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91 new restaurants to enjoy in Orlando this year
Fried chicken, upscale Mexican, and still more food halls
SeaWorld Orlando’s new executive chef adds European flair to its Seven Seas Food Festival, but keeps many favorites from past years
SeaWorld has become known for its limited-time food offerings during regular festivals. A new head chef hopes to keep up that momentum while also innovating on the park’s culinary offerings. Since debuting in Orlando in 2017, the Seven Seas Food Festival has been one of the premier events for SeaWorld Orlando. That is thanks in…
Legal Public Notices 3/9/2022
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices ALL ABOARD STORAGE NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Personal property of the following tenants will be sold at public sale to the highest bidder to satisfy a rental lien in accordance with Florida Statutes, Sections: A83.801 – 83.809. All units are assumed to contain general household goods unless otherwise indicated. Viewing of…
Bill that would allow development on manatees’ dwindling supply of food stalls out in Florida legislature
Environmental advocates are encouraged that a bill to open Florida’s seagrass beds to development – which could be devastating for the dwindling manatee population – has only a slim chance of passing the Legislature this session. “We would be destroying what little seagrass we have left in the state,” said David Cullen, a lobbyist for…
Florida’s controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill passes Senate
A fiercely debated bill that would bar instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity for young public-school students is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis, despite Democrats’ warnings Tuesday that the measure’s approval sends “a message of hate” to Floridians. Senators voted 22-17 to pass the bill (HB 1557) along almost straight party lines. Sen. Jeff…
‘Grim Reaper’ lawyer announces campaign for Florida attorney general
The Florida lawyer who made headlines for dressing as the Grim Reaper and walking beaches to encourage tourists to stay home in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic is now running to be the state’s Attorney General. Attorney Daniel Uhlfelder launched his campaign with a video posted to Twitter, in which he promises to…
Dashcam video shows Florida Highway Patrol trooper stopping alleged drunk driver from reaching foot race on Sarasota’s Skyway Bridge
🚨HERO ALERT🚨 Yesterday, a drunk driver was heading toward the Skyway 10K route and FHP Trooper Toni Schuck selflessly placed her vehicle directly in the path of the drunk driver – preventing a tragedy. Thank you for your service, Trooper Schuck. We wish you a speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/JDYd80sn3C — FLHSMV (@FLHSMV) March 7, 2022 A…
![Parts of Walt Disney World flood following severe storms [VIDEO]](https://i0.wp.com/www.orlandoweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/screenshot_2022-03-08_10.53.07_am.png?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1)
Parts of Walt Disney World flood following severe storms [VIDEO]
Even a band of severe storms can’t impact the mood at the most magical place on Earth. Videos from Disney World parkgoers show crowds having a blast inside a flooded Hollywood Studios on Monday evening. Storms that dumped massive amounts of rain late in the day lead to flash flooding in areas of the park…
Cheyenne Saloon in downtown Orlando to host production of Sondheim’s ‘Assassins’
If you’re jonesing for some theater staged in unconventional locales, you might want to clear your calendar for an upcoming production of Steven Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning Assassins. Staged by the Florida Theatrical Association, the troupe will take over the Cheyenne Saloon space in downtown Orlando for a late spring performance run of the musical. Assassins,…
‘American Idol’ star and Queen collaborator Adam Lambert to play solo show in Orlando this spring
American Idol Season 8 runner-up and Queen collaborator Adam Lambert is heading south for a brief tour this spring and Orlando is one of his destinations. Starting in late April, Lambert will play five shows in Florida and one in Atlanta, with Orlando fitting in as the third stop. If you have even the slightest…
Florida Senate ready to pass ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill over objections, protests
The Florida Senate is on the brink of passing an education measure that would prohibit instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, as protesters flocked to the Capitol to decry what critics have labeled the “don’t say gay” bill. The Republican-controlled Senate on Monday rejected a series of amendments proposed by Democrats…
Florida legislators push bill that would cloak nearly all information around executions
The Florida Senate on Monday passed a measure that would more broadly cloak information about people and businesses involved with state executions and the drugs used for lethal injection, positioning the proposal for action by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Current law includes a public-records exemption to shield information about people such as executioners and the prescribers…
Lakeland’s Polk Museum of Art announces massive expansion that will open in 2024
Nestled halfway between Orlando and Tampa, Lakeland has always been a magnet for culture. Fueled by money from families associated with Anheuser-Busch, Publix, and Barnett Bank, the precursor to Bank of America’s eventual introduction to Florida, Lakeland served as a noncoastal retreat for some of Florida’s wealthiest families long before Disney brought attention to the…
Publix promises to stop selling coconut milk collected by enslaved monkeys
After a lengthy campaign from activists with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Lakeland-based grocer Publix has dropped controversial coconut milk brand Chaokoh, which has been accused of using monkey slave labor. In 2020, PETA Asia went undercover at eight farms in Thailand, some of which supply coconuts to Chaokoh. The group…
‘Saturday Night Live’ rips Florida, Ron DeSantis over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
Saturday Night Live had our deeply stupid state in its sights over the weekend, taking aim at Gov. Ron DeSantis and the legislature due to the proposed “Don’t Say Gay” bill. In a “Weekend Update” segment, SNL’s Kate McKinnon initially pretends to believe the bill is combatting the use of gay as a pejorative in…
Hijacking feared on flight to Orlando due to child’s AirDrop prank
A flight between Seattle and Orlando was forced to park on the runway at Orlando International Airport and await a heavily armed cadre of police after a child onboard the plane AirDropped a threat to another passenger on Sunday. The Alaska Airlines flight was delayed by over an hour after the passenger reported the threat…
Florida Republicans push to make it harder for Floridians to change laws by voting
With a week to go in the 2022 legislative session, Florida lawmakers are considering a series of measures to propel Republican leaders’ years-long battle to make it harder for groups to change the state Constitution. Floridians have relied on the ballot-initiative process in recent years to legalize medical marijuana, increase the minimum wage and limit…
House of Representatives subpoenas Kimberly Guilfoyle over Jan. 6 fundraising from Publix heiress
This story was originally published by ProPublica. The U.S. House of Representatives select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol issued a subpoena on Thursday to Kimberly Guilfoyle, a top fundraiser for former President Donald Trump and the fiancee of his son, Donald Trump Jr. The subpoena cites a text message Guilfoyle sent…
Florida Rep. Chris Sprowls launches a books podcast called ‘The Read, White and Blue’
Truly, everyone has a podcast now.
Disney roasted over response to Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
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Joe Biden blasts Florida’s ‘dangerous’ 15-week abortion ban
President Joe Biden blasted Florida’s recently passed 15-week abortion ban, saying his administration “will not stand” for the “dangerous” bill passed by the Florida Legislature. Biden’s condemnation came in a tweet on Friday morning, where he decried the Republican Party’s “continued erosion of women’s constitutional rights.” Last night, the Republican-controlled Florida legislature passed a dangerous…
The Apopka International Jazz Festival returns on March 19
The annual Apopka International Jazz Festival comes back for another year on March 19. The fest promises live performances by Jeffrey Osborne, Hiroshima, Nestor Torres, and Dee Lucas. If all the jazzmen testifying gets you hungry, the fest will have specialty burgers, seafood, southern cuisine, stone oven pizza, and vegan options as well. Artist vendors…
UCF student who tracks Elon Musk’s jet has turned his attention toward Russian oligarchs
The University of Central Florida student who made a name for himself by creating Twitter bots that track Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos’ jet has turned his attention to another stripe of oligarch. Given the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions on Russia, freshman Jack Sweeney heard calls to start tracking the scramble of…
Florida legislature passes 15-week abortion ban
Florida doctors could soon be prohibited from performing abortions past 15 weeks of pregnancy, after the Republican-controlled Senate approved a bill Thursday night that is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk. Senators approved the measure (HB 5) in a 23-15 party-line vote that was the culmination of hours of tense debate over two days. Sen.…
LGBT activists hold protest in front of Walt Disney World asking Disney to speak out against Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
As Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill moves forward in the state’s Senate, protests are breaking out everywhere from high schools to the House of Mouse. The LGBT rights advocacy organization SAVE held a protest in front of the Walt Disney World Resort on March 2 to pressure the company to speak out against the…
Markeith Loyd sentenced to death over murder of Orlando police officer
Convicted double murderer Markeith Loyd was sentenced to death for the killing of Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton. The judge followed a jury recommendation from last year when sentencing Loyd to die on Thursday morning. Loyd is already serving a life sentence for the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon in 2017. Loyd killed…
Orlando JetBlue pilot fired after allegedly attempting to fly drunk
A JetBlue pilot was removed from the cockpit of an airplane in Buffalo after authorities allege he showed up to work drunk. The Orlando-based pilot James Clifton was arrested after taking a breathalyser and blowing four times the legal limit for airplane pilots. Authorities with the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority claim that Clifton had a…
Mills 50 gets The Moderne, a late-night social lounge serving Asian-inspired tapas, this fall
The steady makeover of Colonial Drive near Mills Avenue continues. This past year, we’ve seen Tasty Wok move across the street to make way for Korean import Bb.q Chicken. Japango and Dochi brought a little Japanese flavor to the strip. And this year, Sampaguita Filipinx Ice Cream + Bakeshop and Haan Coffee Roasters will split a…
Shamrock the Block street party takes over Thornton Park on St. Patrick’s Day
If amateur hour at your favorite bars has to roll around every March, why not take a step out into the sunshine? Shamrock the Block will get you out of the dankest bars with the worst people and into a beautiful, fun street scene in Thornton Park this St. Patrick’s Day. A ticket to the…
Downtown Orlando’s Angebilt Hotel is bringing on a new Bellhop – in the form of retro bar
A new space in downtown Orlando hopes to be a coffee bar by day and a cocktail bar by night. The Bellhop is being built on the first floor of the historic Angebilt Hotel, in the “heart of a concrete jungle,” according to the Bellhop’s Instagram. The new bar shared its concept art to social…
Orlando-born duo Tonstartssbandht to reissue early cassettes on vinyl through Fire Talk Records
Orlando natives Tonstartssbandht are playing a hometown show at Will’s Pub at the end of March, and this week they’ve made some previously hard-to-find early works available — so you can brush up on some of the band’s admittedly vast catalog before the big night. On Wednesday, Fire Talk Records out of New York released 2009’s An…
Things to do in Orlando, March 2-8: Eric Church, Ongaku 20xx, Super Retro-Con, Ten Tenors, The Toasters
Our editors’ selections of the best stuff to do this week. Thursday, March 3 Bad Romance Le Petite Fete, the organizers of the wildly popular Taylor Swift dance nights, return to their home town for a “dance party featuring your favorite divas.” 8 p.m., Will’s Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave. willspub.org, $20 Call Me Karizma,…
Reunion Omakase at Morimoto Asia brings together top chefs for one baller night of sushi and more
Act fast to get your hands on this hot ticket. On March 21, Yuhi Fujinaga, executive chef of Morimoto Asia, will bring together some talented chefs for a Monday Night Raw of a different sort. Fujinaga, along with Soseki chefs Michael Collantes and Tadateru “CJ” Tokudaiji, and Top Chef Season 3 champ Hung Huynh, will…
Orlando’s Aramis Ayala announces run to be Florida’s attorney general
Aramis Ayala, an Orlando Democrat who was Florida’s first Black state attorney, announced Wednesday she will run for attorney general to try to unseat Republican incumbent Ashley Moody. Ayala created a firestorm by saying she would not seek the death penalty after her 2016 election as state attorney in the 9th Judicial Circuit, which is…
Rich Homie Quan to flex on Orlando with free show at the Beacham this month
Hip-hop star Rich Homie Quan will be playing a free (!) concert at downtown Orlando’s Beacham, as announced by the venue on Wednesday. The Atlanta-born rapper has kept things low-key so far in 2022 with just a few live appearances here and there, but it’s a good as time (and price) as any for Orlando…
Early signs show feeding program helps Florida’s manatees
State wildlife experts say they think efforts to feed lettuce to starving manatees in the Indian River Lagoon are showing signs of providing relief after a record number of deaths last year of the sea cows. But data to back up that contention won’t be known until the cold weather season is over. And a…
Undercover cops sting a weed doc; Orlando Weekly readers think it was a waste of time and money
State health officials are asking an administrative law judge to permanently ban a Tallahassee physician from ordering medical marijuana for patients, suspend his medical license for five years and impose a $10,000 fine, after an investigation that included undercover agents posing as patients. The Department of Health’s proposed penalties against physician Joseph Dorn — who…
Orlando Brewing launches GoFundMe to finance move
Weeks before their 16th anniversary, Orlando Brewing is in the process of moving from its former SoDo home. However, the last year or so has hit the brewery hard, so they’re reaching out to their customers for help via a GoFundMe campaign. On July 5, the former home of OB will be taken over by Orlando Health.…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tells students to take off ‘ridiculous’ face masks at Tampa press conference
Meet the real @GovRonDeSantis. (footage: @EvanDonovan)pic.twitter.com/sTsKHHQEfJ — Kevin Cate (@KevinCate) March 2, 2022 During a press conference announcing funding for a cybersecurity education program in Tampa on Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis scolded students standing on stage for wearing face masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. “You do not have to wear those…
The Beacham’s charitable arm donates $15,000 to Harbor House for kitchen renovations
Harbor House of Central Florida received a $15,000 donation this week from The Beacham to help complete a much-needed kitchen renovation. The donation came through the Orlando venue’s charitable arm, Aspire with Us. The foundation was started in 2020 by the Beacham ownership group with a goal of helping women and minorities, with a particular…
Workers protest Eatonville’s DaJen Eats over allegations of wage theft
Former employees held a protest outside of Eatonville’s vegan cafe DaJen Eats on Saturday, alleging unfair business practices and wage theft. @NotSoIrie, an Instagram account collecting stories about alleged labor violations at the eatery, points toward a trend of wage theft on behalf of management. They allege that owners regularly clocked out employees for 30-minute…
Pair of education bills that would give Florida’s loudest uncles power over school curriculum heads before Senate
The Florida Senate moved forward Tuesday with contentious education measures that would increase scrutiny of school library books and limit how certain race-related concepts are taught, though senators tweaked one of the bills passed by the House last month. The Senate Rules Committee voted 11-5 along party lines to approve the measure involving school-book scrutiny…
Orlando concert picks: alt-J and Portugal. The Man at Orlando Amphitheater; Spirit of the Beehive and Body Meat at Will’s
If you’re a little freaked at the prospect of being boxed in with a bunch of potential carriers, I feel you. Dimas Sánchez and the Afro Latin Jazz Project: Part of Timucua’s educational programming, this event is a combination of masterclass and performance that not only discusses but expresses live the brilliant and game-changing African…
‘The Dropout,’ portraying disgraced biotech mogul Elizabeth Holmes, debuts on Hulu this week
What’s new on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount+, Amazon Prime and Shudder this week. Premieres Wednesday: Against the Ice — Scandinavian history is the basis for a nail-biting suspense flick in which two members of an expedition get stranded in the Arctic while trying to prove that Northeast Greenland belongs to Denmark instead of…
Orlando R+B artist Jaywah drops ‘Attitude,’ an effective merge of classic elegance with modernity
By now, we should all be a little tired of seeing a bunch of guys’ names all over music credits. It’s changing, sure. But it’s not changed yet. It will, though, if more artists like Orlando’s Jaquese Powell get into the game. Under the moniker Jaywah, she’s a young, independent R&B act who’s not just…
The spectacular Broadway tour of ‘Disney’s Frozen’ is currently chilling at Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center
Legendary director Michael Grandage’s latest creation
Rick Scott’s ‘11 Point Plan to Rescue America’ is so insane it’s basically a gift to the Democrats
Mitch McConnell knows how to win the midterm: Oppose everything Joe Biden does, blame him for anything that goes wrong, but never lay out an agenda that turns the election into a choice rather than a referendum. Last week, however, Sen. Rick Scott — a billionaire Medicare scammer who scammed Floridians into narrowly electing him…
