Sorry for the rhetorical question – it’s just hard to tell, you know, because despite voters overwhelmingly approving Amendment 2 in 2016, many patients are still waiting for relief. The Florida Legislature took its sweet time coming up with laws to implement medical cannabis in the state and finally turned it over to the state…
Officials at Riverview High School are considering taking disciplinary steps against a student after he asked his girlfriend to prom with an insanely racist poster. “If I was black, I’d be picking cotton, but I’m white, so I’m picking u 4 prom,” reads 18-year-old Noah Crowley’s sign, as reported by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune on Monday. A…
Orlando and two other cities were beat out by Atlanta to host the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for marathon, USA Track & Field announced Monday. Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Austin, Texas, also bid for the races, and both fell short as well. Orlando, like the other cities, originally bid to host the trials for both…
Bring on the dancing Gen X-ers! Echo and the Bunnymen and Violent Femmes have announced a new run of co-headlining shows this summer and Orlando is one of the stops on this tour! The two bands toured together last summer and this 11-date tour is the sequel to that first successful run. Echo and the…
Florida Governor Rick Scott, a dispenser of hot takes like “the Second Amendment has never shot anybody, evil does,” will be the keynote speaker at a GOP fundraiser next month in Hillsborough County, which just so happens to be raffling off a new handgun. According to Florida Politics, Scott will speak at the $20,000-per-seat Hillsborough…
Brevard County employees with a concealed-carry permit can now bring their guns to work, after officials approved a policy change on Tuesday. The change was unanimously approved as part of the county’s “Zero Tolerance of Workplace Violence” policy, Florida Today reports. The policy had previously banned county employees, minus law enforcement and security professionals, from…
Maynard James Keenan (Tool, Caduceus Cellars) and his A Perfect Circle have announced a new round of dates for their world tour later this year and an arena show in Orlando is in the cards. The band recently broke a protracted silence with the release of Eat the Elephant, an appearance at Coachella, and now this…
This morning, Disney announced they’ve reached the important milestone of erecting a giant Woody at the entrance of the yet-to-open Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios. According to the official Disney Parks Blog, the 20-foot-tall Woody doll has a 7-foot-wide hat and stands next to a 4-foot-tall yo-yo. Disney did not release any measurements on Woody’s girth.…
A 16-member commission on Tuesday will begin reviewing the Feb. 14 mass shooting at a Broward County high school, looking into the circumstances of the crime, the background of the alleged shooter and recommendations to prevent future tragedies. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, which was created as part of a sweeping…
Make your drinking habit look like a cool hobby and tell everyone you’re getting drunk for a cause. Whiskey Business raises money for the Barber Fund, an organization that helps those living with cancer by paying medical bills, buying groceries, getting patients to appointments and more. Who doesn’t like a charity event that has plenty…
The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday awarded Florida $1 million to help defray the cost of law enforcement officers and other emergency workers who have been involved in the response to the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement sought the funds, at…
On Tuesday morning, Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced the launch of a new political organization intended to influence the November 2018 midterm elections by mobilizing the Puerto Rican vote in Florida. Poder, which translates to “power,” is a nonpartisan civic organization focused on the voter registration and political participation of U.S. citizens from Puerto…
After spending millions on updated queues, Disney has come to accept that most guests still would rather spend that time on their smartphones. With this in mind, Disney has now announced a new line of apps that will enhance the park-going experience. The Play Disney Parks app will include games accessible only to guests in…
Last year, just days after a press event for the self-driving test facility in Polk County, the Los Angeles Times broke a major story about Disney looking to add self-driving vehicles across Disney World. The article stated that a pilot program using the self-driving cars would begin testing at Walt Disney World in late 2017.…
Qualifying formally begins Monday at noon for Florida candidates seeking to run for U.S. Senate, U.S. House and the judiciary, as well as for 20th Judicial Circuit state attorney and public defender. But Secretary of State Ken Detzner on Tuesday advised those intending to run for one of those offices that the paperwork can be…
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Interstellar R&B innovator Janelle Monáe has announced dates for her “Dirty Computer” tour, set to begin in June, and there is an Orlando date in there! The singer will be touring behind new album Dirty Computer – set to drop April 27 – and support will come from St. Beauty, part of Monáe’s Wonderland Records collective. In…
Today, SeaWorld gave guests their first opportunity to meet the park’s two new walrus calves, Ginger and Aku, at the Wild Arctic habitat. Last year in November, the pair met after Aku was rescued from a gold mining dredge off the coast of Alaska, says SeaWorld. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services thought it best to…
Following a man’s death, authorities in Florida went to a funeral home where his body was being kept and used the man’s finger in an attempt to unlock his cellphone as part of their investigation. The Associated Press reports that 30-year-old Linus Phillip was killed by a Largo police officer last month. Authorities say Phillip…
Florida gas prices hit a three-year high over the weekend, as oil prices are up about 25 percent from a year ago and the global supply glut has tightened, according to AAA auto club. And while the annual summer peak is still a couple of weeks away, AAA spokesman W.D. Williams said Monday the travel…
Pop icon Janet Jackson has announced a new slate of dates for her “State of the World” tour set for this summer and Central Florida is in the mix! Jackson plans to squeeze in these shows in between a round of festival appearances including FYF Fest, Panorama Festival, and Outside Lands. Expect the hits. Janet…
Nearly a year after Bar Rescue host Jon Taffer gutted and “rescued” the Copper Rocket Pub in Maitland, it appears the episode will finally appear this May. A spokesperson with the Paramount Network confirmed with Orlando Weekly that the episode, “A Crazy Little Thing Called Selman,” is expected to debut May 6. “Salmonella poisoning invades the famous…
It’s not every day that you catch a fish the size of a husky middle-schooler. Joel Singletary, 78, did that very thing when he reeled in a massive 121-pound blue catfish on April 11, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The 120-pounder would have blown the previous record of 69.5 pounds out…
With the summer season rush only weeks away, Walt Disney World, the region’s largest employer, announced it will hire as many as 3,500 more employees across the resort through May. The company will offer full-time, part-time and seasonal roles within housekeeping, transportation, lifeguarding, food and beverage, among a number of others, according to a news…
Go ahead and ask any racer, any real racer: Universal Studio’s latest attraction, Fast & Furious: Supercharged, is now officially open to the public. Universal made the announcement this morning, after the attraction was in soft opening for the past week. According to a press release from Universal, Fast & Furious fans can expect to:…
After a rough patch that included Monorail Red driving with the doors open, a piece falling off Monorail Blue and nearly hitting guests, and Monorail Teal having numerous issues resulting in unprecedented downtime, it now looks like Disney leadership finally realizes how dire the monorail situation truly is. With 12 trains to replace and numerous…
As part of a company-wide initiative, Disney Stores recently announced they will be phasing out plastic bags at all U.S. stores by the end of next month. The surprise announcement comes on the heels of Disney World announcing a major new solar farm near the Animal Kingdom that will include a half-million solar panels spread…
Florida’s medical-marijuana patient database has hit the 100,000 mark, according to a weekly update issued by the state Department of Health’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use. Marijuana supporters celebrated the number, revealed on April 20, which is also known as “weed day” throughout the nation. As of Friday, 100,576 Florida patients had registered with the…
The 20th annual Sarasota Film Festival ended over the weekend with an awards presentation and red-carpet ceremony at the Sarasota Opera House, which featured appearances by Penelope Ann Miller, Steve Guttenberg, Virginia Madsen and Rory Kennedy. The last three also participated in Q&A sessions at the Florida Studio Theatre. Following the awards, the audience watched…
Florida’s jobs picture showed little change through the first quarter of 2018, with the unemployment rate holding at 3.9 percent in March — the same as it has been since December, according to numbers released Friday by the state Department of Economic Opportunity. The March unemployment rate, better than the national mark of 4.1 percent,…
Oh hoooneyyy! The chemical burn from the spiral perm, Trixie Mattel, is coming to Orlando this weekend for a night of comedy, country music and probably some well-deserved bragging after recently winning Season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. The life-sized Barbie also known as Brian Firkus (no batteries included) has a lot to flaunt…
Can't wait to see the 2017 #UCFNationalChampions signage tomorrow in-person in Spectrum Stadium 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9VzSbcKkDN — UCFSportsInfo (@UCFSportsInfo) April 20, 2018 To celebrate their remarkable undefeated season, the University of Central Florida will reportedly emblazon the phrase “2017 National Champions” on the side of Spectrum Stadium, despite that honor going to Alabama. Well, there’s no…
FEMA granted an extension for around 600 Puerto Rican families displaced by Hurricane Maria today, after some had begun moving out of their temporary housing following an announcement earlier this week that their aid would expire April 20. The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration announced shortly after noon on Friday that the Federal Emergency Management…
This morning, on the 19th anniversary of the deaths of 13 people at Columbine High School and just moments before a group of students planned to join the nationwide walkout for gun violence, a student was shot and wounded at Forest High School in Ocala, Florida. Though the student is expected to recover and the shooter…
Record Store Day is upon us once again! The seemingly heartfelt – though complicated – love letter to the vinyl record and the remaining proud establishments that sell them is still going strong into its twelfth year, and there’s going to be a lot of local activity this weekend to mark the day. The main…
Florida’s aerospace agency praised the long-delayed confirmation Thursday of Oklahoma Republican Congressman Jim Bridenstine as the next leader of NASA, pointing to further growth coming to the private space industry. Space Florida officials said they anticipate Bridenstine will reinvigorate the industry, noting that he’s been hands-on in Congress. “We look forward to working with him…
Today’s date is April 20, and while many of you are out celebrating the widely recognized weed holiday, the University of Central Florida Police Department most definitely knows you’re high right now, man. The UCFPD Twitter account tweeted out this afternoon a reminder to everyone to enjoy today, Friday, responsibly along with a GIF of…
Good news, beer-lovers and pie-eaters: Claddagh Cottage Irish Pub is finally, finally back! On Facebook, their cover photo still says “no opening date yet,” but a pint-loving little birdie told us that last night the beloved bar, now relocated to 2421 Curry Ford Road, held a soft-opening event for a select group. And tonight, we…
The citrus company owned by the family of Adam Putnam, a Republican candidate for Florida governor, was penalized for not paying workers minimum wage, among other workplace violations. An investigation by the Tampa Bay Times found that Putnam’s family business in Polk County was cited for the violation by the U.S. government in 2008. According…
JFC, sometimes we just need a little good news, you know? So after today’s high-school shooting, allegations of corruption and handout of federal dollars to charter schools, here’s what we have for you: a freaking adorable baby chick named Grilled Cheese. Janelle Monnas of Orlando, who raises chickens in her backyard, was today named a…
Friday morning, a 17-year-old student at Forest High School in Ocala, Florida, was shot and wounded just minutes before the planned national walkout on gun violence. One person was shot in the incident, which the Ocala Police Department say occurred at around 8:42 a.m. The shooter, who is believed to be a 19-year-old and not a…
Rejecting arguments of school boards across the state, a Leon County circuit judge this week formally rejected a challenge to a controversial 2017 law that included a series of moves to boost charter schools. Circuit Judge John Cooper, who had earlier indicated he would turn down the challenge, issued an 18-page ruling Tuesday siding with…
Announced Friday, the League of Women Voters of Florida has appointed veteran state board member and Orange County league leader Patricia Brigham as the organization’s new state president. Brigham will replace current president Pamela Goodman, who will pass the gavel at the meeting of the state board on Saturday. According to a news release, Goodman…
Local graffiti-art bigwig Halsi is the creative director for Secret Garden, a pop-up group exhibition at the Henao Center. Far from a stuffy gallery opening, Secret Garden gathers some of the most vibrant artists in town along with cutting-edge music, live muralists, food, a fashion show and more for a proper party. (Full list of…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Lou Barlow house show, April 17 In the past year and a half, OW photographer and longtime music scenester Michael Lothrop has made a couple of major music-fan dreams happen in his living room. The previous one in late 2016 was hosting Eric Bachmann (Archers of Loaf, Crooked Fingers) for a special…
The Blackstar/Odd Jobs complex keeps their string of can’t-miss Saturday nights going with a guest DJ spot from Reggie Youngblood of Jacksonville’s Black Kids. Plus, DJs DeviantArt Heaux, Cabias and Fiona pay tribute to the bad bitches of rap with their femme-hop night. 10 p.m. Saturday; Blackstar/Odd Jobs, 42 W. Concord St.; $5-$8; theblackstar.club Get…
OK, Orlandoans, Sanford’s about to one-up us yet again. A new food hall is coming to the historic Sanford railroad depot at 212 W. First St., and they’re bringing a hodgepodgery of food vendors. Henry’s Depot, a self-described “culinary collective,” will see the first Sanford outpost of vegan vittle joint Dixie Dharma as one of…
The Florida-based franchise Fresh Kitchen will open their second Orlando location in the SoDo neighborhood this May. The new outpost will open May 7 in the former Noodles & Co. spot at 2855 S. Orange Ave. The chain focuses on the always classic build-your-own bowl concept, and uses hormone and antibiotic-free meats and vegetables. They…
This year’s Harvey Milk Festival in Sarasota is set for early May and features an impressive music lineup including a notable present and past Orlando artist. Gary Lazer Eyes is part of an 11-band bill that also counts New York-via-Orlando musician DVWEZ as a headliner. It’s a very welcome and fitting return to Florida for DVWEZ.…
The National Rifle Association and its Florida lobbyist, Marion Hammer, are taking aim at Republican lawmakers who supported a school-safety bill that included gun-control measures. In a letter to members of the NRA and the Unified Sportsmen of Florida, posted online Wednesday by Ammoland, Hammer focused her wrath on GOP lawmakers —- particularly Sen. Doug…
Former President Barack Obama penned an entry for the Parkland survivors in TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” issue, saying the students “have the power to insist that America can be better.” The entry, which you can read here, specifically honors Marjory Stoneman Douglas students Davig Hogg, Emma González, Cameron Kasky, Jaclyn Corin and Alex Wind. …
After Ellen’s Energy Adventure closed at Epcot last year, the television host joked that she wanted her robot back. Well, after her staff surprised her with the human-like robot on her show, it turns out she doesn’t really want it after all. The robot’s head and clothes are going up for auction May 5 in Los…
Officials at Orlando International Airport officially backed off the option of replacing Transportation Security Administration officers for a private security force during a board meeting on Wednesday. OIA director Phil Brown told the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority board that TSA had recently upgraded its procedures, thus easing passenger wait times – the issue that sparked…
Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs says the County Commission will vote next month to reinstate a three-day waiting period and establish universal background checks for firearm purchases, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Jacob’s announcement comes less than two weeks after she instructed County Attorney Jeff Newton to draft an ordinance reinstating the waiting period, which was…
This morning SeaWorld unveiled a new series of events in their “Just for Kids” weekends, which will include a “Shopkins Live” show. The new series runs on Saturdays and Sundays, from May 5 through May 13. Among a long list of new shows, guests can expect special performances by Choo Choo Soul with Genevieve on…
The eight young Floridians suing Gov. Rick Scott and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam are riding the wave of youth activism with multiple press conferences focused on the environment. The students are suing the state for what they say is a violation of their constitutional rights to a healthy climate. Along with the post-Parkland gun debate,…
As legislative leaders hold behind-the-scenes talks about revamping the gambling industry, Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday announced a deal that will lead to the Seminole Tribe continuing to pay more than $300 million a year in casino money to the state. The tribe would continue making the payments, which are rooted in a 2010 gambling…
When it comes to health-care math, sometimes the numbers don’t add up for Florida Gov. Rick Scott. As Scott’s administration this week submits a request to the federal government to trim the amount of time people have to apply for Medicaid coverage, the state’s estimate of $98 million in savings associated with the change has…
Body//Talk’s roaming disco party lands at the Geek Easy this month with a theme. Dust off your party dress and relive your high school years at this Homecoming-themed dance party. Attendees are encouraged to dress up – and maybe buy your date a corsage or something to let them know you like-like them. 9 p.m.…
A new study ranks Publix Super Markets as second-to-last when it comes to reducing food waste, earning the chain a “D” grade. The study by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Ugly Fruit and Veggie Campaign rated major U.S. supermarkets based on their accountability in food waste, prevention efforts and recovery and recycling. “Supermarkets have…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Klimchak, Gallery at Avalon Island, April 16 Even by the standards of the usually unusual In-Between Series, this one was out there. Klimchak, the mononymous featured act, is an Atlanta composer whose doesn’t just write and perform music but specializes in odd instruments, some of which are designed and built or modified…
University of Central Florida continues their national dominance, but this time it isn’t on the football field. UCF sophomore Hannah Sage has advanced to the finals in the Jeopardy! College Championship. Sage is set to compete in the finals after beating students from Dartmouth College and the University of Oklahoma. Sage has a chance at…
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission is yet again urging idiots to fight the impulse to paint gopher tortoises. The department posted to their Facebook page Wednesday afternoon offering a reward for any information regarding a gopher tortoise that was found in the middle of County Road 455, south of Montverde, covered in red spray paint…
Voters will get a chance to decide this fall whether to ban nearshore oil and gas drilling and prevent people from vaping or using electronic cigarettes in many public places, under a proposed constitutional amendment approved Monday. Without debate, the Florida Constitution Revision Commission on Monday voted 33-3 to back a single proposed amendment (Proposal…
Mayor Teresa Jacobs will run for Orange County School Board: Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs’ political career is not over yet: The term-limited mayor announced last week she’s running for Orange County School Board chair. The board rules over the fourth largest school district in Florida. Jacobs, who was elected as Orange County Mayor in…
THIS WEEK: Dolphins The latest feel-good documentary from Disneynature is the story of a young dolphin’s coming of age. And maybe I’d feel better about the thought that went into it if Disney could decide what gender their lead character is. I mean, the movie’s official synopsis literally calls poor Echo a girl in one…
Jose Belen is years removed from the war, but the war isn’t removed from him. Every so often, in the most mundane of moments, his mind strays back to the dust-filled, mangled hell that was Iraq in the mid-2000s. He can hear the hysterical yelling, a back and forth of English and Arabic, then the…
Recently, there have been reports about Orlando’s theme parks in the mainstream media rehashing fan-fueled internet rumors and recycling the rants of unreliable bloggers. Rather than rely on speculation from anonymous sources, I’ve gone straight to some unimpeachable insiders who are true attraction icons. Dreamfinder (Jeff Jones), formerly of Epcot’s Imagination pavilion, and Abraham Lincoln…
Background: I, a 21-year-old man, enjoy receptive fisting. I’ve also had constipation problems all my life. Question: I saw my doctor recently, and he tried to link my enjoyment of anal sex to my constipation. (Granted, I didn’t tell him EVERYTHING I do down there.) My understanding was that there was no causal relationship, assuming…
This week’s highlight is staff favorite Cody! Handsome Cody (A397052) is available for adoption at Orange County Animal Services! This 4-year-old was initially found in very poor condition, emaciated at a weight of only 33 pounds. He captured the heart of the impounding officer and she took him home for foster care for a period…
OPENINGS: Susuru, a retro-themed, ramen-driven izakaya by Lewis Lin of College Park’s Jade Sushi & New Asian and managing partner Kenny Ly, will open this June in the Vista Centre Shoppes on Palm Parkway in Lake Buena Vista … The Little Blue Donut Co. is finally open in the old Scratch space on West Fairbanks…
GoldLink Singular and hitmaking (“Crew”) Washington, D.C., MC throws down at the Beacham. See what everyone from Rick Rubin to XXL to Pitchfork is talking about. 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, at the Beacham, $20-$75 Smokepurpp South Florida MC hits the road as the headliner of the newest installment of the Monster Energy Drink Outbreak Tour…
