After the original April date was pushed back because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Record Store Day is finally here this Saturday. But it’s a very different RSD than in previous years. To navigate the logistical tightrope strung between the demand for annual “exclusive” releases and the need for social distancing, Record Store Day has…
Admit it, you knew this was going to happen, but did you have August in the “Fight at Walt Disney World Resort Over Masks” betting pool? An Orlando man has been charged after getting into a fight with an Epcot security guard over the theme park’s mask rules and policies. On Aug. 14, Enrico Toro paid…
An Orlando judge on Wednesday threw yet another obstacle in the path of local bar owners seeking to reopen, ruling that Gov. DeSantis’ order barring on-site consumption of alcohol at bars, breweries and nightclubs could stand. Winter Park attorney John Dill – representing a number of downtown Orlando bars and clubs including Irish Shannon’s Pub, Aero, Cahoots,…
The Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday afternoon made the historic decision to boycott their game with the Orlando Magic as a protest against the shooting of an unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake, in the back by Kenosha police officers on Sunday. With the Magic already on the court warning up, Bucks players refused to leave their…
Young Orlando post-punk group Daisy-Chain has just released a new album on Bandcamp called Tragic Magic, and it’s an impressive introduction. With members of the band also affiliated with Orlando projects like Spoon Dogs, RV and Red Rodeo – and recording handled by local electronic musician Mother Juno’s Radio Information Services – this is an all-star gathering of the…
Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Month event is back for 2020, kicking off this Friday, Aug. 28 and running through Oct. 4. For a mere $35, you get a sumptuous three-course, prix-fixe dinner from a bevy of participating area restaurants, and it’s a really good time right now to give some dollars to local restaurants if you…
The Orange County Parks and Recreation Division is seeking your thoughts on both the current state of public trails and a plans for these trails going forward, making a trove of information, maps and photos available online for public viewing and comment. The study aims to gather input with the endgame of developing “a safe,…
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices AUCTION Extra Space Storage – Store 8138 1001 Lee Rd. Orlando FL. 32810 Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 1001 Lee Rd. Orlando, FL. 32810 (407) 489-3742, September 17, 2020 @ 4:00…
Central Florida convention hotel Caribe Royale Orlando on Tuesday announced a massive phased renovation and expansion plan with an eyebrow-rocketing $125 million price tag. At the end of this project, all 1,215 one-bedroom suites will be completely revamped – one tower at a time – along with a new lobby finished. And a 50,000 square foot grand ballroom will be added…
Premieres Thursday: Ravi Patel’s Pursuit of Happiness – In the 2014 documentary Meet the Patels, actor Ravi Patel went on a quest to find a spouse. Now he’s spearheading a four-episode docuseries in which he welcomes the world into his family – and vice-versa. In each installment, Patel takes a relative or close friend to…
A limited number of Miami football fans can make plans to watch college and professional games in person next month, even as South Florida remains behind the rest of the state in reopening its economy during the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared Monday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens and pointed to a…
A surprising newer entrant to Orlando’s podcasting scene is Orlando Ballet’s “Barre Talk” interview series. In it, host – and artistic director of the Ballet – Robert Hill sits down for extended discussions with artists and dance devotees alike, both local and from all around the country. Upcoming guests include Jordan Morris, Orlando Ballet’s 2020-21 artist-in-residence, and Romona Pansegrau, music…
Meet Grace (A456621)! This sweet girl is a 4-year-old spayed female who was brought to our shelter as a stray and she is looking for her forever family. Grace has quickly become a staff favorite, and we are hoping her new family is out there for her. Grace has FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) and will…
Central Florida seasonal haunt Ominous Descent is canceled for 2020, according to a post on the the attraction’s Facebook page. Ominous Descent organizers posted a sad farewell-for-now on their Facebook page: “We had to make one of the most difficult decisions for many different reasons this year. With the pandemic and all the possible scenarios…
Floridian “comfort food with flair” chain Metro Diner has opened their very first “Metro Diner Express” concept right here in Orlando. Operated out of their University Boulevard location, Metro Diner Express offers accelerated dine-in, curbside pickup, delivery, all-day breakfast and customizable menu options for those who are hankering for Metro’s fried chicken and waffles a…
In yet another reminder that this state is basically Jurassic Park, a 100-pound Suwannee alligator snapping turtle – the largest freshwater turtles in North America – was recently pulled out of a river by researchers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. According to a Facebook post from the FWC, the prehistoric-looking snapper was…
Accusing the state of ignoring the Florida Constitution, a Leon County circuit judge on Monday sided with teachers unions that challenged a state order mandating that schools resume in-person instruction this month amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Florida Education Association and the union representing Orange County teachers filed lawsuits last month, alleging that Education Commissioner…
The state Supreme Court on Monday released a supervised-practice program for law school graduates who have been unable to take the Florida Bar exam amid the coronavirus pandemic, but critics said the program doesn’t go far enough. Chief Justice Charles Canady last week issued an apology after the Florida Board of Bar Examiners postponed a…
Progressive U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib will be joining local labor organizers, environmental activists and community leaders this week for a virtual event to launch a grassroots Central Florida Climate Action coalition. Tlaib – one of the lead proponents of the Green New Deal – will be joined by AFA President Sara Nelson and Leah Penniman, co-director of Soul…
As the possibility of another close presidential race looms in Florida, elections supervisors in eight large counties have gone to a state appeals court in a dispute about whether they should be required to preserve digital images generated when voters cast ballots. The supervisors of elections in Broward, Orange, Lee, Duval, Hillsborough, Palm Beach, Pinellas…
Downtown Orlando restaurant Elize announced over the weekend that they have closed their doors permanently as of last Saturday night, Aug. 22. A post to the restaurant’s Facebook page on that Saturday morning explained that the reasoning came down to the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on restaurants – especially non-chains. “Although we recently reopened our doors…
As Queen Latifah said all the way back in 1989, it’s Ladies First, and this weekend the Grand Collab is putting on a virtual fest to spotlight women and femmes setting the tone in hip-hop, R&B and soul. Orlando rapper E-Turn curated the lineup and it’s pretty staggering, packed with rising talent from all around…
Local interstellar-noise ensemble TTN dropped a new single on Bandcamp over the weekend, ahead of a full EP release in September. The new track, “Biopsy,” is ample evidence of a band that has been busy behind the scenes over months of relative silence. The core trio added a fourth member in vocalist Argus Faux and…
An influential Tallahassee lobbying group Thursday took aim at a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would raise Florida’s minimum wage. With the backing of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, small-business owners launched the “Amendment 2 Hurts You” campaign, saying the proposal to raise the minimum wage would kill jobs, reduce workers’…
Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi announced plans to expand to Lake Nona, in a space that will see mosaic koi fish artfully suspended above their tastier plated counterparts below. It’s the seventh Orlando-area outpost for the Florida chain, a family-owned fast-casual pan-Asian restaurant started in Gainesville 20 years ago. The 100-seat, 3,000 square-foot restaurant will…
Returning to campus is the next frontier in Florida’s reopening process, and several state universities are about to put their plans to the test. As thousands of students move into their dorms this month, at least two state universities reported dozens of COVID-19 cases on campus before classes are set to begin Monday. The situation…
Two days of testimony wrapped up Thursday in a closely watched challenge to a statewide mandate that Florida schools reopen in August, with witnesses for Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran saying it is critical that children return to classrooms as soon as possible. Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson is slated to…
Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center say Tropical Storm Laura formed Friday morning, and is projected to impact Florida early next week as a major hurricane. According to the 9 a.m. advisory, Laura is quickly making its way west near the Caribbean at about 21 mph about 230 miles east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands.…
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity posted the state’s unemployment rate for July and, well, it sucks: 11.3 percent of Floridians are currently considered to be looking for work. That’s 1.125 million jobless statewide, as businesses, individuals and families continue to struggle though the sixth month of the pandemic — an increase of 122,000 from…
A federal probe that led to the announcement Thursday of conspiracy charges against Stephen Bannon, a former top aide to President Donald Trump, and three other men has roots in Florida. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services opened an investigation in May 2019 into the “We Build the Wall” charity, after consumer complaints…
With Tuesday’s primary elections finished, Florida can turn its political attention to the main event: the Nov. 3 general election. Here is an early look at five issues to watch in November: — THE BIG ENCHILADA: Florida will again be a key state as President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden battle for the…
Florida saw a slight increase in first-time jobless claims last week, as the U.S. Department of Labor reported new unemployment applications nationally went back above 1 million during the same period. The federal agency estimated 66,322 new claims were filed in Florida during the week ending Aug. 15, up 4,738 from the prior week. Nationally,…
Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady apologized on Wednesday for a postponement of the Florida Bar exam, which was supposed to take place online Wednesday but was canceled late Sunday evening. The court “deeply regrets this additional delay” in the administration of the exam, Canady said in a video posted on the court’s Facebook…
Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center say Tropical Depression 13 formed last night in the mid-Atlantic, and is currently on track to reach Florida’s southwest coast sometime Monday. According to the 8 a.m. advisory from the NHC, parts of Central Florida are located within TD 13’s cone of uncertainty, but it’s still too early to know…
Postal workers union leader drives a Mack truck through the loopholes
State House members Kimberly Daniels and Mike Hill, who clashed with other members of their parties because of sometimes-controversial positions and statements, were unseated Tuesday, while Rep. Al Jacquet also appeared headed toward defeat. Community organizer Angie Nixon easily defeated Daniels in the Democratic primary in Duval County’s House District 14. With only a write-in…
Florida passed the grim milestone of over 10,000 coronavirus deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health. Wednesday’s death toll added 174 deaths, bringing the complete total to 10,067. Additionally, 4,115 new COVID-19 cases were added, which boosts Florida’s total case numbers to 584,047. Half of all the deaths recorded in Florida have been in…
Trulieve is set to open a new location in Longwood on Thursday, announcing the grand opening of a new dispensary on State Road-434. This is the 56th dispensary of the juggernaut “seed-to-sale” cannabis company in Florida, and the first in nearby Seminole County. “Opening our first Trulieve location in Seminole County allows us to better connect…
As the numbers of COVID-19 deaths and infections among inmates and workers continue to increase, state corrections officials on Tuesday extended a ban on prison visitations through Sept. 14. “I want to extend my gratitude to the thousands of families who have recognized the importance of protecting our inmate population by suspending visitations. I look…
Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center are currently eyeing three systems in the Atlantic, and two have a high chance of developing over the next couple days. In a Wednesday morning advisory, the NHC says there are currently three systems to watch in the Atlantic, with the most recent just off the coast of Africa.…
As Floridians went to the polls in Tuesday’s primary elections, an Atlanta-based appeals court held arguments in a showdown over voting rights that could determine whether hundreds of thousands of convicted felons will be able to cast ballots in the November presidential election. Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals…
I’m a 35-year-old woman. I recently discovered I’m a size queen. (Is it OK for me to use this term?) This has been brewing for a while as I have dabbled with purchasing larger and larger cucumbers and fucking myself with them after a good wash. I use a condom and tons of lube and…
2020 has already provided plenty of painful object lessons about life’s brevity, and the latest memento mori gut-punch was last week’s passing of Frank Hilgenberg, the lovably gruff “uncle” of Orlando’s theater community. A talented producer-director-performer from Chicago’s Organic Theatre, Frank with his wife Fran ran Ivanhoe Village’s much-missed Theatre Downtown for a quarter-century, and…
Meet Rocky! Rocky (A455582) is a 7-year-old neutered male dog who was surrendered to our shelter due to severe separation anxiety. Rocky would benefit from an experienced handler who can work on his separation anxiety and provide him a safe and loving home. According to his previous family he is housebroken, knows some obedience commands,…
What are words worth?
“The Green Book of Giggle Waters” is printed on the cocktail menu at 534 Scratch Kitchen, a swank restaurant in the heart of Parramore. “Giggle Waters” is a reference to Prohibition-era poisons, but “The Green Book” pays homage to the motorists’ guide of the same name published between 1936 and 1966 that was an essential…
Streaming premieres this week
