Mold Remediation in Saint Cloud, FL

ST. CLOUD, Fla. — Bees are essential for human survival in Florida and around the world.

The insects play a vital role in food production through pollination.

One man who has tapped into what bees produce naturally is Robert Crisp of St. Cloud.

Crisp is a 4th generation beekeeper using old and new techniques to produce all-natural honey for his customers.

Robert is a migratory beekeeper, meaning he moves his bee yard near what’s blooming.

In May, its wild saw palmettos that bees collect nectar from and magically turn it into honey in wooden hives.

“So, we move them from blueberry to orange blossom to saw palmetto, and blueberry. And then in the fall we do wildflower,” said Crisp.

On any given day you will find Crisp in the middle of nowhere in Osceola County where he has set up his beehives for the collection of honey.

Usually, he works with farmers and other landowners who need pollination of their crops.

The bees find their way to his wooden boxes where the insects come to produce the sweet honey.

“Most of the honey you buy in stores is mixed with corn syrup and rice syrup, and you’re not really getting true honey,” said Crisp.

Maintaining the hives and collecting this honey is only part of the challenge for this beekeeper.

The other half of his life is turning honey production into a profitable business.

Crisp owns a retail store located on New York Avenue in St. Cloud where he prepares, bottles and sells a variety of honey related products.

The store is a success with customers that travel far and wide for his products.

This beekeeper believes in the benefits of all-natural honey.

“Honey is antiviral, antimicrobial. It’s a superfood. It’s full of essential oils, minerals,” said Crisp.

The St. Cloud beekeeper says he loves his occupation even though it’s labor intensive and can be challenging when working with hundreds of thousands of insects at a time.

“I have been stung thousands of times. From the ears to the neck to the eyeball,” he said. “There’s really no part of my body that I have never been stung.”

3Beez Honey Farm is located 1114 New York Ave., St Cloud, FL 34769.

Amid significant growth among congregations across Central Florida, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced a major regional reorganization, including the creation of a new stake and leadership changes across several communities. Most notably for Osceola County, the St. Cloud Florida Stake now has new leadership to guide and support the Church’s growing presence in the area.

The St. Cloud Florida Stake, which includes congregations in Narcoossee, Canoe Creek, Hickory Tree Branch, St. Cloud, Ellsworth, Kissimmee, and Pleasant Hill, has called Warren L. James to serve as its new stake president.

President James brings more than 30 years of public service experience as a retired fire chief in Utah’s Salt Lake Valley. He earned a degree in Public Emergency Services Management from Utah Valley University and previously served as a full-time missionary in Florida from 1988 to 1990. His deep affection for the state eventually led him and his wife, Michelle, to relocate to Osceola County in 2022—fulfilling a longtime personal goal.

“I am humbled with the trust Heavenly Father has placed in me and I’m very excited to serve our members and neighbors in Osceola County,” President James said. He and Sister James are the parents of two adult sons.

The Church also announced the creation of the new Citrus Ridge Florida Stake, formed from portions of the Orlando West, Orlando South, and St. Cloud stakes. This new stake includes congregations in Lake Toho, Buena Ventura, Citrus Ridge, Lake Wilson, Davenport, Four Corners, and Hunters Creek.

Dr. Jonathan Gooch, a pediatric dentist and longtime Florida resident now living in Celebration, has been called to serve as the new stake president. He and his wife, Celeste, have three children. “As disciples of Jesus Christ, we seek to follow Him, serve one another, and share His love with our neighbors and communities,” President Gooch said.

As part of the reorganization, the Orlando West Stake has been renamed the Winter Garden Florida Stake to better reflect the communities it serves, which now include Avalon, Bear Bay Branch, Buena Vista, Hamlin, Horizon West, Johns Lake, New Independence, Lake Louisa, and Lake Reams. President Gary Hansen will continue his service in that role.

These changes were announced during recent Church conferences by Elder Eric D. Bednar, Area Seventy, and Elder I. Raymond Egbo, General Authority Seventy, under the direction of global Church leadership.

Stake presidents serve in a volunteer capacity, often for about nine years, while balancing family, careers, and spiritual responsibilities. In addition to speaking regularly in congregations, they oversee missionary efforts, provide leadership training, and offer individualized support to members of their communities.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in 1830 and today has over 17 million members worldwide. In Florida, the Church’s presence has grown to include 176,000 members, with more than 25,000 members across 64 congregations in Central Florida alone.

To learn more about the Church’s efforts in the St. Cloud and Osceola County area, visit ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

The St. Cloud City Council voted 4-1 on Tuesday evening to annex three major residential communities into the city limits—Kings Crest, Edgewater, and Twin Lakes—adding nearly 1,000 acres and 1,448 housing units. Deputy Mayor Shawn Fletcher cast the sole dissenting vote.

The annexation formalizes a long-standing agreement between the city and the developers of the communities, who received city water and sewer services under the condition that the properties could be annexed once they became contiguous with city boundaries. Now adjacent to existing city limits, the communities met the legal threshold for annexation.

During the meeting, Council Member Kolby Urban addressed concerns from residents who opposed the annexation, many of whom said they were unaware of the encumbrance when purchasing their homes.

“If you live in the joint planning area, your property has the potential of being annexed into the city,” Urban said. “I made an oath to be fiscally responsible to the city.” Urban noted that disclosure of encumbrance agreements falls under the responsibility of developers and real estate agents—not the city.

To inform residents ahead of the decision, the City of St. Cloud hosted community meetings in March and posted detailed information about the annexation process on its website. The information outlines anticipated changes and benefits, including:

While the benefits are notable, the annexation will result in a property tax increase. For a home with an average taxable value of $351,900, the net increase in the annual property tax bill is estimated at around $800.

St. Cloud Fire Chief Jason Miller emphasized the advantages in emergency response. He told the Council that St. Cloud Fire Rescue already responds to many calls in these communities, particularly in Twin Lakes, where the city handled roughly half of the 100 emergency calls over the past year.

“Our units are over a mile closer than their closest units,” Miller said. “That minute or two can make a difference.”

Miller added that St. Cloud either currently has or will soon have fire stations closer to these neighborhoods and noted that the city’s superior ISO rating could reduce homeowners insurance costs.

“We’re closer, we’re faster, we have highly trained personnel, and we’re already providing those services,” he said.

Mayor Chris Robertson echoed the public safety benefits. “We don’t skimp on public safety,” he said. “I do believe there are going to be a lot of benefits.”

In addition to the major annexation, Council approved two other voluntary annexations on Tuesday:

The annexations are part of the city’s broader strategy to manage growth and deliver services efficiently to its expanding population.