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Welcome to Orlando Weekly’s 2018 Newcomers Guide
Hello and welcome to Orlando Weekly’s second annual Newcomers Guide! This magazine is meant to help new arrivals, recent graduates, or even ex-Orlandoans who’ve just returned to the fold enjoy this vital city. Every city is always changing, of course, but the City Beautiful is in an especially frenetic phase of self-reinvention, which can be…
Don’t know anything about Central Florida judicial picks in the Aug. 28 primary? We’re here to help
Most people have probably decided for whom they’re going to vote in the primaries for Florida governor on Aug. 28, but few know their preferred candidate in the judicial races for Orange County and the Ninth Judicial Circuit. These usually low-profile nonpartisan races, nonetheless, make a huge impact in our community. County trial judges hear…
32 free shows happening in Orlando this week
Wednesday, Aug. 15 Eugene Snowden’s Ten Pints of Truth 10 pm at Lil Indies, 1036 N. Mills Ave. The Daniel Heitz Band 10:30 pm at Tanqueray’s, 100 S. Orange Ave. Wes Morrison 8 pm at The Imperial at Washburn Imports, 1800 N. Orange Ave. Thursday, Aug. 16 Leisure Chief 10:30 pm at Tanqueray’s, 100 S.…
Bernie Sanders is coming to Orlando this week to campaign for Andrew Gillum
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is making a stop in Orlando this Friday to support Andrew Gillum in the Democratic primary for Florida governor. The Gillum campaign announced Tuesday that the progressive Vermont senator and former presidential candidate will be hosting a rally with Gillum at the CFE Arena on the University of Central Florida campus…
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, a complete dumbass, is bragging about how many inmates are in his jail again
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, a man who loves to crow about how poorly he treats his inmates (many of whom haven’t been convicted of a crime and are only there because they couldn’t afford bail) is back at it again with another horrible humblebrag about how many inmates are currently booked in his shitty jail.…
Apparently Adam Putnam’s campaign has fallen on hard times
Has state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam’s campaign for governor begun to run out of money? The short answer: no. But it’s still notable how the special interest cash once directed toward Florida Grown, Putnam’s political committee – which garnered big chunks of contributions from heavyweight donors like Publix, Florida Power & Light and U.S. Sugar…
GOP race for Florida Attorney General gets personal
With Attorney General Pam Bondi barred from running for another term, former Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Ashley Moody and state Rep. Frank White are locked in an expensive and personally contentious Republican primary fight as they seek to replace her. White, a freshman legislator who is an executive at chain of family-owned auto dealerships, has…
Atlanta rapper 6lack announces Orlando show set for December
Atlanta rapper 6lack – who took a hiatus from performing last year to spend time with his young daughter – has returned in a big way. The gifted MC, best known for 2016 platinum single “PRBLMS,” has announced both new music and a North American tour, with a stop in Orlando. 6lack released a new song,…
Oprah TV series builds set at high school near Universal Orlando
A new drama series for the Oprah Winfrey Network has built an elaborate pink set on the grounds of a high school near Universal Orlando Resort. The TV series, David Makes Man, started filming recently in neighborhoods near Universal’s theme parks. Set builders created a mockup of a motel or apartment building on the grounds…
11Eleven Fest reveals full lineup of bands for November
The lineups for this year’s 11Eleven fest downtown has finally been unveiled, and it’s a heady mix of local and touring acts. And spinning out of last year’s Ten10 Fest concept, there will also be custom “artist cocktails” and “artist ales” available on the day that correspond to each band on the lineup. 11Eleven Fest’s…
Florida hits SunPass contractor with $800K fine, launches probe into botched upgrade
Two months after a botched SunPass upgrade by a private contractor caused a backlog of 170 million toll transactions, Florida officials will finally launch an investigation into the vendor’s “failures and mismanagement” of the transition. The Florida Department of Transportation announced Tuesday it was fining the contractor Conduent nearly $800,000 in damages after a $287…
Petition for SunPass to waive tolls after botched upgrade gets over 11,000 signatures
Over 11,000 people are still rightly pissed at Florida’s SunPass toll system after a botched $287 million upgrade left a months-long backlog of 170 million transactions. A petition created by Orlando resident Mike DiMauro asking for SunPass to waive fees for customers has garnered more than 11,700 signatures Tuesday morning, a month after DiMauro created it…
Here’s some of the tiny food you can taste at the 2018 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
It feels like the last one just ended, but this year’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is nearly upon us, offering all you food freaks and geeks out there 75 days in which to splurge and gorge on wee bites and bevs. This year’s festival runs from Thursday, Aug. 30, through Monday, Nov. 12, and offers…
Michael Myers returns to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights
Universal announced today that Halloween Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers will get its own maze at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. Following the other ’80s-themed mazes announced for this year’s event, Universal says the new house will take place on Halloween in Haddonfield, Illinois, where Myers restlessly stalks his niece Jamie as his next victim.…
Florida’s GOP candidates for governor double down against Obamacare
The two main Republican candidates battling for Florida governor have a simple message when it comes to health care: Just say no to Obamacare. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis have been highly critical of the Affordable Care Act and have vowed to oppose any effort to use the federal law to…
One of the coolest Simpsons attractions in the country isn’t at a Universal property
The Simpsons are one of the biggest draws at Universal Studios theme parks, but a new attraction in Myrtle Beach might create some surprising competition for Universal. When “The Simpsons in 4D” opens at Broadway at the Beach, guests will be able to explore the famous Kwik-E-Mart, experience a 4D movie, and take Hollywood premiere-style…
Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights opens in a month. Here’s everything we know about this year’s massive event
Since its debut on 1991, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando has become the nation’s premier Halloween event, and this year is set to be the biggest yet. With a record number of haunted houses, known as “mazes,” five scare zones and a live stage show, this year is one for the history books. Taking…
First Amendment arguments rejected in Florida charter school case
A federal appeals court has ruled against two Miami-Dade County educators who argued that their First Amendment rights were violated when they were disciplined for working to convert a school they headed to a charter school. A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided Friday with the Miami-Dade County School Board in…
Florida Gov. Rick Scott declares state of emergency over red tide algae
Gov. Rick Scott, a man who over the past eight years cut nearly $700 million from Florida’s environmental agencies (many of whom oversee algae outbreaks) declared a state of emergency today to combat our current algae outbreak. Unlike July’s emergency order aimed at curbing the state’s blue-green algae bloom stemming from Lake Okeechobee, today’s announcement focuses…
Voter registration in Florida tops 13 million
Some will vote by mail. Some will vote early. Some will go old-school and vote on the actual election day. Some won’t vote at all. But slightly more than 13 million Floridians are registered to vote in advance of the Aug. 28 primary elections, according to new figures posted online by the state Division of…
Disneyland raises minimum wage to $15.75, but only for non-union employees
In Disneyland’s latest attempt to divide and conquer their lowest-paid employees, the company decided to raise their starting salary to $15.75 an hour for non-union workers, which is just slightly more than the recently negotiated $15 for four of Disney’s labor unions. According to the Orange County Register, the new starting salary will start on…
A hologram of Roy Orbison, who is very dead, is coming to Orlando in November
Move over, Hologram Tupac, it’s time for another deceased musician to take the center stage, thanks to a science that is not cryogenics! Rock trailblazer and ghostly crooner Roy Orbison – who passed away in 1988 – is getting the holographic treatment and going on the road for a full concert tour. The digital-and-laser simulacrum of…
Jimmy Buffett endorses Gwen Graham for Florida governor
Listen up, parrotheads – legendary singer songwriter Jimmy Buffett has endorsed Democratic candidate Gwen Graham in the Florida governor’s race. Graham’s campaign says Buffett will also be hosting a “Get Out the Vote” concern for the former Congresswoman on Aug. 23 in South Florida. Buffett, who spoken out before on environmental issues, said in a…
New mini burger restaurant coming to downtown Orlando
A new tiny burger joint is coming to downtown Orlando. Fast casual chain Burgerim will open a new location at 131 N. Orange Ave., next to Insomnia Cookies and Orange County Brewers. The chain allows patrons the choice between an “uno, duo, trio or 16-count party pack” of small burgers, all of which are customizable…
Florida has spent nearly $2 million in legal bills over medical marijuana
Almost two years after voters approved the legalization of medical marijuana, the fight for weed in the Sunshine State is only just beginning. The same could be said for its price tag: According to contracts posted on Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis’ Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System, or FACTS, at least $1.9 million approved by…
Prosecutors charge shooter Michael Drejka in Clearwater ‘stand your ground’ case
Michael Drejka, the man accused of shooting and killing an unarmed Markeis McGlockton on July 19 in a convenience store store parking lot, was charged with manslaughter Monday morning. According to the Tampa Bay Times, deputies with Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office will book Drejka Monday afternoon. Since the incident, which started over an argument over…
Two classic Magic Kingdom attractions are about to temporarily close to make room for TRON
With the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World in 2021 quickly approaching, it’s all hands on deck at Disney to ensure that all their planned updates are finished on time. Over at the Magic Kingdom, the Main Street theater project has been postponed, but the TRON coaster in Tomorrowland is quickly moving forward, with vertical…
With sweeping layoffs, record stocks and shareholder issues, it’s difficult to see a clear path forward for SeaWorld
SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment has been on a roller coaster of mixed news lately. July saw one of the worse months in years for the company, with a major tour operator suspending ticket sales, to the parks and the company’s largest shareholder struggling to stay afloat and their own CEO on the lam from the…
Florida Supreme Court blocks execution in Miami-Dade murder
The Florida Supreme Court has indefinitely put on hold Tuesday’s scheduled execution of Death Row inmate Jose Antonio Jimenez, convicted of killing a 63-year-old woman nearly 26 years ago in Miami-Dade County. A unanimous order by the court, issued Friday evening, did not give a reason for granting the stay of execution requested by Jimenez’s…
Disney, Seminoles sink another $10 million into gambling fight
Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. and the Seminole Tribe of Florida continue upping the ante as they try to pass a constitutional amendment that could make it harder to expand gambling in the state. Disney and the Seminole Tribe each contributed $5 million on July 30 to the political committee Voters In Charge, which is leading…
Band of the Week: Levity
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 Levity. Levity is playing their EP release show at Will’s Pub on Aug. 15 with Raising Cadence, Up From Here, and We Could Be Heroes. Just the facts: When did…
DK the Drummer pops off in Orlando and gets local AF
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND DK the Drummer, DiViNCi, Swamburger and Sucré, The Social, Aug. 9 Darren King is a man of many heavy credits, but he’s best known as the co-founding drummer for expansive rock band Mutemath. Now, however, he’s dedicated to the pursuit of his own creative ventures. One act in his current repertoire is…
The City of Orlando wants your junk
The City of Orlando wants all your useless junk. Rather than hoarding it all for another decade or tossing it in the trash, haul your useless crap to Festival Park (home of the Orlando Beer Festival) this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the city’s “Electronic Waste and Household Textile Recycling” event. The City…
Tiger Fawn will perform a musical farewell to Orlando next week
She’s been a mainstay of the more adventurous end of the local music scene for a few years now, but all things come to an end sooner or later, and loop royalty Tiger Fawn is leaving Orlando this month to start a new chapter in her life. Ugly Orange, no stranger to a good party,…
Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs says she’ll ‘find the funding’ for law enforcement officers at schools
After Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings announced yesterday that his agency hadn’t managed to hire enough deputies since the passage of a new state law requiring every public school have security personnel, county Mayor Teresa Jacobs says she will help “find the funding.” On the local level, the new state law – which was approved…
Central Florida cities, counties look to prevent bear-human conflicts
Six counties and two cities have applied for state money to reduce bear-human conflicts, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced Thursday. Collier, Lake, Marion, Seminole, Volusia and Walton counties and the cities of Apopka and Mount Dora have collectively applied for $935,181 from the “BearWise” funding program, which has $500,000 available for grants.…
Amazon is hiring 1,500 workers for new fulfillment center in Orlando
Amazon is looking to hire 1,500 full-time and part-time workers for its new fulfillment center in Lake Nona. The multi-billion dollar shipping company will be interviewing candidates from Friday, Aug. 10 through Thursday, Aug. 23 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 7300 Augusta National Drive, Orlando. Job candidates will be seen by appointment only, which need to be…
The Christopher Belt era of the In-Between Series begins Monday
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND As Seth Kubersky recently detailed in Live Active Cultures, Orlando art scene pillar Pat Greene has traded in his local card for a little while to become an American refugee. The void he leaves is big, but at least a significant part of his musical legacy will continue. The vanguard In-Between Series…
Sen. Bill Nelson endorses Orlando Police Chief John Mina for Orange County Sheriff
On Friday, three-term U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, endorsed Orlando Police Chief John Mina in his bid for Orange County sheriff. “Chief John Mina has been a dedicated public servant to the people of Orlando for many years,” Nelson says in a news release. “He is a proven leader who has shown a deep…
Florida lawmakers won’t hold a special session on ‘stand your ground’ law
Lawmakers won’t hold a special session on the state’s “stand your ground” self-defense law, as Republican opposition has made it impossible for Democrats to force a session. As of Thursday night, 49 House members had voted against the proposal, blocking the possibility of reaching the three-fifths support required from both legislative chambers to hold a…
Florida Secretary of State questions Bill Nelson’s claim of election hacking
Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner wants clarification from the U.S. Senate on Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson’s comments to reporters that Russians have “penetrated” some voter-registration systems. Detzner sent a letter Thursday to Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., requesting that federal officials share with his agency any “relevant, classified information about current and potential…
Orlando neighborhood map
Maplando
Keep an eye out for these Orlando artists
Boy Kong Orlando artist Boy Kong first wowed us with his spectacular 3D painted-wood works in 2013 and in the interim, he’s gone from being a precocious local secret to a fully established master of his style (with an NYC dealer, no less), inspired by a mixture of Ukiyo-e, Surrealism, graffiti art and animal folklore.…
7 sites to delight your eyes in Orlando
Looklando
7 Orlando coffee shops ranked by weirdness
Coffeelando
6 ways to catch a comedy show in Orlando
Laughlando
