OKEECHOBEE – All 2022 graduating seniors from public high school are now able to receive a free two-year degree from IRSC.

Russ Brown from Indian River State College addressed the Okeechobee City Council at its April 19 meeting about a new program the college has put together. It is called the IRSC Promise Program and was set up to guarantee all 2022 public school graduating seniors the opportunity to enroll for a tuition free Associates degree.

“No matter what their qualifications, if they have completed high school, whether they are a citizen or not, have a financial need or not, all public high school graduates from this year’s class qualify,” said Brown.

The deadline to enroll is May 15.

Brown said of the roughly 400 graduating seniors at Okeechobee High School, 170 have already enrolled.

In other business, Mayor Dowling Watford presented a certificate of appreciation to Jim LaRue who has been handling building and zoning services for the city since 1996. The presentation ended with a spontaneous standing ovation from everyone in the room.

A certificate for outstanding achievement was presented to Carol Marker, who excels in the sport of tennis, competing on the Okeechobee High School team as well as the Okeechobee Special Olympics Team. Carol won silver in the state’s 2021 competition and recently won an area championship.

Mayor Watford proclaimed April 24-30, 2022, as National Crime Victims’ rights week.

Bridgette Waldeau, director of Okeechobee Mainstreet’s Arts and Culture Alliance spoke to the council about putting up new banners along Park Street. The banners will celebrate the newly designed Cattleman’s Square Park. They will be displayed for May and June and possibly through the summer.