Looking for a sign this holiday season? December’s holiday season is like the Walt Disney World of celebrations. We are expected to wait in long lines, argue with family over what to eat, purchase overpriced gifts, go mad from the music selection and finally, watch adult men dress up in costumes. Year after year, we…
Wednesday, Dec. 19 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. Thursday, Dec. 20 Leisure Chief 10:30 pm at Tanqueray’s, 100 S. Orange Ave. Thursday Jazz Jams 8 pm at Austin’s Coffee, 929 W. Fairbanks Ave.,…
An 18-foot-long Burmese python, which could easily swallow four Gary Colemans, was recently captured in Florida. The extremely long lad was captured in the Everglades’ Francis S. Taylor WMA by a Python Removal Contractor with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Though the FWC has yet to officially rule this massive snake as a…
United Arts of Central Florida will provide $1.495 million in operating funds to 35 local nonprofits this year, the group announced Tuesday. That’s $15,000 more than in 2017, according to a news release – a major feat in light of how the state of Florida has dramatically slashed funding in recent years. All funds come…
Local build-your-own sushi chain Sus Hi Eatstation is opening a new location near Orlando’s Mills 50 neighborhood. Sus Hi Eatstation made the announcement on their Facebook page Tuesday, stating that the new outpost will open at 1830 Colonial Drive in the former Mai Bistro spot, which is also across the street from Black Bean Deli.…
Siding with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., a state appeals court Tuesday tossed out a $3 million verdict in a lawsuit filed by the husband of a woman who died of lung cancer after being a longtime smoker. The 2-1 ruling by a panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal came in what is known…
A stray bullet hit a day care worker outside an Ivey Lane private school near Orlando Tuesday afternoon. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office says the bullet came from two vehicles involved in a shooting at the northwest corner of Gore Street and Ivey Lane. The victim was sitting outside the Scholar’s Prep Academy building at 913 S.…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND It’s been an absolutely dizzying year for emerging new stages. And after following Orlando’s Great Live Venue Derby of 2018, I need a chiropractor to straighten me out from all the zigs, zags and twists. But for now, here’s where all the dust settled: NEW LIVE VENUE RECAP Blackstar/Odd Jobs Comprised of…
Orlando Travis Scott fans, were you sad that Scott postponed his Tampa show on his 2018 tour? Well dry those tears, because Scott just announced an even-closer Orlando show as part of the second leg of his Astroworld Tour recommending next year. This is a tour so wild that it’s led Rolling Stone to dub…
Over the weekend, U.S. Rep. Val Demings told MSNBC that President Donald Trump runs the risk of facing impeachment charges when the newly elected Democratic majority takes over Congress early next year. “We are going to do our job,” Demings, a Democrat, told daytime host Alex Witt. “If [Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s] investigation leads to…
Latin trap star Bad Bunny is coming back to Orlando’s Amway Center next April as a stop on his 2019 tour. El conejo malo made the City Beautiful a stop on his first North American tour this year, and it looks like he enjoyed us, so he’ll be coming back on April 11. The “Bad Bunny…
Back in 2013, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s political action committee for re-election, And Justice For All, accepted a $25,000 donation from the Donald J. Trump Foundation. That foundation was just shut down by a court in New York for illegal activity. Trump Foundation lawyer Alan S. Futerfas signed a stipulation Tuesday in Manhattan Supreme Court…
A 15-year-old boy was shot and killed while on his way to Boone High School in Orlando early Tuesday morning. Orange County Sheriff John Mina says around 6:30 a.m., deputies responded to a call of shots fired near Waldo Street and East Kaley Avenue, less than a mile from the high school. When they arrived, they…
In the past five years, 358 people have been shot and killed in Orlando, according to an analysis from The Trace. A new map created by the nonprofit journalism organization tracks fatal and non-fatal shootings in the U.S. from Jan. 1, 2014 through Dec. 13, 2018, using data from the Gun Violence Archive. The map excludes…
Another bill has been filed for the 2019 legislative session that would allow law-enforcement officers to pull over motorists for texting or talking on hand-held cell phones while driving. Rep. Jackie Toledo, R-Tampa, filed a measure (HB 107) on Monday that would prohibit drivers from talking on cell phones that are not hands-free devices and…
If you want a précis on the state of gothic music circa NOW, may we point you in the direction of today’s announcement of an Orlando show from dark music royalty Cold Cave, ADULT. and Sextile? Cold Cave, the project of former American Nightmare vocalist and Heartworm head Wesley Eisold, will be touring behind new EP You…
Score some extra rent money Wednesday at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium in Orlando, which is giving out $100 bills to random guests in celebration of the company’s 100th anniversary. Aside from giving out $100 bills on Wednesday, the Orlando location on 8201 International Drive will be giving free admission to people whose birthdays are on…
Last month, the Orlando housing market witnessed something we haven’t seen in a while: Sales were down and the surplus was up. According to a report, released Monday from the Orlando Regional Realtor Association, there were only 2,575 total home sales in November, which is 6.9 percent less than this time last year, and 11.9…
Enzian Theater executive director David Schillhammer has resigned and plans to leave the arthouse cinema next month to become the new executive director of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra in Melbourne. “Enzian thanks David for his two years of leadership,” board chairman Allan E. Keen said in a prepared statement. “We will always remain grateful to…
Former Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who once called the state teachers union “downright evil” for opposing a voucher-like program that gives business tax credits for paying children’s private school tuition, was just appointed Florida education commissioner. The Associated Press reports the Republican politician was approved unanimously by the state Board of Education on Monday after being…
Though his congressional record suggests otherwise, Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis says Florida’s environment is a focus of the administration. DeSantis, a two-term former congressman, even goes so far as to call himself a “Teddy Roosevelt conservationist” – the president who established some of the country’s first national parks – when probed on his administration’s plans for…
Democrat Nikki Fried, the commissioner of agriculture and consumer services-elect, wants to pardon the members of the Groveland Four, four young African American men who were wrongly accused of raping a white woman in 1949, only to then be murdered, tortured or wrongfully imprisoned. “The families have suffered, the legislature has spoken, and history shows…
On the heels of Norman Van Aken’s departure from 1921 Mount Dora (née “1921 by Norman Van Aken”) comes word that the restaurant’s chef de cuisine, Camilo Velasco, will also be leaving the handsome Lake County restaurant. Velasco will fashion his final meal on Christmas Eve before taking on the role as chef de cuisine…
Gwen Graham’s glass is half full. The former congresswoman’s optimism might seem hard to believe to those who don’t know the Tallahassee Democrat, who lost a crowded gubernatorial primary to Andrew Gillum in August and then watched Republican Ron DeSantis win the general election. The former congresswoman spent much of her childhood in the public…
Florida Covering Kids & Families has for 11 years received state funding to conduct outreach for the Florida KidCare health-insurance program for children. Now, Gov Rick Scott’s administration wants to eliminate state money for the group and direct it instead to the Florida Healthy Kids Corp., an agency whose board the governor controls. The state…
Santa Claus is coming to town this weekend – just not with his usual ride. More than 100 people dressed as Santas and in other holiday attire will be jumping from planes and skydiving onto the Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier on Saturday, Dec. 15. The skydiving Santas are attempting to set a Guinness World Record by organizing…
As juvenile arrests in Florida hit a 43-year low, Orange County witnessed the state’s largest reduction in the last year, according to a report from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice released earlier this week. The report found that Florida saw an 8 percent drop in juvenile arrests and a 10 percent decline in felony…
It’s indeed the time of the season … psych-rock legends the Zombies were just this week finally inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame and, in a perfect coincidence, Orlando music fans will soon have another chance to see this storied band in person early next year. Anchored by mainstays Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone, expect…
Adjunct professors at seven public colleges in Florida filed to unionize this week, becoming part of a movement of thousands of educators across the state who say they want better wages and job security. Part-time faculty at Santa Fe College, St. Petersburg College, Lake Sumter Community College, Polk State College, Florida Gateway College, Chipola College and South…
The Florida Department of Health in Orange County is offering free flu and hepatitis A shots at a drive-thru clinic Saturday. Nurse practitioners will be on site to administer the vaccines at the event, where folks aren’t even required to leave their cars. It’s as easy as putting your vehicle in park, rolling down the…
Florida transportation officials are looking into traffic near a downtown Orlando intersection where trains hit two vehicles in separate crashes that occurred within hours of each other Thursday. The first crash happened around 12:18 p.m. when a southbound SunRail train struck the back of a vehicle that had not quite cleared the tracks on the…
When I was a kid there were two movies that scared me to death: The Wizard of Oz and Jaws. The Wicked Witch of the West was the scariest thing I had ever seen – until I was 14 years old and Jaws came out in the theater. I went with some friends and the…
More than 26 years after murdering a Miami-Dade County woman during a burglary of her home, Death Row inmate Jose Antonio Jimenez was executed by lethal injection late Thursday at Florida State Prison. The execution was carried out at 9:48 p.m., according to the state Department of Corrections, after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected final…
After failed attempts to pass such a bill in the past, a Senate Democrat filed a proposal Thursday that would ban the controversial oil- and natural-gas drilling process known as “fracking.” Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, filed the proposal (SB 146) for consideration during the 2019 legislative session, which will start in March. Environmental groups and…
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,” casually announced on Twitter earlier this year that he had a new album wrapped, and then, in short order,…
Some old-timers who used to hang at Stardust spent most of their free time making crafts. A couple of them would regularly get interrupted to go “pick up Grandma.” That sounds endearing, but the truth was more fun: Grandma was a strain of weed (so named for what looked like purple hairs around the buds),…
When anyone anywhere at any time can voice any sort of opinion, shouting into the void of the virtual space, there’s really something to be said for just … sitting down and putting ideas on real, physical, three-dimensional paper. So, then, why not a day of celebration? It’s the holiday season and Orlando Zine Fest…
Dog shows are like Toddlers & Tiaras for loyal pets and their owners, and they’re to be taken just as seriously, if not even more so. (Have you even seen Best in Show?) The 2018 American Kennel Club National Championship will be held at the Orange County Convention Center right here in Orlando this weekend,…
How often do you have a reason to not only wear a sweater in Florida but to wear it while drinking and helping raise money for a good cause? Not real often – but once a year, for the last 12 in fact, Sweater Fest gives you a damn fine excuse. You may have to…
Up-and-coming dark synth duo Boy Harsher have announced a new round of North American tour dates set for next spring, and in news that will make many a local goth smile, the band will be returning to the City Beautiful. Boy Harsher will play Stonewall as part of a Panic! club night, which they also…
Florida gun control advocates are opposing a recommendation made by the state panel investigating the Parkland high school shooting to arm teachers with concealed weapons on campus. The public safety commission released a draft report Wednesday outlining some of the failures that allowed a gunman to kill 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High…
Despite the hype, you didn’t miss your shot to see Hamilton at the Dr. Phillips Center early next year, as a few select tickets are still available. Tickets to the smash hit Broadway musical went on sale Nov. 16 and though over 37,000 people waited in the online waiting room for them, the show is…
Republican Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis told the Palm Beach Post that he’s opposed to Amendment 4 going into effect immediately, instead calling for a bill with “implementing language” that is then sent to him for his signature. That, of course, flies directly in the face of those who wrote the ballot measure, which was approved by 64.6…
Siding with a Broward County sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot a man, the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously ruled that law-enforcement officers can use the state’s “stand your ground” self-defense law to be shielded from prosecution. Justices upheld the dismissal of a manslaughter charge against Deputy Peter Peraza, who contended that he acted in…
U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy slammed the Trump administration’s reported attempt to deport Vietnamese immigrants who arrived in the U.S. before 1995, including Vietnam War refugees. The Atlantic reports the Trump administration is reinterpreting a 2008 agreement between the U.S. and Vietnam that Vietnamese immigrants who arrived before the two formerly warring countries established diplomatic relations on…
Renowned astrophysicist and pop culture icon Neil deGrasse has canceled his schedule appearance in Orlando in January. Both Tyson’s Facebook page and the website of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts indicate that the talk he was set to give at the Bob Carr Theater on Jan. 24 has either been postponed or…
What you see here is quite possibly the largest gopher tortoise in the state of Florida. On Saturday, Nov. 25, state officials rescued this absolute unit in Koreshan State Park, after they noticed it was “acting lethargic and appeared to have diarrhea.” The proud lad was then brought to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of…
Florida’s budget will face increased pressure from the impact of Hurricane Michael, a new report reviewed Wednesday by the Senate Appropriations Committee showed. The state’s costs for emergency-relief and recovery efforts related to Michael, a major storm that struck the Panhandle in October, will exceed the costs for Hurricane Irma, a 2017 storm that damaged…
Safe corners in classrooms, locked or staffed doors and gates and “Code Red” policies are some of the basics recommended by a state panel created to investigate the Broward County school shooting this year that left 14 students and three faculty members dead. The recommendations were among numerous legislative and policy fixes proposed by the…
Emmy-winning actress Jane Lynch has worn many guises on stage and screen – Sue Sylvester on Fox’s Glee, Miss Hannigan in Broadway’s Annie and most recently Sophie Lennon in Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – but this week the towering talent is playing herself at the Dr. Phillips Center’s Pugh Theater. Accompanied by pal Kate…
The all-singing, all-dancing Blacklist Babes burlesque troupe returns to the Falcon this weekend with a special holiday-themed cabaret. Enjoy special routines sure to leave you feeling warm and fuzzy, followed by a Christmas cookie party with the cast. Bring an unwrapped toy to donate to Baby DJ for half off the cover charge. 10 p.m.…
Over in Japan, Christmas gets translated into something of a couples holiday, full of festive cosplay and decoration, but stripped of much of its religious significance, just like we like it. The annual Holiday Matsuri convention takes its cue from this Eastern interpretation and fills the Orlando World Center Marriott with Christmas-themed anime cosplayers, games…
U.S. Rep. Al Lawson of Jacksonville, Florida was among five House Democrats to side with Republicans on Wednesday, voting for a bill that quells the prospect of halting U.S. aid to Saudi-led forces in Yemen. The farm bill squeezed ahead Wednesday afternoon with a 206-203 vote after Republicans inserted a floor rule preventing — for the…
West Colonial Drive near Interstate 4 is closing this weekend so that work crews can install cables and truss for the new pedestrian overpass bridge in Orlando. The road will be closed in both directions for three nights, starting on Friday, Dec. 14, and ending Monday, Dec. 17, between Orange Avenue and Garland Avenue. The closures…
Using chum to attract sharks in waters used by beachgoers, surfers and divers is closer to being banned in Florida, despite concerns the change will further squeeze out “blue collar” angling. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission agreed Wednesday to place a number of shark-fishing changes on its February agenda, from the chumming restriction…
Stonewall’s Thursday night party, Thick & Funky, brings in guest DJ Benny Black of the Housekeepers crew for a special guest appearance this week. He’s joined by residents Gay-Z, J. Taylor and Nick Whitney. If you still haven’t made it out to this up-and-coming nightspot on the (gasp!) west side of I-4, get on it…
It’s time to rock around the Christmas tree again, as the American rock and heavy metal band Halestorm comes to town. The 2013 Grammy Award-winners are currently touring their fourth studio album, Vicious, released in July. Popular for hit tracks such as “Freak Like Me,” “Love Bites … (So Do I)” and “Here’s To Us,”…
Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Maddox has been indicted on federal charges in the FBI corruption probe that overshadowed Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum’s campaign for Florida governor. The Tallahassee Democrat reports Maddox and his longtime business partner, the city’s Downtown Improvement Authority Executive Director Paige Carter-Smith, were charged with 44 counts of racketeering, bank fraud and extortion…
On tour for her best-selling book “Becoming,” former first lady Michelle Obama is set to stop by the BB&T Center in Sunrise on May 10. It’s Obama’s only scheduled appearance in Florida, as she makes her way across 21 stops throughout North America and Europe this coming spring. After debuting on Nov. 13, “Becoming” has…
Miami developer Michael Dezer’s attempts to reopen the former Artegon Marketplace as an auto museum and dealership now include adding a second location for Gilson’s Brazilian Restaurant. The new goals for Dezerland Auto Mall are rolling out despite a lingering problem with city officials over building permits, which the city claims are still needed for…
Orlando’s Megabus stop is moving from North Semoran Boulevard to Orange Blossom Trail starting Wednesday. The low-cost bus service announced the stop will move about 10 miles from 902 N. Semoran Blvd. to 4504 S. Orange Blossom Trail for all arrivals and departures. The Semoran stop will no longer be in use. The ticket office…
The 17 members of the Florida Senate Democratic caucus sent letters to Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis and Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday, urging them to call on a nominating commission to expand a list of proposed new justices for the state Supreme Court. The letters came after the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission last month advanced…
The breakout star of RuPaul’s Drag Race may be the biggest Orlando-bred talent since Wayne Brady, but Ginger Minj – better known to her Central Floridian friends as actor Josh Eads – hasn’t forgotten where she came from. Straight from being embraced on the red carpet by Hollywood’s A-list, Minj offered Orlando Weekly this exclusive…
Are you looking for a waggy-tail pup? Meet Juice! Juice (A412361) is a 3-year-old boy who is filled with A LOT of energy. He does have heartworms disease, which is deadly if not treated, but luckily for this little boy, his heartworm treatment is already paid for in full! Come into the shelter to meet…
Straight and married but not boring, and heading to my parents’ house for our first family Christmas since my asshole MAGA brother “stumbled over” the Tumblr blog where the wife and I posted about our sexual adventures. (Pics of MMF threesomes and cross-dressing/pegging sessions, plus some dirty “true enough” stories.) My brother has always been…
Change on the horizon for medical marijuana industry: The DeSantis administration could bring a sharp turnaround in how state officials approach the highly regulated medical marijuana industry. DeSantis, a Republican, is unwilling to continue some of the court battles now being waged by the outgoing administration, according to Lt. Gov.-elect Jeanette Nuñez. When asked where…
Broadway legend Chita Rivera will headline “Encore 2019,” the Garden Theatre’s annual gala, which will be held in Winter Garden on March 9. The 85-year-old Tony Award-winning star of Chicago and Bye Bye Birdie will share songs and stories from her storied career during the one-night-only event. Tickets are $125-$325; visit gardentheatre.org for details. Garden…
Opening Wednesday, Dec. 12: Once Upon a Deadpool Remember when Kurt Cobain bowed to the pressure to release a censored version of In Utero that could be sold at Walmart? Remember his explanation? He said Walmart had been the place where he bought all his KISS albums growing up, and he didn’t want to deny…
OPENINGS Hinckley’s Fancy Meats will move into the space recently vacated by Houndstooth Sauce Co. inside East End Market. The specialty meat purveyor will open in February and offer classic sandwiches, deli cuts, sausages, bacon, charcuterie and more … Wondermade, the Sanford marshmallow shop, has popped up inside the North Quarter Market. Along with marshmallow…
