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YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

Dr. Phillips football player dies in December shooting. OrangeObserver.com

FREE • THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

VOLUME 93, NO. 2

YOUR TOWN OLYMPIA HIGH RETURNS WITH TITAN TROT

Olympia High School will return with its second annual Titan Trot 5K later this month. The event will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, at Bill Frederick Park, 3401 S. Hiawassee Road, Orlando. Like last year, the event will be RFID-timed, and dogs are welcome. To register, visit track.rtrt. me/e/TT-TITANTROT-2026.

THEATER COMPANY TO PRESENT CONCERT SERIES

Horizon West Theater Company is partnering with Two Bridges Pub to present a new concert series. The first concert, Groovin’ Through the Decades, takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at the pub, 16112 Marsh Road, Winter Garden. This event is a chance to enjoy dinner and drinks at Two Bridges while theater company performers provide the perfect soundtrack. Attendance is free, donations are welcome to support the company. To reserve a table, call (407) 347-3820. For more information, visit horizonwesttheatercompany.com.

CONSTRUCTION CLOSES ROADS IN WINDERMERE

The town of Windermere is asking for patience as construction occurs on Butler Street and Seventh Avenue through Friday, Jan. 9. Crews will be pouring curbs along Butler Street and installing storm drainage in Fernwood Park. The boat ramp will be accessible from either Seventh Avenue or Butler Street, but Seventh Avenue will be most dependable. Drivers should allow for extra travel time and drive safely.

THE FIRST ACADEMY | PAGE 18A

JERRY DEMINGS | PAGE 4-5A

2026

FORECAST From a longtime local leader eyeing the governor’s mansion to a West Orange evangelist sharing his faith all over the world, here are 10 people and issues that will shape the news landscape in 2026.

KRISTI KARST GOMEN | PAGE 13A

407SPORTS | PAGE 16-17A

KK CHARLES | PAGE 2-3A WILLIAM LOGGANS | PAGE 8-9A

FOUNDATION TO HOST STATE OF THE ACADEMY

Foundation Academy will host its 2026 State of the Academy from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, at The Mane Cafeteria/ Worship Center at the Tilden Campus, 15304 Tilden Road, Winter Garden. Foundation Academy alumni, families, grandparents, business partners and community organizations are invited. The event will be packed with student performances, a student art gallery and the school’s vision for its future.

ALSO INSIDE PROPERTY TAXES | 6-7A OCOEE SPORTS DESTINATION | 12A NEW ELEMENARY SCHOOL | 14-15A

CHRIS MIKKELSON | PAGE 10-11A

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

2026 FORECAST

Walking on rainbows FUTURE EIGHT WAVES ENDEAVORS I AM CHILDREN’S MUSEUM Eight Waves is in the process of constructing and opening I AM Children’s Museum, which will be the first of its kind in Winter Garden. Sara Meyer, the founder of the nonprofit, said the museum will be for children ages 2 to 12 and their families. It will be a place for children to learn through play with a focus on literacy. In the past few months, Eight Waves staff has visited some of the best children’s museums in the country to gain insights from their experiences and best practices. Meyer said staff will be visiting the Atlanta Children’s Museum and Glazer Children’s Museum in January. “It’s been really cool getting to connect with the different museums and finding out what makes that children’s museum so popular, and consistently, what we’re seeing is the low-tech opportunities and creative play,” she said. They are learning about memberships, how to ensure everything is affordable for families, the various activities they could have in the museum and more. Through their visits, Meyer said she’s learned Eight Waves is in a unique position because many museums want to do outreach but have yet to establish partnerships and connections with the community to offer outreach services. Eight Waves already has accomplished this. The I AM Children’s Museum will be another way for the nonprofit to serve the Winter Garden community. Eight Waves also has met with Winter Garden city officials to review preliminary high-level visual renderings of the museum and discuss in more detail potential site plans. Meyer said the nonprofit hopes to break ground on the museum in 2028, with completion expected in 2030.

Liz Ramos

KK Charles balanced her time between school, color guard, JROTC, wrestling, track and work with the help of Eight Waves.

One local student shares how Eight Waves brought her hope and instilled in her a confidence that has helped her throughout high school and beyond. LIZ RAMOS MANAGING EDITOR

K Charles walked into a classroom at West Orange High

School on a random Tuesday during her lunch period sophomore year not know-

ing what would happen. She knew there would be free food, which was one of the incentives to appear, but other than that, she only knew her friend recommended she be a part of the weekly group meeting in the classroom.

It was in this classroom she felt seen for the first time in her life. In this classroom, Charles met volunteers of Eight Waves, a Winter Garden-based nonprofit investing in the lives of children, youth and families who live in under-resourced communities. The nonprofit’s mission is to help build healthy support systems they need to thrive and empower them to create lasting change in their lives and communities. For Charles, Eight Waves’ mission was exactly what she needed to press on through her high school career and become a West Orange High graduate who now attends Valencia College. She found a “small family” of individuals who were inviting, welcoming and warm. They made her feel safe to be herself and share her struggles and encouraged her to be and do her best. BALANCING ACT

As the eldest daughter of four children to a single mother, who also is an immigrant, Charles said her mother often was preoccupied with the hustle and bustle of running a household, working and tending to her younger siblings. Her loving mother couldn’t always give her individualized attention, so when she stumbled upon Eight Waves’s West Orange High School Mentoring Program, it changed her

perspective and, ultimately, her life. “When I first got to Eight Waves and people were asking me how my grades were and how I was doing, it was a first for me, like, ‘Oh my God, people want to know about me,’” Charles said. “It felt like being seen. It felt like for once, what I had going on mattered to somebody. In my head at the time, I thought, ‘They’re only doing this to be nice. Let me not get too attached.’” But when she walked in the following week, she was surprised to find the volunteers remembered what they talked about and inquired about a particular teacher and class. She said it was the group’s uplifting spirit that kept her coming back for the next two years. “You could tell they actually really wanted to help you out,” she said. “And the food was really good.” The school lunch mentoring program serves more than 50 students at West Orange High and is designed to help students who live in households with incomes well below the poverty level and who are struggling socially and academically. The program also provides food as food insecurity is a challenge for many students in the program. Charles depended on the meals Eight Waves provided. The school lunches made her sick so she wouldn’t eat until she

returned home from school. It became a place for her to eat and talk about her day, her grades, her feelings and anything on her mind. She was struggling in high school. Although she had all “As,” she felt unbalanced. She was either happy when she had time to be with friends and enjoy her extracurriculars or she was hard at work to earn her good grades. The two never coincided. Charles, like many high school students, was involved in a plethora of extracurriculars. There was color guard, Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, wrestling and track. She also had a part-time job at Burger-Fi, spending time on her homework in her spare time. She struggled balancing it all socially, mentally and academically. “Sleep was not a friend to me,” she said. “It was foreign to me.” It felt like one commitment after the other. Some days, she would go from a full day of school, which started at 7:20 a.m., to wrestling practice to color guard practice, finally being able to go home around 8 p.m. “At one point, I literally just went on one of the benches, and I just started crying and having a mental breakdown,” she said. But she didn’t want to give up any of the extracurriculars she had come to love so much.

CHRISTMAS ON PLANT STREET Eight Waves is thrilled to be able to offer its second annual Christmas on Plant Street after seeing the raving success the event was for families and volunteers this past Christmas. The nonprofit bussed 84 students and their families to Crooked Can in Winter Garden on the Polar Express Bus. Christmas celebrations were had over a catered meal. Families enjoyed crafts, a hot cocoa station and more and also had the opportunity to meet Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Every student and their families also received gifts. More than 50 volunteers came together to make the day memorable for everyone involved. “It was really special from the volunteers to the parents, the grandparents, the children; everyone was so appreciative and connected,” Meyer said. “We became one community. When the kids started to open up their presents and see they had a real Christmas Day and their wishes came true, to see that happiness and to be able to give them something that was so dignified and so fulfilling and fun was incredible.” Meyer said children were shouting it was the best Christmas ever, and it was a magical day.

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

Eight Waves helped her reach a balance by volunteers teaching her breathing techniques, creating a list of priorities and also finding time for self-care. She was given a planner where she mapped out almost every minute of her day, scheduling time for school, extracurriculars, when she would do each assignment that week and at least 30 minutes to spend time relaxing or with friends. “I felt like I was able to do a lot more than when I was just winging it, and I got a lot more time for myself to have friends and have a social life, which was really nice,” Charles said. MAKING A DIFFERENCE

(The volunteers) made it feel like I didn’t have to carry burdens on my own, especially financial burdens. Financial burdens are so much on kids. Parents try to hide it to the best of their abilities, but kids know. Kids know.” — KK Charles

family who was there to support her. But the bigger impact came senior year. Charles joked around with an Eight Waves volunteer saying prom was “lame and stupid,” but the volunteer knew better. He asked the real reason why she was considering skipping out on a staple moment of high school and senior year. She explained she had unpaid band fees, which if left unpaid would result in her inability to graduate. Nevermind being able to afford prom, Grad Bash and any other senior celebration. Eight Waves stepped in, ensuring Charles had a senior year she would never forget. The nonprofit helped to

Charles and her fellow students opportunities to give back themselves. They participated in several community-service events, including one where Charles helped to distribute plants and educate people on the plants. She also volunteered at various festivals. The community service opportunities allowed her to meet new people, network and earn the community service hours necessary to earn a Bright Futures scholarship. On her last day in the program her senior year before graduating in May 2025, Charles held back tears as she helped everyone moves the tables and chairs to their original positions and turn the Eight Waves mentoring space back into a regular classroom. Seeing the empty room that once was filled with joyous memories that still put a smile on her face now brought more tears to her eyes. “When I saw the empty room, I was like, ‘Dang, I really spent most of my experience in this place,’” she said with a smile. More than the academic, social and financial assistance she received participating in the Eight Waves program twice per week, Charles said she gained a confidence in herself she never had before. She never advocated for herself and what she wanted. But the lessons learned through Eight Waves guided her to a new level of assurance and determination. She saw this in action as she was preparing to enroll at Valencia College, where she plans to complete her pre-requisite courses before

transferring to Florida A&M University to pursue a degree in architecture. When working on her FAFSA, she noticed an issue. Normally, she would give up and move on. She always could wait for next semester. Not this time. She thought to herself, what would the volunteers at Eight Waves do? Ask for help. So she did. She reached out to one of the volunteers from the Eight Waves mentoring program to seek guidance. Charles was about to be dropped from all her classes at Valencia College if she didn’t resolve her FAFSA issues and pay a certain amount, but the deadline to pay had passed. With advice from the volunteer in mind, Charles went to the admissions office at the college to advocate for herself, explaining she had the money to pay for her classes but missed the deadline. She resolved the issue and was reinstated in her classes, allowing her to start her first semester of college last fall without another hitch. “I walked out of there feeling so happy that I didn’t give up on myself,” Charles said. She finished her first semester at Valencia College with straight “As.” Charles hopes to someday volunteer for Eight Waves and give back to the nonprofit that has given her so much. She said the nonprofit gives students like her hope — hope for a better future, hope to not worry about financial struggles, hope they could go somewhere in life and hope they always will have someone to support them. “It’s truly like unconditional love,” she said of the nonprofit.

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From the small, daily interactions to helping make the big, final moments of high school happen, Eight Waves was there for Charles. She recalled one day someone ending a close friendship with her, making her emotional but unwilling to talk to others. She walked into Eight Waves not as the usual chipper, joyful Charles the volunteers had come to know and they took notice. Looking back now, Charles could see the situation wasn’t a big deal, but at the time, to her, the world was falling apart; she was grieving a lost friendship. A volunteer who knew Charles well pulled her aside to ask what was wrong. He was there to listen and be a shoulder to cry on if needed. “It felt like I was walking on rainbows,” Charles said of having someone there for her at the time. “I felt like the troubles I had were lifted away. They were so heavy on my heart, but it felt like it wasn’t there anymore.” It was a small moment of impact for Charles, a time when she knew she always had someone outside of her

“

pay her band fees and her prom dress. “Sometimes, you have that feeling like you’re choked up and you’re trapped, but then when you finally get that help that you need, it just feels like you can finally breathe,” Charles said. “(The volunteers) made it feel like I didn’t have to carry burdens on my own, especially financial burdens. Financial burdens are so much on kids. Parents try to hide it to the best of their abilities, but kids know. Kids know.” Charles said thanks to the support of Eight Waves, she had the time of her life at prom, Grad Bash and graduation. She recalled her friend’s mom renting a limo for her friend group and they drank Welch’s white grape juice as if it were champagne, imagining they had fancy lives, toasting to their senior year and blasting their music. They took photos outside the limo feeling glamorous in their dresses and tuxedos. She knew afterward if she didn’t have these experiences, she would have regretted her senior year. Eight Waves made it so she didn’t have the financial stress to make these final moments of high school happen. “I didn’t have to worry about like, ‘Oh my God, my mom is going to break the bank trying to do this,’ or, ‘My mom won’t have enough to pay the mortgage this month because I decided to have a good time,’” she said. “It was guilt-free fun, and I haven’t had that in so long. It was so awesome.” Throughout her three years in Eight Waves’ West Orange High Mentoring Program, the nonprofit also gave

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Observer “If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

2026 FORECAST

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944 Editor and Publisher / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com Design Editor / Jessica Eng, jeng@OrangeObserver.com Managing Editor / Liz Ramos, lramos@OrangeObserver.com Historian / Amy Quesinberry Price, amyqhistory@OrangeObserver.com Staff Writer / Megan Bruinsma, mbruinsma@OrangeObserver.com Staff Writer / Leticia Silva, lsilva@OrangeObserver.com Multimedia Sales Manager / Cyndi Gustafson, advertising@OrangeObserver.com Multimedia Advertising Executive / Iggy Collazo, iggy@OrangeObserver.com Graphic Designer / Sarah Santiago, ssantiago@OrangeObserver.com Advertising Operations Manager / Allison Brunelle, abrunelle@OrangeObserver.com

The West Orange Times, West Orange Times & Observer and Southwest Orange Observer are published once weekly, on Thursdays. The papers can be found in many commercial locations throughout West Orange and Southwest Orange. If you wish to subscribe, visit our website, OrangeObserver.com, call (407) 656-2121 or visit our office, 661 Garden Commerce Parkway, Suite 180, Winter Garden.

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STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP

Liz Ramos

Jerry Demings is hoping to take his political career to the next level by running for governor of Florida.

Service is his purpose Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has spent more than 40 years of his life serving the community, his faith paving every step of the way. myself. And it’s that belief that gave me the courage to pursue my passion for public service.”

LIZ RAMOS

PUBLIC NOTICES

MANAGING EDITOR

The West Orange Times meets the legal requirements to publish legal and public notices in Orange County per F.S. 50.011 USPS Periodicals Permit (USPS# 687-120)

WEST ORANGE TIMES

Jerry Demings has had in his

The West Orange Times (USPS 687120) is published weekly for $60 per year and $110 per two years by the Observer Media Group, 661 Garden Commerce Parkway, Winter Garden, Florida, 34787. Periodical postage paid at Winter Garden, Florida. POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to the (name of pub; i.e., West Orange Times, West Orange Times & Observer or Southwest Orange Observer), Observer Media Group, 11970 Main Street, Floor 3, Sarasota, FL 34236

Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned. Publisher of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota Observer, Siesta Key Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Southwest Orange Observer, Business Observer, LWR Life Magazine, Key Life Magazine, Baldwin Park Living Magazine and Season Magazine

hen God closes a door, He opens a window.

Almost every opportunity

life has been one he didn’t expect but he believes God guided him toward. He never saw himself pursuing a career in law enforcement as he attended college to obtain a finance degree. He never saw himself becoming the first black police chief for the Orlando Police Department, the first black sheriff for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office or the

Founding Editor and CEO / Matt Walsh President / Emily Walsh Vice President / Lisa Walsh Chairman Emeritus / David Beliles

first black mayor for Orange

1970 Main St. Third Floor Sarasota, FL 34236 941-366-3468

He simply wanted to serve

IT’S ABOUT PURPOSE

County. others.

Courtesy photo

Jerry Demings was the first African-American sheriff for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

And now, that call to service has led him to pursue Florida’s top post. Demings has disagreed with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration and is building his candidacy around the idea of collaboration — something he said is missing from Tallahassee. “I’ve chosen to get into the arena because I believe that what we have done here can be done on a statewide basis,” he said. “Rather than just sitting and being frustrated about it, I’ve chosen to run for governor, and I believe that by creating a grassroots movement, I can be elected governor. I’m not afraid to at least try to do it, to convince other people that I’m the right person at the right time.” The call to serve has been drilled in him since his humble beginnings growing up in Washington Shores, which as he describes, is a “proud and close-knit mostly black community on the west side of Orlando,” a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone, looked out for one another and believed in hard work and faith. He grew up on the same streets as Orange County trailblazers, includ-

ing Commissioner Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy, the first Black Orlando City Council member; Louis Crooms, one of the first Black deputy sheriffs; and Mable Butler, the first Black female Orlando city commissioner and the first black female Orange County commissioner. All served as role models to Demings. “Growing up in their shadow and their neighborhood was a powerful reminder that greatness could rise from right where we lived,” Demings wrote in his book, “Believe: Faith, Truth and the Courage to Lead.” Throughout his life, he looked up to these role models for guidance with hopes he was serving as a role model himself for younger generations. He has implemented strategies, programs and initiatives as a law enforcement officer and political figure with hopes of making Orange County better for its citizens. “There’s a reason I am where I am today,” Demings wrote. “It’s not necessarily because of talent or titles. It’s not because of politics or public platforms. It’s because I had a mother who taught me to believe in

The driving force behind all Demings does is his unwavering belief in God, a belief inspired by his mother, who ensured he and his siblings attended church consistently. Throughout his career in law enforcement and serving as a public official, Demings wrote in his book he was focused on “climbing the ranks, securing promotions and building a legacy in public service.” But he came to a realization his life has been shaped by the doors God has opened for him that Demings never considered before. He didn’t always understand why he was pushed in a given direction. “But now, I see it clearly: it was never about a badge or a ballot,” Demings wrote. “It was about purpose.” His purpose to serve others and serve God has inspired him to continue to serve his family and community, despite any challenges, in his various capacities as an officer, police chief, sheriff and mayor. “It’s about what God wants to do through you,” he wrote. Demings never thought his career would take him into law enforcement. He graduated from Florida State University with a degree in finance and went on to earn a master’s degree in business administration. He started his professional career as an accountant when he moved back to Orlando and started his first job. But he never forgot about his interest in law enforcement that piqued when he met recruiters from various federal, state and private sector agencies during a job fair at FSU. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was looking for individuals with backgrounds in finance and accounting to do white collar criminal investigations, which interested Demings. Not only were the recruiters look-

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

“The compassionate side of me says we can do better as a society,” he said. “So as a mayor, take it full circle. The sum total of my experiences made me very unique in being able to now set policy.” As mayor, he has worked with the Orange County Board of County Commissioners to change policies over time through collaborations with public and private partnerships and philanthropic partnerships, many of which invest in the community’s youth to provide resources for prevention and intervention. “My style of leadership is one to engage across the disciplines where it’s a community,” he said. “These are community problems. It’s not a law enforcement problem. It’s not a government problem. It’s a community problem that needs the collaboration of the community. I’m privileged to have been on the ground, worked thought it, lived through it, having the life experience to kind of know what works, how to look it for the bigger, broader picture of what we’re trying to do.” Demings wrote he had moments where he wanted to walk away as well as moments he questioned whether he was the one to do whatever job. “However, every time I tried to retreat, God reminded me that this is bigger than me,” he wrote. “It’s bigger than politics, bigger than speeches and bigger than appearances. It’s about purpose. Having a sense of purpose helps to ground you when life’s challenges arise.”

Jerry Demings, center, says he wouldn’t be where he is today without the support of generations of his family.

RUN FOR GOVERNOR

Jerry Demings encourages the youth through various organizations, programs and initiatives.

Courtesy photos

Right: Jerry Demings and his wife, Val Demings, have taken on the world together since they married in 1988.

ing for someone with Demings’ abilities but also Demings had personal reasons for his motivation to enter a career in law enforcement. Demings’ brother, Joseph, who was 10 years older than him, died at 50 years old after years of drug addiction. There came a time when Demings himself had to arrest his brother for drug possession. Knowing and seeing his brother’s struggles firsthand motivated him to work to eradicate drugs in Washington Shores, the neighborhood in which he grew up in the post Vietnam War era. “In my neighborhood, drugs were kind of rampant,” Demings said. “A lot of my classmates found themselves either addicted or selling drugs, and it destroyed the neighborhood, the moral fiber of our neighborhood.” When Demings returns to his childhood home, which he and his twin brother, Terry, still own in

Washington Shores, he bumps into former classmates, many of whom have struggled with addiction. “Many of (my classmates) are dead because of drug addiction,” he said. “The rapid spread of drugs in our community destroyed individuals and their viability to be able to take care of their families.” The FBI went into a hiring freeze, but recruiters encouraged Demings to obtain some local law enforcement experience. “I didn’t know if I really wanted to do that job or not,” Demings said. “I had a wonderful job as a young 21-year-old working as an accountant. I had a traveling job. I had an executive assistant, I had an expense account. It was a great job, but it was a lonesome job.” Having two twin sons at home, Demings hated to constantly have to say goodbye to them as he traveled for work. He said his sons would look at him questioning who he was because he spent so much time away. Knowing the impact drugs can have on a family, wanting to spend more time with his own family, never forgetting his interest in law enforcement and knowing he could have a job in the community in which he grew up sparked a career move. After spending a year as an accountant in Orlando upon graduating from FSU, Demings shifted gears and became a police officer for the Orlando Police Department in 1981. Little did he know, his career in law enforcement would lead to historymaking moves. CALLED TO SERVE

TO BUY THE BOOK “Believe: Faith, Truth and the Courage to Lead” is available online at Amazon.com or bluevasebooks.com.

Demings quickly moved up the ranks of the Orlando Police Department. Despite being unsure of whether he truly wanted a life as an officer, he came to realize he enjoyed the position. He didn’t expect to spend 21 years in the department, going from a street cop all the way to being appointed the 34th Orlando chief of police in 1998 and becoming the first Black police chief in the department’s history.

Throughout his years of service both with the Orlando Police Department and later with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, where he served as the first Black sheriff, Demings saw his role as an opportunity and a challenge as it required him to see friends and loved ones caught up in the “degradation of what drugs mean to a community.” “I had, at one point, to arrest my own brother, I arrested some of my friends in some ways to rescue them from themselves, because every addict will tell you they could stop,” Demings said. “But the reality is, very few of them had what it takes to stop themselves from destroying their health, destroying their families and getting arrested. It was a terrible social experiment for people to think they could use drugs and it wouldn’t be them that would get addicted.” Playing a role in reducing the prevalence of illegal drugs in the community became a calling and a passion for Demings. He went on to volunteer with the Mental Health Association of Central Florida and work with other drug treatment programs such as Aspire Health Centers’ Marchman and Detox facility, formerly known as the Center for Drug-Free Living. He also served as a scout leader and served on the council for the Central Florida Boy Scouts of America. He coached Little League Baseball with the Police Athletic League and coached the Junior Magic League. He served on boards of directors for the Central Florida YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club and other youthrelated organizations. His hope was investing in youth programs would encourage young people to steer away from a life with drugs. He thought surrounding them with appropriate role models and inspiring them to pursue their dreams could influence the trajectory of the youth. Demings urged for more intervention strategies to help people, especially those struggling with addiction, to obtain counseling or

treatment and for there to be quality housing and job skills development programs. He also pushed for enforcement strategies, and if needed, prosecution to ensure people are held accountable for their actions. In 2002, as the deputy county administrator and director of public safety for Orange County, Demings reconvened the Jail Oversight Commission, which developed goals that were implemented as a county-wide strategy that included having a central receiving center where individuals who commit minor law violations, were mentally ill or suffered from substance abuse or behavior disorders could receive treatment. Rather than sending them to jail, they received treatment. He said it reduced recidivism and helps them to become functional members of society. Now as Orange County mayor, Demings said he has been able to use his four-and-one-half decades in law enforcement to see the full picture. He was elected in 2018, marking another moment in history as the county’s first Black mayor.

“

I feel like (leaving public service would) be giving up on Florida. I’m not ready to give up, so I’m choosing to stay in the fight, try to make it different, try to make it better for all of us, for my children, my grandchildren.” — Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings

Demings is taking his call to serve to the next level: running for governor. He said he’s unhappy with the current trajectory of the state as the current administration in Tallahassee has “done very little to really work with local governments.” “Instead, they have driven a wedge between local government and the state, but we’re a subdivision of the state,” he said. “We all will benefit if the federal government, the state and the local governments work closer together. I’ve been around long enough, I’ve seen that model work.” He said one group has “absolute control” and is “ignoring the majority of the people’s opinions and what really works.” At 66 years old, Demings said he has made enough money he could retire and not worry about working again. But he is choosing to continue his public service. “I feel like I’d be giving up on Florida,” he said. “I’m not ready to give up, so I’m choosing to stay in the fight, try to make it different, try to make it better for all of us, for my children, my grandchildren.” Demings said he initially wanted to stay out of the political race for governor. He simply wasn’t interested, but he had too many frustrated people come to him saying he was the individual they trusted to run. “I’m a bridge builder, I’m a crisis manager; that kind of distinguishes me from any other candidate,” he said. “So far, in the race of nearly 30 people, there’s not one that’s going to have that on-the-ground crisis management experience because of my role, having been a police chief or sheriff or public safety director and now mayor, wrestling with the problems that’s most important to average people, not the billionaires, but average people, working at the granular level.” As a man of faith, the prayer of Jabez has guided him in life: “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.” At times when he feels most in conflict — he is wrestling with decisions, being pulled in different directions, frustrated or distracted, anything to deter him from his purpose to serve — Demings reminds himself of the prayer of Jabez. “Every one of these opportunities that I have been used to bring about a change, someone saw me in that position before I saw myself,” he said. “I got increasingly more and more responsibility, more demand to lead. It’s easy to lead when everything is going right. It’s very difficult to lead when things are going terribly wrong. Florida needs someone that’s a good crisis manager, a unifier, a bridge builder, that’s competent, that’s caring, that is collaborative. They need that kind of leader. I’m offering myself up as that kind of leader, and we’ll see.”

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

2026 FORECAST

PROPERTY TAX REFORM:

What does it mean for Orange County? The state has been working on multiple proposals regarding property tax relief. These proposals will be voted on during November’s general election as they are approved by the state Legislature. LETICIA SILVA STAFF WRITER

or the past year, Florida leaders have discussed

PROPOSED REFORMS

property tax reforms

to provide financial relief to citizens. Gov. Ron DeSantis said he wants to reform the property tax system, arguing homeowners should not have to pay “rent” to the government for a home they already own. For residents, this would mean significant financial relief. It also would mean relieving pressure on homeowners so they can own their homes without fear of losing them because of unpaid property taxes.

But while homeowners might catch a break, this reform would challenge West Orange municipalities, which rely heavily on taxes to sustain services to residents in the area. The state’s House Select Committee on Property Taxes has developed multiple House Joint Resolution proposals for consideration during the 2026 Legislative Session beginning Tuesday, Jan. 13. HJR 201 would completely eliminate non-school homestead property taxes. HJR 203 would fully eliminate non-school homestead property taxes over a 10-year period, with homeowners getting an additional exemption of $100,000 each year. HJR 205 would exempt all Florida residents ages 65 and over from having to pay property taxes. HJR 207 would offer a homestead exemption of 25% of the assessed value of the home. HJR 209 would grant homestead property owners with insurance a $100,000 exemption. HJR 211 would help long-term homeowners carry over their tax savings when moving with no limit, which currently is set at $500,000. HJR 213 would change homestead property assessments from 3% per year to 3% every three years, and

from 10% per year for non-homesteaded properties to 15% every three years. Finally, House Bill 215 would allow married couples to combine their tax savings when buying a new homestead property and would require a two-thirds vote from the governing bodies to increase millage rates. The difference between them are how they become law. HJR proposals will be placed on the general election ballot and House Bills only requiring approval from the Florida House and Senate and a signature from the governor. IMPACTS ON STATE/COUNTY

Wichita State University conducted a study, which the Florida League of Cities commissioned, regarding the proposed homestead property tax reforms and examined the fiscal, distributional and community-level impacts it would bring to the state. Its findings were simple: Property taxes are indispensable. According to the study, property taxes remain the fiscal backbone of municipal finances, accounting for around 43% of general funds. “Because the state lacks an income tax, the property tax functions as the stabilizing base that offsets volatility in consumption-based revenues,” the study said. “Any reform that significantly weakens this base directly compromises municipal fiscal resilience.” Property taxes are used to fund public safety — police, fire and EMS operations, which accounts for more than 56% of the state’s General Fund — as well as public works and infrastructure, capital projects and more. This means cities, towns and

counties will be left to fund public safety services without their main source of revenue, leaving many areas around the state wondering what to do, compromising community safety. “It would be scary,” Orange County’s District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson said. “Do we want to go to a volunteer fire department? I don’t.” If any of the proposed reforms were to pass, the county would need to find some way to continue to fund these essential services. “We have to make it up somewhere,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said. “(In) sales taxes or in some other scheme, but there’s no way that the state of Florida can function without property taxes.” IMPACTS ON WEST ORANGE COUNTY

The small and cozy town of Oakland would face serious consequences if property taxes were removed. The town’s General Fund is $11 million, of which public safety accounts for nearly $5.5 million. Having no ad valorem revenue would severely cut the town’s funds and could result in staff layoffs. “We already operate really lean,” Mayor Shane Taylor said. “(Losing those funds) could be very detrimental to a small town like ours.” The town has about 3,800 resi-

dents and does not have lots of commercial spaces in it, which means increasing sales taxes wouldn’t help with the lost funds. The town most likely would have to replace that revenue by increasing non-ad valorem fees, such as fire fees and more. Taylor said. However, there could be statutory limits to that. Even aggressive cuts to discretionary items are not likely to fund the projected revenue loss. Worst case scenario, the town will be “dead in the water” in 10 years if the town does not allocate funds for the lost revenue, Town Manager Elise Hui said. “You become stagnant,” Taylor said. “How can you continue to run the town with not being able to pay for services?” Taylor said the issue would be to get rid of all homestead property taxes, but he is not opposed to property tax reforms. The city of Winter Garden has about 49,000 residents. For Fiscal Year 2026, the general fund expenditure budget totals $68.2 million, with revenues projected at $70.3 million. Fifty-seven percent — $38.6 million — of the expenditure budget goes to public safety. Public safety is followed by general government, which accounts for $9.7 million; culture and recreation, $6.1 million; physical environment, $4.5 million; inter-fund transfers, $4.4 million; and economic environment and human services, $1.7 million. If ad valorem revenues were removed, the city would have to rely on different methods to continue funding essential services to provide community safety. Those could include increase in sales taxes, increase in millage rates, increase in fire fees and more. The city recently

SAVE THE DATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION: Begins Tuesday, Jan. 13 GENERAL ELECTION: Tuesday, Nov. 6 To find the full study conducted by WSU, visit flcities.com/propertytaxstudy.

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West Orange County’s

Church DIRECTORY

2024: WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO? Other uses and non-operating Culture/recreation

$90.10M $291.56M $138.15M

Human services Economic environment Transportation

$500.27M $387.34M $402.66M

Physical Environment

$502.66M

Public Safety

$1,036.87M

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$658.32M

BAPTIST

METHODIST

lions of dollars in revenue. Because public services would be affected, the city hopes to engage in community discussions. “There are all kinds of tools in the toolbox to try to lower our costs and things like that, but all of it really relates back to the services that our citizens get, so we need to engage our community,” Shadrix said. The town of Windermere has about 3,200 residents and one of the lowest property tax rates in the area at 3.7425 mills. The town prioritizes public safety with $3.9 million of the $4.3 million ad valorem revenue going toward those services. Alike other towns and cities, the town would seek significant cuts across the board to be able to continue funding for police, fire and more. The town would have to increase its millage rate, sales taxes or nonad valorem taxes, which would cause challenges for the town and its residents.

First Baptist Church

First United Methodist

Pastor Tim Grosshans 125 E. Plant St, Winter Garden (407) 656-2352 Sundays: 8:30 AM Traditional 9:45 AM Bible Study 11 AM Contemporary Wednesdays: 6 PM Awana

www.fumcwg.org 125 N. Lakeview Ave., Winter Garden (407) 656-1135 Services: 9 AM Traditional 10:45 AM Contemporary Also viewable on YouTube

2nd Campus: First Baptist Church

PRESBYTERIAN

WHAT TO EXPECT

Pastor Jeff Pritchard CHURCH PO Box 611 W Ave, Ocoee PO Box520, 520 Pastor Jeff Pritchard 611 W Ave., Ocoee (407) 656-2351 (407) 656-2351 www.starkelakebaptist.org www.StarkeLakeBaptist.org

Source: Florida Counties

increased its millage rate and proposed an increase to fire assessment fees, but after hearing the community’s feedback and continuing through the budget process with zero-based budgeting, city staff found money in the budget and decided not to move forward with the proposed increase to fire assessment fees. The city of Ocoee has about 52,000 residents. The city collects about $25.5 million in property taxes, making up around 35% of the General Fund budget, which also is a major funding source. Because the city relies on ad valorem taxes to fund public safety services, it would be looking at “all sorts of cuts” to continue to fund those services, City Manager Craig Shadrix said. “There’s a trend of growing reliance on (ad valorem revenue) for the last five, six years,” he said. “We’re having to rely more and more on it because everything is starting to cost more. … The cornerstone of our services, typically, is public safety, quality of life services, parks, recreational facilities, community centers, events and things like that. … The cost of those is going up tremendously.” Without ad valorem revenue, all those services would be affected. “It would definitely affect us,” he said. “We’re not sure which version is going to (be on the ballot), so it’s kind of a hard target right now, but it could range from slightly affected to seriously affected.” Shadrix said if homestead property taxes were eliminated entirely, most municipalities will lose mil-

CHURCH

@ Horizon West 15304 Tilden Road, Winter Garden Sundays: 9:45 AM All Ages www.FBCWG.org

St. John’s PCA

Starke Lake Baptist Church

ANGLICAN

STARKE LAKE BAPTIST

Municipalities soon will release edu- COMMUNITY ANGLICAN cational pieces regarding the matter FELLOWSHIP CHURCH to inform residents of theRector pros The andRev. Canon Tim Trombitas cons. 1146 East Plant St, Winter Garden City and town managers recommended residents engageSUNDAY with theirSERVICE 10:00 AM us at: Theacf.net local governments and stayFind informed to be able to come up with their own conclusions once those BAPTIST proposed reforms hit the ballot. BEULAHtoBAPTIST Residents also are encouraged Pastor Casey Butner reach out to state and county representatives to ask for clarity671 or express Beulah Rd, Winter Garden any concerns. 407-656-3342 | BeulahBaptistWG.org

SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY 9:30AM SUNDAY SERVICE 11:00AM WEDNESDAY SERVICE 6:00PM

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 125 E Plant St., Winter Garden 407-656-2352 SUNDAYS 8:30 am Traditional TOP INDIVIDUAL AGENT 9:45 am Bible Study 2023-2024 11:00 am Contemporary WEDNESDAYS - 6pm - Awana Pastor Tim Grosshans www.fbcwg.org 2nd Campus: FOUNDATION WORSHIP SUNDAYS 9:45 am - All Ages Foundation Academy High School 15304 Tilden Rd., Winter Garden www.FoundationWorship.com 407-730-1867

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1601 A.D. Mims Rd, Ocoee FL 34761 EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH (407) 656-3097 241 N. Main, Winter Garden www.VBCOCOEE.com Services: 8, 9:30, & 11am, 7pm Sunday: 11AM & 6 PM www.churchofthemessiah.com Wednesday: 7 PM

Meets at West Orange HS 1625 Beulah Rd, Winter Garden 321-343-7741 Sundays: 10:30 AM www.stjohnspca.com

METHODIST

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 125 N. Lakeview Ave Winter Garden Service Times 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM Phone – 407-656-1135 Web: fumcwg.org

NON-DEN

PURPOSE C 13640 W. Colo Winter Garden 407-654-9661 Fellowship 9:4

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

WINDERMERE UNION CHURCH 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Rd. Windermere, FL 34786 407-876-2112 Worship times: 9:00am Adult Sunday School 10:00am Worship www.windermereunion.org

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2026 FORECAST

Michael Eng

William Loggans wrote a book, “Quiet Courage in the Classroom: One Teacher’s Stand for Freedom and the Future of America’s Youth,” after OCPS forced him to remove a poster from his classroom.

The fight for free thought How Horizon High School teacher William Loggans became the poster child for independent thought in public education. MICHAEL ENG EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

he original email — sent Sept. 14, 2025, wasn’t even

300 words long. But it changed William Loggans’ life forever. In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Loggans, a social studies teacher at Horizon High School, put up a new poster in his classroom. It featured a portrait of Kirk, along with a quote: “Never underestimate the power of your voice and the impact you can have on the world when you speak up for what you believe in.”

For Loggans, the poster wasn’t political. Rather, the sentiment encapsulated perfectly his mission as a teacher: to prove to every student who enters his classroom that their minds, thoughts and opinions are valuable — and that they matter. It was to inspire courage to speak and not to let fear silence their words. “I found the poster online, and I (thought) it’d be a great inspiration,” he said. “I put a lot of inspirational posters up. I teach honors comprehensive law, and I’m always talking about First Amendment rights and speaking up for yourself, and don’t go along with a crowd … critically think for yourself. And I thought this was perfect to fit in with that, so I got it, and I put it up.” It didn’t take long before a student took issue with the poster. That same morning, the student walked into Loggans’ classroom and told him he needed to take it down. She told Loggans Kirk was a Nazi fascist and said he might as well have quoted Adolf Hitler. Loggans refused to remove the poster; the student grabbed her backpack and left the classroom. She then penned an email to thenprincipal Andrew Jackson. “Charlie Kirk has made several offensive comments, including advocating for ethnic cleansing and making derogatory remarks about trans people,” the student wrote. “His statements have been hurtful and divisive, and I believe that commemorating him in a classroom setting is not appropriate and can cause arguments and separation among students. “I brought this to my teacher’s attention, and he argued that the quote itself is not political,” she wrote. “However, I argue that the context of the quote and the person

William Loggans spent years in law enforcement before becoming a teacher.

who said it cannot be ignored. Even if the quote is neutral, the fact that it comes from a figure with a history of hate speech and divisive rhetoric makes it problematic. I would like to request that the poster be removed from the classroom and that the school takes steps to ensure that all students feel safe and respected while in school.” At the end of that school day, Loggans, a Christian, said a prayer: Lord, give me wisdom. Help me handle this with grace. Since that fateful September day, Loggans has become a national figure — the public face for freedom of thought in the American public classroom. He has been featured on numerous programs, including Dana Loesch’s show, Not the Bee, Fox News Digital, Fox News Outnumbered, The Faulkner Focus and Newsmax. He’s already published a book, “Quiet Courage in the Classroom: One Teacher’s Stand for Freedom and the Future of America’s Youth.” And in 2026, he will be launching his nonprofit, the Freedom to Think Project, which will support educators, parents and students who want to advocate for open dialogue and honesty in their school communi-

ties. The organization’s first event will be held in early 2026. ‘I’M NOT GONNA LET THIS GO’

Loggans awoke the morning after the altercation with the student to find an email in his inbox. Jackson informed Loggans the student filed a complaint and he had forwarded it to district officials at Orange County Public Schools. Ultimately, the concern landed on OCPS General Counsel John Palmerini’s desk. Palmerini advised: “While I agree that the message on the poster is non-political, the usage of Charlie Kirk on the poster definitely has a political connotation to it. Mr. Kirk was a well-known conservative political activist prior to his assassination. Many students and their parents have objections to his political positions, and therefore will have objections to posters in the classroom. Parents and students may attribute the message on the poster to the School District and School Board, which ... is not permissible under law. “In this case, removal of the poster with Mr. Kirk’s image from a classroom is appropriate because display of the poster implies the School Dis-

trict or School Board’s endorsement of Mr. Kirk,” he wrote. “I would also recommend removal if the poster contained the same words but had an image of Barack Obama on it as well. Our school classrooms are meant to be apolitical places of learning for our students.” Palmerini cited two other similar cases in which OCPS forced the removal of items from a classroom. One included a teacher displaying the Gadsden flag, and the other regarding a school displaying a Black Lives Matter banner. “We prohibited the display of both banners, one conservative and one liberal, because we did not want the public to believe that either flag represented the position of the School District and the School Board as a whole,” he wrote. Palmerini’s directive came back to Loggans through Jackson. No one from the district ever spoke to Loggans directly or asked to see the poster. Nevertheless, Loggans complied. But not without a warning. “He (Jackson) came and told me what they said, and I took it down, and I said, ‘You know, I’m not gonna let this go, right?’ And he goes, ‘I wouldn’t think you would.’” BECOMING MR. LOGGANS

Before Loggans was a teacher, he served as a law enforcement officer and later an investigator for the

“

It got me to thinking — maybe (teaching was) what I should do. Maybe this is a way to … hopefully get to kids before they get into that situation that I saw as a DCF investigator.” — William Loggans

OrangeObserver.com

Florida Department of Children and Families. He saw the worst of the worst. And although Loggans’ calling always has been to help children, a job like that eventually takes its toll on a man. “I was working in the humantrafficking unit, and I saw so much; it was getting to me bad,” Loggans said. Then one day, he was talking to his youngest daughter, who graduated with an engineering degree but later became a fifth-grade teacher. “It got me to thinking — maybe that’s what I should do,” Loggans said. “Maybe this is a way to … hopefully get to kids before they get into that situation that I saw as a DCF investigator. “And so that was what my whole ambition was to get into teaching — to try to reach students, help them learn to think for themselves and not go along with the crowd and surrender to things that can get them killed — like drugs and running away from home and stuff like that,” he said. Loggans began his teaching career at Real Life Christian Academy in Lake County before moving to OCPS when Horizon High opened in 2021. He particularly enjoys teaching law and leading discussions about freedom of speech. And although he knows he can’t outwardly teach his faith in a public school setting, he can be an example of it. “Even though you can’t just come right out to teach about Jesus and about Christianity and what God can do for you, you can model it,” Loggans said. “And you can frame it in such a way that it’s not directly teaching, but it’s showing them that there’s something to offer out there for them to live better lives.” And more than anything, Loggans wants his students to know they are loved, valued and capable. His greatest responsibility as an educator, he said, isn’t to teach his students about government or history but rather to help them understand their worth. It’s a motive that stems from tragedy, grief and the darkest place any parent can imagine. LOVE AND LOSS

In 2021, Loggans’ oldest daughter, Dyan, died of a fentanyl overdose. She was just 36 years old and a new mother. Dyan’s death tore a hole in Loggans’ heart, and without his strong faith, he might have succumbed to it. Instead, that grief renewed the responsibility he felt to his students. His courage grew, as did his commitment to his students. He poured even more into them, telling them they have purpose, meaning and worth. “Before Dyan’s death, teaching was my job and my passion,” Loggans wrote in his book. “After Dyan’s death, teaching became my mission. “I became more intentional, more patient, more attuned to their needs,” he wrote. “I noticed things I never noticed before — the student whose smile never reached her eyes, the kid who laughed loudly to hide his pain, the one who sat in the back hoping no one saw the sadness he carried.

TO BUY THE BOOK “Quiet Courage in the Classroom: One Teacher’s Stand for Freedom and the Future of America’s Youth” is available online at Lesson Lab Press, lessonlabpress. com, or at Barnes and Noble, bit. ly/4iTqAI0.

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

Since the poster controversy, William Loggans has been thrust into the political spotlight — giving him a chance to meet Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“And every time I sensed something like that, it stirred something deep inside me — something protective, something fatherly, something born out of love and loss,” Loggans wrote. “More than once, I found myself stepping aside with a student and saying, ‘Hey, I’m here if you ever need someone to talk to.’ Or, ‘You matter. Don’t forget that.’” And so, when a lawyer sitting in an office in downtown Orlando forced Loggans to take down the poster, it didn’t scare him. He already had been through valleys far darker than this. Furthermore, it didn’t mark the end of the story — but rather the beginning. QUIET COURAGE

After the district’s initial directive, Loggans consulted with attorney and Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini, and then filed a grievance with OCPS. At that time, Sabatini called the district’s demand to remove the poster unconstitutional. “This is a classic case of First Amendment viewpoint discrimination, and they’re going to lose in court if it’s challenged,” he said. “We don’t want to challenge it, but we’ll do it if we have to. We’re hoping they do the right thing and just allow him to just display a simple poster, which, of course, nobody had an issue with it.” Days later, OCPS acquiesced, and by late October, the poster was back on Loggans’ classroom wall. But by that time, Loggans’ story had gained attention. He never wanted it, but Loggans — the mildmannered, social studies teacher at Horizon High — had become the face for free thought in America’s public schools. Several national podcasters and news hosts asked for interviews, and Loggans also culled his journal together into a book: “Quiet Courage in the Classroom: One Teacher’s Stand for Freedom and the Future of America’s Youth.” Loggans originally self-published the book through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing service. It hit the retailer giant’s website on Thanksgiving Day — Nov. 27, 2025. By Saturday, the book had climbed to No. 40 on Amazon’s top 100 educational biographies — a feat unheard of for a self-published title. But later that day, Amazon sent Loggans an email telling him it had removed the ebook version. Why? Disappointing customer experience, an Amazon official replied. The next day, Amazon representatives told him the paperback also had been taken down. This time, the chosen reason was “offensive content.” In December, Loggans was able to find a new distributor in Barnes and Noble, and as of press time Tuesday, Jan. 6, it still is available there. He also is selling it on his own website, lessonlabpress.com. A TARGETED MAN

Even with the poster controversy resolved, Loggans still faced scrutiny. The same student who filed the complaint about the poster filed

another one through the FortifyFL app. This complaint stems from Loggans’ teaching of a state-mandated unit on the evils of communism. “I had a part in it about socialism and how socialism turns into communism,” Loggans said. “And then I had a section on why (socialism appeals) to young people so much. On the slide, I had pictures of (New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Bernie Sanders, (Vladimir) Lenin and a couple other people. They were promoting socialism. And when I had that slide (up) and was talking about it, (the) student got up and walked out of the classroom.” Since the poster investigation, Jackson left Horizon to take the principal position at West Orange High School. New Horizon High Principal Brian Sanchez Corona informed Loggans he would be interviewing about six of his students as part of an investigation into this latest complaint. On Dec. 23, OCPS Office of Professional Standards Senior Manager Tamika Redfin sent Loggans an email confirming that second investigation was completed and closed. “I’ve had teachers tell me, ‘You know, you got a target on your back now,’” Loggans said. “And I said, ‘Yeah, I guess I do.’” FREEDOM TO THINK PROJECT

Despite the scrutiny, Loggans remains committed to his students — and the mission inspired by Dyan’s memory. He wants to remain teaching at Horizon High and is prepared to fight should the district decide otherwise. Furthermore, he will dedicate much of his 2026 to strengthening educators, students and parents nationally through his nonprofit, the Freedom to Think Project. Loggans said he was inspired to launch the organization because of all the feedback he received from the poster controversy. Throughout that battle, he received hundreds of messages of encouragement from teachers and families from all over

the nation. One lady from Tennessee event sent him a hand-embroidered piece displaying 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” That piece now hangs in his home office. “I got all of these messages from across the nation from teachers wishing they had the kind of bravery I had,” Loggans said. “I’m not brave. I’m just standing up for what’s right.” Through the Freedom to Think Project, Loggans, along with two other Orange County teachers, plans host workshops that will help teachers, students and parents defend and encourage free thinking in their school communities. He already has been in touch with two students from Windermere Preparatory School who attempted to start a Turning Point USA chapter on their campus but were denied. Loggans said the organization plans to have its first event in January. Several public figures, including Orange County School Board District 3 Member Alicia Farrant and Orange County GOP Chair and Florida House District 25 candidate Erin Huntley, are planning to speak. Loggans hopes to have video messages from Loesch and Moms for Liberty activitist Scarlett Johnson, as well. Eventually, Loggans hopes the nonprofit can fund scholarships and resources for teachers. “We certainly want to have something going on every month where we’re giving out pamphlets, we’re talking to people having workshops, and discussing … what problems teachers are running into and (seeing) how we can find attorneys that will be able to help with some advice,” he said. “We’re going to really push this, because my goal is to get the public school system back to where … our kids can have the freedom to think and not be indoctrinated.”

Courtesy photos

William Loggans is starting a new nonprofit called the Freedom to Think Project.

10A

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

2026 FORECAST

Chris Mikkelson has devoted much of his time evangelizing in Pakistan.

Courtesy of Chris Mikkelson

Spiritual awakening According to a September 2025 study, adults in the Gen Z population are attending church more regularly than Millennials, Gen Xers and Boomers. And one West Orange resident, evangelist Chris Mikkelson, has committed his life to shepherding this return to faith. MICHAEL ENG EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

hile many Americans were dragging their trees from

their garage hibernation and clumsily climbing ladders to add some twinkling holiday cheer to their homes, West Orange resident and Christian evangelist Chris Mikkelson closed out 2025 with not one — but two — crusades. The first was to Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia — a location that had never before hosted a Christian gospel crusade of any kind. The second was a five-night tour de force in Phuket, Thailand, where Mikkelson and his team met a woman named Nee.

Nee, a housekeeper for a local Thai Christian leader named GoParn, had been battling lupus and recently was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the crusade’s Christmas event at Chai Stadium, Mikkelson led an altar call, inviting anyone who wanted to proclaim their faith in Jesus to come forward. Nee responded and prayed for healing. “Two days after the crusade, Nee returned to the hospital for a follow-up examination,” Mikkelson said. “To the doctor’s amazement, the lump was gone — no cancer was found — and her autoimmune disease was also completely healed. Nee immediately praised Jesus in the hospital and called GoParn’s mother with a trembling voice, overflowing with joy and gratitude to God.” As an evangelist, Mikkelson has spend more than a decade sharing his Christian faith with millions of people living in the most remote — and non-Christian — areas on the planet. And through this work, he has seen hundreds of miracles just like Nee. He’s seen the blind healed, the lame walk again. And in a time fraught with technologies and products that can blur or even erase the line between what is true and what is a lie, Mikkelson has placed himself on the front lines of what he believes is a second great awakening. “I do believe that God is doing something very, very special right now,” Mikkelson said. “Jesus said the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. And I think that I believe that as we get closer to the return of Christ … that He’s coming back for a harvest. … I believe that there’s going to be an end-time harvest of souls — people that get saved right before His return. And I believe that we’re coming into that. “Bible sales are way up right now,” he said. “You look at church atten-

File photos

Amanda and Chris Mikkelson have made it their mission to reach the most unchurched areas of the world.

dance — way up. Gen Z is attending church now more than previous generations.” Locally, two West Orange and Southwest Orange churches — Lakeside Church in Oakland and Quay (formerly Lifebridge) Church in Horizon West — made Outreach magazine’s 2025 list of the 20 fastest-growing churches in America. Further evidence of this shift can be found in pop culture. In 2025, two Christian songs (Brandon Lake’s “Hard Fought Hallelujah” and Forrest Frank’s “Your Way’s Better”) appeared simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 — a feat that hadn’t happened in more than a decade. On TV, season 23 of “American Idol” included a three-hour Easter Sunday special that featured songs of faith. And on the silver screen, Angel

Studios’ “David” enjoyed a $22 million opening weekend — the highest-grossing faith-based animated film opening in movie history. For the week before Christmas, “David” ranked No. 2 in domestic box office sales, behind only “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” “There are a lot of things that are happening that I think people are looking at and going like, ‘God is up to something here,’” Mikkelson said. “We’re seeing a shift — a spiritual shift in America.’” But why? If you ask Mikkelson, it’s a direct response to presence of evil in our world. “When I first got saved, I used to hear this quote that one of the greatest tricks the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist,” he said. “Today, I don’t think the devil can get away with that trick anymore. The world sees there is a

“

When I first got saved, I used to hear this quote that one of the greatest tricks the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. Today, I don’t think the devil can get away with that trick anymore. The world sees there is a devil. … I believe the devil shot himself in the foot. I think he overplayed his hand.” — Chris Mikkelson

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

devil. … I believe the devil shot himself in the foot. I think he overplayed his hand.” Some might balk at Mikkelson’s perspective. But, they haven’t seen what he’s seen. DOWNWARD SPIRAL

Mikkelson’s story begins in Osakis, Minnesota. Population: 1,256. “Every day I would drive to town to go to school, I would see the population sign,” Mikkelson said, laughing. “It is seared into my mind.” With the closest gas station 7 miles away, life in Osakis was simple. Mikkelson grew up on a dairy farm. His great-grandfather — a carpenter who had immigrated from Norway — had built one of the several Lutheran churches in town. At home, Mikkelson’s mom always had the TV tuned to Christian televangelists such as Pat Robertson or Jimmy Swaggart. It was an uncomplicated, isolated, hardworking life — 30 miles from anywhere else. But that didn’t mean evil didn’t find Mikkelson. He started drinking in high school and then enrolled in a nearby community college after graduation. The drinking continued and eventually spiraled into drugs. “I was doing horribly in all my classes because I was hungover constantly,” he said. In an attempt to change the trajectory of his life, he dropped out of college and applied for a police academy in Alexandria, Minnesota. But, the problem wasn’t the environment. “I got accepted into the program, but my life was continuing to spiral out of control,” he said. “My drug habit had exceeded what I could afford financially. Somebody gave me a lot of drugs to sell to my friends to make money. I started dealing drugs while I was in the police academy. And so obviously, you can imagine after a year of police academy and dealing drugs at the same time, I realized these two careers aren’t going to work out very well together. I made the unwise decision of dropping out of school.” Mikkelson eventually moved to the Twin Cities area. That’s where he met Amanda, the woman who would become the love of his life. COME TO JESUS

Amanda wasn’t a Christian and didn’t grow up in a Christian home. And Mikkelson didn’t dare tell her about his background. “I wouldn’t tell anyone,” he said. “At this point in my life, I had totally distanced myself from that upbringing.” However, Amanda’s sister had become a Christian; she was the first in her family to be saved. She began inviting Amanda to come to church with her. “So, we went to church,” Mikkelson said. “We didn’t get saved that first Sunday. … But we heard the pastor make an announcement that on Wednesday, (the church was) going to have a special service. … All I heard was ‘Special service Wednesday. Come to church.’” They went again. But much to their embarrassment, the service wasn’t for everyone. Rather, it was for parents whose teenage children were involved in drugs and alcohol. “We were at the wrong service, but it was a total set-up from God,” Mikkelson said with a smile. “So we decided (we’d) sit in the very back of this mega church. The parents will sit all up in the front. We won’t be rude and leave right away, but we’ll sit through the service, and we’ll sneak out at the end. And while that pastor was ministering to those parents whose teenage children were doing the same sinful behaviors that we were currently living in, God was ministering to us in the back of the church. “I couldn’t stop crying,” he said. “And I just knew God had a better plan for my life than the one that I’d been living. … We went out to the car and basically that night we made a

STAY CONNECTED CHRIS MIKKELSON EVANGELIC MINISTRIES n WEBSITE: chrismikkelson.com n SOCIAL MEDIA: @evangelistchrismikkelson

Chris Mikkelson led a candlelight vigil for Charlie Kirk on the steps of Winter Garden City Hall.

decision. We were going to start following Jesus. That was the beginning of really us like encountering Jesus and beginning to live for Him. That put us on a whole new course of just pursuing the Lord.” Mikkelson started studying the Bible. He bought Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias, and devoured many other books about world religions, too. “I started studying theology and apologetics without even realizing I was studying apologetics,” Mikkelson said. Eventually, a mentor in his life told Mikkelson he believed God was calling him into ministry. “And I thought, ‘I don’t know about all of that,’” he said. “I’m just a nobody college dropout, ex-drunk, ex-druggie. But … that’s what Jesus is like. He specializes in using screwups like Peter, right?” Mikkelson married Amanda in 2007. By the end of 2008, they were on their way to Dallas, Texas, to attend Christ For The Nations — an interdenominational Bible college. TAKING IT TO THE STREETS

Chris Mikkelson always has loved the rush. “I’m just kind of a radical guy,” he said. “I mean, I used to sell drugs. I used to ride motorcycles at 165 mph. I used to do wheelies over 100 mph with my wife on the back. … I gravitate to adrenaline, extreme things — the (things) most people ran from.” And so at CFTN, Chris Mikkelson signed himself up for the street evangelism — perhaps one of the most awkward and difficult ministries on campus. “That intrigued me; I don’t know why,” he said. “I had always wanted to tell people about Jesus but was horrible at it. And I just wanted to learn how to do it. … So I signed up for that just to learn how to talk to people about Jesus and immediately started leading people to the Lord on the streets of Dallas. I mean, immediately. The first person I had a real full conversation with about the Lord, I led to the Lord on the streets. He was crying, repenting right in front of me. It was incredible. And after that first encounter, I said, ‘This is all I want to do.’ “You couldn’t take me to the grocery store and be in and out in 30 minutes,” Chris Mikkelson said. “It would be two hours, no problem, because I’d be talking to somebody about the Lord. We would go to the Redbox (the DVD rental kiosk). I (helped) so many people (get) saved at Redbox.” Those grocery store and Redbox encounters eventually led Chris Mikkelson to a Reinhard Bonnke conference. Bonnke, a German evangelist and founder of Christ for All Nations, spent his life leading massive crusades throughout Africa. At that conference, Chris Mikkelson saw Daniel Kolenda, who eventually succeeded Bonnke as president and CEO of the Orlando-headquartered Christ for All Nations, preach. During his sermon, Chris Mik-

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CHURCH Journey Church First Orlando Coastal Community Church Lakeside Church Alive Church Quay Church

kelson’s friend leaned over and said: “Chris, one day you’re going to work for Daniel Kolenda.” “I thought, ‘Well, I don’t know,’” Chris Mikkelson said. “I just put it in my heart. If it comes to pass, it comes to pass. I went all the way through Bible school, never had any connection with them, didn’t try to connect with them.” But wouldn’t you know it: As Chris Mikkelson was in his final semester at CFTN, Kolenda was in need of an executive assistant. He got the gig, and the Mikkelsons left Dallas for Orlando. THE EVANGELIST

With CFAN, Chris Mikkelson traveled all over the world and saw how that ministry organized and produced large crusades, particularly in Africa. That experience gave the Mikkelsons the tools and knowledge to launch their own ministry in 2015. But knowing how to share the gospel and being able to fund that work are two completely different beasts. And the latter required complete faith in the calling. “We just started doing this by faith and trying to raise the funds,” Chris Mikkelson said. “The hardest part of being an evangelist is raising money, because you have to do it totally by faith. You can’t become a pastor of a church, because then you’re in competition with other pastors. When we do a crusade, we work with all the pastors. So we’ll go into a town and we want every single church to participate in the crusade. So if I’m a pastor, I become a threat to them. So I have to be totally separate from them. And so it’s very challenging to raise the funds, but it’s incredible.” In the last decade, the Mikkelsons have helped lead more than 2.5 million people to the Christian faith. They have worked specifically in some of the most non-Christian places on the planet — India, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, Papua New Guinea, Thailand and Cambodia. But some of the most difficult and rewarding work was done in Pakistan — a country Chris Mikkelson has visited nearly 30 times in the last seven years. “We just want to obey the call of God that’s on our life,” Chris Mikkelson said. “I didn’t want to go to Pakistan, honestly. I had no desire to go there. We were doing crusades in India and also in Sri Lanka. And when God called us to Pakistan, and I went the first time, I was like, ‘This is incredible. There is a major harvest here.’ I grew up on a farm, so you have to harvest the field when it’s ripe.” In 2022, the Mikkelsons found themselves in the middle of politi-

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“

We just want to obey the call of God that’s on our life. I didn’t want to go to Pakistan, honestly. I had no desire to go there. We were doing crusades in India and also in Sri Lanka. And when God called us to Pakistan, and I went the first time, I was like, ‘This is incredible. There is a major harvest here.’ I grew up on a farm, so you have to harvest the field when it’s ripe.” — Chris Mikkelson

ATTENDANCE 5,723 9,967 3,992 3,565 3,051 2,885

GROWTH 2,052 (56%) 2,260 (29%) 978 (32%) 868 (32%) 771 (34%) 709 (33%) Source: oureach100.com

cal upheaval when former prime minister Imran Khan was protesting his removal from office. The day before the crusade, Khan was shot in an assassination attempt. “I’ve got guys on stage with AK47s while I’m preaching,” Chris Mikkelson said. “Everywhere I go, I have police escorts and bodyguards with AK-47s all over Pakistan. I’m very much used to knowing that preaching this gospel could result in a lot of hate and negativity and evil. But, it didn’t stop Jesus or his disciples from preaching it.” Mikkelson also knows those Pakistanis who do come to Christ face consequences, too. “This one woman said, ‘I came; I received Christ at your meeting,’” Chris Mikkelson said. “‘I went home, and my son and daughterin-law came home one day and saw me reading the Bible, and they almost beat me to death.’ She said, ‘But don’t worry; I’m still following Jesus.’ “Pakistan obviously is a very Muslim nation,” he said. “Christianity is less than 2%, Islam is like 96%. But there’s a shift even happening in Pakistan, where Muslims are turning away from the Muslim religion and shifting to Christianity.” In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination in 2025, the Mikkelsons turned their focus on home. They led a candlelight vigil for Kirk on the steps of Winter Garden City Hall. Then, a few weeks later, they hosted a Salvation USA Rally at Orlando City Hall. And the Mikkelsons plan to host a similar rally this month at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee. “Eternity doesn’t happen when we go to heaven; it’s right now,” Chris Mikkelson said. “And so how could I take this time that I have ... on this side of eternity and not do everything I can for the next side of eternity? “(After) Amanda and I were (saved) in the car that Wednesday night, for a few months, I was kind of like, ‘Well, now that I’m a Christian, I probably shouldn’t smoke as much weed as I used to. Now that I’m a Christian, I probably shouldn’t get as drunk as I used to get. So I’ll just get a little drunk and just get a little high,’” Chris Mikkelson said. “But there came a moment after a few months where I was just like, ‘God, I’m done. I’m done with all of this lifestyle. I’m done with all this sin.’ I have one life to live. I could die tomorrow on my motorcycle. But I’m going to give this life everything I can for You — no matter what that looks like. And I think that’s kind of our attitude. It … doesn’t matter how dangerous or difficult it is. Let’s give it all to Jesus.”

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

2026 FORECAST

Forest Lake Golf Course is a prized possession to Ocoee residents, and the city will move forward with ownership of the course in 2026.

The long game From Forest Lake Golf Club to Vasant Sports’ pickleball facility to The Dynasty, the city of Ocoee is positioning itself as Central Florida’s sports mecca.

city remains optimistic about the project, the Orlando Business Journal reported. “These projects are going to generate tourism and economic growth,” MEGAN BRUINSMA However, as important as Forest Shadrix said. “And they fulfill specific STAFF WRITER Lake is to The Center of Good Living, niches — competitive sports, indoor it’s just one piece of Ocoee’s sports athletics and large events.” pie. Recent and proposed projects — Those facilities are developor most of 2025, Forest including Vasant Sports LLC’s pickle- ment projects responding to marball facility and The Dynasty | Ocoee — ket demand, separate from the city’s Lake Golf Club was a represent a larger vision for the future state-mandated responsibility to of what is to come in the city. provide recreational level of service center of prolonged through parks and open space. REPRESENTING A GROWING CITY Shadrix said the distinction matVasant Sports initially presented the ters, because Ocoee’s comprehensive and emotional debate for the blueprint for the facility during 2024, plan sets standards for how the city but it was rejected. In 2025, the orga- accommodates population growth. city of Ocoee during its City nization returned with a revamped But city officials are welcoming the proposal, which earned commis- economic impact of sports tourism. Commission meetings. Resision approval. The plan includes 25 Ocoee’s location plays an impordents packed the chambers indoor tournament-style courts and tant role in its long-term growth. one outdoor championship court. With direct access to State Road 429, and listened to see what the Eventually, Vasant representatives Florida’s Turnpike and State Road 50, expect the facility to become more the city is easily reachable from across future of the city’s only golf than a recreational pickleball venue. Central Florida. It is designed to host large pickleball City leaders expect the increase of course would hold. tournaments and gather players from visitors to the area will fuel long-term across the country. redevelopment downtown. Long-term leases were on the table, The Dynasty | Ocoee is a 159-acre “We have a great master plan and a and city staff examined three firms’ mixed-use sports and entertain- land development code that allows us proposals. The commission unani- ment destination being developed by to create a walkable, pedestrian orimously voted to reject all three firms’ Montierre Development. Similar to ented downtown,” Shadrix said. proposals for operation of Forest Lake the pickleball facility, it is designed to The vision includes buildings closer Golf Club Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. attract visitors year-round to Ocoee’s to the downtown streets, wider sideTheir decision meant the city would city lines. walks and spaces designed for easy retain full ownership and oversight of Developers for The Dynasty hope to interaction. it, placing all of the operations under create a destination for families to come Ocoee already has made the first Ocoee. to compete and stay, fusing tourna- moves toward the larger picture, This sets the stage for a larger ments with vacation-style amenities. Shadrix said. It relocated city hall to focus on community priorities, fiscal There will be a 150,000-square-feet anchor the downtown area, which responsibility and what it can become indoor sports facility, 17 multi-pur- provides a steady employee base for in the next year. pose sports fields to meet the sports local shops. Small businesses from “We’re really trying to make this demand. For entertainment, there are breweries to bike shops and cafes an interactive process with the City more than 1,100 hotel rooms planed could become the first generation of Commission and with residents,” City for and 350,000-square-feet of retail, downtown redevelopment. Manager Craig Shadrix said. “This dining and entertainment. It’s truly While some of the projects remain isn’t something where we come in forming a destination spot for tour- years away from completion, city offiwith a finished product and say, ‘Here ism. cials believe Forest Lake will be the you go.’ We want to understand what However, Montierre is facing mul- first place residents see change. the commissioners are hearing from tiple lawsuits and construction liens “You’re going to see some impactful Shannon Till, Agent We’re all in this together. their constituents and what the com- Fowler’s totaling more than $11 million in things happen very quickly,” Shadrix Grove 3279 Daniels Rd Farm court has a long tradition Winter Garden,unpaid FL 34787 debts.State munity actually wants.” alleged Public said. “There are moves we can make Free: 855-742-1591 of being lawsuits there. That’s one reason The commission knew these deci- Toll records show four pending that won’t cost much but can generwww.shannontill.com why I’mand proudconto support West sions not only would affect the future filed by lenders, investors ate revenue and create a better place.” Orange county.. of the golf course but also the future of tractors. Montierre CEO Jaime DougAs Ocoee charts its future in 2026, Get to a better State . the improved fairways at Forest Lake Ocoee residents’ lives, as well. las has denied these claims, and the

Family. Friends. Community.

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and other aesthetic changes the city has made signify more than an improved golf playing field, it’s a step toward greater community representation and increased changes for the long-term scope of the city. CHANGES EXPECTED THIS YEAR

Since Ocoee claimed ownership of the course, city staff have begun meeting one-on-one with commissioners to better understand their expectations for the course. In December, the team held extended sessions with each commissioner. Shadrix said it was an intentional step aimed at aligning future improvements with public input, rather than top-down decision making. The city then will host a public workshop, which likely will occur in February, during which city staff will present several options. The workshop will focus on a comprehensive evaluation of Forest Lake’s needs, from turf and agronomic conditions to landscaping enhancements and operational efficiency. At the heart of Ocoee’s approach to revamping Forest Lake are two priorities that must coexist: providing a high-quality golf experience at a reasonable price and generating enough revenue to sustain and improve the facility long-term. “Revenue is necessary to meet the demands and keep the course nice,” Shadrix said. “We’re evaluating all of those factors right now.” The evaluation includes learning from other publicly owned golf courses across Central Florida. A prestige course, which was discussed during the commission’s meetings and given as an example by Shadrix, is Dubsdread Golf Course in Orlando. It’s an Orlando city-owned facility that successfully has balanced affordability, quality and revenue generation. Shadrix hopes to organize a tour of Dubsdread for Ocoee commissioners. “It’s about exposing them to what’s out there,” he said. “That helps inform (them on) what they want to see here.” EARLY PROGRESS

While the long-term planning still is underway, Shadrix said Forest Lake already has seen improvements, including course conditions and the restaurant. Shadrix said since the city took it over, it is just under $300,000 ahead of the revenues collected under the old operator for the same time period.

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COURSE FOR THE COMMUNITY

Throughout public discussion, one topic constantly came to the surface: Residents want Forest Lake to remain Ocoee’s golf course. “There’s a strong sentiment among elected officials that the community aspect is No. 1,” Shadrix said. However, that doesn’t mean sacrificing golf quality. Several commissioners are avid golfers, and city leaders know improvements must maintain the integrity of the course. But officials also see opportunities to expand Forest Lake’s appeal beyond golfers to the wider community. “We want families out there,” Shadrix said. “We’re looking at community amenities that may not serve just golfers.” A welcoming restaurant, flexible gathering spaces and an environment that invites residents who might never have picked up or want to pick up a club all are part of the discussion for the future. City leaders believe in expanding the Ocoee property in a way to help strengthen the community value. “When you have a good place to go, have fun and have a good meal, that’s a community amenity in itself,” Shadrix said.

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The main catapult for the early signs of growth at the course was hiring Robert Utsey as a consultant. He has a background in running golf courses across Florida and initially did a wide-spread analysis of Forest Lake when he was hired. Based on his findings of the course’s conditions, he said he created a rubric for the city to follow. Utsey broke down the steps needed to improve the landscaping, created a timeline on when changes should be made and pinpointed exactly where they were needed. Ocoee has begun reshaping the course under the guidance of Ocoee Parks and Leisure Director Mark Johnson and his team. “The grass out there is in really good shape,” Shadrix said. “It’s a really nice golf environment. And it’s a very welldesigned course — one of the most notable course designers in the state of Florida designed it. It has great bones.” Ocoee’s goal now is to elevate the course to a level that reflects the design legacy without overspending. “We don’t want to go spend a whole bunch of money if we’re not going to get much return on it,” Shadrix said. “That’s the big thing — being wise.”

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

13A

2026 FORECAST you’re here in our community. Let us show you and tell you what it was like. Ask questions, meet your neighbor, and let’s continue that wonderful, small-town feel. Even though we’re growing, you can still have that.” CREATING A LEGACY

Liz Ramos

Kristi Karst Gomen, executive director of the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, wants to expand programming and bring community members together through learning about the history of West Orange.

Making history fun Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Executive Director Kristi Karst Gomen is taking the momentum of the successes in 2025 and using them to further expand offerings to bring the community together through the foundation.

eration West Orange County

Festival of Trees, Karst Gomen saw a plethora of people coming together to take in the history of West Orange while meeting their neighbors, sometimes for the first time. “That is just a gift in itself — to hear their stories and their experiences and their feelings,” Karst Gomen said. “That’s a full-circle moment.” Time and time again since Karst Gomen became executive director last March, she has seen her goal and mission for the nonprofit — preserve the history and legacy of West Orange County while ensuring the foundation is a place for everyone of all ages — come to fruition. And she doesn’t plan to slow down in 2026.

family — but also learning the

BRIDGING THE GAP

LIZ RAMOS MANAGING EDITOR

ny chance Kristi Karst Gomen has, she’s perusing the

archives of the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation. She’s reliving the history of her family — a fourth-gen-

When Karst Gomen started as execu-

histories and stories of count- tive director for the foundation, her less who have lived in the area well before the vast sea of orange groves were turned into a railroad system and later the bustling city that continues to grow and yet keep its smalltown charm. When packinghouse families have brought in photos, she’s heard stories from former employees, who now are in their mid-80s, of how the citrus farmers and packing houses worked together and negotiated. She’s learned more about the history of the Edgewater Hotel and how Winter Garden previously was known as the bass fishing capital from the 1930s to 1950s. During a Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Lunch and Learn, Karst Gomen spoke to A.B. Newton’s granddaughter, Alice Kennedy, listening intently as Kennedy shared stories about the city’s first mayor. At the foundation’s inaugural fundraiser Oranges and Ornaments: A

priority was to educate people on the fact the foundation was a heritage and cultural center for all ages. The foundation exists not only to capture and preserve moments in history but also to help the Winter Garden Heritage Museum host educational programs, serve as a place for school field trips and more. It’s a nonprofit that can develop strong partnerships with community organizations and businesses. “I wanted to make sure they knew what we were all about and reach back out to those that were so supportive when we started this foundation over 30 years ago and bring it back to life, knowing it is something for all of West Orange County,” Karst Gomen said. “We’ve honed in on ways to make sure we are providing not only educational opportunities for our community, but (also) we are mixing history with some fun. … If we don’t connect the past with the present, our legacy (and) our founders, then we won’t have the opportunity to continue this message and educate for generations to come. We have to bridge that gap. We have to make history fun.” Throughout the past year, Karst Gomen and her dedicated team at the foundation have been expanding programming and testing to see what

the community likes and finds interesting. Karst Gomen said they have been testing the Lunch and Learns, where the foundation provides lunch and has speakers come to talk about various topics. The Lunch and Learns have ranged from local businesses to legacy families telling their stories and more. What amazes Karst Gomen after each Lunch and Learn was seeing community members staying after the events to share their own stories. She also started Heritage Happy Hours. Every quarter when an exhibit is launched, the foundation hosts a happy hour that allows people to not only view the exhibit but mingle with others. The foundation has brought in a former Major League Baseball player, a race car driver, a chief meteorologist and more to speak. “It was bringing out people from all over that were new to the area and didn’t know we existed,” Karst Gomen said of the events. The foundation topped 2025 off with its inaugural Oranges and Ornaments: A Festival of Trees. At the event, organizations and businesses decorated trees to display at the museum. Karst Gomen said the fundraiser was a “tremendous success,” with people already sharing how they plan to decorate their tree for the 2026 holiday season. The hard work of expanding programming in 2025 has paid off, leading Karst Gomen coming into 2026 with a bright outlook for the foundation’s year ahead. ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY

No matter the age, no matter the community, Karst Gomen is focused on ensuring the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation is bringing the community together. “Whether it’s someone who has lived here 55 years or someone (who) has lived here six months, introducing them to each other, creating that ‘I’m your neighbor’ kind of feel, that’s the goal,” she said. “The goal will continue to be the common denominator of

bridging our communities together, and people know if there’s something going on at the heritage foundation, they’re going to learn something, they’re going to meet someone, and they’re going to leave here with a smile.” Being a fourth-generation family of West Orange County, Karst Gomen said the heritage foundation has been an opportunity for her to explore her own roots as well as a blessing to reconnect with her parents’ friends or people she grew up with but hadn’t spoken to in years. “What I’ve learned is a lot of us stay, we don’t leave, because it is just such as wonderful community and place to live and grow up and raise your family,” she said. Karst Gomen wants to share what makes West Orange County special with all the newcomers, especially with communities such as Horizon West and Hamlin growing by leaps and bounds. The key to connecting the new residents to the history of their new home: varied programming such as the Lunch and Learns, Heritage Happy Hour and more. “I’m trying to keep that small-town feel by educating them on how it used to be,” she said. “The mission is letting them know we are such a close-knit community, and we’re so happy that

“

The mission is letting them know we are such a closeknit community, and we’re so happy that you’re here in our community. Let us show you and tell you what it was like. Ask questions, meet your neighbor, and let’s continue that wonderful, small-town feel. Even though we’re growing, you can still have that.” — Kristi Karst Gomen

The new year is about creating Winter Garden Heritage Foundation’s legacy events, Karst Gomen said. “The key to our success right now is that we’re listening to what our community is saying,” she said. “We’re creating fun events. They’re learning something and leaving with a smile.” After the success of Oranges and Ornaments: A Festival of Trees, Karst Gomen looks forward to hosting the second annual event. She said when the foundation first announced the event, she had several people approach her to say they once volunteered for Orlando Museum of Art’s similar event and were thrilled to have one in their city and wanted to help. She said the foundation also wants to continue to grow its partnerships with large sponsors as well as raise the money needed to continue to maintain the artifacts in the foundation’s possession. “Am I taking chances on things like that? Yes, but am I listening to what the community is saying? Yes,” she said. “I live in our community, and I’m out in our community, so I’m listening to and I’m seeing and I’m watching what people are doing. I’m also just kind of following my gut on some things.” A first for the foundation will be its pickleball tournament, Paddles for the Past, Saturday, Feb. 28, in partnership with the Dr. Phillips YMCA and the Roper YMCA. “Pickleball is something that is extremely popular right now, and we’re raising money through this tournament to help restore our past,” Karst Gomen said. In keeping with its mission to have something for everyone, Karst Gomen said there will be competition levels for varying experiences — from beginner to the avid pickleball player. She said dozens of teams will be able to participate. Throughout the year, Karst Gomen wants to develop more collaborations with organizations and businesses, host more events, have people take advantage of Heller Hall inside the Winter Garden Heritage Museum, and find more ways to bring the community together at the museum. By having more events in the museum, Karst Gomen said people will be able to go through the museum for free. “I just want to create a true heritage hub,” she said. “I just want us to be known as a center for everyone.”

ADDING TO HER OWN LEGACY

Working for the foundation is an opportunity for Karst Gomen learn more about her family. She was born and raised in the area, giving her the prime opportunity to connect the past with the present. She attended Windermere Elementary School and said she hasn’t moved more than a 5-mile radius from where she grew up. She and her husband of 33 years have raised three children, two of which still live in West Orange County. Before becoming the executive director of the foundation, she owned a media and marketing company for 20 years. She didn’t foresee working for the foundation after she sold her company and began consulting for other various companies. But as soon as she was approached by a foundation board member and met the executive committee, she said she knew the foundation and its mission is “genuinely of my heart” and all about her heritage, as well. “I just felt that something clicked immediately, that this is what I needed and this is where I needed to be,” Karst Gomen said. “We had a job to do, and we needed to get everybody on board, as far as educating West Orange County about the greatness of these museums and archives and the legacy and of the farmers, the fisherman and the hotels and more.” She said she is able to share her experiences growing up in the area to help connect people to the heritage of the area. “This runs deep in my blood, in my heart, so to step into this role, to preserve this legacy, is something I was incredibly passionate about on a personal level,” she said.

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

“ Elementary expansion 2026 FORECAST

and motivates students to Harrelson said she loves being a A new Horizon West elementary school to exciting come and grow every day,” she said. principal and hopes to advocate for To ensure culture is established every student and family. open in August to alleviate nearby Panther before the opening of the school, “I can’t wait to meet all of my new community members will be able students and families and to get this Lake and Water Spring elementary schools. to give their input regarding the amazing community and school off

dream for longtime principal Patty Harrelson.

And in 2026, it finally will

come true, Harrelson, current principal at Orlo Vista Elementary School, will take the helm to open a new elementary school in August. As a longtime West Orange resident, Harrelson watched Horizon West develop into what it is today and was excited to learn a new elementary school would open in the area.

BUILDING THE CULTURE

The new school, located on a 15-acre parcel on Hartzog Road, is being built as a relief school to Panther Lake and Water Springs elementary schools. Of course, a school is just a building without its community and culture. And Harrelson is excited to use her expertise to establish that part of this new campus. “One of the mantras I always maintain wherever I lead is excellence,” she said. “No matter your socioeconomic background, country of origin or situation, I want students to know that excellence is attainable for them. The scaffolds and supports needed might be different, but I want to see all of our students excel and achieve academically and in all other areas.” Harrelson is passionate about creating a culture of inclusion and family, ensuring every student feels welcomed. “School should be a place that is

the ground,” she said. “Great things are coming, and I am blessed to be a part of this specific moment in history.” A NEW SCHOOL? NOW?

With Orange County Public Schools making headlines as it considers closing as many as seven schools, it might seem off that the district is opening a new one. Put simply, it’s a numbers game. Currently, there are 828 students enrolled at Panther Lake, which has a capacity of 837 students. Water Springs has the same capacity but has an enrollment of nearly 1,100 students. This means Panther Lake Elementary is reaching full capacity at 98%. Water Springs Elementary is over-capacity at 131%. The new elementary school will be able to house 834 students. The plan is to bring all three schools down to a 650 to 750 students. Horizon West is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country, with a population growth of more than 300% since 2010. And this new school will be the second relief school in Horizon West to help Water Spring Elementary’s continuous growth. Atwater Bay Elementary opened in 2024. However, other parts of the county have experienced the opposite. Over the past three years, student enrollment has decreased by about 8,667 students — 4.6%. According to OCPS officials, factors that have contributed to the reduction of student enrollment include an increased use of Florida’s

I can’t wait to meet all of my new students and families and to get this amazing community and school off the ground. Great things are coming, and I am blessed to be a part of this specific moment in history.” — Patty Harrelson, principal

vouchers, a decline in birth rates, a population shift in older established neighborhoods and changes in immigration laws and Temporary Protected Statuses for immigrant families. One of the seven schools up for consolidation is Orlo Vista, Harrelson’s current school. Orlo Vista Elementary has a capacity of 735 students, although recent enrollment numbers hover around 430 to 440 students. Orlo Vista, along with Union Park Middle and Bonneville, Chickasaw, Eccleston, Meadow Woods and McCoy elementary schools, are projected to show a continued decline in enrollment. The new Horizon West school will be one of the two elementaries OCPS will open in 2026. The second will be located in Lake Nona, offer-

454577-1

t has been a career-long

school’s name, colors and mascot at a future date not yet announced. Once choices have been narrowed down, the Orange County School Board will vote on them. And although Harrelson is excited for the grand opening, she expects a few challenges along the way. “Obviously, the first year at a new school always brings the challenge of not knowing any of your students yet, but it doesn’t take me long to get to know them,” she said. “I am a principal who does my best to learn every child’s name, so I will get to work on that right away.” Another challenge will be hiring a staff that has never worked together before. Harrelson said she plans to provide plenty of team-building resources to bring everyone together to learn and use one another’s strengths to build a strong school community. “I consider myself a problemsolver and love the synergy of working collaboratively with teams to remove barriers to learning,” she said. She wants the campus to be a place where all cultures are honored and where students can begin and continue their learning journey. “I hope to build a beautiful tapestry of students and staff coming together to create an exciting, engaged and innovative family of learners,” she said. “I want to connect with our community and get them involved. … I would love to see our school be a lighthouse for our families, providing a place where they can find connections through our school-wide events.”

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STAFF WRITER

“I have always wanted to open a new school and decided to throw my hat in the ring for it,” she said. Previously, she has opened a new building added to an elementary school she oversaw but never had the opportunity to open a school from the ground up. Harrelson will finish the year at Orlo Vista while also working on the opening of the new $38.6 million school, located off Hartzog Road. Harrelson has been a principal at OCPS for 20 years and said this is an exciting new chapter.

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LETICIA SILVA

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

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Courtesy rendering

The school is designed so that 75% of the campus receives natural light.

ing relief from crowded schools in the area such as Laureate Park Elementary. These schools will be the last new relief campuses in Orange County for several years. The district does not expect any significant growth in enrollment until 2031, which is when new relief schools will begin to open.

BY THE NUMBERS COST: $38.6 million CAPACITY: 834 students LOT SIZE: 15 acres PARKING SPOTS: 150 STUDENT ENROLLMENT: About 650 to 750 students RELIEF WATER SPRING ELEMENTARY CAPACITY: 837 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 1,100 ESTIMATED ENROLLMENT FOR 2026-27: 650 to 750

THE CAMPUS

PANTHER LAKE ELEMENTARY CAPACITY: 837 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 828 ESTIMATED ENROLLMENT FOR 2026-27: 650 to 750

water consumption and thermalefficient windows. Students will have access to daylight in all classrooms, as well as most places at the school, with 75% of the campus providing natural light. Parents will have access to clear and marked patterns on surrounding streets and in the parking lot. The bus loop is on the opposite side of it to ensure an efficient traffic flow. Construction on the school nearly is complete.

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The $38.6 million, two-story school will feature a single, secure point of entry at the main entrance. The first floor of the school will include classrooms, administrative offices, labs, kitchen facilities, media center, art and music rooms, and a multipurpose cafeteria. The second floor will consist of additional classrooms and labs. On the outside, there will be basketball courts, playfields, a dedicated area for future portables, a covered playground area and tot lot, with a youth lot and a courtyard with two green spaces. The parking lot will consist of 150 parking spaces, with 168 vehicles being able to fit in the car loop. There also will be bike racks. The school will feature a variety of sustainable building systems, such as water-saving toilets, faucets and fixtures, light-colored roofs to reduce heat, energy-efficient LED lighting, low-water plants to reduce

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2026 FORECAST

The new training hub for 407 After growing from Windermere Basketball Academy and fusing with 407Volleyball, 407Sports is welcoming a new era of youth training, academics and growth.

walls, the sounds of basketballs bouncing on

the freshly polished hardwood, echoes of volleyballs bouncing on state-of-theart courts and the hum of strength training equipment fill the facility on any afternoon. As the youth sports organization prepares for its first full year of operation in 2026, founders Ryan Trimbee and Nik Winkleman are focused not only on opening doors but also redefining what athlete development can look like in Central Florida.

Courtesy photo

Ryan Trimbee and Nik Winkleman were excited to begin basketball play Monday, Jan. 5, in their new Ocoee-based facility.

“When we train as hard as we do, we have to recover the same way,” Trimbee said. “That’s how athletes can do it again and again and again.” The result is a system designed to build what Trimbee calls the “total athlete.” They will be mentally, physically and emotionally prepared to compete at the highest level. Trimbee said the facility expects to host athletes for strength training from all sports, rather than only volleyball and basketball. “Athletes that want to train and compete at a high level,” he said. “We’re looking for 407Sports to become that hub.” Strength training is applicable to any sport. It’s a key element to grow athletes’ strength, which in turn translates to their on-court or onfield performance through higher

verticals and faster reaction times. The application across the board is what will allow the youth sports facility to expand its arms to those sports that might not have a physical court inside of the building and even open its doors to professional athletes residing in the area. The training field encompasses brand new, top-of-the-line equipment ranging from squat racks to indoor rowing machines, free weights, stationary bikes and a turf area. All of the machinery is in place to develop the athletes into high-level competitors and it is all kicking off in the 2026 year. NEW FORM OF STUDENT-ATHLETE

One of the initiatives 407Basketball is launching a new daytime academic and basketball training program,

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UPHUS NTXXTH

Puzzle Three Clue: G equals H

nside of 407Sports LLC’s

The 71,000-square-foot facility already feels alive. The energy the facility creates represents the completion of a big picture that’s been years in the making. After nearly two decades in education and eight years in a corporate leadership role, Trimbee walked away from stability to chase a vision that began in 2018 as Windermere Basketball Academy. What started as a parttime training program a few days per week has evolved into 407Basketball, a full-scale athlete development hub designed to serve basketball, volleyball and beyond. “It was hard, but it feels like I’m fulfilling a purpose in my life,” he said. Looking back, it’s been incredible for him to see the evolution of their small basketball academy over the years and now, eight years later, start the new year with partnership with a volleyball club. Both are centered around the same goals. “Conditioning, strength training are all focused around (athletes’) goals,” Trimbee said. “The kids need to have something to strive for, something to do, something to work for and so the purpose is to challenge them, help them become the best version of themselves.” That programming will begin with a holistic approach to development. Young athletes will train on the court, in the weight room and learn how to recover. In the center of the facility, separating the volleyball and basketball courts, cold plunges, saunas and Hyperice recovery equipment are integrated into daily routines. It reflects the philosophy that athletes must recover as hard as they train.

Puzzle Two Clue: I equals V

STAFF WRITER

Puzzle Two Clue: S equals B

MEGAN BRUINSMA

approved by the Florida Department of Education as a Step Up scholarship provider. The program is designed for homeschool and Florida Virtual School students, and it will allow families to use state education funds to combine academics with structured athletic training during the day. Students grades six through 12 will arrive at 9 a.m. and remain at the facility until 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. During their school hours, they will rotate through coursework, strength training and basketball development. The program’s priority will focus on the “student” in student-athlete first. “Most of these kids are playing for the next level,” he said. “They’re playing for college opportunities, scholarships and whatnot, they will be in school,” he said. “So academics have to be there. Training is there but we’ve combined them both.” An on-site education administrator will help the student-athletes with their studies. A trainer also will take students through their strength training programs and basketball practices. The academy’s model reflects the changing landscape of education in Florida, where school choice and virtual learning are becoming increasingly common, Trimbee said. Rather than waiting for evening practices that typically stretch late into the night after a long school day, studentathletes can complete their training during traditional school hours and leave the evening free for family time and recovery. “Not only will they get a scholarship, but then they can enroll their child into homeschool, and then they can find a place for them to train,” Trimbee said. The facility already has created an entire curriculum built around the program. Students will come in and conduct their morning stretches,

sudoku

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

104 Affirming gestures 106 Teacup flaw

113 “Game of Thrones” father Stark

01-08-26

OrangeObserver.com

The 71,000-square-foot facility opened this week with the goal of developing the area’s next generation of top athletes.

platform, high school students already have begun to graduate at a higher rate than public schools, Trimbee said. The program will emphasize continuing the accelerated rates and prepare the athletes for the college level when they will have to balance constant training with the higher level of academics. It will be 407Basketball’s biggest program the facility will offer to the community, but the “sports” aspect of their title won’t be forgotten. Following the morning programs, the facility will transition into its evening training groups. BASKETBALL EXPANSION

The evening will consist of group and individual training sessions for children at the middle school to high school levels, Trimbee said. Basketball remains at the core of 407Basket-

BRINGING THE NEXT LEVEL

The ultimate goal is not only to compete but also prepare young athletes by granting them the training space and exposure they need to make middle school, high school and, down the road, college rosters. From a parent’s perspective, Trimbee understands the challenges with paving the way for their children to make it to the collegiate level. His daughter is a high-level softball player at Windermere High and already has begun the recruitment process for the next level. It’s caused

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The facility was built with the intention of shaping young athletes, meaning it will not serve as a largescale host for national tournaments. Down the road, Trimbee said the organization might decide to host smaller tournaments, but it won’t be decided upon in the near future. The focus is to test the waters in their first year and develop the school program, AAU leagues and camps to a level with which they are happy. If those internal programs do well, then possibly they will open the facility to rental opportunities or tournaments, but for now, they are sticking with the plan of developing athletes. It’s a mission that has given Trimbee a new sense of life. “If I could help one kid at least feel good about it and just have that (college) chance, there’s a lot of pressure that comes with it,” Trimbee said. “You have to train, you have to perform. You have all these things that you have to do but if that’s the dream, let’s get the dream accomplished.” After a long three years in the making, the facility now is up and running. The process to get to the point where they are at now has been a psychological battle, requiring them to channel their deepest needs. But it’s an exciting step. “The perseverance me and Nik have gone through, it’s unmatched and we want everybody to experience what we’ve been able to experience,” he said.

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warm ups and a small lift. Then they will head to the desks and start their school work before closing the laptops and doing work on the court. To foster the ideal study area for the youth, 407Basketball has built an area with tables and chairs to lay the groundwork for academic success. It’s expected to become a highly successful program for 407Sports, Trimbee said. Parents already have expressed their strong interest, and a waitlist has formed prior to the program’s Tuesday, Jan. 13, launch. Starting the program is a large growth area for the facility and they hope to have a successful first-year running it, which will foster the ability to sustain it for years to come and offer it throughout the West Orange community. With the Florida Virtual School

NEW SENSE OF PURPOSE

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Tues-Thurs: 8-12 & 1-5 Fri: 7-1 Call Today for Your Appointment!

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Photos by Megan Bruinsma

The facility features of plethora of workout equipment, including bicycles, weights and more.

ball’s identity for its future endeavors, and the programming planned for 2026 is extensive. Evening training sessions will serve more than 100 athletes across age groups and there are options for group skills training, private instruction and team-based development. The facility also will host holiday camps, a three-week summer camp for young children and adult men’s and women’s leagues. Outside of hosting training sessions, 407Sports will focus on developing AAU basketball leagues. On the boys’ side, it will have teams from 10U through varsity age groups, and for the girls, the facility will start from the ground and build up, creating a 12U and 13U team. “As a girl dad, I feel this deeply,” Trimbee said. “There’s a gap in opportunities for female athletes and I want to help fill it.” It’s important to him to close the gap and become a place that fosters the growth of all youth athletes. The AAU leagues will begin in March and practice in the afternoons once the other programs clear the facility.

the family to travel across the country for exposure and showcases. The time, travel and cost that has gone into recruitment has been immense, but now he realizes even deeper how a college showcase facility can impact locals to Central Florida. For families, it means they will have to book fewer flights, fewer hotels and, overall, have easier access. Parents’ experiences with recruitment has shaped one of 407Basketball’s most important goals in its inaugural year: becoming a regional hub for college exposure camps. Trimbee said the camps will range in exposure to Division I, Division II, Division III and junior colleges, and any coaches are welcome. Trimbee envisions the showcases as full-day events that will bring college coaches and scouts directly to Central Florida. Athletes would be evaluated using measurable metrics — their vertical jump, speed, strength and shooting efficiency — while also participating in on-court drills and live play. “We have the space,” Trimbee said. “We have the equipment. We can give coaches a real look at these athletes.”

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2026 FORECAST

A Royal return

the state championship. The constant reminder lingers in the back of each player’s mind as they go throughout their workouts. “It always puts a chip on our shoulder to compete,” Ramsier said. For the seniors on the team, reaching states is especially important. They want to leave a lasting impact, and athletes such as Ramsier and Whitfield are expected to become top players to watch in 2026. “Those guys are primed and ready to lead us as seniors,” Conaway said. But leadership only matters if you have a team ready to be led. And Conaway has much confidence in his younger players, too. In TFA’s last game of the past season, the team started 13-year-old Anthony “Deuce” Woods Jr. as quarterback. Woods didn’t just start in his first varsity game, he dominated in it. The eighth-grader threw for 255 yards, three touchdown passes, no interceptions and completed 90.5% of his passes. “That was a big surprise; that was a very uncommon thing to happen on a varsity team,” Conaway said about the young bright star. Woods’ work ethic set him apart from others his age. He already has dreams of playing at the next level and understands the work he must put in to achieve it, which is why the coaching staff entrusted his abilities under the Friday night lights. “He inspired me,” Whitfield said. “He has a solid work ethic. He just quietly works and is a dog. Great kid, too.” THE COACHING FOUNDATION

Courtesy photo

The First Academy football team has its eyes set on states and completing a championship.

The First Academy football is hungry to make a state run after being ineligible for the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

the departure of longtime

their quest for a state title. But the true future of TFA’s program is a priority of creating better men and athletes along the journey. “We say this all the time, but we’re not chasing championships, we’re developing champions, and the fact that we’re seeing them be developed gives us everything we need,” Conaway said. “A state championship is just the icing. We want the cake, developing athletes, the icing is when you get to win the big one.”

head coach Leroy Kinard, who

STEPPING BACK IN PURSUIT

MEGAN BRUINSMA STAFF WRITER

he First Academy football program underwent a significant

change three years ago with

had served for 20 years. His replacement was Jeff Conaway, who arrived with state championship pedigree. He led his previous team, Shiloh Christian, to four consecutive Arkansas state championship games and won the title in 2020. This hiring signaled a new era for the Royals, shifting their ambition from simply being annual playoff contenders to striving for state championship greatness every year. However, the team’s pursuit was halted in 2024, when TFA was handed a two-season ban from the playoffs because of recruiting violations. With the 2026 season marking the end of that ban, the Royals can resume

In November of the 2024 football season, an investigation into TFA revealed the school broke multiple FHSAA eligibility and recruiting rules. At least 10 student-athletes were a part of football activities, including practices and summer programs, before they officially enrolled as students. One specific finding cited TFA offered an Uber ride to a non-enrolled prospective player — an improper benefit under FHSAA rules. The violations triggered a cascade of FHSAA policies, which resulted in a forfeit of TFA’s nine wins during the 2024 season and a ban from the postseason in 2024 and 2025. Conaway also was suspended from coaching for the 2025 season by the FHSAA. After an appeal, his suspension was reduced to six games, and he returned to the field for TFA’s game against St. Frances Academy Oct. 3. Following the close of the 2025 season, TFA made an appeal to the FHSAA, and an Orange County judge temporarily lifted the team’s postseason ban before the playoff bracket was released. It gave the team a small hope of a postseason future, but days later,

the ruling was dissolved and the ban upheld. The team starts anew in 2026, with the past behind it and a brighter future with a playoff picture ahead. “It’s just motivation from the past two years, just seeing how we have become better as a program and not been able to go to the playoffs,” junior cornerback Kamauri “Bam” Whitfield said. “That just (has) motivated me going into senior year with a lot to do. We have to go win states this year.” Junior offensive lineman Reed Ramsier described a different energy throughout the training process. The team knows it has to work hard for a successful future. It’s unified and wants to make its mark. “Being able to play for a state title will only make us grow closer and make us really dig in when the season gets hard and it’s week nine, week 10 and we’re hopefully going to win the playoffs,” Ramsier said. The Royals will use the last two years as added fuel and want to show fans, other teams and themselves all the hard work and dedication has been worth it. After back-to-back postseason bans, the TFA Royals spent the last season focusing on self-improvement. By competing on one of the toughest national schedules, the team was challenged to identify weaknesses from both a coaching and player standpoint. “Being better prepared is really where our focus is,” Conaway said. “We do a good job. Let’s figure out how to do a great job.” Stepping back onto the field last season pulled Conaway out of a challenging mental position, and he’s excited to stand on the sideline and lead these young men. TFA is beginning the fourth season under its new coaching staff, and this is the time real changes begin to unfold, Conaway said. Every day, the coaches brought up

Upon Conaway’s hiring at TFA, he was greeted by a coaching staff of only four. The program began its rehiring process and now has a fully loaded staff of nine. The nine coaches offer far superior developmental qualities. Their work extends beyond the sidelines of Friday night games, as they are the ones who develop the players during the off-season. “Great families want to be coached by great coaches, and great players want development and they want the ability to go from point A to point B,” Conaway said. “To do that, you have to have competency. We have highly skilled coaches that can get athletes from point A to point B. I think that’s crucial.” Many of the coaches previously served as head coaches or played at the next level. TFA’s offensive line coach Chad Mavety played at Florida State University, offensive coordinator Steven Moffett was the quarterback at the University of Central Florida and assistant head coach Corey Broomfield played for Mississippi State. “They all know what it takes to get (to states),” Ramsier said. “To have people in your corner that will push you every day to get where you want to be but at the same time love you and appreciate you. … I think it’s just an opportunity that’s like no other.” Each of the coaches was hired under a certain criteria: Christ and character, competency, connection and communication. Each staff member must set a good example for the players. The theme of not only the team but also the school is “the Jesus way,” Conaway said. It’s what the Royals apply to everything they do. Growing a relationship with God is Whitfield’s favorite aspect of TFA’s program. He was baptized May 2, 2024, and since then, he’s seen his relationship with God shape his approach as a player. Aside from his character development, Whitfield has developed immensely as a player through TFA,

“

Being better prepared is really where our focus is. We do a good job. Let’s figure out how to do a great job.” — Head coach Jeff Conaway

which led to his commitment to an SEC school, the University of Tennessee. TFA’s crucial development plan doesn’t begin on the playing field or the intense cardio, but in phase zero: weightlifting. TRAINING DAYS

At 6:30 a.m. Mondays through Fridays, TFA’s players trudge into the weight room. They begin with stretches, warm up their bodies, then test their strength. Almost instantaneously, the room fills with cheers and motivation from teammates and coaches as the athletes push themselves — limits are tested and personal records are hit. “Everything starts there,” Conaway said. “Confidence is built under the bar, but you have to do it the right way. I think lifting year-round is something our athletes use to their advantage.” Woods’ goal is to work on his strength training. As a younger player on a varsity team, he knows he needs to gain weight and muscle to get faster. Lifting year-round not only protects the athletes from the hard hits they’ll experience once the season rolls around, but also it enhances their strength and speed over their opponents. Conaway described the weight room as a place to build injury prevention. It puts the body’s muscles, ligaments and tendons under controlled stress, so at game time, players are conditioned and their bodies can easily adapt to the stress of a game. “Everything we do on the football field — from getting into the right stance to movement to moving your opponent or getting your opponent on the ground — it all starts here,” Conaway said. In phase zero, the team calls it the retesting period. After the long football season, the team weight-trained, and coaches took note of all the players’ numbers, max lifting weight and their body weight to put together their future workouts. In January, TFA has transitioned into phase one of its training program. January officially begins the start of conditioning for the next seven months to prepare for August. The team focuses on growing as much muscle as possible before transitioning to phase two: explosiveness. In phase three, the Royals switch from being in the weight room four days per week to three and use that period to test and grow the players’ speed. Once summer hits, training intensifies to develop the players’ skills on the field and simulate the action and excitement of Friday night games. Right away, the team will be tested in its first game back on the field with IMG Academy. Conaway said the goal is to be as prepared as possible for it and the process started once the 202526 season wrapped up. “If you’re prepared, you’re going to be able to perform to the best of your ability, and that’s all we ask,” Conaway said.

Megan Bruinsma

Head coach Jeff Conaway said the entire program is locked in for a title run.

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