Dr. Phillips Center relaxes masking and COVID testing requirements for indoors events
The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts last week announced the immediate lifting of requirements for mandatory masks and proof of negative COVID-19 tests for all guests and artists at the venue’s indoor events. Additionally, the venue placed on pause its own internal vaccination policy, perhaps connected with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signing a…
Joybird Books will soft open in Orlando’s Audubon Park over Thanksgiving weekend
This Small Business Saturday, you can indulge your bibliomania locally by checking out Joybird Books’ soft opening. The buzzed-about book emporium is opening their doors for a few hours on Saturday, Nov. 27 — noon to 5 p.m. — to work out the kinks in a trial-by-fire sort of situation. Why is this a big deal? Aside from the…
Sevendust to play Orlando’s Hard Rock Live as part of ‘Coun7down to 2022’ mini-tour
What are you doing on (two days before) New Year’s Eve? Sevendust invite you to part with some of your hearing with them as they wind down 2021 at the Hard Rock Live. Sevendust are set to ring in the New Year loudly with a short “Coun7down to 2022” (that’s not a typo) mini-tour of…
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy to play a holiday show at the Frontyard Festival
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy are going to bring their “Wild & Swingin’ Holiday Party” to the Frontyard Festival in a couple of weeks, so put a sprig of holly in your fedora. The swing-revival armada are playing a clutch of “Wild & Swingin’ Holiday Party” shows starting the day after Thanksgiving and hitting Florida in…
Legal Public Notices 11/24
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below at the property indicated: December 3, 2021 at the times and location listed below. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:00 PM Extra Space Storage 1101 Marshall Farms Rd, Ocoee 34761 (407) 516-7221 Michael Warner – Tools, Johnny…
Sanford gun store comes under fire for placing photo of Hitler in storefront window
A Sanford gun store owner has come under scrutiny after putting a photo of Hitler in his storefront window. A&N Sports along 17-92 featured the chief Nazi alongside a dubious quote celebrating gun control purportedly from the WW2-era leader. “This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full…
Disney shares new details about ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ ride, Marvel-themed pavilion
Walt Disney World has been working on the Guardians of the Galaxy ride for longer than it took to build the ride’s home park of Epcot. But an end is in sight. The park shared more details about a possible opening date and a pavilion themed around the sights of the Marvel film this weekend.…
Publix places limits on gravy, cranberry sauce, other items as Thanksgiving stresses supply chain
Publix is placing per-customer limits on certain food items as Thanksgiving demand smashes up against ongoing supply chain issues. The Lakeland-based chain of grocery stores is limiting the following items to two per customer ahead of the holiday: — Canned cranberry sauce — Jarred gravy — Canned pie filling — Canola and vegetable oil —…
Walt Disney World rolls back vaccine mandate following newly passed Florida laws
Walt Disney World has lifted its mandate requiring all employees of the park to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The move comes after the state of Florida passed a raft of laws making it more difficult (or outright illegal) for businesses and other institutions to require vaccination. Those laws were passed during a special session of…
Krampusfest returns to Orlando’s Milk District in December to give a little festive punishment to the naughty
Based on the sweeping assumption that most nightlife denizens of the Milk District have erred on the side of naughty, there’s a holiday reckoning on the way as Kreampusfest returns in December. The Krampus, for the uninitiated, is a lesser-known colleague of Santa Claus in Europe who metes out spankings and various other unpleasantries to…
Police lured to Florida by Ron DeSantis’ anti-vax attitude, signing bonus have shoddy resumes, checkered pasts
New details are emerging about the newest dozen police officers lauded by Gov. Ron DeSantis for moving to central Florida from New York City to escape what the governor described as low morale and a lack of support from Democratic politicians there. The new hires include one previously fired as a Walmart Inc. security guard,…
‘Groveland Four’ exonerated by Florida judge over 70 years after being falsely accused of rape
A Central Florida judge on Monday exonerated Black men known as the “Groveland Four” who were accused of sexually assaulting a white woman in one of the most-notorious cases from the state’s Jim Crow era. Lake County Circuit Court Administrative Judge Heidi Davis on Monday granted a motion filed by State Attorney William Gladson to…
Orlando’s The Pauses to celebrate a decade of ‘Cautionary Tales’ at Will’s Pub in December
It’s mind boggling to think about, but local indie-rockers the Pauses’ debut album is almost 10 years old, and they’ll be celebrating that milestone with a show at Will’s Pub and a brief tour next month. The trio released A Cautionary Tale back in 20111, and they’re marking the occasion with some cautionary comeback shows…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushes gasoline tax relief plan due to high prices at pump
To confront inflation, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday he will ask lawmakers next year to temporarily “zero out” state gas taxes. Continuing to contrast his economic approach to the Biden White House, DeSantis said the approximately 25-cent-a-gallon “gas tax relief” proposal could save the average Florida family up to $200 over a five- to six-month…
Men’s Closet hosting turkey giveaway, flag football tournament at Barnett Park tomorrow
Far from just a good cause, Orlando retail mainstay Men’s Closet wants to show folks a good time. That’s why they are hosting a free turkey giveaway as well as a flag football tournament and vendor market at Barnett Park tomorrow. Starting at 4 p.m., the folks behind the three-decades-strong store will offer turkeys and…
Upcoming holiday events bring road closures in Winter Park in early December
The good news is that Christmas in the Park and a veritable boatload of festive events in Winter Park are almost upon us, the bad news is there are a lot of road closures upcoming during the first week of December. If you’re rolling out to Christmas in the Park on Thursday, Dec. 2, be…
Florida tops 61,000 COVID-19 deaths
More than 61,000 Florida residents have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic started in early 2020, according to a report released Friday by the state Department of Health. As of Thursday, 61,081 deaths had been reported. That was up from 60,697 a week earlier, though lags in reporting make it difficult to determine when the…
Texts reveal Publix heiress was major financier of Jan. 6 capitol riot
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Kimberly Guilfoyle, a top fundraiser for former President Donald Trump and the girlfriend of his son Donald Trump Jr., boasted to a GOP operative that she had raised $3 million for the rally that helped fuel the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. In a series of text messages sent…
Gin Blossoms to treat Orlando to a ‘New Miserable Experience’ in 2022
1990s survivors the Gin Blossoms have scheduled a new run of 2022 dates the “New Miserable Experience Live” tour, where they revisit their breakthrough album that brought them into the mainstream. And Orlando fans will have a chance to soak in the musical misery. (Sidebar: This writer has belatedly come to enjoy this album quite…
90 percent of Facebook’s top posts following Kyle Rittenhouse verdict came from conservative sources
This article originally appeared at Raw Story. Last Friday, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Facebook page had the most interactions in the world. “Let’s chase what we are trying to achieve this season!” he exclaimed. The Portuguese soccer star’s post, however, was an island in a partisan sea. The next six most engaged posts came from outspoken American…
Snail Mail postpones U.S. tour, including next week’s show at Orlando’s Beacham
Indie-pop artist Snail Mail on Monday announced the postponement of their entire U.S. tour, including next week’s show at the Beachm. (Hey we’re bummed too, we had Jim Leatherman all set to photograph the concert for us.) Frontperson Lindsey Jordan issued a statement earlier today, explaining the postponement: I lose my voice after a couple…
Judge rejects Florida’s request to block vaccine mandate for healthcare workers
A federal judge has quickly rejected Florida’s request to block a Biden administration requirement that workers at hospitals, nursing homes and other health-care providers be vaccinated against COVID-19. U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers issued an 11-page order Saturday denying a motion by Attorney General Ashley Moody for a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order…
Florida legislator calls for creation of ‘Kyle Rittenhouse Day’ following not guilty verdict
Congressional cretin and Donald J. Trump remora Anthony Sabatini can be counted on to have the worst opinion on just about anything. The news that a jury found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all charges following a sham trial is no exception. After the news broke that Rittenhouse would walk on the charges related to…
Former NFL player Zac Stacy arrested at Orlando airport after ex-girlfriend shared video of him throwing her into a television
Warning: the videos above contains footage of domestic violence. Zac Stacy was arrested at the Orlando International Airport last night. The former NFL player is facing charges of felony aggravated battery and criminal mischief after his girlfriend shared footage of Stacy assaulting her at her home in Oakland. The video showed Stacey repeatedly punching the…
Orange County Public Schools make masks optional for all students, visitors
Orange County Public Schools have made masks fully optional for students. The decision comes after the Florida legislature passed a series of laws making it harder to mandate safe behavior in a pandemic. OCPS strict mask mandate ended last month, with students who wished to opt-out of mask policies required to get a note from…
Morimoto Asia got a bottle of Yamazaki 55, the Japanese whisky that sells for $950,000, and we got to taste it
“This was midcentury Japan in your mouth.”
Florida legislators float bill that will require hospitals to allow patient visitation in a pandemic
Dubbed the “No Patient Left Alone Act,” a bill filed Thursday in the Florida Senate seeks to ensure that patients and residents of hospitals, nursing homes and other health-care facilities can have visitors. The bill (SB 988), filed by Sen. Ileana Garcia, R-Miami, comes after many facilities stopped or limited visitation for periods during the…
White House says businesses should continue vaccination plans amid legal fight
The White House is urging businesses to move forward with efforts to vaccinate workers, though the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has put on hold a controversial rule after an order by a federal appeals court. Let me be very clear, our message to businesses right now is to move forward with measures that will…
Local punk triad Dikembe, Virginity and Debt Neglector plot Florida tour for January
A triumvirate of hotly tipped local bands — Dikembe, Debt Neglector and Virginity — are kicking off 2022 with a co-co-headlining tour of Florida. And we’ll be able to get in on a little of that action at Will’s Pub. The loud and (justifiably) loudly hyped trio have got Jacksonville, Gainesville, Tampa and Orlando in their sights, and each…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs raft of anti-vaccine mandate bills
Gov. Ron DeSantis quickly signed four bills into law Thursday from a special legislative session aimed primarily at preventing workers from being required to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Focusing on vaccination mandates pursued by the White House, DeSantis touted the “strongest piece of legislation that’s been enacted anywhere in the country” and said Florida is…
Here are some of the best Florida Classic-adjacent events going down this weekend
Just like the point of the Florida Classic isn’t the game itself, Classic Weekend takes place well away from the stadium. The entire weekend is stacked with day parties, brunches, concerts and events to keep partiers entertained for as long as they can stay awake. Take a look at some of our favorites below. Friday,…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants you to know that his balls are for sale
Despite what you may have heard, Ron DeSantis has balls, and they’re for sale. Following over 60,000 dead constituents and a special session railing against vaccine mandates, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis released new scrotum-themed re-election campaign merchandise. On Wednesday, as the Legislature made a move to pass DeSantis’ wish to ban businesses from requiring vaccines…
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz wants Kyle Rittenhouse to be his congressional intern
Matt Gaetz wants to hire Kyle Rittenhouse as a congressional intern. pic.twitter.com/LvmXFFgt5v — PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) November 18, 2021 If there were qualifications for working in the halls of Congress, we doubt Matt Gaetz would get in. The Panhandle representative has spent the last year under a cloud of suspicion around his scammy and scummy…
Orlando bakery Sister Honey’s Evette Rahman crowned World Dessert Champion
Evette Rahman was just crowned the best dessert-maker in the world. The baker and owner of Orlando’s Sister Honey’s won the title of World Dessert Champion for a third time at 2021’s World Food Championships in Dallas. Rahman has operated Sister Honey’s since 2012 and has snagged the top prize for dessert at the competition…
Martina McBride brings her Christmas music tour to Central Florida in December
Country star Martina McBride is bringing her musical Christmas show to Central Florida, but the catch is that you’ll have to preemptively use some of the coal in your stocking to fire up the automobile and head out to the Villages to see this one. The Grammy nominee and million-selling singer is hitting the road…
Florida legislature approves law undermining federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate
Rebuking the Biden administration, Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature on Wednesday passed a measure that seeks to prevent workers from being required to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The votes by the House and Senate came on the third day of a special legislative session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has sparred for months with the White…
Disney cruises will require child passengers to be vaccinated
Disney Cruise Lines will begin to require customers ages 5 and older to be fully vaccinated starting Jan. 13, the company website said Wednesday. “As we set sail again, the health and safety of our guests, cast members and crew members is a top priority,” the website said. “Our focus remains on operating our ships…
Much-anticipated Ivanhoe Village food hall The Hall on the Yard opens Thursday, Nov. 18
The food-hall-palooza that is 2021 in Orlando rolls on with the announcement that the much-anticipated Hall on the Yard in Ivanhoe Village is opening Thursday. We’ve been writing about the development of this massive new food hall and entertainment complex eagerly since last year, and now the stars have aligned for the doors to swing…
Lucinda Williams announces 2022 concert in Orlando
Country and American leading light Lucinda Williams is hitting the road hard early next year and that includes a two-day stint in Florida in February with dates in Jacksonville and Orlando on Deck. Williams headlines both Jacksonville’s Ponte Vedra Concert Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022 and the Plaza Live here in the City Beautiful…
Burger chain Sickies Garage opens first Florida location in Kissimmee
The first Florida location of burger chain Sickies Garage opened in Kissimmee, a stone’s throw from Walt Disney World. The burgers and beer-based chain opened in the former home of Shoney’s at 7640 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway. In addition to burgers and beer, the casual restaurant serves wings, salads, chicken sandwiches and dips. The…
Parents, students sound off about LGBTQ memoir in Flagler County school libraries
Flagler County parents and students spoke out on the controversy around a book in school’s upper-level libraries during a school board meeting on Wednesday. Both sides were well-represented, with people against the distribution of George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto meeting an anti-censorship protest by students outside the meeting. The book came…
Orlando’s Running Man Theatre Company to present live radio-play of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ on WPRK
Going all the way back to 1947, Frank Capra’s holiday chestnut It’s a Wonderful Life found a second life as a radio drama, broadcasting over the airwaves with Jimmy Stewart reprising his role as George Bailey. Since then it’s been rebroadcast and restaged for the radio many times. Orlando listeners and theaters fans can indulge in…
Accused Florida drug dealers used COVID-19 relief loans to fund business, police say
St. Petersburg Police say that several men recently arrested on drug charges used COVID-19 relief loans to fund their enterprise. Central Florida authorities have arrested more than 30 people as part of a sting on an alleged drug trafficking operation. Several of the accused are also facing fraud charges for taking out SBA loans on…
Florida Black Bear rescued after spending a month with a jug on its head
A Florida black bear was rescued by wildlife officials after wandering around with a plastic jug on its head for nearly a month. Collier County officials and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission authorities spent weeks trying to trap the unfortunate bear, finally catching up with it in Naples’ Golden Gate Estates community. “Our bear…
Congressional map proposals draw bipartisan praise in Florida
Staff proposals to redraw Florida’s congressional lines for the next decade, including adding a new Republican-leaning district in Polk County, drew bipartisan praise from senators Tuesday. Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, said after a staff presentation on differences in four nearly identical staff proposals that, “from where I stand right now, it’s really a good plan…
Florida’s federal vaccine mandate challenge consolidated with other state challenges
A Cincinnati-based federal appeals court will handle consolidated challenges from across the country to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule that would require tens of millions of workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be regularly tested and wear masks. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will review the challenges, which include a…
15 ways to keep holiday visitors to Orlando busy and entertained (besides going to the theme parks)
Once the handshakes and hugs are distributed, every holiday season visit from family and friends reveals the same question: what am I going to do with these people? While staring at each other until you can draw each other’s faces from memory is always an option, it’s not necessary. Orlando is stuffed with entertainment options…
Holiday Guide 2021: Making a list, checking it twice
Earlier this week, on a late evening walk to take in the downright — let’s face it — wintry weather here in the City Beautiful, we stumbled upon a lone holiday inflatable, some combination of Santa and a snowman. The cheerily lit lawn decoration seemed almost a herald for the holiday season that’s just around…
All the concerts and live shows happening between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve 2021
‘Tis the season for going out … with cousins back from college, with high-school friends you haven’t seen in years, or just as part of the general whirl of activity the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve are known for. Thursday, Nov. 18 Chris Stapleton All-American Roadshow with Sheryl Crow and Kendell Marvel. 7…
Holiday fun in Orlando for 2021’s festive season
The holly, the jolly, the tinsel and the turkey, the menorah and the kinara of it all. Through Nov. 21 Festival of Trees Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave., $20, omart.org. Through Dec. 18 Christmas My Way: A Sinatra Holiday Bash From classic Sinatra tunes to seasonal favorites Rat Pack Style, catch 40…
Orlando psych true believers Timothy Eerie emerge with a new single; plus new releases from TransDimensionalizers and C.B. Carlyle + the Desert Angels
It’s been over two years since Orlando neo-psych band Timothy Eerie released any music. Oh, but what a couple years it’s been — you know, only some of the most clenched, anxious times seen in generations. Yes, we could all use a pill right now. As if hearing that call like a trusty dealer, these…
Smoke + Donuts will open in the Milk District, Denni Cha launches Korean hot-dog cart, and more Orlando food news
OPENINGS: After offering its superb barbecue at the now-shuttered Belicoso Cigars and Cafe in Mills Park, then being a resident food truck at À La Cart, Smoke & Donuts is going full brick and mortar. Look for their restaurant to open in spring 2022 in the old Kernel Encore Gourmet Popcorn space next to Se7en…
Readers sound off about scooters, crocodiles and Travis Scott’s Astroworld
Last week we wrote about a crocodile making itself at home on a Palm Beach golf course, and the distinct possibility that nothing can be done about it. “The Fish & Wildlife Commission says federal law will not allow removal of the croc, so please be cautious near our golf course ponds,” read a post…
Unlikely Christmas hitmakers Trans-Siberian Orchestra return to Orlando with their signature holiday show
Last year, Trans-Siberian Orchestra was forced to cancel their signature annual project — the holiday tour of North American arenas that typically draws more than a million fans. To help fill the void, TSO put together a livestream concert. Scaling the show down from an arena where TSO deploys a spectacular light show and all…
Orlando concert picks, Nov. 18-24: Big Freedia, Jonesy Collective, Chris Stapleton, AAHZ Reunion
Be a mensch and mask up if you go out. Jonesy Music Volume Two release party: After debuting their first music release over the summer, the Jonesy Collective — the nonprofit Orlando group that coalesced to honor the memory of fallen electronic scene figure Alex Hwang Jones — is already set to unveil a follow-up…
