Gateway Easily Advances, St. Cloud and Harmony Eliminated in Girls Basketball

Osceola County’s state playoff hopes in girls basketball now rests solely with the Gateway Panthers.

Malayna Stephenson scored 13 of her game-high 23 points in the first quarter, as the Panthers (22-6) raced past Ocala Vanguard, 72-31, to advance to the FHSAA Class 5A, Region 2 semifinals. They will host Lake Wales on Tuesday night (Feb. 14).

“It was a total team win for us tonight,” Panthers coach Justin Marino said. “We did a great job hitting the threes and working the ball inside when it was available.”

Stephenson was unstoppable in the first period. She hit all four of her field goal attempts and went five of five from the free throw stripe, in addition to dishing out three assists. Only the hot three-point shooting of Kenaria Dowdy (three for three), kept the score relatively close at 21-15 after one quarter.

That would change in the second period. Alyssa Marino hit three field goals –including two three-pointers – and Vanessa Diaz added three more field goals as the Panthers outscored the Knights 20-6 in the period to build a 42-21 lead.

Stephenson added two more assists in the period to give her five in the half. “Malayna and Vanessa are our big guns, but they – like the rest of the team – are totally unselfish,” Marino said. “Our kids are always looking to dish to the open player.”

Any chance of a Vanguard rally was put to rest early in the third period.

Stephenson added eight more and her teammates hit three-threes from beyond the arc to spur a 23-point quarter. Stephenson’s late bucket extended the lead to 34 points and a Kiarra McCall free throw in the opening seconds of the fourth period triggered a running clock for the rest of the game.

For the contest, the Panthers shot 57 percent from beyond the arc (12 of 21) and 60 percent overall for the game (29 of 47). In addition to Stephenson’s 23 points, Diaz and Marino added 13 each; Evana Rivera added eight. Gateway would play its reserves the entire fourth quarter.

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Celebration Foundation Concert Series to Feature Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra Saturday February 18

The Celebration Foundation Concert Series continues on Saturday, February 18 at 3pm with the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, sponsored by Experience Kissimmee.

Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras educate and inspire Florida’s top young musicians with programs that reflect a commitment to provide young musicians with the opportunity to strengthen their musical talents.

The Symphonic Orchestra, under Music Director & Symphonic Conductor Dr. James Welsch, is a pre-professional, conservatory level orchestra in which students are challenged with exceptionally difficult literature.

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Governor DeSantis announces $7 billion infrastructure plan aimed at traffic congestion relief over 4 years, including Central Florida

Today, Governor DeSantis announced the Moving Florida Forward initiative to expedite transportation projects over the next four years, mainly in Central and South Florida. If passed by the legislature, this proposal would invest $4 billion of general revenue, redirect an average of $131 million annually to the State Transportation Work Program, and leverage additional funding over the next four years for a total of $7 billion to strengthen Florida’s transportation infrastructure to accommodate the growing number of people that rely on Florida’s roadways.

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Florida Department of Health in Osceola County to Distribute Narcan Nasal Spray kits

The Florida Department of Health in Osceola County (FDOH-Osceola) is announcing the availability of free Naloxone (Narcan) Nasal Spray kits. This lifesaving medication could reduce thousands of substance abuse deaths across the state.

Naloxone is available to people who use drugs, people with a history of drug use, others at risk of experiencing an overdose, friends, family members, and others who may witness an overdose. Kits consist of two Naloxone nasal sprays that are administered even without a health care professional present.

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