Page 8 - Split Oak News Today

Orange and Osceola County want to plow an $800 million toll road through Split Oak preserve, where nature was supposed to be protected. State officials will vote Wednesday on whether that’s allowed.

Voters told Orange County officials to drop a plan to put a road through Split Oak Forest. Commissioners didn't, and the project faces a key vote Wednesday.

A group of area influencers discuss the issues important to you.

Showdown next week over whether ‘preserve’ means what it says.

Other letter-writers discuss the Supreme Court confirmation hearings and the discussion of sexuality in schools.

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota is set to hold a "Friends in the Kitchen" cooking class for ages 55 and older from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29, at the Bemidji Community Food Shelf, 1260 Exchange Ave. SE.

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota is set to hold a "Friends in the Kitchen" cooking class for ages 55 and older from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at the Bemidji Community Food Shelf, 1260 Exchange Ave. SE.

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota is set to hold a "Friends in the Kitchen" cooking class for ages 55 and older from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 25, at the Bemidji Community Food Shelf, 1260 Exchange Ave. SE.

Set in Osceola County, Split Oak Forest protects almost 1,700 acres of land and is named for a 200-year-old live oak tree that split down the middle and survived. The green space contains more than nine miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding and opportunities for wildlife viewing.

Closer to home, an unnamed philanthropist purchased the 2,909-acre site north of Coleman Landing on Lake Kissimmee that was once proposed for a golf resort. The new owner reportedly intends to sell the development rights via a perpetual conservation easement. Voters in Volusia and Manatee counties approved measures to tax themselves to preserve remaining environmental sites. Voters in Orange County overwhelmingly approved measures that will confer rights to the Wekiva River and other local wat...