The big story in professional wrestling last week was that the WWE was moving their gigantic annual Wrestlemania event out of Tampa amid safety concerns due to the coronavirus pandemic. They instead taped it in the empty WWE Performance Center in Orlando. But there’s a related story, in its own way just as big, that…
As the U.S. tourism economy grinds to a stop with weeks before any of it can begin to reopen, Asia is giving the industry some hope with theme parks and other tourist attractions slowly beginning to reopen. Shanghai Disneyland closed on January 25, joined the next day by the Hong Kong park. A month later,…
Chris Belt wears many hats in our local arts and music scene. He is a gifted guitarist and composer, a tireless booster for new voices and perspectives in creative and classical music circles, the curator of the In-Between Series, and executive director of the Timucua Arts Foundation. We also often think of him as one…
Jobless claims are spiking in Florida as many vital tourism and entertainment-related businesses have closed or limited services as the state struggles to combat the novel coronavirus. Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday daily claims to the state’s reemployment assistance system have jumped from what could be 250, 500 or 1,000 a day to between 18,000…
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA IN RE: ESTATE OF KAREN ANN DELANEY Deceased. PROBATE DIVISION. File Number 2020-CP-000539. NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION: The administration of the estate of KAREN ANN DELANEY, deceased, File Number 2020-CP-000539 is pending in the Circuit Court for Orange County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of…
One thing is certain: The novel coronavirus pandemic has exposed our nation’s insatiable lust for toilet paper, and things are getting ugly. A video recently posted to Twitter shows a Florida woman yelling “Go Donald Trump” after buying a store’s entire supply of paper towels and toilet paper. The video, which went viral last weekend,…
Brady Sluder, the now infamous Florida spring breaker who basically said he doesn’t care if he contracts coronavirus and that “he’s just here to have a good time,” has apologized. Sluder, who is a Soundcloud rapper from Milford, Ohio, posted the apology to his Instagram account, saying, “I wasn’t aware of the severity of my…
Update | Read the whole order here. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, Sheriff John Mina and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer called a meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday to announce the county will be under a stay-at-home order for two weeks, to begin Thursday night at 11. “Orange County now has at least 50 cases within…
Remember when people had jobs, and we complained about frivolous things like Mondays and I-4 traffic? Some folks are still employed and working diligently, including our elected officials on the Orange County Board of County Commissioners. They are meeting today for the first time semi-remotely, practicing self-distancing to help fight the spread of coronavirus. It…
With Floridians hunkered down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Attorney General Ashley Moody and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried are trying to focus attention on scams and price gouging that stem from the crisis. Scams include text messages claiming to offer victims yet-to-be-approved stimulus package money, crooks going door-to-door in lab coats posing as…
Lakeland-based grocery giant Publix announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in one of the company’s thousands of employees. In a statement released Monday, the company said the employee worked at a store in Cumming, Georgia, which is just north of Atlanta. Rather than closing the location, Publix stated that they followed guidance from the…
In the hours and days after Orlando theme parks announced they would be closing for at least two weeks, many workers were given conflicting and confusing information about what they needed to do to keep their jobs during the closures. With continued ambiguity and confusion, Orlando’s hospitality industry workers are talking more about unions. From…
When Disney announced last week that their U.S. and European parks would be joining their Asian counterparts in closing, in response to the unprecedented pandemic, many stated that this would only be the fourth time Disneyland has closed since opening in 1955. That resort has seen far fewer closures than the hurricane-prone Florida parks, but…
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. COVID-19 Promises To Cancel Or Delay Local Theme Park Projects We knew it was only a matter of time until we started hearing whispers of delayed or canceled…
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday said he is taking measures to prevent people from fleeing coronavirus “hotspots” and coming to Florida, where they could contribute to further spread of the virus. DeSantis said he will issue an executive order directing the Florida Department of Health to require travelers from New York and New Jersey to…
Splitting from the Senate, Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office says the Florida Supreme Court should decide whether a recreational-marijuana constitutional amendment can go before voters. Moody opposes the proposed amendment, which would allow recreational use of marijuana, but lawyers in her office said in a 21-page brief Friday that the Supreme Court should consider whether…
The University of Florida will for a limited time begin offering coronavirus testing this week, including tests for asymptomatic elderly residents as part of research into the quickly spreading virus, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced during an appearance Monday at The Villages. Additionally, amid major concerns about the virus spreading in long-term-care facilities, DeSantis said the…
Wild Florida’s Drive-thru Safari Park will remain open for the foreseeable future, giving attraction-hungry Central Florida guests somewhere to see wildlife up close. A 45-minute drive from downtown Orlando, Wild Florida Airboat, Gator & Drive-thru Safari Park has had to shut down many of its exhibits and activities to control the spread of coronavirus, but they…
To write about politics is to become jaded. Time and time again, you watch people you admire disappoint you and idealism get overwhelmed by the seductive cocktail of power, ego, and money. This was always true. But it’s especially true in the Trump era, when the president has turned bad faith into both an art…
Starting today, all 175 of Florida’s state parks are closed in an attempt to stop the spread of coronavirus. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection made the announcement on Sunday afternoon at the direction of Governor Ron DeSantis, according to a release. “At the direction of Governor DeSantis and to successfully uphold CDC guidance to…
As Florida adjusts to an unprecedented public health emergency, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has lagged in implementing work-from-home policies for state workers. DeSantis has ordered bars, restaurants and gyms to shut down and encouraged state agencies to allow employees to telecommute, in an effort to curb the coronavirus known as COVID-19. But, despite health officials’…
Some estimates put losses for Disney upwards of $350,000 per day due to coronavirus. The lack of sports programming alone is estimated to cost the company, which owns ESPN and ABC, $481 million in lost ad sales. With these types of losses, the company will be looking to cut expenses in the coming months and…
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. Florida’s Toll Workers Don’t Want Our Dirty Money In a smart move, Florida has stopped taking tolls by hand. That’s right, transportation officials say breeze on through, they’ll…
Well, friends, much has changed in the past week. Out there in the world, here in OW’s own drastically reduced ranks, the world is unrecognizable, swept by the coronavirus tsunami. The strange now is already devastating, and the future is uncertain – just ask the guy whose column and spiritual lifeblood are heavily predicated on…
The Florida Department of Health released updated numbers Sunday morning about the coronavirus in the state. Here are some takeaways: – Total number of confirmed cases in the state: 830 – Total number of confirmed cases in Orange County (which had no new reported cases Sunday): 29 – Statewide increase in cases from a Saturday morning count:…
For the last two years, hospitals have been targeted by House Speaker José Oliva as among the prime culprits for the reasons health care is expensive and hard to access. In the last few days, hospitals are now on the frontlines as the state’s source of hope amid the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak. That’s why…
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday that state officials are looking at the possibility of putting people who test positive for the coronavirus in facilities such as hotels to help prevent them from spreading the virus to family members. The idea, which also could involve using facilities such as convention centers, would be to help isolate…
One of local dining-out enthusiasts’ favorite Facebook groups is the Orlando Foodie Forum, hosted by TastyChomps’ Ricky Ly. This afternoon he posted the following call for help. If you can volunteer, there are a lot of hungry, needy people who would really appreciate your time. Ly writes, “Candice Campbell runs the food pantry at the…
Florida’s Turnpike has stopped taking cash at toll plazas to help combat the novel coronavirus and protect toll collectors. The Florida Department of Transportation announced Thursday that tolls will be collected through an electronic system. It was not immediately clear how long the change would last. “As part of this initiative, customers should continue driving…
It’s becoming a thing for Florida politicians to declare victory off the field. Late Friday, hours after most sports in America went dark because of the spread of COVID-19, Florida senators voted 33-2 to pass a resolution (SR 1934) declaring Florida State University’s men’s basketball team national champions. The reason: “by default upon cancellation of…
Update, March 21 | Readers and workers at the Chili’s location have noted the restaurant is operated by franchisee HMS Host, not the parent company of Chili’s Grill & Bar, Brinker International, which owns and franchises the brand. So don’t get mad at Chili’s corporate, just the people licensed to run this restaurant under their…
Despite the University of Central Florida having confirmed a case of COVID-19 on the main campus, biomedical and research graduate students are still expected to show up to the lab. This information came from a UCF graduate student and teaching assistant, who asked to remain anonymous. “I’m very scared,” the student said. “We are being forced…
Last April, Oklahoma zookeeper Joseph Maldonado-Passage, more infamously known as “Joe Exotic,” was convicted of putting out a hit on Carole Baskin, the CEO and founder of Tampa’s Big Cat Rescue. In January, Maldonado-Passage—a blonde-mulleted, self-proclaimed country music star who ran for president in 2016 and then governor of Oklahoma in 2018—was sentenced to 22…
Local college radio powerhouse WPRK 91.5-FM, the “Best in Basement Radio,” has been broadcasting loud and proud from Rollins College for decades now. But with the coronavirus pandemic causing Florida schools and colleges to switch to online instruction, and the campus essentially empty, would this powerful and independent community voice go silent? Orlando Weekly spoke…
Bandcamp, the digital (and merch) music hub and marketplace, is waiving its usual commission fees just for today in solidarity with artists impacted by the economic affects of the coronavirus pandemic. What this means is that, until midnight tonight, 100 percent of the revenue from music sold through the platform will go directly to the…
On Friday afternoon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced sweeping measures to help curb the spread of coronavirus. In an executive order, DeSantis called for all Florida restaurants and dining establishments to immediately suspend on-site consumption of food and alcohol. Restaurants may now only operate kitchens for delivery and take-out services. In the same announcement, DeSantis…
Orange County Government announced Friday afternoon that all business, recreation and other activities will cease from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. on Saturday morning. The curfew announcement was made by video from the county’s Emergency Operations Center. All pedestrian and vehicular movement, standing and parking, except for individuals commuting to and from places of employment,…
Update, 2:15 p.m. | Minutes after this was published, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order stopping all on-site consumption of food and beverages at all Florida restaurants. Kitchens may still operate for delivery or takeout. The order also allows restaurants to make package sales of alcohol for delivery, takeout or consumption off-premises. Gyms and…
Pointing to a need to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday issued an executive order suspending a requirement that local government boards hold in-person meetings. The order will allow local boards to hold meetings by conference call or video conferencing, though they will be required to continue to comply…
Security, stability and permanence are fragile constructs at the best of times, but in this grave new world we all find ourselves in, well, they’ve all but shattered. The economic ramifications of COVID-19 are being felt across every industry from aerospace to publishing, and that includes right here at Orlando Weekly. “We simply don’t have…
For a state that’s infamous for fucking up elections, Florida actually managed to hold an exemplary election day this year – amid a coronavirus outbreak, no less. Although, for the most part, Orange County has had clean elections, and was likely not one of the two hacked counties in the 2018 elections, the Sunshine State as…
If you’re ready for a tiny break from coronavirus stories, here goes. On Saturday the city of Daytona Beach celebrates “Date Meets ZIP” – in other words, the date, 3-21-20, matches one of their local postcodes, 32120. This is actually a very rare event – a Date Meets ZIP is only possible once every 100…
Rejecting arguments by the Republican and Democratic parties and Attorney General Ashley Moody, the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for voters to decide whether to overhaul the state’s primary-election system. Justices, in a 4-1 decision, approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow registered voters to cast ballots in primary elections regardless…
Gov. Ron DeSantis has been able to enjoy presiding over a state with record low jobless numbers. But not for much longer. A day after the Department of Economic Opportunity announced the state unemployment rate for January stood at 2.8 percent, DeSantis on Tuesday acknowledged the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, will drive up jobless…
A 34-year-old man died Thursday morning from coronavirus (COVID-19) in Pasadena, California, just two weeks after visiting Universal Studios and Walt Disney World in Orlando. TMZ is reporting the man, named Jeffrey Ghazarian, was considered a higher-risk patient with a history of asthma and childhood bronchitis. He also had undergone testicular cancer surgery in 2016. Ghazarian had flown from Los…
In recent years, there’s been a move to present Orlando as more than just the theme parks. Travel articles in publications from Bon Appétit to the New York Times have extolled the virtues of “the other Orlando,” an Orlando for adults, and the main driver of this praise has been our robust restaurant scene. Orlando’s…
Hey, hungry do-gooders: World of Beer wants to split the check for all food and drink purchases – and yes, that includes beer and liquor. They made the offer to our scrappy little team via email, but it likely also extends to you, a magical unicorn person who has somehow found a way to help…
All swimming pools at the Villages, Florida’s largest retirement mecca packed with Trump-loving Baby Boomers, were forced to close this week because residents refused to obey rules about social distancing. According to the Village-News.com, the local recreation department posted rules stating that no more than 10 people were allowed in a pool at once over…
If you and the young ones are feeling a little cooped up right now, here’s one way to make home isolation a little more animated. The creative team at Orlando’s Magic Kingdom just released a complete compilation of how-to-draw tutorials featuring Mickey Mouse over the years, from vintage 1920’s “Steamboat Willie”-era Mickey to the modern, “pied-eyed” versions. The videos…
In six words on Friday afternoon, Donald Trump summed up not only his team’s botched handling of the coronavirus outbreak but also his approach to the presidency generally: “I don’t take responsibility at all.” Surrounded by corporate execs, Trump used the Rose Garden press conference to (finally) declare a national emergency. Mostly, however, the event…
There are few events so freewheeling, surprising and outright enjoyable as the Orlando International Fringe Festival. Sadly, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 festival – which would have been their 29th – has been canceled. “This is an extremely hard decision,” said Orlando Fringe executive producer Alauna Friskics in an online post on Thursday. “Please know how…
As of Tuesday, Grecian health authorities reported that their country’s confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 387 from 352 with the death toll increasing to five. Hopefully the virus and its long lasting effects have faded away from memory by next spring because one of Greece’s biggest metal acts, Rotting Christ, is rescheduling its postponed April…
Residents at 19 long-term care facilities across the state have tested positive or are suspected of testing positive for the novel coronavirus, Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Mary Mayhew said Wednesday. Even though the virus can be deadly to seniors and people who are medically compromised, Florida is not testing residents of long-term care…
House members will submit to health screenings before a floor session Thursday to vote on a proposed $93.2 billion budget for next fiscal year, the House announced Wednesday. Following guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to combat the coronavirus, the screenings will consist of a brief series of questions and use…
Alex Tchekmaian of Foxtail Coffee Co. wants to buy you a drink. And one for your friend, too. Actually, he wants to buy a drink for everyone in Orlando – his local mini-empire of caffeination stations is offering a free coffee to customers who come in today from 11 a.m. until close. “Some sense of…
The coronavirus pandemic is having unbelievable impacts throughout all ares of public life here in Orlando, as in the rest of the world. Aside from the ever-present worries of health and a health-care system stretched to the breaking point, every day another hammer seems to fall on a different business, a favorite place to gather,…
In light of the unprecedented economic catastrophe brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Orlando Weekly is heartbroken to inform our readers and community that we have had to furlough members of our staff today. Cuts came from every department, including editorial, events, sales, production and circulation. It’s our sincere hope that after weathering this storm,…
Local musician and actor Andy Matchett and Blackburst Entertainment are teaming up to throw an ambitious online telethon in a few days to benefit Central Florida performers impacted by the coronavirus and the accompanying restrictions on venues and gatherings. The virtual event, dubbed “No Days Off,” happens on Saturday, March 21 from 6 p.m.-midnight on…
Joe Biden secured a decisive victory in Florida Tuesday night, in a contest where voters and election officials throughout the state girded themselves against the coronavirus while casting and distributing ballots. The former vice president’s Florida win cemented his front-runner status in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, building…
As coronavirus precautions intensify, Orange County elections continued as planned: Yesterday’s elections proceeded as planned in Florida. Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles said turnout during the early voting period, which began March 2, had been particularly low for various reasons, including the CDC’s recommendations to avoid gatherings of 50 or more people. Yesterday’s…
DEAR READERS: I live in Seattle, the U.S. epicenter of the novel coronavirus epidemic, with my family. A lot of my readers wrote this week to wish us well. We are fine – scared, but fine – washing our hands compulsively and staying close to home. I’m going to keep churning out the column and…
Miss Jill Scott You don’t even have to ask Who Is Jill Scott?, because her 2000 debut album of the same name was as potent a musical introduction as they come. And she’s bringing her tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of her R&B masterpiece to town. 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, at Hard Rock Live,…
A Florida pig named ‘Duck’ is trying to become the next Cadbury Bunny: A Florida pig named Duck is pursuing an acting career, and her first audition is for the role of Cadbury bunny. June Tarallo, the pig’s owner, says she entered Duck into a contest to find Cadbury’s next spokesbunny after encouragement from Duck’s…
Well, that escalated quickly. It may seem like a lifetime ago now, but it was actually only last week when I naively reported that the accelerating COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t derail the debut of Disney’s new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride. Of course, barely 24 hours after that column hit newsstands, the dominoes began to…
Opening this week: Bacurau If The Hunt and Beneath Us didn’t slake your jones for stories that put the common person in the crosshairs of sadistic elites, take a trip to the little Brazilian village of Bacurau. It’s the site of some weird shenanigans that involve everything from hovering drones to hallucinogenic drugs to nefarious…
Recognizing the year’s worst in government transparency “The Ringer,” the first track on Eminem’s 2018 album, Kamikaze, includes a line that piqued Buzzfeed reporter Jason Leopold’s curiosity: The rapper claimed the Secret Service visited him due to some controversial lyrics about Ivanka Trump. To find out if it was true, Leopold filed a request under…
“There’s only two things I can’t stand about this world: people who are intolerant of other people’s cultures … and the Dutch.” That line, uttered by Michael Caine in Austin Powers in Goldmember, was one I parroted – in jest, of course – to my dining comrade during a visit to Elize, a restaurant run…
Ronny Moorings takes “going Dutch” seriously. For nearly 40 years, the native Netherlander has paid his dues as the only constant member of Clan of Xymox, a project he formed in Amsterdam at the turn of the ’80s. While the band’s members – and its name, occasionally shortened to Xymox (derived from a historical term…
By now, it’s a familiar refrain: Health experts strongly urge that anyone feeling flu-like symptoms self-quarantine, and all of us should practice social distancing to try to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. But if a worker doesn’t have paid sick leave, they are extremely unlikely to call out – and when it’s a restaurant…
Orlando’s restaurants, chefs and workers could use your support right now. Order takeout, buy gift cards and tip generously. OPENINGS: Ramen! Ramen! Everywhere ramen! Tokyo Ramen Fusion Cuisine, serving a menu of 11 different ramens, poke, donburi, teppanyaki and more, has opened in the Chinatown Plaza on West Colonial Drive … Two doors down, Da…
Meet Barney (A442313)! This sweet boy is 3 years old and is our longest-term resident – he has been at the shelter for over 130 days, and he’s hoping his forever family is out there looking for him. Barney gets along with other dogs and engages in gentle and dainty play, and he often participates…
