No partridges, no pear trees, just a dozen Orlando kittens that need a new home
The Florida Senate could be ready to move quickly on proposals that seek a single-subject requirement for constitutional amendments placed on the ballot in the future by the Florida Constitution Revision Commission. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 7 is scheduled to take up two similar proposals (SJR 74 and SJR 86) that target what…
When lawmakers return to the Capitol in January to prepare for the 2019 legislative session, four Senate committees will delve into the impacts of Hurricane Michael, according to a Senate calendar. The Senate Agriculture Committee on Jan. 7 will discuss the hurricane’s effects on agriculture. Later that day, the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee will…
The Florida Senate has reached a settlement with a legislative aide who filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging she had been subject to discrimination and retaliation, Senate attorneys said Thursday in a federal court document. The document did not provide details of the settlement with legislative aide Rachel Perrin Rogers, and…
Welcome to Orlando Weekly’s “Band of the Week.” Every week, we highlight one of our favorite local bands. This week, we’re pleased to bring you Moat Cobra. Moat Cobra is playing Uncle Lou’s on Dec. 28 with Meatound, Thunderclap, and Witchbender. Just the facts: When did the band form?The band was formed in 2013 and…
Gov. Rick Scott will exit the governor’s mansion proclaiming an unemployment rate that is nearly 8 percentage points lower than when he moved in. The state Department of Economic Opportunity on Friday said Florida’s estimated jobless rate was 3.3 percent in November, down from 3.4 percent a month earlier. The state figure, which is below…
About 300 nursing homes across the state have been given another six months to meet a state mandate that they have generators and fuel that can help keep buildings cool. Agency for Health Care Administration spokeswoman Mallory McManus said that before agreeing to temporarily waive the requirement, the state reviewed the nursing homes to ensure…
A federal judge will hear arguments Jan. 7 in a legal battle about whether suspended Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes should be able to regain her job. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker will hold a hearing in Tallahassee about a preliminary injunction sought by Snipes, according to a court docket. Snipes filed…
If you’re reading this from a four-bedroom apartment you share with three other people and a squatter boyfriend, you already know what’s up: Orlando rents are rising ridiculously fast compared to other major U.S. cities. A new report from Zillow shows average rents in Orlando increased to $1,472 in November, which is slightly above the…
A new cat cafe, appropriately called “The Kitty Beautiful,” is coming soon to downtown Orlando. Besides a room full of cats, which are all adoptable from local nonprofit cat rescues, the new space will also offer coffee, cold-pressed organic juice, beer and wine, and locally produced snacks … for humans. The space will also host special “Mewvie” nights, cat…
Even as the state’s unemployment level dropped to 3.3 percent last month, the lowest in 12 years, more Central Florida workers lost their jobs amid mass layoffs this year than any year since 2010. According to employer reports to the state under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, a law that requires companies to…
It wasn’t so long ago that Florida was trying to catch New York. Now – at least in the population game – it has left New York in the dust. The U.S. Census Bureau on Wednesday released new estimates showing Florida had about 21.3 million residents as of July 1, cementing Florida’s place as the…
Tonstartssbandht, the musical outlet of peripatetic brothers Andy and Edwin White – originally from Orlando but now constantly on the move – are touching back down in the City Beautiful next month to play a quick homecoming show. 2018 was a busy year for the band, with the brothers playing all around the U.S. and…
It would appear that Orlando’s ongoing taco wars have claimed another victim. After less than a year, California Tortilla has closed its downtown Orlando location at 54 W. Church St. No exact reason was given for the closure, but a letter taped to the front door, signed by a lawyer on Dec. 11, says “the business…
A proposal is back before the Florida House to eliminate a law that allows red-light cameras, a longtime target of some legislators. Rep. Anthony Sabatini, R-Howey-in-the-Hills, filed a proposal (HB 6003) on Thursday that calls for a repeal of the law effective July 1, 2022. However, past repeals have not moved through the Senate. The…
Today, Dec. 21, will be the last day you can score a Peanut Butter burger and frickles in downtown Orlando. After six years, Beth’s Burger Bar will close its downtown location at 24 E. Washington St. (next to Gringos Locos) and will move to a new yet-to-be announced spot. The restaurant posted a sign to…
Democrat Nikki Fried, the incoming state agriculture commissioner, drew praise at the start of the week when she called for granting a pardon to the “Groveland Four” after next month’s inauguration events. But her thunder was stolen Wednesday as current Republican Cabinet members appeared to start rushing to take up the case, which they have…
The Orlando music scene just lost a notable figure. At only age 40, Richard Sherfey is a light snuffed far too soon. He first started making a mark on Orlando in the early 2000s as a touring Athens artist, building a distinguished reputation with his soulful merge of country, gospel and rock. Eventually, he relocated…
Considering the Northern European origins of many Christmas traditions (tree rituals, Odin’s sled, mandatory ale), it’s a little surprising that metal doesn’t have as much of a presence during the holiday season. Until now! Enjoy festive decorations during Dirty Laundry’s Season’s Grievings party along with holiday-inspired metal, holiday horror flicks and hot cocoa spiked with…
Seth Kubersky of Orlando Weekly interviews Lin-Manuel Miranda about his role in Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns. Stay on top of Orlando news and views. Sign up for our weekly Headlines newsletter. Related Stories
Office Christmas parties can be a crapshoot as to whether they’ll be fun or not. Unless, of course, you’re talking about The Office, where the holiday parties are always fun – for those watching. The Nook on Robinson gives you the opportunity to pretend to be an employee at the mid-level paper company of your…
One of the best parts of the holidays is sneaking away from family to spend time with your friends. And if you’re in town on Christmas Eve, you won’t find a friendlier night than the 16th annual Gumbo Party at Will’s Pub. Enjoy cups of homemade seafood gumbo while taking in some jingle bell rawk…
You might be wondering why Enzian is showing Polyester Tuesday night rather than Female Trouble, the more obvious holiday-season choice. We have a theory: Our music editor, who interviewed Mr. John Waters his own self for last week’s issue, points out that it’s the last of the Waters films to employ the “I’ll yell louder…
Most years, the Morse Museum opens its doors on Christmas Eve to serve as a cost-free oasis of calm in the middle of the holiday rush. This year, though, Dec. 24 falls on Monday, and the museum is closed on Mondays. So, in a feat of even more generosity than usual, the Morse has decided…
Nothing screams Christmas like tuba, euphonium, sousaphone and baritone players of all ages gathering for a holiday spirit jam sesh in Winter Park’s Central Park. Well, maybe that’s not entirely the case; however, it is that time of year and it is Christmas music, and, better yet, it’s totally free for all to enjoy. So…
Florida junior Republican congressman Matt Gaetz has had one hell of a year. Without a doubt, 2018 was a new low for Gaetz, which is saying a lot considering that in 2017 he tried to file a bill based on a conspiracy theory he saw on Reddit. Let’s run through a few of the more…
The Mennello Museum has announced the return of their popular outdoor Indie-Folkfest music/art extravaganza set for February. The Indie-Folkfest is one of the (free) outdoor highlights of every spring in Orlando. Friends and families gather on the lawn of the sculpture garden to take in a veritable feast of local wares, food and drink, and sets…
Proving once and for all that comedy and tragedy are two sides of the same coin, troubadour clown Puddles is taking his Pity Party revue on the road next year, and returning to the City Beautiful for the first time since 2017. The 7-foot-tall crooning, clown – backed by Postmodern Jukebox live – gained initial…
Residents of Stoneybrook, Avalon Park and Eastwood filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging that the Orlando Utility Commission’s coal-burning power plants contaminated the properties of more than 30,000 residents. The lawsuit, which was filed in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, alleges that the residents’ homes and public spaces were polluted with metal, chemical and…
A former Orlando firefighter and Pulse first responder was jailed Wednesday on charges he allegedly recorded audio of City Commissioner Regina Hill while responding to a medical emergency call in August 2017. Joshua Granada, 39, of Altamonte Springs, was taken into custody at the Orange County Jail around 1 p.m. Wednesday on a felony charge…
If you haven’t made New Year’s Eve plans, you’ll be interested to know that the Winter Park outpost of Sushi Pop, the finest restaurant in all of Oviedo, will soft open Monday, Dec. 31, following a friends and family event Dec. 22 and a VIP event Dec. 23. Chef Chau Trinh and business partner Lou…
Silent “panic” alarms for emergency situations would be required to link public-school buildings to local law-enforcement agencies under a Senate measure filed Wednesday. Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation, called her proposal (SB 174) “Alyssa’s Law,” after Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old student who was one of the 17 people killed in the February mass shooting at Marjory…
Two Republican congressmen are pointing to a state report on passenger-rail service as they implore the U.S. Department of Transportation to put the brakes on extending a deadline to issue tax-exempt bonds needed to expand the Brightline rail system from South Florida to Orlando. However, with a decision pending on the bond extension, Congressmen Brian…
In a little-known postscript to a short and bloody career known for outrage and provocation, the Sex Pistols (Sid Vicious edition, at the very height of their infamy) threw a Christmas party and benefit for the children of striking miners in the town of Huddersfield in 1977. So it was that their final U.K. gig…
The legendary and terrifyingly beautiful Black Haüs drag family is slinking over from their Creature Feature spot on Tuesdays at Stonewall Bar for a second act: Cult on Fridays. Performers with looks that could raise the dead enact a dystopian future where an underground resistance meets at Stonewall to party and dream of a dark…
A memorial fund has been started to pay for the funeral of Alejandro Vargas Martinez, a 15-year-old sophomore who was shot and killed Tuesday morning while walking to Boone High School. The fund was started The Foundation for Orange County Public Schools to help the family “provide the type of services Alejandro deserves, as well…
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office released surveillance video Wednesday showing a “vehicle of interest” in the killing of Alejandro Vargas Martinez, a 15-year-old boy who was fatally shot while walking to Boone High School Tuesday. The footage shows a four-door sedan making a U-turn in what appears to be a residential area. Alejandro was shot around…
Nine people face animal-cruelty charges and other allegations after a year-long investigation into the use of dogs to attack Florida black bears, Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced Wednesday. Defendants posted videos on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat of bears being chased and mauled by large packs of…
Good news for you liver-loathers out there. Wally’s Mills Avenue Liquors, the well-worn, six-decades-old landmark watering hole, is poised to reopen at the end of February after undergoing some much-needed updates. Settle down, you boozers, the wallpaper is staying – but new owner Minesh Patel will give John Morgan’s favorite bar a little TLC in…
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is calling on Florida’s next governor and cabinet to pardon the Groveland Four, four African American men falsely accused in 1949 of raping a white woman in Lake County. Calling it a “horrifying injustice that haunts Florida,” Rubio described on the Senate floor Tuesday how 17-year-old Norma Padgett accused Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel…
On Jan. 1, 2019, Florida’s minimum wage will see its most dramatic increase since 2012, a bump of 21 whole cents. This increase brings Florida’s minimum wage from $8.25 to $8.46 per hour, and for tipped employees of large employers their wages will jump from $5.23 to $5.44 per hour. Though Florida’s minimum wage is…
Here’s every Orlando area New Year’s Eve party, event, or shindig that we know of so far. We’ll update this post as more come in. Sunday, Dec. 30 Born Dirty’s NYE Weekend Celebration Free early NYE party with dance artist Born Dirty. 3 pm; Celine Orlando, 22 S. Magnolia Ave; free; celineorlando.com. Monday, Dec. 31…
A veritable who’s-who of local musicians gets together at Will’s Pub this week for a good cause. Featuring the likes of Joseph and Jessy Martens, Brian Chodorcoff, Andy Matchett, Kaleigh Baker, Jeff Nolan, Jacob Miller and tons more, the Classic Country Holiday Party promises a country jam to rival the Country Bear Jamboree. Plus, if…
When a bar that’s Christmas-themed year-round throws a Christmas party, you know it’s going to go above and beyond. Frosty’s Christmastime Lounge, a surprisingly durable gimmick, celebrates with SantaFest this weekend. The goal is to fill the bar with as many Santas as possible: Sexy Santa, Classic Santa, Florida Santa, Satanic Santa, take your pick.…
Thanks to Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, our collective image of an ideal Christmas tends to colored by the imagery of a Victorian London. But modern Londoners are much more likely to feast on a nice curry than a roast goose. Get your fill of authentic British-style curry at the Harp & Celt’s semi-regular Curry…
Yang Yang, now a 21-year-old giant panda at Zoo Atlanta, has terrible college football takes: Last year, he picked Auburn over UCF in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and now, this year, he’s picked Michigan to beat Florida. Wrong. So wrong, big, illiterate panda. .@ZooATL's Yang Yang 🐼 is back with another #CFAPeachBowl pick. Who's he…
Arguably the best scene in A Christmas Story is when the burnt turkey comes out of the oven and the Old Man gathers the fam: “Everyone get dressed! We’re going out to eat!” They end up at the neighborhood Chinese restaurant in front of a Peking duck instead of a turkey and the trimmings. We wouldn’t…
Early Wednesday morning, a Hillsborough County deputy fatally shot three members of his family – two women and a child – before committing suicide in front of several deputies, WFLA reports. During a news conference, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister told reporters that the deputy went on the office radio’s main channel at 6:42 a.m.…
A reward of $10,000 is being offered to anyone who has information that could lead to an arrest in the case of Alejandro Vargas Martinez, a 15-year-old boy who was gunned down while walking to Boone High School Tuesday morning. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a call of shots fired near…
The busiest time to travel of the year is about to collide with the busiest airport in Florida. According to a new report, Orlando International Airport is expecting a record 2.7 million holiday travelers, which will crush last year’s predictions by 6 percent. These inflated predictions are despite the fact the travel period is two…
Florida businesses would have to use a federal database to verify the immigration status of new employees, under proposals filed in the House and Senate for the 2019 legislative session. Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, filed the Senate version of the proposal (SB 164) on Tuesday. It would require private and public employers and state…
After losing an earlier challenge, Volusia County has filed a lawsuit seeking to be shielded from a newly approved constitutional amendment that deals with sheriffs and other types of county officials across the state. The Nov. 6 ballot measure, known as Amendment 10, requires the election of county sheriffs, tax collectors, property appraisers, elections supervisors…
This morning new details were released on the yet-to-open NBA Experience coming to Disney Springs next year. The destination, which is being produced by the National Basketball Association and Walt Disney Imagineering, will feature a dozen interactive experiences that will “immerse fans in the game.” “Developed with the NBA, and inspired by the league’s 29…
Accusing Gov. Rick Scott of a “malicious and politically motivated” executive order, suspended Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes has filed a federal lawsuit against Scott and Senate President Bill Galvano as she tries to regain her job. The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Tallahassee, follows a tumultuous period that included high-profile…
OPENINGS: Castle Church Brewing Community – a massive craft brewery, tasting room, beer garden and Lutheran church – has opened on Hoffner Avenue near Goldenrod Road. Castle Church’s profits go to various nonprofits and Lutheran organizations. They also won the Judges Choice Award at the 2018 Orlando Beer Festival … The Open Container Wine Tasting…
Say what you like about Dickens and Seuss; for my gelt the greatest Yuletide tale of all time was generated not by any goyim, but by my fellow Hebrew Irving Berlin, whose 1940 song “White Christmas” plays on endless repeat at my home during the holidays. So even through the menorahs have been packed away,…
Opening this week: Aquaman Let’s get this out in the open: Entourage to the contrary, there was never anything regrettable about Aquaman. In fact, he was way cooler when he was a clean-cut ersatz Buster Crabbe who talked to flounder. And he’s way less cool now that he’s a filthy, musclebound caricature of masculinity who…
I’m a kinky single woman who keeps attracting the wrong men for me – specifically, submissive guys into face-sitting. I’m submissive myself, and face-sitting is not a turn-on for me. But the vast majority of men who hit on me have this fetish. I think it’s a size-related issue – a my-size-related issue. I’m a…
Ron DeSantis wants to pull some bullshit before restoring rights to Florida felons: Despite nearly 65 percent of Floridians voting for Amendment 4 in November, Republican Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis now says he’s opposed to immediately restoring the right to vote to the 1.5 million former felons who’ve served their time. In an interview with the…
