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Welcome, World Travelers! 13 Haunted Facts About The Haunted Mansion

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Welcome, World Travelers! 13 Haunted Facts About The Haunted Mansion

Welcome, World Travelers! 13 Haunted Facts About The Haunted Mansion

by James Coulter

For more than 50 years, The Haunted Mansion has been offering guests ghoulish delight with its more than 999 happy haunts—and there’s always room for 1,000! The mansion’s walls havemany stories behind it, and here are 13 haunted facts about our favorite mansion:

1. “Is this room actually stretching?” It depends on which Haunted Mansion you’re visiting. In Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, the roof of the stretching room is stretching upward. In Disneyland, the floor is stretching downward, as the room is an elevator that lowers guests underground to the ride. Either way, it’s not just your imagination.

2. The Ghost Host narrator was voiced by Paul Frees. The famed voice actor also performed the voices of notable characters such as Boris Badenov in “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show,” KARR from “Knight Rider,” and Proffesor Ludwig Von Drake in many Disney shorts.

3. Each of the tombstones in the queue area graveyard pay tribute to an Imagineer who helped create the ride. For example, “Master Gracey” refers to Yale Gracey, an Imagineer who created most of the special effects and visual illusions. “Grandpa Marc” refers to Mard Davis, who painted the stretching room portraits. And “Brother Claude” refers to Claude Coats, who developed the ride layout and painted the portrait gallery portraits.

4. The Haunted Mansion is one of the only attractions that appears in a different land in a different park. Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion is located in New Orleans Square, Disney World’s is located in Liberty Square, and Tokyo Disneyland’s is located in Westernland (Frontierland). Disneyland Paris has Phantom Manor, which is located in Frontierland, while Hong Kong Disneyland has Mystic Manor, which is located in Mystic Point. Shanghai Disneyland is the only Disney Park without a Haunted Mansion attraction.

5. The Hatbox Ghost was one of the original characters created for the ride when it originally opened in Disneyland in 1969. The animatronic featured a special effect where its head would disappear off of its body and appear, true to its name, inside the hatbox it carried. However, as the effect never worked properly, the animatronic was removed from the ride shortly after it opened. A new Hatbox Ghost animatronic was installed in 2015.

6. The ballroom scene is created using a visual effect called Pepper’s Ghost, where the animatronics are reflected via mirror onto glass to make them appear ghostlike. However, the Imagineers never factored in how the reflection would reverse the images of the animatronic dancers. As such, the effect makes it appear as thought the women are leading the waltz rather than the men.

7. Contrary to urban legend, Walt Disney’s face does not appear as one of the singing busts in the graveyard scene. The main bust is voiced by Thurl Ravenscroft, who performs the lead vocals to the song, “Grim Grinning Ghosts.” He’s most famous for voicing Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes mascot, Tony The Tiger.The other busts are performed by Chuck Schroeder, Bob Ebright, Jay Meyer, and Verne Rowe.

8. The original version of the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland was rumored to be so scary that one of the guests suffered a heart attack, forcing the ride to be closed and revamped to be “less scary.” Snopes confirms this urban legend to be false. As the website states: “The Haunted Mansion has undergone only relatively minor changes since it originally opened…[and] no one has ever suffered a heart attack brought about by touring the attraction.”

9. Another rumor asserts that the horse-drawn hearse in front of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion was originally used to carry the body of the Mormon patriarch Mormon patriarch to his burial in 1877. Snopes also debunks this claim as false. As the website states: “The truth is, nobody really knows where Disneyland’s hearse came from. Disneyland purchased it from a Malibu collector named Dale Rickards, but he had no documents to establish its lineage.”

10. When Imagineers were still developing the attraction, they wanted to test out the special effects and props to see how scary they were. Imagineer Rolly Crump tells how they outfitted their workshop with motion sensors so that, when the sensors were tripped, the lights turned off and the animatronics turned on. The very next morning, they came in to find the effects still running and a janitor’s broom in the middle of the floor. The custodial staff was so scared that they refused to come back.

11. The hitchhiking ghosts that “follow you home” at the end of the ride actually have names. The tall hitchhiker in the hat is named Ezra, the one in ball and chains is named Gus, and the one carrying the carpetbag is named Phineas.

12. Many guests have taken the invitation to become the 1,000th ghostly mansion resident literally. Many guests have attempted to spread the ashes of their deceased loved ones into the attraction. “The Haunted Mansion probably has so much human ashes in it that it’s not even funny,” one Disneyland custodian told the Wall Street Journal. In fact, the spreading of ashes happens so frequently in Disney parks that cast members have a special code (“HEPA cleanup”) and protocol to address the situation and clean up the remains.

13. Being a dark ride, the Haunted Mansion is a popular place for couples to make out. However, many adventurous lovers have been caught doing far more than kissing and hugging. Many cast members have reported catching guests engaging in”hanky panky” on the ride, and even calling them out on the ride’s loud speaker to make them stop.

Those are my thoughts, but I want to know what you think: What do you love most about the Haunted Mansion? Leave your comments below or on Facebook!

Lake Wales Pioneer Days Makes Epic Return For 45th Annual Event

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Lake Wales Pioneer Days Makes Epic Return For 45th Annual Event

Lake Wales Pioneer Days Makes Epic Return For 45th Annual Event

by James Coulter

Gail Ward remembers the good old days fondly when her great grandmother would make homemade chicken and dumplings and banana pudding every Sunday. So to help relive those good old days, she dons her bonnet and apron and shares her most cherished tradition by making her comfort food during Lake Wales Pioneer Days.

Since 2007, Ward and her husband, Jimmy, have participated inthe annual historic festival hosted by the Lake Wales Museum. She had previous experience working as a Civil War reenactor in 2006. The following year, she was approached and invited to participate in Pioneer Days.

This year, they handled the chuckwagon tent by cooking chicken and dumplings over an open fire with banana pudding and vanilla wafers for dessert. Attendees who dropped by the tent could try free samples of the good old-fashioned Florida Cracker cooking.

Her secret to making good chicken and dumplings? The seasoning and the butter. But more than simply making good food, she loves being able to attend the festival as a way to relive cherished memories of days gone by as well as share traditions and history with the next generation.

“I love it,” she said. “Just the thrill and enjoyment of it keeps me coming back.”

Gail was one of the many vendors and demonstrators who attended Lake Wales Pioneer Days, the annual historic festival hosted by the Lake Wales Museum and Cultural Center. Many other reenactors dressed in historical costumes and demonstrated crafts like broom making, sewing, and metalworking.

Paul Wiedorn has been blacksmithing for the past ten years. He previously worked in Maryland at the Chesapeake Forge, and he has since retired and moved to Bradenton, Florida. He has since been hosting demonstrations throughout the state.

This year was his first attending Pioneer Days in Lake Wales. Someone else was scheduled to attend and demonstrate, but they were unable to attend. So a representative from the Southwest Region of the Florida Artist Blacksmith AssociationapproachedWiedorn and asked him to attend.

Wiedorn loves being able to demonstrate his craft. He makes items like hooks and metal turners. When it comes to metalsmithing, he says there are two cardinal sins most blacksmiths make, according to his experience: hit steel that is too cold, and sell wares that are too cheap.

“It is an artistic endeavor,” he said. “For years, I wanted to see if we could do it. It was something I wanted to do when I retired, and it is amazing that the art has been resurrected by the Florida Artist Blacksmith Association.”

Aside from historical demonstrations, the festival showcasedvendors from other local businesses and merchants and offeredother activities, including food trucks, live music, and arts and crafts. A children’s area was provided to offer pumpkin painting, yard games, and even a petting zoo.

The museum invited Stephanie Eckstein to organize the pumpkin patch and children’s area. The children’s area offered free pumpkin painting with the purchase of a pumpkin. She had been attending the annual event for the past ten years, so participating in it was nothing short of an honor for her.

“It is such a great community event,” she said. “It is a fantastic event. The weather is great, the activities are perfect, and the participation is really good.”

Every year, Lake Wales Pioneer Days honors a local individual within the local community by naming them Pioneer of the Year. This year, that honor was bestowed upon Gladys Howell, a local 95-year-old resident who has been living in Lake Wales for the past 50 years.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, last year’s event was canceled. This year had the event make its epic return, with the turnout more than exceeding initial expectations, explained Lake Wales Museum Director Jennifer D’Hollander.

“The most exciting thing is that people are more than willing and ready and excited to come back to the festival because we have not had a festival for so long,” she said. “I was concerned that maybe we would not have as many people, but it was the opposite. We have a tremendous crowd, and we could not be happier.”

For the past 45 years, Pioneer Days has been keeping the local history and tradition of Lake Wales alive. Not only is the event great for residents to relish in their collective history, but also enlightening for out-od-town visitors who are new to the area, D’Hollander said.

“I think because it is a festival for everyone,” she said. “There is something here for everyone to enjoy and experience to shop and learn, and it is all about the community, and the community comes together to put it on. There are so many different organizations and volunteers that are involved. It is a community festival for and by the community.”

More Than 300 Jeeps Trek Out To 3rd Annual Frostproof Jeeptoberfest

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More Than 300 Jeeps Trek Out To 3rd Annual Frostproof Jeeptoberfest

More Than 300 Jeeps Trek Out To 3rd Annual Frostproof Jeeptoberfest

by James Coulter

Lyle Tripp, Frostproof Chamber President, is a proud Jeep owner. He loves Jeep vehicles, and he enjoys networking with other Jeep owners. So, creating a Jeep event for his city seemed like a good idea. “I wanted to bring it here to Frostproof because I know it is a good crowd,” he said.

The Frostproof Chamber of Commerce started Jeeptoberfestthree years ago. Since then, the annual Jeep event has grown bigger and better. More than 300 Jeep vehicles attended this year’s event on Saturday.

The previous two events were hosted on Henderson Field in Downtown Frostproof. Each year filled the sports field with Jeep vehicles, to the point where The Resort At Canopy Oaks made the generous offer to host the event at their 435-acre campground facility.

“This year Canopy Oaks offered their property to host it here,” Tripp said. “Being they are a member of the Frostproof Chamber of Commerce, we wanted to jump on that. They wanted to showcase their property, and they let us use some of their land to make a trail ride.”

At this year’s event, attendees could drive along a makeshift Jeep trail at the campgrounds and participate in a scavenger hunt in the City of Frostproof for a chance to win raffle prizes. Both activities allowed attendees to peruse the city and the campgrounds and see what both locations had to offer.

Since starting three years ago, the annual Jeep event has experienced tremendous growth in participation and turnout. The first event drew in nearly 100 participants, and the second year drew in 300. This year’s event drew in between 300 to 500 Jeep vehicles, said Austin Gravely, Frostproof Vice Mayor.

Gravley attended the event that weekend, not only as the vice mayor and as a member of the Frostproof Chamber of Commerce, but as a representative of Kelly Buick, which served as a sponsor this year. Overall, he was amazed by this year’s turnout, even despite these uncertain times.

“It was a great turnout,” he said. “I didn’t think it would get bigger than last year, but it definitely did…It was a great turnout. I didn’t think it would get bigger than last year, but it definitely did.”

This year’s event experienced a massive turnout even before the event opened to the public, said Melody Kincaid, Vice President of the Frostproof Chamber. She owes the overall growing success to word-of-mouth and the organization of the Chamber.

“We are very impressed by the turnout thus far,” she said. “There was a lot of traffic coming in even before we started…We are on Cloud Nine. We are very excited, very impressed with everything. Everything is running really smooth with a lot of networking going on between all the Jeep owners from everywhere from Georgia to Miami. They are coming from everywhere. We are very happy.”

When The Resort At Canopy Oaks reached out to the Chamber to host the event at their campgrounds, Kincaid and her fellow Chamber members jumped at the opportunity, especially since the RV resort is a Chamber member.

“Canopy Oaks reached out to us,” she said. “They had seen the capacity we reached with Henderson Field last year, and they knew that they had faith in us that this year’s event would be much bigger. And they opened their grounds to us and offered a piece of their resort to use for our event. We are very grateful for them…It exceeded [our expectations] so far and it keeps rolling in.”

Guatemalan Man Illegally in The US Arrested For DUI Manslaughter After a Hit and Run Crash Caused The Death of a 5-Year-Old

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Guatemalan Man Illegally in The US Arrested For DUI Manslaughter After a Hit and Run Crash Caused The Death of a 5-Year-Old

PCSO Press Release:

On Saturday, October 23, 2021 Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested 32-year-old Ernesto Lopez Morales here illegally from Guatemala after a hit and run crash that a killed 5-year-old child.

According to evidence and witness statements, just before 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Morales was driving a 2005 black Chevrolet Suburban west on S.R. 60 in Mulberry at a high rate of speed and with no headlights on. Morales drove his vehicle into the back of a 2016 gray Hyundai Elantra driven by a Plant City woman. The Elantra was pushed more than 600 feet, and both vehicles came to a stop in the eastbound lane facing west near the intersection of Espo Drive, west of Mulberry.

When paramedics arrived on scene, they found the 5-year-old girl deceased. The driver of the Elantra was transported to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Paramedics and other witnesses saw Morales run away from the crash scene before deputies arrived, leaving his Suburban at the scene.

Deputies searched the area and Morales was located in a house where he was residing. Morales told deputies he drank six 32-ounce beers and then left his residence to go buy more. He admitted to not turning on his headlights and fleeing from the crash location. He also told deputies he left the crash because he doesn’t have insurance or a driver’s license.

A search of Morales’ driving history revealed that he does not a valid Florida Driver’s license and has never been issued a driver’s license in Florida or any other state.

Deputies obtained a warrant for a blood test, which showed Morales had a blood alcohol level of .108 grams of alcohol per 100 ml of blood. The legal threshold for DUI is 0.08 grams of alcohol per 100 ml of blood.

“Morales has no regard for the law or human life, and we are going to do everything possible to hold him accountable. If he had been in Guatemala and not in the United States illegally, this beautiful little girl would still be alive today.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff

Morales was arrested for:

  • Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving a Death (F1)
  • DUI Manslaughter (F2)
  • Driving with No Driver’s License Causing Death (F3)
  • Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Injury (F3)
  • DUI Property Damage (M1)

Morales was transported to the Polk County Jail and has a $22,500 bond. Due to Morales residing in the United States illegally, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement initiated a hold on him.

Polk County Fire Rescue Captain Jerry Riner Currently Suspended Without Pay For Policy Conflict Saved Man’s Life Who Crashed Into Lake Wales Property

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Polk County Fire Rescue Captain Jerry Riner Currently Suspended Without Pay For Policy Conflict Saved Man’s Life Who Crashed Into Lake Wales Property

Polk County, Florida – Suspended Polk County Fire Rescue Captain & Frostproof Volunteer Fire Chief Jerry Riner was in the right place and time when he rescued a driver and resuscitated him through chest compressions following a crash along Highway 60 in Lake Wales.

Captain Riner was driving along Highway 60 when he noticed a white pickup truck veer off the road, through a yard, and nearly crash into a house. The vehicle ran into some shrubs and bushes and hit a utility trailer, though it did not crash into the house, according to Riner’s account.

Captain Riner followed the vehicle, pulled to the side of the road, and ran to assist the driver. Discovering the driver was in cardiac arrest, Riner pulled the man out of the truck, laid him on his back, opened his airway, and started performing chest compressions until paramedics arrived.

Brandon Newell, a local paramedic who was on shift from Lake Wales Fire Department, was the first Lake Wales unit and paramedic on the scene. He discovered Riner applying compressions to the patient’s chest, which he had been performing for the past three to five minutes before their arrival.

Newell had received a radio dispatch that the patient had a Code 99, which meant he was suffering from cardiac arrest. They later determined that the man had suffered a heart attack while driving his truck and before crashing off the highway, Newell said.

“Early compression and early CPR is what saves lives with cardiac arrest, so Jerry Riner and his quick acting to pull the patient out and initiate the lifesaving maneuver played a huge role in the patient’s outcome,” Newell said.

When he arrived on the scene, Newell defibrillated the patient one time with an AED and took over compressions from Riner. His team defibrillated the patient one time, and the other paramedic arrived to defibrillate him a second time while they continued CPR.

“After the second time and medication administration, the patient regained a pulse, which meant their heart was starting to beat on their own, and we were able to secure their airway, breathe for them, and the patient even had a good blood pressure,” Newell said. “He maintained a pulse and his heart was beating all the way to the hospital.”

The patient was sent to Winter Haven Hospital. He maintained a pulse and heartbeat when he arrived. Newell was unsure of the patient’s outcome afterwards, but the fact he had a beating heart and blood pressure proved he was doing well for himself all things considered.

As someone who works as an instructor for the American Heart Association, hosting classes on CPR and other emergency procedures, Newell knows from experience that Riner did the right thing at the right time to ensure that the patient arrived safely at the hospital.

“Jerry Riner was performing CPR perfectly,” Newell said. “He was doing a perfect job. He was a true healthcare proffesional, and he was doing CPR for three to five minutes which is very exhausting, and he was doing what he had to do.”

Newell knows Riner personally. Having served under the fire chief, Newell considers him a true hero who goes above and beyond to not only get the job done, but get it done right. What the suspended fire Captain did along the highway, rescuing and resuscitating a patient, serves as a testament to that very fact.

“Jerry is a true hero,” he said. “He is always going above and beyond the call of duty. He is a man of integrity. He is a man of morals and values, and there are so many people who could have drove passed that and wouldn’t even have gotten involved with him…Jerry pulled him out of his truck, laid him down, opened his airway, and did compressions for a long time until we arrived. That act right there is the reason why that patient is still alive.”

This story on its own would be incredible, but the challenges Captain Riner has been facing truly show the dedicated firefighter he is in the community. Captain Riner is currently suspended for working at both Polk County Fire Rescue and Frostproof Volunteer Fire Department. Captain Riner has been with the Polk County Fire Rescue for over 25 yrs and has volunteered for Frostproof for over 30 yrs. This is a violation of a 4 or 5 year old policy. However according to the Polk County Deputy Managers office that policy wasn’t acted upon due to a grant which appeared to have encouraged volunteerism. The grant language was changed and now it appears the county wishes to enforce the policy. For more on Captain Riners Suspension go her: Polk County Fire Rescue Captain Suspended Without

39 Yr Lakeland Man Killed In Interstate 4 Crash

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39 Yr Lakeland Man Killed In Interstate 4 Crash

Lakeland man killed in a single-vehicle crash

A Lakeland man was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 4 in Lakeland early Saturday morning, October 23, 2021.

39-year old Anthony Cave was pronounced dead at the scene when first responders arrived.

Mr. Cave was driving a burgundy 2011 BMW.

Statements and evidence in the preliminary investigation revealed that at around 3:50 a.m., Mr. Cave was traveling eastbound, and at a high rate of speed, in the center lane near State Road 33 and Mile Marker 36.

As Mr. Cave approached another vehicle in the same lane, he swerved to avoid colliding with the vehicle and lost control of his BMW. His vehicle left the roadway on the south shoulder and over turned several times. Mr. Cave was ejected from his vehicle.

Mr. Cave was not wearing a seatbelt.

The outside lane of eastbound Interstate 4 was closed for approximately four hours for the investigation which remains ongoing.

 

Polk County Attempted Murder Suspect Captured In Hardee County

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Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Seriously Injured When Car Reportedly Blows Through Stop Sign

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Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Seriously Injured When Car Reportedly Blows Through Stop Sign

Two vehicle crash in Auburndale involving a Polk County Deputy

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a two vehicle crash that occurred in Auburndale Friday evening, October 22, 2021.

At around 5:50 p.m. a black Chevrolet Impala was traveling eastbound on Derby Avenue. As the Impala approached the Jersey Road intersection, the car failed to stop at the stop sign and struck the passenger side of a PCSO marked patrol vehicle driven by a female deputy. The deputy was traveling southbound at the time of the crash.

The driver and passenger of the Impala were transported to a local hospital where they are being treated for minor injuries.

The deputy was transported to a local hospital where she is being treated for serious injuries.

Welcome, World Travelers! Muppets Haunted Mansion is a Ghoulish Delight

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Welcome, World Travelers! Muppets Haunted Mansion is a Ghoulish Delight

Welcome, World Travelers! Muppets Haunted Mansion is a Ghoulish Delight

by James Coulter

Ever since it acquired the Muppets in 2004, Disney has struggled to make good use of them. Disney attempted to reboot the characters for the big screen with a series of theatrical films, and while 2011’s The Muppets proved popular, its 2014 sequel, Muppets Most Wanted, didn’t do well enough at the box office to warrant a third movie.

ABC attempted to reboot the Muppets for the small screen with the titular 2015 television series, but it only lasted one season. Disney Junior is currently airing the 2018 Muppet Babies reboot, which seems to be faring well, while Disney Plus is currently streaming its exclusive series, Muppets Now, which has received middling reception.

So it says quite a lot that an hour-long Halloween special on Disney Plus with gratuitous fan service to Disney’s most popular attraction is one of the best things Disney has done with the Muppets in the past decade. Muppets Haunted Mansion may not be perfect, but true to Muppet fashion, it glosses over its own imperfections with enough sharp wit and meta commentary to keep you entertainingly distracted.

Muppets Haunted Mansion has a very basic premise: Gonzo accepts a challenge to stay overnight on Halloween at the Haunted Mansion. If he survives the night, he wins. If he doesn’t, he’s doomed to become the 1,000th resident in the house of 999 happy haunts. Accompanying him is Pepe, who unwittingly finds romance with the mansion’s ax-wielding bride. Will the two make it through the night in one piece? (Well, it’s a children’s special, so you know they will!)

True to its name, Muppets Haunted Mansion is a loving spoof of the titular Disney attraction, with a Muppet-y twist on every aspect of the ride, from the stretching room to the hitchhiking ghosts. Many Muppets happily play the roles of the Mansion’s Happy Haunts. Miss Piggy is Madame Leota, Fozzie Bear is the Hatbox Ghost, and many of the others appear in a hilarious tribute to both the ride’s ballroom scene and the Muppet Show’s “At The Dance” sketch.

My favorite joke comes in the middle of the rousing musical number, “Life Hereafter”, when the performance come to an abrupt stop (along with Stanler and Waldorf’s doom buggy) and the ride breakdown spiel from the attraction plays: “Your attention please: playful spooks have interrupted our tour.”

True to Muppet fashion, this special has plenty of big-name celebrities using their big-name talent in small yet clever cameos. Will Arnett takes on the mantle of the Ghost Host, but there are plenty of other celebrities in blink-and-you’ll-miss roles, from Yvette Nicole Brown as the limo driver, to Pat Sajak and John Stamos as the singing busts, to even the late Ed Asner in his last role as a ghost before he inevitably gave up the ghost earlier this year.

Despite this special being inspired by the most popular haunted house attraction, there aren’t that many frights that would keep the little kiddies away. Most of the overall tone remains more “spoopy” than scary. The closest thing to a creepy scene is when Gonzo has to face his fear in

Room 999, and—well, let’s just say it has the creepiest looking Muppet character since the Skeksis from The Dark Crystal.

My biggest complaint is that the movie makes gratuitous use of obviously computer-generated effects. Many times, it’s quite visually apparent that scenes were shot in front of a green screen. Obviously, an hour-long special isn’t going to warrant a feature-length budget, but it’s quite disappointing that puppet characters renowned for starring in movies that pushed the boundaries of practical effects are relegated to cheap computer tricks.

Overall, Muppets Haunted Mansion is neither the best nor the worst thing starring the Muppets. It’s not as great as any of the classic Muppet movies, nor is it as bad as their made-for-television failures. (The less we say about It’s A Very Muppet Christmas Movie, the better!) Like Miss Piggy playing Madame Leota, this special is a very happy medium.

If you’re an adult fan of the Muppets or Haunted Mansion or both, you’re sure to get a few chuckles. And as a Halloween special for children, it offers enough spoopy fun to entertain kids not quite old enough to watch the grown-up Halloween classics. If you own Disney Plus, you’ve probably already watched this special, but if you haven’t, give it a watch. And if you already have, watch it again. Perhaps if enough people watch it, Disney will make more Muppet spoofs of its classic attractions, and that’s certainly not a bad thing.

Webber International University Now Enrolling for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree

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Webber International University Now Enrolling for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree

Webber International University Now Enrolling for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree

Babson Park, Florida

Webber International University has been granted approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Florida Board of Nursing to offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program. The University has begun accepting

applications for students to start their pre-nursing coursework beginning in January of 2022. The University has been approved for two cohort starts each academic year — one cohort of 24 students in the Fall and another cohort of 24 students in the Spring. The first cohort of nursing students will be admitted into the core of the nursing program in August 2022, wherein students take upper division nursing courses.

Students meeting all the requirements of the four-year program will earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and be eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN® exam. A registered nurse license will be awarded by the Florida Board of Nursing to graduates who successfully pass the NCLEX-RN® exam and satisfactorily meet all other Board of Nursing licensure requirements.

While students must complete their last 72 credits of upper-level classes at Webber, up to 50 credits of approved lower-level general education and prerequisite work may be transferred from accredited colleges or universities.

Said Dr. H. Keith Wade, the University’s President and CEO, “a recent Nursing Times article cited a US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimate that 11 million new nurses will be needed. While we have always quite intentionally offered a very limited number of degrees — you simply cannot be good at everything — we have recently added a few carefully selected programs in health sciences which are very much in demand by employers and within the scope of things we can do very well.”

The process to offering the BSN has been a long one — over two years since the first application was made — involving all of Webber’s academic leadership team. Dr. Carol Daniel, the program’s Chief Nursing Administrator/Director will lead this program for the University. Dr. Daniel joined the University in the Fall of 2020. Jennifer Cranor joined the University in the Spring of 2021 as the Clinical Coordinator; both are licensed RNs.

Established in 1927 by Roger Babson as the first college chartered under Florida’s then new charitable and educational laws, and America’s second school of business for women, Webber’s campuses in Babson Park, FL (residential); Charleston, SC; Charlotte, NC; Columbia, SC; Laurinburg, NC (residential); Miami Lakes, FL (opening 2021); Pinehurst, NC; and West Palm Beach, FL (opening 2021) now educate men and women from over 50 different nations. Degrees are offered at the associates, bachelors, and masters level through traditional day, accelerated night and weekend, and entirely on-line formats. Joining Webber as a branch campus in 2011, St. Andrews University is a Presbyterian related, comprehensive liberal arts school tracing its roots back to 1896.

The University features highly qualified faculty, highly engaged staff, small class size, and a wide array of intercollegiate sports and other extracurricular activities. The University has been recognized as a US News and World Reports Best Regional Colleges: South, a Princeton Review Best Southeastern College, has earned Petersons’ top marks for academics, value and community, and has been designated a Military Friendly School.

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