The Poinciana Council honored the 2025 Poinciana Council Scholarship recipients seated from left Ethan Ortiz Valencia (Osceola High School) and Isabela Lopez-Vayas (Gateway High School) Four Poinciana-area students were honored with college scholarships at the annual Poinciana Council Scholarship Awards Luncheon The event is more than a decade old and was held April 22 at Poinciana High School Chef Juan Alamo and the culinary students of Poinciana High School catered the luncheon the Poinciana Council of the Osceola Chamber awarded four $1,500 scholarships collected from donations and event proceeds along with an Osceola County Betterment Grant from keynote speaker and District 3 Commissioner Brandon Arrington Poinciana Council Board Chair and owner of A Creative Station noting she sees the scholarship program as a way to give students a head start on their college journeys “And also give them recognition that their hard work is never unseen.” “There’s something about our kids that when you get behind them the way that they elevate themselves to achieve and to accomplish is amazing,” said School Board District 3 member Anthony Cook “We always talk about when you invest in these kids in particular they will run through a brick wall for you.” The scholarship contest was open to local high school seniors and current students of post-secondary institutions The application included an essay about challenges facing the Poinciana community Scholarship recipient Paulina Diaz moved to the area from Puerto Rico nine years ago and will graduate from Poinciana High School She will attend the University of North Florida en route to a veterinary career Her essay addressed the difficulties of language differences in education in a such a diverse community “I talked about the tutoring that was not available to the students which I think is a very important tool that I think many students need,” said Diaz Gateway High School’s Isabela Lopez-Vayas expressed hope for the Osceola County school choice options to be more transparent to students They have so many school options for the kids The kids just need to be aware of these amazing high schools that they have available to us.” She will study finance at the University of South Florida or the University of Florida Bryan Ramjattan attends Valencia College where he will earn his associate degree then transfer to the University of Central Florida this fall He plans to study Information Technology to address issues including how artificial intelligence can help traffic congestion It helps me pursue my future to make it one step ahead and I’m really happy to make my dreams come true with this scholarship,” said Ramjattan Osceola High School senior Ethan Ortiz Valencia will pair his scholarship with his track and cross country background to pursue college and a career in wellness initiatives for underserved communities Members of the Council hope that the students feel empowered to make a difference in the Poinciana community Go do extraordinary!” Arrington spoke to the recipients who described the Poinciana population as “gritty and resilient,” motivated the students in his speech Handle your business and let us see what that story looks like.” © 2025 Osceola News Gazette A road rage incident that escalated into gunfire in a Publix parking lot has resulted in the arrest of a Kissimmee man according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to reports of a shooting outside the Publix located at 841 Cypress Parkway in the Poinciana area they learned that a dispute which began on the road had turned violent after one driver allegedly followed and fired multiple shots at another the confrontation began when the victim failed to notice a red light had turned green As the traffic light turned and both vehicles moved forward who was unable to change lanes due to heavy traffic the victim turned into the nearby Publix parking lot and then exited his own vehicle with a firearm Deputies say Perez then opened fire on the victim The victim returned fire before Perez fled the scene Detectives with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit quickly launched an investigation and with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Shooting into an Occupied Conveyance (F.S.S He was booked into the Polk County Jail following his arrest The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office has not released the name of the victim Authorities continue to investigate the case and remind residents that acts of violence stemming from road rage can have life-altering consequences Residents with additional information about the incident are encouraged to contact the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office at (407) 348-2222 Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress 2025) - Orlando City SC has announced its 10th Orlando City Soccer School with the unveiling of the brand-new Orlando City Soccer School – Poinciana as the Club continues to expand its Youth Soccer Network to kids all across the Central Florida area "We’re excited to bring an Orlando City Soccer School to the Poinciana community,” Director of Youth Soccer Development for Orlando City Nick Santos said “This is a significant step in the club's mission to increase access to the sport of soccer and use it to positively impact the lives of Central Florida youth.” This location marks the Club’s first location in the Poinciana area joining the nine other Orlando City Soccer Schools located across greater Orlando OCSS – Poinciana will offer both recreational and competitive programs for boys and girls from the ages of three through 19 The school will also introduce programming for kids with special needs as the Club remains committed to fostering inclusion for all spanning 47,000 acres across Polk and Osceola counties in Florida OCSS – Poinciana will provide access to three outdoor 11v11 fields and three indoor facilities for futsal programming More information on joining OCSS – Poinciana, as well as the boys and girls soccer programming offered, can be found at the school’s Instagram page here. And website https://www.ocss-poinciana.com/ The Club will hold a Grand opening event for OCSS – Poinciana on Saturday with the community having the chance to get its first look at the new school Club representatives will be in attendance along with children of all ages that will be attending the school For more information on the Orlando City Youth Soccer Network or to become a member, visit OCYSN.com, contact OCYSN@orlandocitysc.com or follow on Instagram at @OCYouthSoccerNetwork Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More — Construction crews are currently working to help ease congestion on a busy two-lane stretch of Poinciana Boulevard in Osceola County As part of the project, the roadway will be widened to four lanes between Trafalgar Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road Up to 21,500 vehicles drive Poinciana Boulevard every day Osceola County officials say they expect that number to increase to 35,900 He said the current congestion on the roadway can really slow drivers down “So I think that was a great idea to make four-lane Poinciana Boulevard Adding an extra lane in each direction and building a center median is supposed to address safety concerns as well Ali said he often hears from students at his gym who say they get stuck in traffic before class begins ‘There’s an accident on the on the road and we can’t go through.’” a bigger petting zoo and a food truck park while maintaining much of the untouched land He’s hopeful the roadwork will make it easier to get to his location The $80 million project is expected to wrap up in late 2026 Polk County Public Schools has signed an interim agreement with Fortress Secured LLC for the planning of a high school in the Poinciana area The district is using a public-private partnership arrangement for the first time in building the much-needed school in an area where population growth has stressed existing schools That process began four years ago when the district offered invitations to negotiate Deputy Superintendent Jason Pitts provided an overview of the agreement Tuesday during a Polk County School Board work session The 23-page contract with Fortress Secured describes payments the district will make totaling no more than $6.541 million for the predevelopment process The unnamed school will be built on 63 acres at the junction of Bayberry Street and Dogwood Road The 343,000-square-foot school will have approximately 2,712 student stations The School Board voted 6-0 at Tuesday night’s meeting to approve the agreement the district will pay Fortress $1.7 million for Phase 1 with 30% of the predevelopment project delivered The payments proceed with $2.4 million for Phase 2 (60%) just over $1 million for Phase 3 (90%) and $544,000 for Phase 4 (final design) The contract includes miscellaneous payments of $850,000 to the developer — $600,000 for initial property acquisition and $250,000 for an administrative fee The total projected cost of the project is listed at $187.4 million School Board Chair William Allen asked Pitts why the total price had risen from the district’s best and final offer from Fortress of $182 million during negotiations Pitts said he would have to research the reason behind the change He reminded School Board members that the best and final offer from each bidder was based on a prototype and that the “fine tuning” of the design could yield adjustments in cost Fortress has entered into a contract with Rodda Construction of Lakeland which will contract with the architecture firm Schenkel Schultz The agreement states that Fortress will provide the district with an organizational chart listing the team members performing predevelopment activities The developer is required to provide monthly reports on its progress The School Board may give notice of default within 30 days if Fortress materially breaches the contract The district is not liable for any damages or lawsuits the developer might face for negligence or wrongful conduct The agreement sets a deadline based on the school opening for the 2028-29 school year Fortress will transfer ownership of the property to the district within 180 days of the effective date Allen noted that the agreement allows the district to pursue the project on an alternative site if any problems arise with the current location He asked whether the district foresees any problems with the site and Pitts said he knew of no potential issues Pitts said the district does not own any land in Northeast Polk large enough to hold a high school Board members received a report on projected enrollment at charter schools from Candy Amato The report listed 35 charter schools in Polk County Such schools operate independently but receive state funding passed through public school districts Amato projected a jump of 2,230 students for the 2025-26 school year The largest projected increases are 1,000 for New Beginnings High School, which will have a new extension campus in Davenport; 291 for IDEA Lakeland which opened last fall and is adding seventh grade next year; 250 for Mater Academy Middle in Davenport which is adding a grade; and 250 for Navigator Academy High School Board members again discussed the prospect of crafting a referendum for the 2026 election to let voters decide on a dedicated property tax for employee salaries board member Sara Beth Wyatt said that one mill seemed reasonable That is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value Polk Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid offered estimates for the revenue generated with different millage rates: one-quarter of a mill would yield $19 million; half a mill almost $37 million; three-quarters of a mill Heid reminded the School Board that a committee is being established to guide the development of a referendum “There's also been discussion about — as many districts have — about a percentage holdback to address other areas,” Heid said “Up to 15% is what other districts have done to address issues like career tech ed I would just encourage some opportunity to let that committee convene do their research and do their due diligence and that's where that conversation will start from as far as how to allocate and distribute those dollars.” The district’s interim attorneys have said that in order to meet a series of deadlines the School Board would need to adopt a resolution by May 2026 asking the Polk County Commission to place a measure on the ballot for the November 2026 election the extra millage levy can continue for up to four years director of facilities planning and real estate offered an update on the district’s capital five-year work plan for 2024 through 2028 the district is in planning stages on adding 352 student stations at Lake Alfred Elementary and 125 at Wahneta Elementary plus 2,500 for the new high school in Poinciana The projected cost of just over $9 million includes $8.5 million for construction and about $474,000 for architectural engineering and design The agenda item mentioned a donation of $2 million from the school district toward design Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay launched a capital campaign earlier this year to build the Barnett Family JA Discovery Center at Tenoroc High School The nonprofit aims to open the facility for the 2026-27 school year The Florida Legislature allocated $2.5 million for the project in last year’s budget Junior Achievement projects the total cost at $13.3 million The facility will incorporate a JA BizTown and a JA Finance Park storefront facilities that introduce students on field trips to concepts of business Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13 Fla — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) helped find a man who went missing from a nursing home in Poinciana FWC said the man went missing from a nursing home on Saturday the elderly man was seen entering a wooded area near the facility FWC said Polk County Sheriff's deputies called them to help look for the man early Sunday morning and aviation units to find the man and were finally able to track him along a creek FWC said one of the officers called out the man's name and he stood up around 25 yards from their location FWC said crews were able to rescue the man from thick brush using chainsaws and machetes and was taken to the hospital for evaluation coordinated action in tough conditions can lead to life-saving results,” said Maj and I feel like that's part of where the system failed" Henry Betsey Jr. is facing charges for marrying three Florida women in three different counties at the same time. Now saying the system that handles marriage licenses kept them in the dark Latest Polk County News from ABC Action News Report a typo Fort Lauderdale, Florida, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Green Mills Group has announced the official groundbreaking for Poinciana Parc a new real-estate development that will serve seniors in Osceola County Having successfully closed financing in February 2025 The property is located across from the Poinciana SunRail Station affordable housing community in Osceola County that serves low-income seniors Future residents of the 86-unit building will enjoy access to a fitness studio “We’re excited to close financing and start construction on Poinciana Parc,” says Mitchell Rosenstein one of Green Mills’ co-founders and principals which is part of the Orlando/Kissimmee statistical area professionally managed homes that are actually affordable Poinciana Parc will be another great representation of Green Mills Group’s commitment to providing best-in-class affordable communities throughout Florida.” Poinciana Parc was awarded a competitive 9% tax credit allocation from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation in May 2023 Additional funding is being provided by Green Mills Group Raymond James Affordable Housing Investments “At TD Bank we're committed to closing the affordable housing gap in our regions and providing housing for at-risk seniors is just one example of this commitment coming to life and our seniors need a place to call home," Nathan Perlmutter "Osceola County is a market that will benefit greatly from investment in affordable housing and TD is excited to partner with the Green Mills Group to make this project a reality Living spaces that provide this peace of mind to dozens of families by providing affordable access to on-site facilities and public transportation is essential to creating a thriving community." Green Mills Group specializes in the development of sustainable multifamily apartment communities with a focus on affordable/workforce housing and neighborhood revitalization The company’s mission is to create new housing communities that are catalysts for positive change improving residents’ lives with stability and easy access to transportation The firm recently completed its 13th affordable housing community in Florida has three more developments under construction and has four more scheduled to break ground in the next 12 months The company’s completed portfolio totals approximately $270 million in development costs Green Mills Group and its principals have never sold any of its developments’ ownership interests illustrating the firm’s long-term approach and commitment to its residents TD Bank is a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank, a top 10 North American bank. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com/us Choose the health content that’s right for you — AdventHealth has broken ground on an ER that will bring a much-needed option for emergency care to residents of fast-growing Poinciana and surrounding areas of Osceola and Polk counties The approximately 15,000-square-foot emergency room located off Pleasant Hill Road at Merry D Lane will have 16 patient rooms; respiratory therapy; diagnostic imaging X-ray and ultrasound; and an on-site full-service laboratory and pharmacy "While AdventHealth has been caring for residents of Osceola and Polk counties for many years we are excited to bring whole-person emergency care to Poinciana for the first time,” said AdventHealth Kissimmee CEO Sheila Rankin “We believe everyone deserves a choice in where they receive their care and we are glad to be providing access to convenient high-quality care close to home for this community.” The ER is staffed by a comprehensive clinical team including board-certified emergency physicians and emergency nurses I know that seconds can count when you need medical help,” said Dr emergency department medical director for AdventHealth Kissimmee “Making our services more easily accessible will be a great benefit for the residents of Poinciana.” The ER will bring 65 jobs to the community in a range of clinical and support roles HuntonBrady is the architect on the project The AdventHealth Poinciana ER is slated to open in the third quarter of 2025 Baby Mattie needed a liver transplant but was too sick to even get on the list For the nurses at AdventHealth for Children her organs were shutting down and her little body was fighting a battle that seemed insurmountable AdventHealth is expanding its nursing workforce enhancing hands-on training programs and reinforcing its commitment to exceptional patient care our organization embarked on multiple global mission projects that made a significant impact on the lives of two families in need AdventHealth Carrollwood has been awarded an “A” Hospital Safety Grade by The Leapfrog Group a national nonprofit upholding the standard of excellence in patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory.. Dozens of community members and several organizations came together to help support the AdventHealth Lake Placid and Wauchula Foundations during the 11th annual Clays and Camo fundraiser we honor the extraordinary acts of kindness and compassion demonstrated by our nurses across the region Three remarkable nurses from AdventHealth Avista's surgery center have embarked on.. AdventHealth is proud to join Nemours Children’s Health System as the official medical services provider for the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona A local nurse and a CEO were recognized by the Central Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce The spring 2025 Leapfrog grades have been released and four AdventHealth Rocky Mountain Region hospitals have achieved top honors for patient safety AdventHealth North Pinellas achieves elite national status as a straight- ‘A’ for patient safety  All AdventHealth hospitals in Pasco County continue to earn straight ‘A’ hospital safety grades from The Leapfrog Group Our website uses cookies. Please review our privacy policy to find out more about the cookies we use Browsing our website means you accept these terms Friends and family gathered for a celebratory luau to honor the 100th birthday of Osceola County resident Robert Belisario a senior living center located between Kissimmee and Poinciana The festive affair included a catered dinner and entertainment by a Hawaiian performance group Belisario was raised by his grandparents during the Great Depression His childhood farm job had him working long hours for a dollar and a lunch a day He was only 17 years old when he volunteered to join the military after the start of World War II Naval boot camp and six weeks of training at the Naval Hospital Corps in San Diego prepared him for his assignment in the Panama Canal Zone Belisario received letters from a pen pal named Gerry Andreine They corresponded and when he was granted a 30-day leave Belisario was assigned to New Guinea where he served as a medic with the RON 25 group patrolling on PT boats “Many men were either killed or missing and the rest of us spent several hours floating in our ‘Mae Wests’ (inflatable life preservers) until a PBY [patrol bomber] found us and dropped a life raft for the survivors,” he remembered These memories were prominent at the 100th birthday party As the band played “God Bless America,” Belisario stood and removed his hat The touching moment brought tears to the eyes of many loved ones had followed in his father’s military footsteps enlisting in the Navy during the Vietnam War for crying out loud,” the younger Belisario said World War II ended in 1945 and Belisario married Andreine a year later He finished nine years in the Navy and started a family of five children with his sweetheart is my beautiful girl by my side for 74 years Then he moved to Florida to be close to his daughter Belisario said he taught his children many lessons “The easiest and most happy way to enjoy life—do what you’re told Look at everybody as a friend until they prove different.” “He’s the kind of guy who just makes friends easily There’s a lot of folks here that consider him their friend,” Belisario Surrounded by good friends and generations of family what does a 100-year-old wish for on the occasion A project to freshen the look of one of Palm Beach's entry points recently broke ground SMI Landscape Architecture and the town had a ceremony on April 23 to mark the beginning of work on landscaping on the two Royal Poinciana Way medians between Bradley Place and North County Road The project's estimated price tag is $550,000 a cost that will be covered by the Garden Club Town Council and Garden Club members joined Jorge Sanchez and Claudia Visconti of SMI Landscape Architecture to pick up gold shovels and ceremonially hoist the first scoops of dirt from the site The Town Council members were Lew Crampton Bridget Moran and President Bobbie Lindsay The Garden Club members were GCPB Kate Gubelmann Mary Pressly and President Christine Aylward The council unanimously approved the landscaping site plan at the Sept Each median will have a walkway made of a shell stone around the outside There will be five mid-block plantings with native holywood trees at their center Small hedges will be planted around most of each median and the plan also includes beds of mixed perennials The iconic royal palms that line either the north and south sides of the medians will remain The 75 parking spaces on either sides of the medians also will not be affected Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism the Polk County School Board has taken a decisive step toward the creation of a new high school in the Poinciana area though its doors will not open before 2028 The School Board voted unanimously at Tuesday’s meeting to enter negotiations with a private company to design and build the school The school is intended to relieve overcrowding at existing high schools in fast-growing Northeast Polk County A committee had recommended accepting a proposal from Fortress Secured LLC as part of the public-private partnership process the district is using for the first time in planning a new school The district originally received an unsolicited bid from Building Tomorrow's Schools to build a new high school off Lake Hatchineha and Firetower roads The district then issued an Invitation To Negotiate and received another proposal from Fortress Secured The latter company withdrew its submission in December leaving Fortress Secured as the only remaining candidate Fortress Secured formed in 2019 and is based in Jacksonville Polk Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid recommended accepting the proposal from Fortress Secured at the Jan A deadline has passed for any further offers The agenda packet for Tuesday’s meeting included an analysis from an evaluation committee of the proposals from both Fortress Secured and Building Tomorrow’s Schools The committee rated Fortress higher in the categories of team experience; design planning and construction; and estimated price The committee gave Fortress 6,689 out of 7,070 possible points in the evaluation Phase two of the evaluation included two in-person presentations from each team The committee again gave Fortress a higher score The assessment included details from each company’s best and final offers with Fortress setting a total project cost of $182.2 million and a construction timeline of 22 months The company identified land-acquisition costs at $10.08 million for 63 acres Fortress said that it would target 70 acres about a half mile east of Marigold Avenue on Bayberry Street according to documents obtained from the district Heid said he did not know if Fortress had bought the land The School Board faced two choices in Tuesday’s meeting: accept the recommendation from district staff to begin negotiations with Fortress or reject it and start over with a traditional “request for bid” process School Board members William Allen and Kay Fields both cited Fortress’ expected use of Rodda Construction as a selling point has handled many projects for Florida Southern College and Polk State College Though they voted to approve moving forward with the Fortress proposal some School Board members expressed misgivings and frustrations about the lengthy process “This has been a long journey — an extremely long journey for us,” Allen said during a work session before the meeting “I’m going to just say I'm with you on this item Allen recalled voting in 2021 for the acquisition of property an action the school district never carried out He said the vote called for purchasing the same two parcels now included in the Fortress proposal The price at the time was $49,000 per acre for dry land and $10,000 an acre for wetlands He noted that the price Fortress quoted is $160,000 per acre especially when we're here to bring a sense of accountability to our financial conditions,” Allen said who was in his first weeks with the district at the time acknowledged that the process has been marred by confusion He said the delays and mistakes reflected the newness of the public-private partnership scheme rather than any intentional misdeeds Heid and School Board members mentioned the departure of top district officials as a factor “Some of the delays were brought about because of a lack of transparency — and I'll leave it at that — that we felt in order for us to truly do our due diligence as information was being presented to us about certain things that could impact our ultimate decision or the board's ultimate decision and my ultimate recommendation to the board for procurement,” Heid said which meant that we had to get some assurances from everyone involved that there were no legal potential restrictions.” Doctors concerned about drop in childhood vaccination rates in Polk County and across Florida Heid that he is still trying to determine why the district staff did not execute the board’s decision to buy property for the Poinciana school The superintendent said that the process has been slowed by the need to seek outside advice "There were times where we ultimately brought in external counsel based off their experience and expertise in this area," Heid said one of four members who have been on the School Board throughout the Poinciana school process suggested holding a retreat to explore how the public-private partnership strategy works and discuss the expectations of members “We are in desperate need of a high school,” Miller said “We were in desperate need of a high school in 2021 But I do think we need to talk about what that process looks like across the board and we might all have different expectations Polk County has been ranked among the fastest-growing counties in the nation and the Haines City area has absorbed the brunt of the population surge The closest high schools to the Poinciana area are Haines City High (3,082 students) Davenport High (2,698) and Ridge Community High (2,601) Allen mentioned the district's spending of money for portable buildings at the school I think that it has really become a little bit challenging making sure that we were all on the same page and understanding the process and making sure that everything has been vetted,” Fields said I think it's been a very long and tedious process and I really think that we need to move forward and make a decision tonight and then do what we think is going to be best for our students and for our families.” Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518 The Association of Poinciana Villages will host its Annual Christmas Parade and Celebration on Saturday draws over 1,000 Poinciana residents and is a “rain or shine” celebration This family-friendly event is free and open to both APV residents and the public with a spectacular parade featuring beautifully decorated floats and participants marching from Cypress Parkway to Vance Harmon Park head over to the Vance Harmon Park Amphitheater (625 Country Club Drive) for a lively celebration including: Guests can park at the Poinciana Activity Campus (445 Marigold Avenue) and take a free shuttle service every 20 minutes from 9:00 a.m and Doverplum Ave between Cypress Parkway and Country Club Drive until the parade concludes The redeveloped Royal Poinciana Playhouse site in Palm Beach has welcomed its second and third retailers following the March debut of luxury fashion brand Thom Browne a Massachusetts-based real estate development firm leading the redevelopment of the playhouse “The reintroduction of The Royal Poinciana Playhouse signifies more than just the careful revitalization of a historic landmark," Samantha David "It marks the beginning of a new cultural heartbeat for Palm Beach and La DoubleJ as the retail foundation of the Playhouse is the start of the next extraordinary chapter for this beloved building.” Loewe launched a boutique at the Royal Poinciana Plaza last fall before transitioning to its permanent location at the playhouse The boutique offers a selection of women’s ready-to-wear Loewe operates two other boutiques in Florida — both in Miami-Dade County — as well as stores in New York City the company began as a leathermaking collective and has grown into a leading global brand Loewe officials told the Daily News last fall Loewe's 1,300-square-foot space in Palm Beach reflects the "Casa Loewe" concept and designer furniture to mirror the elegance of an art collector’s home The boutique features brightly colored walls composed of handcrafted blue and green ceramic tiles Its furniture selection includes a leather puffer bench an original Spanish antique ceramic vessel NakashimaConoid Cushion chairs and signature black iron martini tables Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. For information, visit www.theroyalpoincianaplaza.com/tenants/loewe founded in 2015 by American journalist and vintage collector J.J initially launched as a shoppable online magazine featuring vintage clothing and jewelry Its new space surrounds visitors with emerald green walls Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. For information, visit www.theroyalpoincianaplaza.com/tenants/la-doublej More tenants are set to open at the Playhouse later this year including the Glazer Hall cultural arts center with an October opening planned for Tutto Mare according to Tutto Il Giornio Restaurant Group and excitement for what’s to come in the reopened Playhouse building is unmatched," Alexandra Clark chief operating officer for WS Development we’re thrilled to have fulfilled our promise to this community." Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com A trio of luxury fashion boutiques are the first businesses to debut at the redeveloped Royal Poinciana Playhouse site in Palm Beach and La DoubleJ and Loewe are scheduled to launch early next month a spokesperson for the project's developer confirmed Monday marking the final stages of the long-awaited restoration of the iconic building Thom Browne, a luxury fashion brand that offers men's, women's and children's apparel plus accessories, beauty, lifestyle and home items, previously operated a seasonal boutique at the Royal Poinciana Plaza Its new 1,500-square-foot space features a ready-to-wear floor along with alcoves dedicated to eyewear La DoubleJ a women's fashion brand known for its bold Loewe a Spanish luxury fashion brand that specializes in leather goods The company opened a pop-up boutique at the Royal Poinciana Plaza in October and will transition to its new location Founded in Spain in 1846, the brand began as a leathermaking collective and has grown into a leading global brand, Loewe officials told the Daily News last fall who was hired as the brand's creative director in 2013 has spearheaded a "major rejuvenation" of the house a Massachusetts-based real estate development firm leading the redevelopment of the Royal Poinciana Playhouse celebrated the impending debut of the building's first three tenants noted that it took "11 years of work" to get to that point Up Markets, a division of WS Development, has controlled the playhouse since 2014 under a long-term lease for the Royal Poinciana Plaza. It spent years searching for an operator for the landmarked venue before choosing Palm Beach residents Jill and Avie Glazer, whose family owns the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 is the year of the reopened Royal Poinciana Playhouse," Clark told the Daily News In addition to the Loewe, Thom Browne and La DoubleJ, announced playhouse tenants include the Glazer Hall cultural arts center Cartier and Glazer Hall are expected to open in the fall albeit the first of many as we march towards opening Glazer Hall later this year and excitement for what’s to come in the reopened Playhouse building is unmatched but more than anything we’re thrilled to have fulfilled our promise to this community." The Association of Poinciana Villages is hosting its annual Spring Fest Eggstravaganza on Saturday family-friendly celebration draws hundreds of residents each year and marks the arrival of Easter and spring with fun-filled activities for all ages and photos with the event’s guest of honor—the Easter Bunny The egg hunts will be grouped by age and will take place on the lawn behind the Poinciana Community Pool While all children must be accompanied by an adult only those in the 3 and under group (and children needing assistance) may have a parent or guardian on the field with them Spring Fest is one of several signature events hosted by APV each year designed to bring the Poinciana community together and create lasting memories for families and neighbors alike is designed to connect the existing road to another planned to connect Poinciana with Florida's Turnpike A community group that represented the harshest critics of the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX)’s plan to build an elevated expressway down the middle of Cypress Parkway in Poinciana is starting to warm to the idea Members of Southport Connector Alternate Routes (SCAR) say they have met with CFX to discuss how the plan could better go forward The Southport Connector is a connection between the Poinciana Parkway already open and just expanded to four lanes to another proposed toll road that would link Florida’s Turnpike to where Pleasant Hill Road curves to the southwest and becomes Cypress Parkway It’s all part of a planned interconnected network that would form a de facto beltway around Osceola County to move a potential population of 800,000 county residents around growing residential and commercial areas CFX officials also plan to connect the northern end of Poinciana Parkway to County Road 532 and eventually Interstate 4 at the State Road 429 interchange But the connection through “downtown Poinciana” has caused the greatest outcry Residents said the raised road would have created “The Great Wall of Poinciana” and businesses said they’d lose their parking lots and have to move due to right-of-way acquisitions The SCAR group even filed a Title VI Civil Rights complaint with the Federal Highway Administration’s Environmental Justice board saying the road would bi-sect a community that is primarily minority But Solivita resident and SCAR member Lita Epstein said the group has met with CFX to discuss the next steps for the road’s Project Development and Engineering (PD&E) study She said CFX has heard SCAR’s concerns and developed some of them into the updated study The major ones involve adding a third lane to the Cypress Parkway surface road and using bridges instead of the wall design where possible “CFX responded to Poinciana’s concerns by adding a third local lane to Cypress Parkway and significant improvements to intersections,” Epstein said They’ve also agreed to do a community impact assessment as well as sound and pollution studies to measure the impact on Poinciana residences This is a big improvement and makes the plans more responsive to the needs of the community.” She said studies done show about 4,000 cars of the 40,000 or so expected to drive in the modified corridor would be on the expressway “Everyone else would be on the local lanes The neighborhood traffic wouldn’t use the toll road,” Epstein said CFX said it will also perform sound studies to determine current sound levels and plan for sound walls in sections where the Connector will be at ground level Marigold Avenue and Old Pleasant Hill Road CFX officials have reiterated that the plans are still in the conceptual phase and subject to further changes as it gets more feedback from residents and businesses in the community Program managers say they expect to transmit the PD&E to the CFX Board of Directors in late 2025 with the design phase to take up to two years and construction to take at least two more Drivers likely won’t travel the new lanes until roughly 2030 More on the project can be found at www.MovePoinciana.com Loewe's new Palm Beach store showcases women’s ready-to-wear Loewe unveiled its new Palm Beach store at the Royal Poinciana Plaza The store showcases a full offering of women’s ready-to-wear Loewe Palm Beach exemplifies the Casa Loewe concept craft and design furniture creates the eclectic feel of an art collector’s home Brightly- colored walls composed of handcrafted blue and green ceramic tiles demonstrate an appreciation for craft A selection of art furniture comprises a puffer bench of the finest quality leather an original Spanish antique ceramic vessel and Nakashima Conoid Cushion chairs alongside signature black iron martini tables two wool reproductions of British textile artist John Allen’s The River Reaches the Sea Birling Gap round out the space with an abstracted landscape the store houses artwork handpicked from a global art collection including British painter Christina Kimeze’s Taking Time (2023) and New York-based painter Doron Langberg’s Ilan’s Garden 4 (2022) » SUBSCRIBE Tweets by pbillustrated News 6 is naming the teen due to the circumstances of the case The crash resulted in the deaths of a 50-year-old woman and three children — a 1-year-old girl 9-year-old boy and 11-year-old girl — as well as the hospitalization of a man in his 50s with serious injuries The 16-year-old’s arrest follows that of his father, 68-year-old Richard Ferguson who is accused of allowing the boy to drive the car Sabrina Hernandez, the mother of the three children killed in the crash and the daughter of the woman, said at a vigil shortly after the crash that while she forgave the teen she still wanted him to be held accountable as well as for something to be done about traffic offenders and a lack of traffic enforcement in the area What is the difference that you can go into another town and there’s cops everywhere?” she said “(...) I’m not going to stop until I get justice for my family Because the same way he went ahead and ate the stop sign and killed my family he still got to wake up today and my family didn’t.” (PREVIOUS COVERAGE | STORY CONTINUES BELOW) Ri’Shard Laroy Ferguson was taken into custody at the county’s Juvenile Detention Center while his father has been booked into the Osceola County Jail At Richard Ferguson’s first appearance in court on Thursday or $15,000 for each of the four vehicular manslaughter charges he faces More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved joined the ClickOrlando team in November 2021 TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us / Follow on Social Media Careers at WKMG Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications EEO Report Disability Assistance Copyright © 2025 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group — The Central Florida Expressway Authority is moving forward with a project that was once dubbed the Great Wall of Poinciana the expressway authority is promising changes for the proposed Southport Connector Expressway “The biggest news is that in looking at the Southport Connector study that we’ve been able to incorporate a widening of the Cypress Parkway,” said Manager of Community Engagement Brian Hutchings at the expressway authority “So that will be a huge improvement for the local traffic and then you’ll have the regional traffic that will be up on top using the expressway.” a resident of the Solivita 55 plus community in Poinciana knows how challenging it can be to drive in the sprawling community split between Osceola and Polk counties “Commutes were an hour and a half to two hours in each direction,” said Epstein who primarily works from home and avoids the traffic Poinciana has the longest commute in the nation That’s why the Central Florida Expressway Authority came up with the Southport Connector Expressway It’s a 15 mile toll road that would help connect I-4 to Florida’s Turnpike “There’s no question the Southport Connector will improve that commute but at the same time it will destroy what is Poinciana,” she said.  Plans call for an elevated toll road to be built on the median of Cypress Parkway. Concerned about splitting Poinciana in half, Epstein and others formed a group opposing the plan and what they called the Great Wall of Poinciana but the opposition was enough to get the expressway authority to change their plans Hutchings says now the proposal calls for Cypress Parkway to be widened to 6 lanes to help alleviate local traffic while the plan is still to add an elevated toll road in the median “We’re looking at bridge structures,” Hutchings said in an effort to remove some of the wall-like structures that had caused concerns Renderings show bridges will be used for much of the project Epstein is glad the expressway authority is adding extra lanes to Cypress Parkway and removing some of the proposed wall will still be there and we still have the pollution from the trucks and the cars that are going to come through here on the expressway “A positive will be that people in Poinciana will be able to get up to route four and the turnpike much more quickly.” The expressway authority is still studying the proposed route and taking in community feedback To learn more about the project, and even take a survey, click here The Association of Poinciana Villages (APV) Annual Adult Sweetheart Dance takes place on Saturday AARP Foundation Tax – Aide provides tax consulting with several preparation options.  This service is free of charge with special focus on those over 50 or have low to moderate income at the Anthony DePalma Center (395 Marigold Ave.) These services will be available in both English and Spanish. Appointments are required.  To make an appointment Valentines Day Bingo takes place on Friday 445 Marigold Ave.  This fun filled Bingo night starts at 6 p.m Special host is Humana and features 10 games for $5 with cash payouts to winners.  The concession stand will be open for food and drinks (no outside food and drinks are allowed). This event is for ages 18 and over at the Anthony DePalma Event Center.  This celebration for you and your sweetheart includes music for you to dance the night away This free event is for those 21 and over. RSVP required.  RSVP at www.tinyurl.com/26r2pwx4 Get Hired!  Essential Job Skills Series takes place on Thursday 13 from 10-11 a.m.  Build or polish your resume and craft a standout cover letter.  This week’s topic will be: Writing Resumes and Cover Letters.  Love for books is in the air!  Speed Date with a Book on Friday 14 from 12-1 p.m.  Get to know a wide selection of books in lightning rounds.  Separating Business and Personal Finances will be presented by Truist Bank on Tuesday 18 from 2-3 p.m.  Learn how to separate these two things as you progress your work and life goals Doverplum Ave. All Library programs are free and open to the public Access Community Center will be distributing bags of fruits and vegetables on Tuesday 18 at 4545 Pleasant Hill Road (near Southport Road) beginning at 11 a.m.  One bag per person while supplies last Spring registration is now open for Spring Soccer with the Polk County Futbol Club.  This club is for ages 8-16.  The 2025 season starts Saturday 1.   Soccer takes place at the Poinciana Community Park For more information, go to http://PolkCountyfc.com If you have any Poinciana news or information that you would like to share, call Lisa Concepcion at 407-319-9700 or email lisaconcepcion810@yahoo.com OSCEOLA COUNTY – A man was arrested more than a year after his teenage son ran a stop sign and struck an SUV at an intersection in Poinciana a crash that the Florida Highway Patrol says killed four of the SUV’s occupants Richard Ferguson, 68, faces four counts of vehicular manslaughter in connection to the 2023 crash did not have a learner’s permit and had three other 15-year-old boys in the car with him when he ran a stop sign at a high rate of speed and slammed into the left side of the SUV The crash happened around 7 p.m. on Sept. 3, 2023, at the intersection of San Miguel Street and Laurel Avenue, which was a two-way stop until more signage was added in the days after the deadly wreck 9-year-old boy and 11-year-old girl — as well as the hospitalization of a man with serious injuries According to the affidavit for Ferguson’s arrest warrant The document cites investigators’ interviews with the teens in recounting how Ferguson told them to buckle up and come right back after he moved another vehicle so the boy could exit the driveway Sabrina Hernandez, the mother of the three children killed in the crash and the daughter of the woman, said at a vigil shortly after the crash that while she forgave the teen At Ferguson’s first appearance in court on Thursday The state attorney’s office has moved forward with charges for the driver and there is an active warrant for his arrest You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below: Anthony Talcott POINCIANA – An 18-year-old student was arrested after he brought a firearm to Poinciana High School on Tuesday Poinciana High School was placed on lockdown due to a “suspicious incident,” but it was later lifted No weapon has been found on campus,” the district announced earlier During a news conference on Tuesday evening Osceola Sheriff Marcos Lopez said that deputies learned during the “early hours of the school day” that the school’s dean had called Kori McBride “(McBride) was called into the dean’s office due to the faculty smelling cannabis and wanting to search the student,” Lopez stated “It’s important to note that this student is 18 years old and an adult.” the dean searched McBride’s belongings and found something that felt like a weapon in the student’s backpack “He feels something heavy and hears something clinking “He suspects it’s a gun inside (McBride’s) backpack.” But before the dean could continue the search Lopez announced that deputies were eventually able to apprehend McBride I saw him put something into the bushes,’” Lopez recounted deputies were able to find a handgun wrapped in a sweater that belonged to McBride “There was a firearm in a backpack at Poinciana High School today with this individual admitted that he brought it on campus,” Lopez said Lopez also said that investigators reached out to McBride’s mother no previous criminal record has been found for McBride McBride was arrested and faces the following charges: Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved Daniel started with WKMG-TV in 2000 and became the digital content manager in 2009 When he's not working on ClickOrlando.com Daniel likes to head to the beach or find a sporting event nearby soccer — If your children like any of them there's a league for them in Poinciana The 2025 registration is now open for the Poinciana Predators Football and Cheerleading Association This is Poinciana’s longest running youth sports organization If you have a child interested in playing football or cheerleading ages 3 -14 The fees are $75 for flag and $175 for tackle football at Vance Harmon Park (50 Country Club Road) My Soccer Academy is currently holding registration for its toddler class My Soccer Academy meets at Deerwood Community Park (4051 Laurel Ave.) Mondays The program has both recreational and competitive leagues seating areas and a front desk where staff can assist you My Soccer Academy Program runs throughout the year Florida’s severe Weather Awareness Week takes place Feb In partnership with Osceola Emergency Management youths aged 6 -11 can enter the Severe Weather Awareness Challenge paint or digitally create an original work of art about Florida’s sometimes severe weather Illustrate what to do to prepare in one of these severe weather categories: lightning All artwork should include a written safety message to help teach others about severe weather safety and preparedness Go to www.readyosceola.org for helpful information from Osceola County Emergency Management on what to include. Original artwork must be submitted via Osceola Library system biblioboard submission page: https://osceolalibrary.librariesshare.com/severeweather by Saturday The winning artist will be invited to the Osceola County Emergency Operation Center to celebrate and their work will be shared across the County on social media and displayed at the winners local Library learn to take the power back from uncomfortable situations by becoming aware of the situations around us on Thursday at Be The Hero – Active Bystander Intervention presented by the Victim Service Center of Central Florida Bring school age children (ages 6 to 11) to the Library on Wednesday Bingo for Books Junior allows you to win Bingo and grab great books Glazer Hall for the Performing Arts a $30 million theater and cultural arts center under construction at the Royal Poinciana Plaza in Palm Beach is moving toward a year-end opening with the announcement of a recent donation in excess of $15 million from Palm Beach residents Avram “Avie” and Jill Glazer The Glazers are playing the lead role in turning the long-shuttered island landmark into a sustainable performing arts and events space “This is the first theater and nonprofit cultural arts center in Palm Beach in 60 years,” said Jill Glazer The 800-seat playhouse that once played host to comedian Bob Hope and to European royalty, closed in 2004. WS Development of Chestnut Hill tore down most of the structure in 2023 and began building a 400-seat venue WS brought in a nonprofit founded by the Glazers called The Innovate in 2021 to oversee programming of the rebuilt playhouse The Innovate operates under the name Palm Beach Cultural Innovation Center and is now doing business as Glazer Hall Avie Glazer is the son of Malcolm Glazer who bought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team in 1995 and passed it on to his family after his death in 2014 Avie Glazer is co-chair of the English Premier League club Manchester United which his father bought for $1.4 billion in 2005 He and Jill have lived in Palm Beach since 2002 the real work starts after the initial fundraising “The Price of Humanity: How Philanthropy Went Wrong and How to Fix It.” Knowing the difficulty of balancing the books on theater alone Jill Glazer said in an interview that the center on the Intracoastal Waterway just south of the north bridge will offer much more “We are going to offer private spaces overlooking the intracoastal with event rentals such as wedding receptions,” she said in an interview The most recent tax forms publicly available offer a snapshot of Glazer Hall in 2022, when it had just $264,400 in grants and $648,500 in assets, mostly ascribed to the construction project the campaign to raise money to support the playhouse has begun in full force The amounts raised have not been publicly released but the Glazer Hall website lists 250 supporters Among the many ways supporters can give is to inscribe a seat in their name with a $10,000 donation. A recent advertisement said just 100 of the 400 seats remain Donors also can pick from an array of membership and naming options we aim to build Glazer Hall into a beacon of inspiration offering guests the opportunity to experience the arts in all its forms,” Chief Philanthropic Officer Victoria Peyton said in a statement “With generous support from the greater community Glazer Hall will become a one-of-a-kind cultural arts center attracting not only locals but also visitors across the country and around the world.” former CEO of the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County and Glazer Hall board member touted the effort with a post on Instagram saying “The Glazers have gone far beyond what most of us will ever do to give back and support a community READ MORE: Miami-Dade County moves ahead on plans to demolish historic Coconut Grove Playhouse with its 300-seat Rinker Playhouse just two miles west “It’s a beloved Palm Beach landmark with a deep cultural legacy and its return is a meaningful moment for the community,” said Georgiana Young Kravis’ programming and marketing vice president Glazer Hall must reassure potential donors and the community that it will solve potential problems with parking fundraising and familiarity with programming philanthropist and retired Palm Beach accountant Richard Rampell pointed out “I used to go to lots of shows at the playhouse before the Kravis (Center in West Palm Beach) was built (in 1992),” Rampell said “The parking lot was always packed (especially for matinees) there will be 200 cars wanting to park where there was no parking to begin with,” Rampell said Compounding the crowding issues will be Tutto Mare, a 200-seat Mediterranean restaurant to open immediately south of the theater along the intracoastal Town officials approved WS’ plan for the restaurant co-owned by fashion designer Donna Karan’s daughter noise and becoming a regional destination instead of “town-centric.” The 11-acre plaza has 679 parking spaces and the playhouse will have valet parking The project has undergone some pivots, as the initial schedule called for construction to be completed last fall. It is now scheduled for late 2025 And the executive director hired in July, Jared Shahid returning to the Hudson Valley in New York where he previously ran a playhouse in Ridgefield Staff departures stemmed from construction delays and “the executive director decided to go back to New York,” Jill Glazer said Another staffer is Jill Glazer’s sister-in-law a former executive director of the Montauk Playhouse Community Center Foundation The search is on for a programming manager and a chief executive “The Glazers are locals who know the importance of this project and have the resources” to hire the best programming experts The Royal Poinciana Plaza, built in 1957, is on the site of Henry Flagler’s Royal Poinciana Hotel, demolished in 1935. Acclaimed architect John Volk designed the plaza in the Regency Revival style and the playhouse opened a year later, in February 1958 The playhouse started as a producing theater but in 1979, under new ownership, it emphasized touring shows it played host to stars such as Burt Reynolds Dame Judith Anderson and Christopher Plummer performed there The Kennedys and European royalty were frequent visitors with the opening of the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach the playhouse began to suffer from competition wanted to move his company to the playhouse borrow $8 million to gut it and create a 400-seat theater The final curtain at the playhouse dropped in 2004 Royal Poinciana Plaza owner Sydney Spiegel sued the town for not considering his plans to build condos on the site The judge ruled that he could not demolish the 787-seat playhouse because a 1979 agreement with the town required it be maintained as a performing arts venue Plans to move Ballet Florida and the Palm Beach Symphony there fell through as well WS Development has controlled the plaza and the playhouse under a long-term lease While the plaza has been transformed into a desirable destination the playhouse is mostly a construction site with one store opening recently next to the theater and two more to open soon In 2023, “a near-total demolition” of the old playhouse caught town officials by surprise, with Council Member Julie Araskog telling the town council she was “devastated” when she saw the site in July after returning from vacation, according to the Palm Beach Daily News “I came over the north bridge and saw no more of the playhouse,” the Daily News reported her saying “Gobsmacked isn’t even a word that reveals how I felt.” A vice president for WS Development told the Daily News that the town had approved the tear-down which was needed to meet code requirements Photos showed the interior gutted with several exterior walls propped up by beams The Palm Beach Town Council had good things to say about the Glazers’ efforts when they approved the nonprofits’ name change last month “The extensive renovation and reconstruction of the former Royal Poinciana Playhouse into a new place for performing arts in Palm Beach will be welcomed later this year,” Council President Bobbie Lindsay told the Daily News “The Glazers’ unwavering support and dedication to ensure a first-class arts venue operates at the former playhouse site will benefit us all.” This story was originally published by Stet News Palm Beach The teen involved in a 2023 Poinciana crash that claimed four lives faced a plea hearing on Thursday in a completely separate case pleaded no contest to a 2024 charge of driving without a license “It’s the harshest penalty I’ve ever seen for a second-degree misdemeanor,” Darling said understanding the tragedy that took place back in 2023 Ferguson is ready to move forward and take accountability.” Florida Highway Patrol said Ferguson allegedly ran a stop sign while driving nearly 80 miles per hour in a Poinciana neighborhood killing a 50-year-old woman and three children Ferguson’s more serious vehicular manslaughter charges are still under review. Additionally, Ferguson’s father has been arrested for allowing him to drive Stay tuned for the latest updates on this case Ferguson's driving without a license charge stems from an incident unrelated to the 2023 fatal crash in Poinciana for which he is facing more serious charges Cloud collected a pair of OBC team titles on Wednesday afternoon; while Gateway’s Jose Calderon and Poinciana’s Levi Lee put on spectacular performances at the 2025 Orange Belt Conference Track and Field Championships at Harmony it was a great day for the team as the Bulldogs boys broke the four-year championship reign of the Longhorns and the Lady Bulldogs defended their team title to give St It was incredibly close on the girls’ side when the team championship came down to the final event – the 4 x 400 relay so Harmony needed to finish three places in front of St but by only one place (4th to 5th) and the Lady Bulldogs held on to the team title (156-154.5) Cloud pulled away at the end to beat second place Gateway (165.5-138.5) and break Harmony’s four-year championship streak in boys’ track Cloud’s first boys’ championship since 2019 but things did not go as we thought they might,” St “If any championship was going to come down to the wire they had a great meet and fought us to the end.” The Bulldogs had only three individual and two relay team champions in 18 events on the boys’ side it was their overall team depth – especially in the distance events – that really set them apart from the rest of the field the Bulldogs dominated both the 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs 4th (Isaiah Casiano) and 5th (Luis Rivera) to score 23 team points and the 3200-meters third (Jonathan Araya) and sixth (Rivera) in the 1600 the Bulldogs picked up 40 of their 165.5 team points (24%) in those two events alone “We had some great performances in several events including the high jump and a school record from Mason Shafer in the pole vault but we scored a lot of team points in the distance events,” Harkema said “They have been a strength of our team all season.” Gateway’s Jose Calderon and Poinciana’s Levi Lee had sensational meets – each winning three races Lee won the OBC 1600-meters for a third straight year (4:29.31) and also took the 800-meters (1:59.09) and 3200-meters (10:17.89) Calderon had perhaps the top performance of the championship winning the 100 and 200-meter runs in school record times; while also winning his signature event Calderon now owns school records in all three races included Celebration’s Gavin Konopka (shot and discus) and Poinciana’s Tyler Johnson (long and triple jump) Priscilla Rodriguez won both the 100 and 400 hurdles; while Tohopekaliga’s Sofia Delgado took both the shot and discus Celebration’s Evelyn Juden and Sophia Meadows were a part of two winning relay teams (4 x 800 and 4 x 400); while the Storm’s Anna Balba won the 200 meters and ran a leg on the winning 4 x 400 team Poinciana and Tohopekaliga will competed in the Class 4A District 7 meet April 18 at Viera; Celebration will be at the 4A District 6 meet at George Jenkins (April 17) and Gateway and Liberty will competed in the 3A Cloud 165.5; Gateway 138.5; Celebration 82 Camera-monitored speed zones outside of seven Poinciana area schools are operational as of Monday Osceola County has implemented school zone speed cameras in a two-phase rollout to enhance school safety KOA Elementary and Deerwood Elementary are included in District 3 The Osceola County Board of County Commissioners has renewed Osceola Prosper which enables 2025 Osceola County high school graduates to earn a free college or technical education degree with no out-of-pocket tuition cost.  Students must be enrolled full-time or part-time to qualify Learn more at an information session presented by Valencia College on Thursday Students must complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA aid forms to benefit. Any remaining tuition and fees after FAFSA at Valencia College or Osceola Technical College will be covered through Osceola Prosper. For more information, go to, www.Osceolaprosper.com Did you know that the Association of Poinciana Villages (APV) has Friday Night Bingo every week It is held at the Poinciana Community Center (445 Marigold Ave.)  Doors open at 6 p.m with first ball called at 7 p.m. The cost is 10 games for $5 with a cash payout.  Bingo supplies are on sale onsite and the concession stand is open throughout the evening (no outside food or drinks are allowed).  Friday Night Bingo is for adults ages 18 and over Spring registration is now open for Spring Soccer with the Polk County Futbol Club for players aged 8-16.  The 2025 season starts Saturday 1.  Games take place at the Poinciana Community Park (5109 Allegheny Road).  The transformation of the historic Royal Poinciana Playhouse continues to move forward and some businesses at the venue are expected to open by the summer with the next two months of work expected to consist of finishing the building’s shell vice president of asset strategy and experience for WS Development windows and west curtain wall; exterior finishes such as stucco and painting; and final interior mechanical Site work around the building also has taken shape Crews are working on completing the main entry "The last few months have had tremendous progress," Clark told the Daily News Some businesses are expected to open in the first half of the year Development officials had hoped that some of the businesses would open by the end of last year but Clark said a "modest" shift in the construction schedule forced a delay so changes to schedule are expected with so many trades working on site at the same time," she said "But we have tenants building out their spaces now so they’re working as quickly as possible to get open as soon as possible." has controlled the playhouse since 2014 under a long-term lease for the Royal Poinciana Plaza It spent years searching for an operator for the landmarked venue before choosing The Innovate a publicly held company chaired by Palm Beach resident Avie Glazer whose family owns the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers Closed since 2004, the playhouse will reopen as a cultural arts center and a new waterfront restaurant. Tutto Mare, a fine dining eatery, won Town Council approvals in December 2023 Tutto Mare is one of four confirmed tenants at the Playhouse site Cartier is on track to open in the second half of 2025, while The Innovate is expected to open in late fall, Glazer told the Daily News. Loewe, a Spanish luxury fashion brand, announced in October that it planned to open a boutique at the playhouse this year operated a holiday pop-up boutique at The Royal Poinciana Plaza Construction began in July 2023 and included extensive demolition work that was undertaken after numerous structural issues were discovered within the 65-year-old building The extent of that work took town officials and residents by surprise At an August 2023 meeting of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, board members said they were shocked by the extent of the work and expressed concerns that it was beyond the scope of what they had approved in February 2022 WS Development said the work was fully approved by the town and was needed to meet the minimum requirements of the Florida Building Code "Rebuilding what was there is not something we came to lightly," Clark told the Daily News in 2023 "We were advised by a team of experts that it was needed to make it safe for public occupancy." Clark said last fall that she expects two grand openings for the Playhouse and the second when "every tenant in the building is open." "I look forward to announcing firm grand opening dates," she told the Daily News The School District of Osceola County (SDOC) held a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday for its new Transportation West facility which will be constructed on 65 acres in Poinciana will span 42,000 square feet and serve as the home base for 200 school buses the district has operated a single transportation facility on Simpson Road in Kissimmee The addition of the Transportation West hub along with the upcoming Transportation East hub on Nova Road in St marks a significant step forward in enhancing the district’s transportation efficiency “This new facility is part of the expansion of our transportation hubs that will be on the east side and west side along with the facility that we currently utilize on Simpson Road in Kissimmee reduce travel times for students and drivers and decrease the number of buses traveling long distances on Osceola County roads,” said Osceola School District Superintendent Dr “For everyone that uses the roads in Osceola County our goal is to reduce our part in traffic congestion during peak commuting hours while ensuring a safer more efficient transportation system for our students.” The Transportation West project is a partnership between SDOC The new facility will include an Administrative/Fleet Maintenance Building The Administrative/Fleet Maintenance Building will house administrative offices and 12 maintenance bays equipped with storage for parts The facility is expected to reduce operational costs by minimizing travel distances for buses serving the western portion of the county “This is an investment in the future of Osceola County’s education system,” noted Randy Wheeler Director of School Bus Transportation with the school district “By providing localized transportation hubs we aim to improve the daily commute for our students and staff alike.” The groundbreaking event took place at 5300 Robert McLane Boulevard marking the beginning of construction for a project that promises to bring long-term benefits to the community Stay tuned for more updates as the district prepares to open its Transportation East hub and continues its commitment to enhancing student transportation across Osceola County Poinciana residents: ‘They are listening’ about Cypress Parkway impacts Poinciana resident Wendy Farrell (left) discusses some of the proposed Southport Connector and Cypress Parkway plans with CFX Program Manager Ralph Bove at Monday’s stakeholders meeting The Central Florida Expressway Authority has released renderings of what intersections along the raised Southport Connector could look like along Cypress Parkway Something must be done about the traffic on Cypress Parkway into and through Poinciana That headline has been written nonstop for the last two decades While a project that could help alleviate that is on the Central Florida Expressway Authority’s (CFX) drawing board it’s been met with vocal opposition by those who live and work there presented ideas and shared concerns Monday at the Poinciana Library about the proposed Southport Connector— specifically about a stretch designed to run down the middle of the beleaguered Cypress Parkway the Poinciana Parkway has already been built from Cypress Parkway to U.S and is being expanded to four lanes north of Marigold Avenue State and federal funds will be used to create a connection from the north end of that road to County Road 532 (Osceola-Polk Line Road) and then another connection to Interstate 4 that will link to the interchange at another toll road On the other side of Poinciana is a proposed connection to Florida’s Turnpike and Canoe Creek Road south of St The sticking point for residents has been the connection to the two with the blessing of Osceola and Polk County leaders have proposed a raised expressway—first conceived in 2009—in the median of Cypress along the bustling business district with new lanes of it for local traffic on either side It would require getting some right of way which may require relocating a business or two While residents are still concerned about how a raised road would bisect the communities north of the Parkway from the businesses on the south side and how building all those lanes will impact those businesses the sides seem to be getting closer together based on Monday’s meeting CFX’s Public Involvement Officer from the project said that all plans right now for the road are just concepts with Project Development and Environment (PD&E) and other impact studies to be done over the next two to three years will determine how the expressway will be built and if and how the “local” part of Cypress Parkway will be improved “This project still has many hurdles to clear,” Brooks said and it has not been funded for construction yet.” Renderings of the raised expressway released last year showed the raised expressway and residents feared it would wall off homes of a largely minority and lower-middle class community from its business district SCAR (Southport Connector Alternative Routes) suggested alternated routes for the road along Koa Street and Poinciana Boulevard — that aren't feasible due to limited right of way or are now not available as the county has begun a widening project They even went as far as filing a federal Title VI “Have an unacceptable and unlawful discriminatory impact on the residents of Poinciana,” which would “decimate the community.” While CFX officials admitted last year the court filing prevented the authority from meeting with any residents involved in it in June the Federal Highway Administration’s Environmental Justice board denied the specific complaint at the time and “stakeholder meetings” like Monday can now take place with residents CFX said there are now options for the expressway that will be elevated over roads like Solivita Boulevard and Laurel Marigold and Doverplum avenues that include bridge structures rather than a big wall or at least a hybrid of the two that would eliminate what locals call the “Great Wall of Poinciana” they fear would bi-sect the community street-level Cypress Parkway would also be widened from four to six lanes with widened intersections to improve the flow of cars through them CFX’s challenge would be to do all this within the 300-foot existing right of way on the Parkway without having to acquire much more that businesses or their parking lots currently occupy CFX program manager for the Southport Connector Ralph Bove said as Cypress Parkway traffic counts have increased 25% on Cypress Parkway since 2019 according to CFX “The goal is to relieve traffic in the area for everyone,” Bove said “Minor amounts of right of way will be needed CFX has a track record of assisting anyone in need of relocating CFX’s vision is to pull highspeed pass-through traffic— which may be coming from County Road 532 or even I-4 or 429 if those links are built first—off of Cypress Parkway to improve local traffic in what the agency said could be five years or more Relief can’t come soon enough for Poinciana and Solivita residents who asked questions Monday At least one said she does business in Davenport or Haines City in Polk County rather than in Poinciana or Kissimmee to avoid the “traffic nightmare” currently on Cypress Parkway and Pleasant Hill Road “It’s come a long way,” said Wendy Farrell a Cypress Woods resident who attended Monday’s gathering “This is a huge project that must take into account our quality of life It passes through important areas like our recreation areas.” “Getting three lanes of Cypress Parkway is huge While we’d love it if we were just getting that and not the expressway … let’s say this is a win-win for everyone including an “Alternatives Public Meeting” A 17-year-old student at Poinciana High School was arrested after allegedly threatening to “shoot up a school” and being found with a stolen gun The situation unfolded after an anonymous tip received through FortifyFL prompting the sheriff’s office to notify a school resource officer The school resource officer visited the student’s home and spoke with both the teenager and his mother the youth reportedly became anxious and briefly fainted Deputies then requested permission to conduct a safety search of the residence deputies found the juvenile’s backpack that he typically brings to school deputies found a clear bottle labeled “Crown Royal Regal Apple” The juvenile was asked by deputies where he obtained the firearm The juvenile said he found the gun in Orlando and admitted that he did not own the firearm A search of the firearm’s serial number revealed it was reported as stolen Marijuana and paraphernalia were also discovered in the juvenile’s room While going through the juvenile’s dresser drawer The principal of Poinciana High School sent a message to families Tuesday afternoon about the threat and arrest expressing the importance of transparency regarding the threat and the continued partnership with law enforcement: “This is Principal Jeff Schwartz at Poinciana High School I feel that it is important to let parents know that a threat of school violence was made by one of our students I am very proud of the person who reported it on FortifyFL which led to quick action and a thorough investigation by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office The student who made the threat will face discipline and law enforcement consequences Be assured that Poinciana High will continue to work side-by-side with law enforcement to ensure that our school is a safe place to learn and work I encourage students and parents that if they see or hear something that threatens safety to say something Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.” Possession of alcohol by a person under 21 The deadline to apply for the 2025 Poinciana Council Scholarship Program is fast approaching being the final day for eligible students to submit their applications the Poinciana Council Board of Directors awards scholarships to support local students pursuing higher education Scholarship recipients will be honored at a special luncheon on April 22 Interested applicants are encouraged to act quickly and complete the appropriate application form before the March 23 deadline: The Poinciana Council also welcomes donations to its Scholarship Fund to help expand opportunities for more students. Contributions can be made HERE or by contacting the Council directly to arrange a specific donation amount This scholarship initiative is part of the Council’s ongoing mission to empower local students and invest in the future of the Poinciana community District 3 Osceola County Commissioner Brandon Arrington invites the community to join in a magical holiday celebration at his annual “Party with Santa” celebration family-friendly event is set to take place tomorrow from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Valencia College’s Poinciana Campus The event promises an afternoon of festive fun for all ages featuring free toys for kids (while supplies last) photos with Santa (don’t forget to bring your own camera!) Attendees can also look forward to exciting raffle giveaways for both adults and students “This event is all about celebrating the holiday spirit and bringing joy to the community,” said Commissioner Arrington “We’re thrilled to offer a fun-filled afternoon where families can create lasting memories together.” but guests are encouraged to arrive early as supplies are limited including The Early Learning Coalition and Osceola Reads have joined forces with Commissioner Arrington to make this celebration truly special Get ready to bring the whole family for an afternoon of holiday cheer at Valencia College’s Poinciana Campus Don’t miss this opportunity to make your holiday season unforgettable FHP report: Kissimmee teen killed in Sunday night motorcycle crash in Poinciana A 16-year-old Kissimmee motorcycle rider was fatally killed and his passenger seriously injured Sunday night when the bike ran off the road and struck a metal pole Sunday the two males were on a Honda dirt bike traveling northbound in the southbound lane of Marigold Avenue south of Peabody Road Troopers say the motorcycle swerved to the left to avoid colliding with an oncoming Chevrolet Traverse traveling southbound.  Troopers say the front of the motorcycle collided with the metal pole and the two riders fell from the motorcycle which landed sideways in the direct path of the Traverse The 16-year-old driver was transported to Poinciana Medical Center The 18-year-old passenger was transported to HCA Florida Hospital Osceola with serious injuries A large-scale redevelopment of the historic Royal Poinciana Playhouse is nearing completion A "significant" amount of new underground utility work has been finished and foundations have been installed throughout the building some storefronts have been installed and interior mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) rough-in work is underway "It is our expectation that by the early winter of 2024 the building exterior and surrounding area will look complete and more beautiful than ever while the tenants are building inside," Clark told the Daily News the playhouse will reopen as a cultural arts center and a new waterfront restaurant Tutto Mare, a fine dining eatery, won Town Council approvals in December Construction began last summer and included extensive demolition work that was undertaken after numerous structural issues were discovered within the 65-year-old building WS Development said the work was fully approved by the town and was needed in order to meet the minimum requirements of the Florida Building Code "Rebuilding what was there is not something we came to lightly," Clark told the Daily News last year Here's more on the Royal Poinciana Playhouse redevelopment project: tenants will begin completing the scope of their work So far, Tutto Mare and Cartier have been confirmed by WS Development Clark said she expects to announce the next round of signed leases for the playhouse "soon." When would businesses expect to open?Some new businesses should be open by the end of this year with the majority debuting throughout 2025 The Innovate Cultural Arts Center will host year-round performing arts The 24,000-square-foot space will include a fully configurable 400-seat jewel-box theater and a full-service catering kitchen This year, Avie Glazer and his wife, Jill, launched their "Take a Seat" campaign that encourages members of the community to demonstrate their support for the center by underwriting a theater seat inscribed with their name The cost is $5,000 and includes an inscribed brass seat plaque that can be placed in a location of the donor's choice. To contribute, visit www.theinnovate.org/donate The cultural arts center is expected to debut in the second half of 2025 the first when the theater space opens and the second when "every tenant in the building is open." Both events likely will occur in the second half of 2025 Revitalized Royal Poinciana Playhouse points to an exciting future | EditorialPalm Beach Daily NewsA revitalized and reimagined Royal Poinciana Playhouse will soon be filled with new businesses and people That’s good news for Palm Beach and another sign the community is thriving It’s been years in the making and not without controversy But a remade playhouse building is finally taking shape the lakeside playhouse was a prime social attraction a focal point for the shopping plaza it anchored the building for years sat vacant and decaying Read more: First retailer opens at Palm Beach's Royal Poinciana Playhouse; two more set for April has been putting the finishing touches on the building which gained its first tenant in the luxury store Thom Browne two other fashion boutiques are scheduled to welcome customers and other shops and restaurants will follow But the renewed playhouse comes at a price The building is barely a shell of what it once was Though it sits within the landmarked Royal Poinciana Plaza it looks much different than the playhouse of old a division of WS Development that has controlled the playhouse since 2014 announced its redevelopment plans for the playhouse in early 2022 and later won approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission After construction on the 65-year-old building began the following year the discovery of structural problems led to extensive demolition work — so much that it shocked commission and Town Council members The developers said they needed to substantially rebuild the building to make it safe they will encounter a much different place the playhouse is expected to become home to the Glazer Hall cultural arts center a waterfront space operated by longtime Palm Beach residents Jill and Avie Glazer Read more: New waterfront cultural arts center renamed Glazer Hall; fall debut planned Palm Beach’s first new nonprofit organization in more than 60 years will include a 400-seat theater and a wall of windows overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway the renewed playhouse building will again be a destination — with an eye firmly fixed on the future the top 160 high school weightlifters gathered at St the largest roar from the crowd did not come for St Cloud record-setting hometown lifter Mikey Ziss or any of the other competitors trying to qualify for next week’s state championships the loudest applause was reserved for an athlete who captured both the spotlight and the hearts of everyone in the gym When Marvin Cherry stepped to the platform to attempt a clean-and-jerk lift practically every competitor gathered around the platform and shouted encouragement as Cherry successfully completed the lift the crowd still exploded in applause for Cherry a Poinciana special education senior with Down’s Syndrome It was a culmination of an outstanding season for Cherry who was competing at the varsity level in a sport he loves Cherry became interested in weightlifting through Special Olympics but when that seasonal program ended in the Fall his mother Sheron Boothe contacted the Poinciana High to see what other programs might become available Word filtered down to assistant weightlifting coach Jordan Creel who also coached Marvin in Special Olympics   “We were just talking about it at practice and one of our lifters just said “Bree (Poinciana head coach Bree Lopez) and I talked about it for a minute and next thing you know Marvin was unable to participate in the Orange Belt Conference Championships last month   That meet is usually the most heavily attended event on the weightlifting sports schedule and Creel said not being able to compete was a “huge disappointment” for Marvin Cloud head coach Cory Aun and Harmony coach Nick Lippert decided to step in Lippert, who coached Harold Pineda, a special needs athlete with spinal bifida a few years ago got with Aun to see what could be done to include and recognize Cherry at the Regional Meet The two decided that in between the first and second rotations of lifts at regionals where he would have one more chance to lift in his high school career he was presented a plaque by the coaches recognizing his spirit “This sport and that moment was an absolute blessing for Marvin,” she said and the athletes on the other teams have been so supportive of him all year and helped make him feel included This sport has done incredible things for his confidence and this is an honor I am sure he will always remember.” who won district championships last week in both the Traditional and Olympic events and was competing in regionals is credited by Coach Pool for taking Cherry under his wing and helping him learn the sport But Garcia claims he has gotten much more out of the relationship than Marvin ever has “He just showed up in the weight room one day and we connected,” Garcia says and it’s just so much fun to have him around He is so dedicated and works so hard to get better and how can you not watch someone that and not want to be like that?” Grothe added that the acceptance of Marvin in weightlifting is a prime example of how sports can bring people together   “The other athletes have been so accepting of Marvin winners were hanging their medals around Marvin’s neck and wanting to take pictures with him Special need kids are just like other kids they want to be accepted and included and weightlifting has done that for Marvin.” Poinciana is set to welcome a new food truck park and entertainment venue that is planned for a 5.5-acre site along South Poinciana Blvd Property records indicate that Realtrack Inc acquired the land in February for $2 million received enthusiastic support from Osceola County planners during a recent pre-application meeting the development will address the growing demand for food and beverage options in the underserved Poinciana area Renderings presented to county officials reveal plans for around 40 food truck spaces The venue will also feature private cabanas for rent and a beer and wine bar providing a vibrant space for community gathering and entertainment The announcement was originally posted by Growthspotter on July 16 Growthspotter is typically one of the first media outlets and publications  to announce development news and Central Florida