)

ICE and our own lawmakers are freezing our local economy. They aren’t making it easy for small business owners, as small businesses are having a challenging time remaining open, with several customers are too afraid to go out. (Photo/Amina Filkins, Pexels)

ICE is chilling our local economy

News Staff
Friday, May 1, 2026
By Yulian Botello — We all have heard the news about ICE raids, and the “Operation Tidal Wave” announced by Perhaps you also have heard about the confirmation that ICE agents are making hotel reservations in Central Florida, reported by WFTV.
Guest Columnist: While there’s no reversing the damage that’s been done, there are ways to move forward, changes and additions can be made as environmentally friendly as possible, and reports need to be made on environmental impacts.

Guest Columnist: While there’s no reversing the damage that’s been done, there are ways to move forward, changes and additions can be made as environmentally friendly as possible, and reports need to be made on environmental impacts.

Overtourism is destroying the natural Florida

Willianny Reyes
Thursday, April 30, 2026
As a kid growing up in South Florida, I didn’t have an annual pass to the Most Magical Place on Earth. I spent my childhood dreaming of Cinderella’s castle and meeting Mickey Mouse.
Comparing Florida students reading levels from before and after COVID-19, “the average student in Sarasota, Lake, Duval, Pasco, Palm Beach, Polk, Miami-Dade, and Osceola remains at least 80% of a grade level below 2019 levels in reading,” an Education Recovery Scorecard reported.

Comparing Florida students reading levels from before and after COVID-19, “the average student in Sarasota, Lake, Duval, Pasco, Palm Beach, Polk, Miami-Dade, and Osceola remains at least 80% of a grade level below 2019 levels in reading,” an Education Recovery Scorecard reported.

Student’s struggle to read is real

Gemma Bartlinski
Thursday, April 30, 2026
This series of op-ed pieces come to the News-Gazette through English Composition classes at Valencia College's Osceola campus.
Chanel Steptoe is the current Administrator at Aviata at Kissimmee Gardens.

Chanel Steptoe is the current Administrator at Aviata at Kissimmee Gardens.

GUEST COLUMNIST — A Kissimmee blueprint for excellence in long term care

News Staff
Friday, April 3, 2026
By Chanel SteptoeWhen you walk into a long term care facility led by the right people, you feel it immediately. You can see it in how professionals interact with others, the warmth in how residents are greeted, and the trust that families feel in their loved one’s home.
Derrick Chubbs of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida says his organization is working hard to narrow the gap between the available benefits and the amount of help needed by Central Florida families facing hunger.

Derrick Chubbs of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida says his organization is working hard to narrow the gap between the available benefits and the amount of help needed by Central Florida families facing hunger.

GUEST COLUMNIST — Here to stay: hunger in Central Florida

Derrick Chubbs
Friday, February 27, 2026
Frank and Gloria did everything right. They took their finances seriously—saved money, earned an education, and put their kids through school. But now, retired from their careers as teachers, they find themselves struggling to stretch their income to the end of every month.
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