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The Foilies 2022: Recognizing the year’s worst in government transparency
Each year during Sunshine Week in March, The Foilies serve up tongue-in-cheek “awards” for government agencies and assorted institutions that stand in the way of access to public information. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and MuckRock combine forces to collect horror stories about Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state-level public records requests from journalists and transparency…
Orange County Commission seeking study on effects of potential rent control amendment
Orange County Commissioner Emily Bonilla proposed a rent stabilization measure for November’s ballot during a recent meeting. Rent control is illegal in Florida except in instances of “grave emergency.” The law is unclear about what constitutes such an emergency. Bonilla argued during the meeting on Tuesday that Orange County has reached that point, and proposed…
Legal Public Notices 4/6/2022
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below at the property indicated: April 22nd, 2022 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 Jason Todd Grace – Household…
Buddy Guy and John Hiatt team up for Orlando show this summer
American music legends John Hiatt and Buddy Guy are teaming up for some formidable co-headlining dates this summer, including one in Orlando. Blues-guitar maestro Guy and lauded singer-songwriter Hiatt separately are big enough news, but together make for an intriguing night of legendary gritty sounds. Sidebar for the big-time blues fans: Hiatt will be playing…
Upcoming ‘Broadway in Orlando’ season at the Dr. Phil to feature production of ‘Hamilton’ in the fall
The new season of Broadway in Orlando has been announced and expect some heavyweight productions including — yes — Hamilton, starting this fall. ‘Broadway in Orlando’, with new sponsor AdventHealth taking over for Fairwinds, brings touring productions of big-name musicals to downtown Orlando’s Dr. Phillips’s Center for limited engagements, from October through July. The confirmed roster for this…
Disney announces opening date for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ ride at Epcot
After four years of waiting, the Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind ride at Epcot is set to open on May 27, Walt Disney World announced Monday. The $450 million rollercoaster will be one of the largest enclosed coasters in the world. It will also feature the first reverse launch on a coaster in Disney’s…
Orlando Girls Rock Camp returns live and loud this summer
Orlando Girls Rock Camp is happening this summer, and they’ll be once again uplifting the next generation of rock talent in Central Florida. Girls Rock organizers confirmed the dates for this year’s camp — July 18-22 — with a location in downtown Orlando to be announced. The camp is open to girls and non-binary youth ages…
Rep. Randy Fine promises legislation to make gender-affirming treatment of minors illegal
Brevard County Rep. Randy Fine is ready to move forward with the obvious next phase of Republicans assaults on the right of transgender people to exist. The Florida Republican shared to Facebook that he would propose legislation that would make any gender-affirming treatment for minors a felony. The as-yet unwritten proposal would criminalize treatment from…
Florida’s largest college faculty union urges professors, students to ignore ‘intellectual freedom’ surveys
As state leaders launched surveys Monday to measure “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” on college and university campuses, Florida’s largest faculty union urged students and school employees to ignore the questionnaires. The surveys are part of a law (HB 233) approved last year by the Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis. The law requires state colleges…
New York City running ads in Florida in wake of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
New York City launched an ad campaign Monday that takes aim at the controversial new Florida law that critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” The campaign will use digital billboards in Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and West Palm Beach, according to a New York City news release. The “Parental Rights in Education” law will prohibit…
SoDo After Dark brings the neighborhood out to bid farewell to Orlando Brewing
The 4th annual SoDo After Dark is brewing up some fun. The event will take place on April 23 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. It will be held at the curent Orlando Brewing location, where the district will be celebrating OB’s 16 years of brewing. The craft beer staple is moving out of the…
Alachua County voter fraud case pulls the mask off of Florida Republicans’ walk-back of felon voting rights
A 10th former jail inmate is facing felony voter fraud charges, accused of registering to vote and casting a ballot in the 2020 presidential election while owing unpaid court fees dating as far back as 1994. The latest indictment follows an eight-month investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement into voter registration efforts that…
Krispy Kreme to open a new Orlando location in Waterford Lakes
There’s no such thing as too many donuts. We know it, Reddit knows it and Krispy Kreme definitely knows it. The North Carolina based chain is opening its seventh Orlando-area location later this year. Krispy Kreme already has locations all of the metro , with one each in Melbourne, Daytona Beach, Winter Park, and Orlando and…
Adults-only superhero night swoops into the Orlando Science Center this month
In the era of Marvel adults, all folks dream of is getting their superhero on without the hassle of kids . Orlando Science Center is making high-powered dreams come true at their adults-only night, themed around the concept of celluloid supes. This is the chance for adults to let their curiosity flow, have fun and…
Forensic engineering firm hired to investigate deadly Icon Park fall
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried has hired a forensic engineering firm to get to the bottom of what went wrong with the Orlando FreeFall last month. 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell from the tower ride at Icon Park last month. Sampson was in Orlando on a spring break trip from Missouri with his football team.…
Florida judge rules against religious school that wanted to pray over loudspeaker during championship football game
In a long-running legal battle, a federal judge has rejected arguments that the Florida High School Athletic Association improperly prevented Christian schools from offering a prayer over a stadium loudspeaker before a 2015 state championship football game. U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell issued a 38-page ruling Thursday that said the association, the governing body…
EDC will return to downtown Orlando in autumn 2022
Organizers of the annual Electric Daisy Carnival dance bash unveiled the 2022 festival dates, and all systems are go for an autumn return to downtown Orlando. In a trailer — yes like a movie trailer, no foolin’ — released on Friday, it was confirmed that EDC 2022 will be happening from Nov. 11-13 at Tinker Field. EDC is…
Judge refuses to block ‘intellectual freedom’ surveys on Florida college campuses
Surveys aimed at gauging “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” on college and university campuses are on track to go out to students and employees Monday, after a federal judge refused to block the state from distributing the questionnaires. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker on Friday rejected a request by opponents for an injunction against…
Tampa’s viral hairless creature has been identified
A photo of a mysterious and truly miserable-looking animal in Tampa went viral on social media earlier this week and despite what many commenters have speculated, it’s not a hairless bear, or a chupacabra. The photo was posted to Twitter on Monday by user Blizzjuuheardd, along with the comment “Boy what the fuck is this shit…
Meet Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (well, his wax figure) at Madame Tussauds
Folks who think wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a little stiff are half right, at least inside Madame Tussauds. Johnson announced to the world that guests will be able to meet him up close and personal at the Orlando wax museum via an Instagram post. Johnson played a Hollywood stereotype in the WWE before…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Republicans target Walt Disney World’s Reedy Creek government following ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill criticism
Politics in Florida makes strange bedfellows. We’d largely agree that allowing Walt Disney World to have its own private government in Reedy Creek is antithetical to democracy and corporate accountability in Florida. That the House of Mouse government is being questioned by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republicans due to the company’s stance on a hateful…
Icon Park protestor claiming to be Tyre Sampson’s ‘cousin’ is unknown to family
A protestor at Icon Park widely reported to be Tyre Sampson’s cousin is entirely unknown to Sampson’s family. The woman who identified herself as Shay Johnson was quoted in news reports of a protest at the park where 14-year-old Sampson fell off of the Orlando FreeFall thrill ride last week. Sampson was taken to the…
Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law challenged immediately by lawsuit
Three days after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the measure, LGBTQ-advocacy groups, parents, students and a teacher filed a federal lawsuit Thursday challenging a new law that includes barring instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in early school grades. The lawsuit, filed in the federal Northern District of Florida, seeks to block Florida from moving…
Federal judge rules vote-by-mail changes are discriminatory against Black Floridians
In a sharp rebuke to Republican lawmakers, a federal judge on Thursday ruled that parts of a 2021 state elections law were intended to discriminate against Black Floridians. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker also made the rare move of putting Florida under a process known as “preclearance,” meaning that he will have to approve…
A 12-foot alligator moved into a Florida home before new owners could
Everyone’s looking for a piece of real estate in Florida, including 12-foot-long alligators. An 11- to 12-foot alligator was recently discovered hiding out in a newly built Florida home that was days away from seeing new owners. “Sorry Mr Gator, that ones been SOLD. 😂. Babcock Ranch is a beloved place to live and love…
Top Chef winner Hung Huynh joins Orlando’s Omei Restaurant Group
He’s back, folks, and this time he’s here to stay. We hope. Chef Hung Huynh, the uber-talented chef and winner of Top Chef Season 3, has signed on to become Director of Culinary Innovation for the Omei Restaurant Group just three months after leaving his post as executive chef of Ava MediterrAegean. Huynh was serving…
Zymarium Meadery is coming to Mills 50 later this year
Mills 50 has a sweet new resident. Orlando’s first meadery will open on the popular strip later this year. Ginger and Joe Leigh signed the lease for the future home of Zymarium Meadery on March 29. The journey has been a long one, nine months in the making, but they finally have the keys to…
The world’s longest car, complete with helipad and putting green, is now in Orlando
The world’s longest car has made its way to its new home: Dezerland Park Orlando’s Auto Museum. Guinness World Record has verified it as the world’s longest car. “The American Dream” is more than 100 feet long. That topped the old record of just 60 feet, set by the same car before 40 feet of modifications…
Winter Park police release body-camera footage of deadly police shooting at wedding
Winter Park police released body-camera footage on Wednesday that shows the moments leading up to and after a deadly shooting at a wedding in February. Daniel Knight, 39, was shot and killed by police at his niece’s wedding on Feb. 19 after a call was made reporting an “irate” and “violent” guest, according to police.…
‘Nazi pig’: Ron Perlman calls out Gov. Ron DeSantis over Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
Actor Ron Perlman has recently joined the ranks of people who have yelled at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Hellboy actor took to Twitter yesterday to voice his frustration with DeSantis’ recent signing of the controversial “Parental Rights in Education” bill,” which critics have called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. “Good morning Governor DeSantis, Ron…
Plaintiffs ask judge to recuse himself from redistricting lawsuit
The plaintiffs in a lawsuit about drawing new congressional districts are asking a federal judge to remove himself from the case because of his past representation of the Florida House in redistricting issues. The groups Common Cause Florida and FairDistricts Now and five voters filed a motion Tuesday seeking recusal of U.S. District Judge Allen…
Florida settles opioid case against CVS, manufacturers for $870 million
With jury selection scheduled to begin next week in the state’s lawsuit against opioid manufacturers, distributors and retailers, Attorney General Ashley Moody reached settlements totaling more than $870 million with nearly all of the defendants in the case. Moody on Wednesday announced that the state signed settlement agreements with CVS Health Corp., CVS Pharmacy Inc.,…
‘Cats,’ on stage now at Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center, hasn’t burned through all nine of its lives quite yet
In ancient times — i.e., the mid-1980s — before I became besotted with Les Miz, the first Broadway show that I spent my own money to see more than once was Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s infamous adaptation of T.S. Eliot’s feline-focused poems. Originally honored with seven Tony Awards, this groundbreaking vanguard of the Great White…
Last week proved just how illegitimate the Supreme Court is — and how much damage it can do
Amid the racist spectacle of Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing and Ginni Thomas’ wackadoodle insurrectionist text messages, the Supreme Court’s alarming decision in a Wisconsin redistricting case didn’t get the attention it deserved last week. The unsigned shadow-docket edict was an exercise of raw power. The Court’s conservatives inserted themselves into a conflict between Wisconsin’s…
Family members of Tyre Sampson march at Icon Park to demand Free Fall ride be shut down
Friends and family of Tyre Sampson are preparing to march at Icon Park. Their shirts are like football jerseys with #40. Their signs: ‘Justice for Tyre’ pic.twitter.com/27hojfsUxd — Anika Hope (@AnikaHopeTV) March 29, 2022 Family members of the 14-year-old boy who died after falling from the Orlando Free Fall at Icon Park last week marched…
Florida challenges Biden administration’s masking rules on planes, trains and buses
In Florida’s latest salvo against the Biden administration over COVID-19 restrictions, Attorney General Ashley Moody on Tuesday filed a lawsuit challenging requirements that people wear masks in airports and on planes, trains and buses. Moody, joined by attorneys general from 20 other states, filed the lawsuit in federal court in Tampa. In part, it contends…
Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoes redistricting proposal over North Florida district
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday vetoed a congressional redistricting plan passed by the Legislature and said he was calling lawmakers back to Tallahassee in April to draw lines without a “racially gerrymandered” district in North Florida. DeSantis, who had previously announced he would veto the redistricting plan (SB 102), called a special session from April…
Orlando concert picks this week: Tonstartssbandht, Vacations, Buffalo Nichols
If you head out, be safe. Tonstartssbandht, Daisy-Chain, Death Tremors: After a succession of postponements in their attempts to get back out on the road, the hometown show by local psych breakouts Tonstartssbandht is finally happening. Although their touring life has been beleaguered by COVID, the Orlando brothers are actually riding high on a significant…
Things to do in Orlando this week: The Zombies, Alan Cumming, Curren$y, Anamanaguchi
Our selections of the best stuff to do this week. Wednesday, March 30 Alan CummingScottish-American jack-of-all trades Cumming is defiantly “Not acting his age” in the one-man show he’s bringing to Steinmetz all about the inevitable foibles of aging. An evening of stories, routines and songs from the actor/musician/comedian/X-Men‘s Nightcrawler. There should be something for…
New on Netflix: In ‘The Last Bus,’ British kids on a school trip discover that the world is overrun by angry robots
Premieres Wednesday: All Hail — If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if we held meteorologists accountable for their job performance, here’s the movie for you. It’s the story of Miguel Flores, the top weatherman in Buenos Aires, who fails to predict a major hailstorm and gets banished to his hometown as punishment. I bet…
Orlando singer Casey Conroy reflects on a year of big moves and new music
“My dad used to say to my sisters and I when we were kids that ‘life’s not that serious.” Orlando’s Casey Conroy is reflecting on her debut EP, It’s Just Living. She is sitting in her new temporary apartment, somewhere in the valleys of southern California. “We’re so lucky that every morning we just get…
Orlando’s Marc With a C releases cover of Jarvis Cocker’s ‘Running the World’ to aid Ukraine
Plus: Amphetamines drop new EP ‘Daggers in the Blacklight’
Free Will Astrology: Your horoscope for the week of March 30–April 5
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In 1904, it wasn’t illegal to use performance-enhancing drugs during Olympic competitions. Runner Thomas Hicks took advantage of this in the marathon race. The poison strychnine, which in small doses serves as a stimulant, was one of his boosters. Another was brandy. By the time he approached the finish line, he…
