Cover Stories
Florida judges up for retention are the part of the ballot you might be tempted to skip
It’s vitally important that you don’t.
Anna Eskamani wins seat, proves Florida Dems need to run more progressives
The midterms were a slightly mixed bag for Central Florida progressives. Rep. Anna Eskamani held on to her state seat in a newly drawn district and newcomer Maxwell Frost rode a wave of youthful enthusiasm to the US House. However, UCF-area Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith failed to win a new district against Republican challenger Susan Plasencia.…
Legal Public Notices 11/9/2022
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…
Orange County residents approve rent control measure that has already been struck down
Orange County’s pre-doomed rent control ordinance has “passed.” Well over half of voters agreed that rent hikes need to be controlled, bu the law has already been struck down. The ordinance as written covered less than half of rental units in Orange County. It limited those units to a year-over-year hike that was tied to…
Orange County residents strike down 1% transportation sales tax
Orange County voters shot down a proposed 1% increase in sales tax to fund transportation throughout the county on Tuesday. The tax hike was boosted by supporters as a necessary corrective to Orange County’s rapid growth and ever-more-common traffic snarls. The tax hike would bring in an estimated $600 million per year to further fund…
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio fends off challenge from Democrat Val Demings
Former Orlando Police Chief and U.S. House Rep. Val Demings has lost her bid to unseat longtime Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio. Demings — a centrist Democrat with a background seemingly tailor-made to skirt the Republican Party’s nationwide “soft on crime” rhetoric — could not overcome key swings in the state, which has seen its…
Orlando activist Maxwell Frost to represent Gen Z in U.S. House
Maxwell Frost has won his bid for the U.S. House of Representatives. The Orlando activist will be the youngest member of Congress and the first Congressman who is a member of Generation Z. The Associated Press called the race for Frost quickly, with Frost carrying nearly 60% of the vote. Frost beat out opponents in…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wins re-election over Democratic challenger Charlie Crist
Gov. Ron DeSantis won a second term as governor of Florida. The Republican firebrand and likely presidential candidate in 2024 handily beat former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist. Crist was running on the state’s Democratic ticket. With 77% of the votes in as of this writing, the New York Times has called the race for the…
Orlando country radio station K92 FM to throw Jingle Jam concert featuring Walker Hayes
Orlando country radio station K92 FM is putting on an all-star ‘Jingle Jam’ concert in December. And local country music fans must have been good all year, because the lineup is stacked. This holiday-themed show features newer country and roots stars Walker Hayes, Parmalee, Easton Corbin and Nate Smith. The Jingle Jam happens on Sunday,…
Celebrate 100 years of the Orange County Library System in 2023
It’s time to wish the Orange County Library System a happy 100th birthday. The OCLS public library network is set to celebrate a century of service to Central Floridians in January. The 100 Year Celebration kicks off on Jan. 7, 2023 at the Orlando Public Library downtown. From 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., attendees will…
Film composer and industrial music innovator J.G. Thirlwell to play Orlando in December
Here’s a little early holiday gift for Orlando music fans, courtesy Timucua Arts Foundation and Modern Music Movement. Electronic musician and composer J.G. Thirlwell is heading to Orlando in December to play an ambitious new solo work, Silver Mantis. Depending on your aesthetic inclinations, you may know Thirlwell best from his seminal and riotous industrial…
Environmental group sues Florida over dumping in Indian River Lagoon following manatee deaths
After a record number of manatee deaths last year, an environmental group has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the state is violating the Endangered Species Act because of septic tanks and sewage-treatment plants discharging into the Indian River Lagoon in Brevard County. The Indian River Lagoon is a vital habitat for manatees, particularly during…
Subtropical Storm Nicole might impact Florida as a hurricane
Gov. Ron DeSantis declares state of emergency
Val Demings ran ad using Donald Trump’s ‘Little Marco’ insults during Fox News-aired Trump rally
U.S. Rep Val Demings campaign team released an ad featuring clips of former President Donald Trump dissing U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio ahead of Tuesday’s election. The ad, which ran on Fox News on Sunday, features Trump insulting Rubio and calling him “Little Marco.” Demings team purchased airtime on the network during their airing of a…
Krispy Kreme giving away free doughnuts on Election Day
Krispy Kreme is giving away free donuts tomorrow.
Rents are going down across the country, with notable exceptions in these Florida cities
Good news for everyone except Florida! Rent increases are slowing down across the country, with an exception for many cities across the Sunshine State. According to a joint study released today from Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast and University of Alabama, 38 out of 100 measured housing markets across the county experienced a slight decline…
![Florida cops arrest legally blind man for carrying cane [VIDEO]](https://i0.wp.com/www.orlandoweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/screen_shot_2022-11-07_at_10.55.00_am.png?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1)
Florida cops arrest legally blind man for carrying cane [VIDEO]
Jim Hodges was arrested after refusing to identify himself to sheriff’s deputies.
Subtropical Storm Nicole bears down on Florida, Orlando-area counties distributing sandbags
Subtropical storm Nicole is heading this way and Orlando-area counties are distributing sandbags ahead of potential flooding. Nicole is currently several hundred miles east of the Bahamas and is expected to cut westward toward the islands and the Florida peninsula in the coming days. A hurricane watch has been issued by the National Hurricane Center…
Florida groups challenge $15 minimum wage for healthcare workers
Three health-care groups this week challenged how the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration is carrying out a requirement that “direct care” workers get paid a minimum of $15 an hour. The Florida Assisted Living Association, the Florida Ambulance Association and the Home Care Association of Florida filed the challenges at the state Division of…
Florida parents, students challenge ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law in revamped lawsuit
The new lawsuit challenges the controversial law on First Amendment grounds
Pop singer, Central Florida native Aaron Carter dead at 34
The Tampa-born pop star passed away at his California home on Saturday
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was married at Walt Disney World
The governor continues to score points against the supposedly woke megacorp, but he held his wedding in their park
Central Florida counties warn residents to stay off the beach as tropical system nears
A tropical low-pressure system is heading for the eastern coast of Florida, and officials are warning residents and visitors alike to stay off the beach when it arrives. Flagler County and Volusia County officials have issued warnings against being anywhere near the ocean when the system’s effects arrive. This as-yet unformed system will bring high…
Marion County man arrested after flashing gun on Snapchat over ‘school shooter’ fears
A Marion County man was arrested after several people reported that he was flashing a weapon on the social media platform Snapchat and claiming he was “stereotyped as a school shooter.” Marion County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest on their Facebook page but provided scant few details. “We have received multiple calls about a video…
Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken to open first Florida location in Winter Park
Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken, a popular Southern breakfast and lunch chain, will make its Orlando area debut in Winter Park early 2023. This location will be Rise’s first in the Sunshine State, following a year of strong nationwide growth and continual expansion throughout 2022. Most prominent in North Carolina, Rise has doubled its…
Watch suspect lead police on chase across Brevard County in stolen truck
A man from Titusville led authorities on a cross-county chase after crashing into several cars, including some law enforcement vehicles in Brevard. As seen on chopper cam video, the man drove a white truck with a missing tire that authorities claim was stolen across State Road 520 and stopped once before continuing to crash into…
Gas prices are higher than they were before the gas tax holiday in Florida
The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Florida was higher Thursday than at the end of September, before a month-long gas tax “holiday” started, according to the AAA auto club. The average price Thursday was $3.44, up a nickel from Wednesday and 15 cents since Monday, the last day of the…
Florida DOT seeks to dismiss migrant flight records lawsuit
The Florida Department of Transportation late Wednesday urged a circuit judge to dismiss a lawsuit alleging the agency and a contractor did not comply with public-records requests about controversial flights of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. The department filed a nine-page motion in Leon County circuit court, arguing it has “never refused to provide”…
Florida professors could lose tenure for violating state’s race-related instruction laws
Florida’s race-related instruction laws could be used to strip professors of tenure
Walt Disney World starts transforming their park for the holidays
‘Tis already the season at Walt Disney World
Orlando news anchor goes viral on TikTok defending daughters’ homecoming dance outfits
An Orlando news anchor is going viral on TikTok for defending his daughters’ homecoming dance outfits. News 6 anchor Matt Austin shared a photo of his two daughters dressed for a homecoming dance to Facebook earlier this month. In response to criticism of the way his kids were dressed in the comments, Austin made a…
Val Demings loses ground to Marco Rubio in Florida Senate race
With a nearly three-decade career in law enforcement, U.S. Rep. Val Demings not that long ago was viewed as the ideal Democratic candidate to topple U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio this year. An upset win by Demings, a former Orlando police chief who was first elected to Congress in 2016, could help resuscitate the Democratic Party…
Chicago-based sandwich chain Potbelly Sandwich Shop plans to open locations in Orlando
Potbelly has two locations in Tampa area with more on the way in Central Florida
Universal Orlando set to close Shrek, Woody Woodpecker attractions in KidZone
Don’t panic, E.T Adventure is here to stay
Miami-Dade leans Republican in early voting, signaling trouble for Florida Democrats
“This is worse than what we expected. We’re getting our butts kicked right now.”
There were zero reported cases of fentanyl in candy over Halloween weekend
In spite of a panic pushed by police, rainbow fentanyl did not end up in candy baskets
Tampa Bay QB Tom Brady stays in mindless grindset mode even while discussing his own divorce
Tom Brady discussed his divorce on his ‘Let’s Go!’ podcast
New this week on Netflix: ‘Killer Sally,’ ‘Blockbuster,’ and more shows guaranteed to bring a fractured America together
Plus streaming premieres on HBO Max, Apple TV+ and Shudder you won’t want to miss
This week Scorpios will find a way to transmute fear into boldness and badassery
Free Will Astrology: Your horoscope for the week of Nov. 2-8
Dark electronic prophets Legendary Pink Dots will enchant Orlando on Thursday
Frontman and lyricist Edward Ka-Spel, of the long-standing post-punk, avant-garde and spell-binding music experience the Legendary Pink Dots, has no intention of slowing down lest life catch up with him. For the band’s recent online “Hallowe’en Special,” Ka-Spel chronicled a close encounter with the fragility of life’s interconnectedness — a real and recent story of…
Orlando punk band Call In Dead look back and move forward with new album ‘Deepest Condolences’
This year, Orlando punk band Call In Dead made a defining change in personnel with new singer Eva Strangelace, even debuting her in single “Patriarchy.” But before they turn the page completely, they’re formally logging their previous chapter into the book. In an interesting twist of chronology, the recently released Deepest Condolences is simultaneously Call In…
Legendary Shack Shakers postpone this week’s Orlando show
UPDATE: Wednesday’s Legendary Shack Shakers show has been canceled due to concerns over Tropical Storm Nicole. When I first encountered the Legendary Shack Shakers early in their career, their name was obviously presumptive. Now, 20 years later, they are certifiably legendary as not just a cult band but one of the greatest stage acts of…
Wish Rollins College radio station WPRK a happy birthday at this weekend’s Fox Fest
Since it’s organized by WPRK 91.5-FM, Rollins College’s independent student-run radio station, the lineup for this annual music-centric fall festival is always one to watch. And this year packs some real underground star power for the station’s 70th birthday. I profiled headliner Kaelin Ellis in my column earlier this year when the talented young producer…
Lilly Hiatt and Hannah Harber give a masterclass in Americana at Sanford’s Tuffy’s on Friday
Being the daughter of John Hiatt automatically makes you Americana royalty. But over the past decade, Lilly Hiatt has steadily carved even greater distinction through her own work, which has blazed a distinguished path on country music’s indie side with strapping country rock that wears its confidence with comfort. For discerning roots music heads, this…
Get ready for McDonald’s goes metal when Mac Sabbath plays Tuffy’s in Sanford
The only reasonable expectation from a band whose name is a portmanteau of Black Sabbath and McDonald’s is that they’re going to be outrageous. So look out. Shit’s gonna get loud and wild with this lineup. Los Angeles’ Mac Sabbath are exactly that, as a subversive culture-jamming concept band that rocks out while dressed like…
Delve into the ‘Art of the Underground’ Figurehead-style at the History Center this weekend
There were any number of elements that made Figurehead’s 1980s-’90s run of shows so successful — getting the run of venues like the Edge, the Beacham and Sapphire Supper Club and catching the maverick eye of Jim Faherty are two. But one key was the incredibly sharp, sleek and plain gorgeous flyer art that advertised…
Orlando Greek Fest is back this weekend with the tastes, sights and sounds of Greece on offer
Autumn tradition Orlando Greek Fest is back for a long weekend of tasty Greek food, music, artisanal wares and traditional dance performances. The three-day event at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Greater Orlando is ground zero for gourmands of dishes like gyros, loukoumades, dolmades, arni psito and more. Each day of the event…
The Ludes, King Grincewicz and the Campus Creeps and more to get loud for a cause at Orlando’s Will’s Pub
A number of Florida’s loudest and weirdest are rallying up this weekend to help a friend. And you, the audience member, get double the net benefit of the night in both doing a good deed and checking out some stellar Florida clatter. Blues-sludge slashers the Ludes, post-grunge outfit Trash Cinema, Bob on Blonde, and the…
Say ‘Farewell’ to Orlando Museum of Art’s 1st Thursdays this week
It feels like the end of an era, as Orlando Museum of Art closes the book on their popular monthly local-arts showcase and social shindig 1st Thursdays. The Thursday-night staple has been a chance for local artists to get their work on the walls of OMA for one heady night for more than two decades.…
Beabadoobee to make Orlando a ‘Beatopia’ on Thursday
Bedroom-pop favorite Beabadoobee plays the Beacham this week as part of her headlining U.S. Beatopia tour. Bea Kristi, who goes by the stage moniker Beabadoobee, has invited fans into the whimsical world of her mind with her latest release, Beatopia. The album effortlessly blends genre and captures the heart, soul and personality that powers her…
Unlike the 2019 frenzy, the current Orlando engagement of ‘Hamilton’ has plenty of seats available
When Hamilton first toured to Orlando in early 2019, the entire town was buzzing about the Broadway phenomenon’s arrival at the brand-new Dr. Phillips Center, and the scramble to secure tickets was the hottest topic among our arts community for weeks. Well, what a difference a few years and a global pandemic can make, because…
Nancy Pelosi’s husband is expected to recover. American democracy may not
Although members of both parties attempt political violence, only one party openly and unrepentantly celebrates political violence.
