Yeehaw Junction News

I shared my thoughts recently about a Naples Renaissance , engaging facets of culture, identity and our sense of place, specifically affecting future architectural and site design.

Published: Friday, June 19, 2009 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified: Thursday, June 18, 2009 at 4:49 p.m. It's summer, almost - that time of year when I think about all the places in Florida I've never visited, despite living here for 45 years.

In Central Florida, where the Ronald Reagan Turnpike meets Highway 441, lies a largely empty area of old cattle ranches and swamp known locally as Yeehaw Junction.

They may see themselves as victims, but local elected officials have no one to blame but themselves for last week's announcement that backers of Florida Hometown Democracy, a proposed constitutional amendment to manage growth, have garnered enough signatures to get it on the 2010 ballot.

Timothy Debrecht, deputy chief at Osceola County Fire Rescue, said the boat lounge chair that caused 95.3 FM radio DJ Erika Roman to loose control of her vehicle and crash on Florida's Turnpike May 1 belonged to his boat.

It may be hard to believe, but there actually are a few glimmers of hope in the next chapter of Central Florida and Florida trying to manage growth.

Dominion Development Partners recently announced it had signed an agreement with Destiny project interests to create what will be called the Alternative Energy Industrial Park near Yeehaw Junction.

Any doubts state Sen. Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, might have had about his "inner voice" and his decision to retire from politics were erased Friday night when he couldn't make it to his daughter's graduation on time.

The growth-at-any-cost Florida House wants to return to the bad old days when a developer could plop down a new town just about anywhere in the state.

Even though the state Department of Community Affairs issued a report April 20 that could impact the proposed eco-friendly city of Destiny , two projects adjacent to the development expect to move forward, with or without it.

It would be nice to be able to get excited about the apparent uptick in Central Florida's housing market.

Osceola County's proposal to change its comprehensive plan to allow large-scale developments in rural areas is too vague and could result in urban sprawl, the Florida Department of Community Affairs said in a report released this week.

The proposed city of Destiny will be home to one of the first E-stations in the nation - a $2.5 million-$3 million, 6,000-square-foot refueling station with traditional and renewable fuels.

I t happened on a Wednesday morning right in my own home. That's where lots of funny stuff happens to a multitude of us upstanding citizens - right smack in our own houses.

By Curtis Krueger and Rita Farlow , Times Staff Writers In Print: Thursday, April 9, 2009 As John Graziano lay suffering from a catastrophic brain injury inside the Tampa VA hospital, his father was plotting in the same building to kill his mother, according to court records.

By staff report Originally published 01:54 p.m., April 3, 2009 Updated 01:54 p.m., April 3, 2009 VERO BEACH - A line of strong thunderstorms is moving eastward into western Indian River County, the National Weather Service warned in a special weather statement.

D ays before the start of the legislative session, Tallahassee's resembling a MASH unit, trying to restore the state's health by stabilizing services ranging from education to transportation.

One of several brush fires burning across Central Florida on Thursday afternoon destroyed a mobile home in south Lake County.

A lot of happy youngsters and their parents were reunited tonight at Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Boynton Beach.

A chartered bus taking Christa McAuliffe Middle School students to Universal Studios burst into flames this morning in Central Florida, according to the school district.