Community Bulletin

Cheer champions

The Winter Park High School cheerleading team won the state championship for the third time in four years in the Class 2A Large Varsity division, and placed third in the nation at the championships at Walt Disney World.

Singing stars

Florida district winners of the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions Betsy Diaz, Leigh W. Tomlinson and Maria Leticia Hernandez traveled to Atlanta to compete in the regional competition on Feb. 3.

Big grants

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation recently donated grants to 10 local charities, including Children’s Home Society of Florida and HOPE Helps.

New college

Anthem Education Group (AEG) recently opened its first-ever FCC-Anthem College campus, combining the Florida Career College brand name with the Anthem Education Group brand, which FCC acquired last year. The new campus is located at 989 N. Semoran Blvd. in Orlando. It is the 13th campus in Florida and 34th campus nationwide in the AEG family of schools.

Panera gives dough

Panera Bread and many of its customers raised more than $168,700 to help Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. On Jan. 31, Panera executives presented Second Harvest with a check for the full amount raised by the campaign.

Tech school expands

Medtech Institute in Orlando is expanding. The campus, which had been educating and training nursing students, has expanded its health care career offerings to include Medical Assisting and Medical Billing and Coding. It’s all part of Medtech’s plan to grow the campus and the programs it provides.

Health insurance for kids

The Florida Department of Health in Orange County announces an affordable insurance option to help children of families without health insurance. Florida KidCare is Florida’s child health insurance program for kids through age 18 who do not have insurance. For more information or a KidCare application, call toll-free 1-888-540-5437 (KIDS) or visit the Florida KidCare website at floridakidcare.org

Dedicate a brick

The city of Winter Park is proud to honor the legacy of one of the world’s most influential civil rights leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Residents and visitors are encouraged to unite in this tribute by purchasing and personalizing one or more bricks to become part of the monument at the entrance to the newly dedicated Martin Luther King Jr. Park located at 1050 W. Morse Blvd. Remember or acknowledge loved ones in the spirit of opportunity, diversity and equality – the values that Dr. King stood for and treasured. For more information regarding this project, please call 407-599-3334.

Top student

Worcester Polytechnic Institute has announced that John Papa of Winter Park, a freshman majoring in robotics engineering, was named to the university’s Dean’s List for academic excellence for the fall 2012 semester.

I-4 Ultimate moves ahead

Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature have given the Florida Department of Transportation approval to go forward with the procurement process for the I-4 Ultimate Project in Central Florida as a public-private partnership. FDOT will host an I-4 Ultimate Project Industry Forum in Orlando on March 4. The purpose of the forum is to get private sector feedback on the department’s $2.1 billion P3 project to replace the aging infrastructure of I-4, which was originally built in the 1960s.

Norovirus

The Centers for Disease Control is reporting the Norovirus outbreak in 47 out of 50 states. Unlike influenza, which spreads through the air, Norovirus lives on surfaces or food people touch, is easily transmitted, very contagious and can infect anyone. This virus is so strong that hand sanitizer does not really stop it from spreading. The best way to help prevent Norovirus is to practice proper hand washing and general cleanliness.