Central Floridians will now be able to enjoy fresh Señor Paleta ice pops at their events. The Puerto Rican company opened their first U.S. location at the Florida Mall in May, but with the launch of its new U.S. events division, Central Floridians will now be able to have Señor Paleta cater their event. Paletas…
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office saw an uptick in homicides in 2018, while overall crime is on the decline. Sheriff John Mina presented the statistics Tuesday morning at the Orange County Commission budget work sessions. Mina, presenting 2018 figures, remarked crime has seen a 7 percent drop from 28,403 offenses in 2017 to 26,277 in…
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at 1700 Celebration Blvd. Celebration FL 34747, on July 30 2019, at 1PM. Rene Torres: lamps, sports equipment, mirror, ladder, holiday decor, ottoman, utility box, toys, trophies. Adam Byrd: totes, clothes.…
Lawyers representing teachers are accusing the Florida Department of Education of improperly allowing school districts to deduct employer taxes from teacher bonuses, cutting into the financial awards of tens of thousands of high-performing educators. The lawsuit, filed in Leon County Circuit Court on Tuesday, alleges that Florida education officials wrongly directed school districts to pay…
A recent study from the Union of Concerned Scientists warns that, without drastic intervention, Florida temperatures will rise to life-threatening highs as soon as 2036, thanks to global heating. The study, named “Killer Heat in the United States,” analyzes the projected impact of three potential scenarios for global emissions intervention: “no action,” “slow action” and…
Skold has been an enigmatic and Zelig-like figure in the underground for the last several decades, involved in projects as diverse as Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM, Welt and even Marilyn Manson. The Swedish musician also has a thriving and eponymous solo gig – going since 1996 – where one gets a more clear idea of exactly…
Second Harvest Food Bank is providing free nutritious meals during the summer to kids in need across Central Florida, as part of their Summer Food Service Program. Second Harvest Food Bank is a nonprofit organization that collects and donates food to more than 550 partners, helps economically challenged adults graduate from a culinary training program…
NOTE: This event never occurred and was likely part of an effort to gather consumers’ contact information before disappearing. Orlando Weekly is investigating the organizers, and has revised our vetting process to verify all pop-up events prior to publication. A new poke bar is coming to Orlando, but it won’t be of the raw fish…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Twang Metal Monday Numero Dos, Will’s Pub, July 15 One the more intriguing theme nights that’s emerged lately in the city’s live music landscape is Twang Metal Monday at Will’s Pub. The idea is an evening of heavy metal covers reinterpreted as country songs. Of course this Hayseed Dixie-esque concept could fall…
Here’s a strange pivot. Sen. Rick Scott, Florida’s former governor, decided to call Democrats anti-Semites Monday after reporters asked him if the now-infamous Trump tweets telling freshmen congresswoman to “go back” to where they came from were racist. “It was not racist,” Scott said of Trump’s tweet. “It was clearly not the way I would…
So long, Kona; hello, Napa. Sixty Vines, so named for its 60 wines on tap, will move into the 8,000-square-foot space recently vacated by Kona Grill in Winter Park’s Lakeside Crossing next spring. The Texas-based restaurant currently has two locations — one in Dallas and another in Plano, with a Houston location slated to open…
California’s agit-punk heroes Bad Religion are back! They released new album Age of Unreason in May and promptly hit the road in Europe and North America and they’ve just announced another round of dates starting in September to hit the rest of the country and — what’s this! — the tour is kicking off in…
Forensic experts from the University of South Florida returned this week to a notorious state reform school, researching 27 additional sites in the area where the remains of more than 50 people were unearthed in 2015. “Our objective is to answer as many questions as possible, as we have done throughout the course of our…
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been taking water from Florida’s polluted Lake Okeechobee and releasing it among other bodies of water in the state. In a round of questioning last week conducted by U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Palm City, an Army Corps representative testified to the House that the water diverted into St. Lucie…
A state trust fund used to compensate crime victims is struggling to stay solvent, prompting a proposal last week by Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office that would significantly reduce the amount of money victims can claim. The proposal means that certain crime victims who want financial aid for out-of-pocket expenses like medical bills, lost wages…
Highway speeders, no matter how little they go over the posted limit, are being targeted as Florida Highway Patrol troopers and transportation officials team up with federal and regional agencies in a weeklong speed-enforcement campaign. “The speed limit is the speed limit,” Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Derrick Rahming said. “It’s not suggested. It is there…
The Orlando Science Center’s Moon Fest will take place July 20 and 21 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The Moon Fest is part of the Science Center’s Astronomy Month, which aims to inspire visitors with information on fields like engineering, astronomy, math and coding. Guests can check out live…
A 200-pound, 20-foot-long reticulated python named “Ginormica” will likely be the longest captive snake ever recorded. The snake lives in Crestivew, a Florida panhandle town east of Pensacola. That is, if everything goes to plan for Emerald Coast Zoo co-owner Rick de Ridder, aka “The Reptile Guy,” who says he feeds his 6-year-old female monster…
The jingle gets you every time, and according to residents in Stuart, Florida, so does the stank. West Palm news station WPTV reported that Stuart homeowners claim a nearby Popeyes location has been exuding such horribly strong smells that it has made the area unlivable. You mean fried chicken in this heat index doesn’t smell amazing?…
It’s still a few months away from the November election day, and incumbent Mayor Buddy Dyer is keeping up a major fundraising lead. Here’s how everyone is faring with fundraising in Orlando’s mayoral race, according to the city’s latest public filings. Dyer: Coming in with $402,878 for the entire campaign, the current mayor took in $47,485…
John Morgan is “For the People.” Unless that person is Florida gubernatorial runner-up Andrew Gillum. The two engaged in a Twitter spat over the weekend surrounding Gillum’s use of campaign funds. Gillum transferred some $500,000 in campaign funds to his nonprofit, Forward Florida Action. The funds originally meant for the campaign will now be hidden from…
Post Malone, a Texas-based rapper and man-shaped wad of debris stuck in the Roomba, will bring his latest tour to Tampa this fall. The Grammy nominee behind hits like “White Iverson,” “Rockstar” and “Congratulations” will bring his new “Runaway Tour” to Amalie Arena on Oct. 24. Opening acts Swae Lee and Tyla Yaweh are also…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Have Gun, Will Travel album release show with Lauren Morrow and Fay Roy, Will’s Pub, July 12 With Will Quinlan at the Circle recently and now an album release show by Have Gun, Will Travel, Orlando has been the fortunate beneficiary of some solid Tampa gold lately. Having produced some of the…
Hey, Florida boaters: stop. Please just stop. Stop mowing down our plump, precious sea cow friends every time you want to go out for a cruise. Just the other day, the beloved Dix was struck and killed at Blue Springs State Park. Now, the latest numbers from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission show the…
The super-corporations have already taken over, so why not lean into it? Prime Day, Amazon’s two-day online shopping sale, begins today, so it might be the perfect opportunity to finally nab whatever has been sitting in your shopping cart forever. And in Orlando, some of those will be at your door in two hours with…
As Foxtail continues to expand in central Florida, the popular coffee chain just named a new COO. The new COO, John Hufferd, comes from nine years at the popular 4 Rivers barbecue chain. Before that, he worked with Hillstone Restaurant Group. The announcement came Monday, months after Orlando Weekly contacted the women who complained of the…
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 Tidepools. Tidepools are playing July 21 at The Falcon with Expert Timing and 11:59. Just the facts: When did the band form?Tidepools started as Laura’s solo project in 2013. The…
Sen. Annette Taddeo, a Miami Democrat, wants more Senate hearings on the SunPass toll-collection system and its contractor, now that state transportation officials have said they won’t renew its current contract. Taddeo, who serves on the Senate Committee on Infrastructure and Security, asked Chairman Tom Lee to continue probing the problems of the SunPass system…
More than a month after Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Cabinet members wrapped up a six-day trip in Israel, the price tag of the mostly privately funded trip was revealed on Friday. The costs for the trip, in which the governor traveled to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with a delegation of nearly 100 people, totaled…
A congressional report released Friday shows at least 55 migrant children separated from their parents by President Donald Trump’s administration in 2018 were sent to the privately run Homestead detention center for unaccompanied immigrant youth. One of the children was a 13-year-old boy from Guatemala, who illegally crossed the Arizona border with his father in…
Downtown Sanford is expected to host 40 food trucks on July 20 for the Sanford “Battle of the Food Trucks.” The event will feature craft beer, a kids zone, outdoor bars and seating, and live music. There will also be a “Pints n’ Paws Pavilion” with cool-down pools and water for your pupper. And if…
President Donald Trump continues to lie about the size of the crowd outside his June 18 campaign kick-off rally in Orlando last month, claiming there were thousands still in the fan area trying to catch a glimpse of his speech. That, of course, isn’t true. Trump made the remarks Thursday at a so-called social media…
On Saturday, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Spider-Man: Far From Home star JB Smoove will be at the Orlando Boys & Girls club to talk to teens about the importance of safe and distraction-free driving. Smoove, a Boys & Girls Club alumnus, will be joined by a panel of locals who will also share with teens…
The Korean BBQ restaurant Shin Jung, an Orlando staple for more than 25 years that was destroyed by fire in June, has launched a GoFundMe to raise enough money to rebuild. “It’s devastating and pretty sad to find out we lost it all,” Michael Lee, Shin Jung’s general manager, told the Weekly. “I was there the…
Question: What kind of mammal is born at 150 pounds with facial hair? On Friday, SeaWorld Orlando announced that a female Pacific walrus was born on July 3, her mother Kaboodle’s second calf. “I am incredibly proud to watch our teams in action as they provide world-class care for Kaboodle and her calf,” said Gus Antorcha,…
This weekend, the Trump administration is reportedly planning to follow through with a series of nationwide immigration raids in an effort to arrest thousands of undocumented migrants. Multiple news sources, including National Public Radio and the New York Times, have confirmed with officials within the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency that raids will be…
Eighties rockers and authors of the anthemic “The Stand” and “Rain in the Summertime” the Alarm are on the road in the U.S. for the next few months and have added a date in Orlando this September. It’s one of only two chances to see the group, playing with a modified Gene Loves Jezebel lineup,…
Nine months ago, Rodrick Fagiole was inside Gulf Correctional Institution when Hurricane Michael blew the roof off of the Panhandle prison. Through a gaping cavity above him, Fagiole said he watched as the eye of the storm passed overhead, following a moment of calm. “Looking at the hole in the ceiling, I was thinking, where…
Florida will seek new bids in three years instead of renewing its contract with the company that oversaw last year’s botched SunPass conversion. Related Florida transportation officials on Wednesday confirmed their plans to re-bid the second half of the contract with New Jersey-based Conduent State & Local Solution. The Tampa Bay Times reported earlier Wednesday…
On Thursday, Lake Nona announced plans for a new 7-acre park that will feature an open waterway designed to aid with stormwater management. The linear-design park, which is scheduled to begin construction next year, will also have trails, smaller pocket parks, a 100-foot wide activity space, and a half-mile path that connects it to the Lake…
The manager of a Burger King restaurant in Eustis was told to “go back to Mexico” for speaking Spanish, an incident caught on a video and now spreading across Facebook. The video, originally posted last week by Neyzha Nicole and Oni Martinez, identified the manager as Ricardo Castillo. He can be seen speaking to two…
A new study led by scientists from the University of South Florida-St. Petersburg suggests that the waves of foul-smelling, brown seaweed known as sargassum blanketing South Florida and Caribbean beaches are part of the world’s largest macroalgal bloom, and it might be here to stay. According to the study, there has been an explosive growth…
At any given pizza party there’s always that person who leaves a giant pile of uneaten crusts behind. Well, now a pizza chain would like to sell those back to you. Villa Italian Kitchen, a nationwide chain with multiple Florida locations (including five in the Orlando area), is now offering a limited “slice” of crusts.…
The Humane Society of the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and their agency partners are offering a combined $38,000 in reward money for information that would bring to justice whoever stabbed a bottlenose dolphin to death near Captiva Island, according to the NOAA (cw: disturbing photo at link). “It takes a truly callous…
Disney announced Thursday the opening date for its new Florida Star Wars attraction. They’ve set expectations high, planning to make the attraction public on the birthday of Walt Disney himself. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will open Dec. 5 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, promising to “blur the lines between…
The low pressure system southwest of Florida has strengthened to a tropical storm Thursday, and the system could possibly upgrade to a hurricane. The second named storm of the 2019 season, Tropical Storm Barry is expected to bring winds and rain to Florida, with the possibility of “life threatening storm surge inundation across the coast…
PETA, the animal rights group, is keeping their sights set on SeaWorld. The group recently placed a new ad at Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores. It reads, “Whales & Dolphins Want Out. Don’t Support Captive Animal Shows.” The ad’s placement comes just weeks after PETA shared a new veterinary report, which claims that bottlenose dolphins…
The quality of Florida’s school system is apparently on the rise, according to an annual report card from the Florida Department of Education. Schools that earned an “A” or “B” grade increased to 63 percent this year, and schools that earned an “F” decreased to 15 percent, the FDOE says in a press release. Overall,…
A popular new ride at Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter closed early on Wednesday for what officials said was “routine maintenance,” disappointing muggles eager to check out the coaster. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure reached capacity yesterday, which led Universal to tweet out an operations update that the ride would close early for the…
Today, two of the Midwest’s best indie-rock bands — Cursive and Cloud Nothings — announced a fall tour that’s hitting the City Beautiful on Nov. 15. Other Florida dates on the tour supporting Vitriola (Cursive’s first album in six years) include Jacksonville (Nov. 14 at Jack Rabbits), Tampa (Nov. 15 at Crowbar), Miami (Nov. 16…
For fans of metal, you can’t get much heavier and out-there than Norwegian black metal, and one of the more enduring of these bands, 1349, has just announced two Florida dates (out of only three U.S. dates of this writing) with Cloak that include a stop in Orlando this summer. The band has just released…
You can expect a series of Pompeii-themed art installations to pop up around Orlando soon. A joint effort from Orlando Science Center and Orange County Arts and Cultural Affairs awarded nearly 100 grand in grant funding to local art projects tied to the science center’s upcoming immersive art exhibit called Pompeii, the Immortal City. The…
Two Florida State University professors have received $400,000 to examine how Hurricane Michael impacted birth outcomes in the Florida Panhandle as a result of infrastructure damage and exposure to carbon monoxide. “Disasters like Hurricane Michael have severe and long-lasting impacts on our communities. The resulting stress, trauma, and decreased access to maternal health care may…
A state appeals court Tuesday upheld a verdict of more than $2 million in a case involving an electronic cigarette that exploded and caused damage to a man’s teeth. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal rejected arguments by R-L Sales, LLC, which sold a lithium ion battery used in the electronic…
Sunday afternoon, SeaWorld attendees came out to the parking lot to find an unwelcome surprise brought on by rising oceans and global heating good old Mother Nature: The parking lot was flooded with rainwater, swamping some cars above the bumpers. James Reitmeier made a video of the swampy scene. “These cars are floating!” exclaims one…
The ride-share company Lime seems to have squeezed the last drop out of their operation on the University of Central Florida’s campus, as the company has decided to remove all 600 of its bikes prior to the fall semester. A Lime spokesman said the company is currently in talks with the university to remain on…
Com Truise’s new album, Persuasion System, found him heading in a darker direction, and he’s bringing the moody vibes and soundscapes back to the City Beautiful this fall. The 33-year-old New York producer born Seth Haley just announced more tour dates supporting Persuasion, and he’s stopping in at the Social on Thursday, November 14. Tickets…
There’s a low pressure system about 100 miles southwest of the Florida Panhandle’s Apalachicola that has a 100 percent chance of tropical development by Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center. The system is currently sustaining 30 mph winds as it moves west-southwest at 8 mph, per the NHC’s 11 a.m. update. Development of the…
A feral cat that scratched two Disney cast members led Orange County health officials to issue a rabies alert in the area. The cat was tested last week, and lab results on Monday confirmed it had rabies, said Kent Donahue, a Florida Department of Health spokesman. Neither cast member contracted rabies, and both received medical…
Orlando is pretty great if you like the great outdoors. At least, that’s what a group of financial analysts say. WalletHub recently came out with a list of the top cities in the country for recreation. Orlando was the only East Coast city to top the list, with a No. 3 spot, although Tampa wasn’t…
I predicted this summer would be the theme park industry’s most dramatic season in half a decade, but I’ve proved prescient for reasons I never anticipated. In Orlando, multi-hour waits persist at Islands of Adventure’s new Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure a month after its heavily attended opening, due as much to the coaster’s severely…
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Stuber’s title is a portmanteau of Uber and the film’s main character, Stu. The movie’s creators apparently thought it a clever combo, so let me also don my Lewis Carroll hat and invent a word for this action-comedy: stubid. Mild-mannered Stu (Kumail Nanjiani) works at a sporting-goods store by day and drives an Uber in…
Sadistik Heavy left-field hip-hop bill helmed by Sadistik, also featuring Elucid, MTFR, Empty Nest and Keagan Grimm. 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, at Will’s Pub, $12-$15 ACP Pro Local synthwave agitators throw a sleek electro party at Geek Easy with Thrillkiller and Under Polaris. 7 p.m. Thursday, July 11, at the Geek Easy, $10-$12 The…
Hi, I’m Dori (A431472)! Dori is a very tiny, very short-haired, very adorable gray tabby, probably born around the middle of May, so she’s still just a baby. Dori is a busy, busy little girl who wants to explore everything and yet still comes running for hugs and affection. She has a purr motor that…
Katniss (A427122) is a very cautious cat that could benefit from a patient adopter who will give her the time to adjust to her new surroundings. When approached, she usually runs, but when she’s ready to be picked up, she will lie down flat on the floor. She’s very playful, loves her toys (especially the…
Dear Dan: I’m a man from a very liberal background. Recently, a girl I started dating – a girl from a similar background – mentioned that she has “a thing for black guys.” She also met my childhood best friend, a man of Korean descent, and commented to me that she found him handsome despite…
Florida taxpayers paid more than $30K for Cabinet trip to Israel, and costs aren’t all in yet: Records obtained by the News Service of Florida detailing travel expenses of Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Cabinet staff members show taxpayers footed the bill for nearly $30,000 in hotel rooms, airfare, “registration fees,” baggage fees and per-diem…
Most people are aware that what they eat should contain at least a modicum of nutritional value as well as hitting the correct coordinate point on the sweet-sour-salty/crunchy-creamy-chewy grid. Along with your A, B, C and K, though, are you getting enough vitamin T? Vitamin T is naturally occurring in the Mexican diet, but Americans…
Opening this week: Crawl When the trailer for this set-in-Florida disaster/horror flick dropped two months ago, our Thaddeus McCollum penned an exhaustive rundown (read it at orlandoweekly.com) of its glaring cultural inaccuracies – from the depiction of basements in its “Florida homes” to the disorienting image of a state governor issuing evacuation orders while not…
