Cover Story
100 years ago in Ocoee, Black residents were murdered and driven off the land they owned, yet few know the story
. A new show at the Orange County History Center and a new state education bill aim to change that
Legal Public Notices 11/18 issue
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 the location indicated: 342 Woodland Lake Drive, Orlando, FL 32828, 321-800-4793, on 12/10/20 at 2:00pm. Orlando Rodriguez: furniture, sofa, boxes, artwork, dresser, ottoman, radio, dining room table, grill, bike. The auction will…
Big Fin Seafood Kitchen ‘Supports Locals’ with special menu that raises funds for Feed the Need
Orlando restaurant Big Fin Seafood Kitchen is serving up a special “Support Locals” menu now through the end of 2020, with a portion of the proceeds going to assist locals experiencing food insecurity as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. One dollar from each of the $35 prix fixe dinners sold will be donated to Feed…
Mickey Mouse Clubbers reunite for a Christmas album that will benefit Disney nonprofit Cast Member Pantry
A group of all-star Mickey Mouse Club alumni are reuniting this month to release a compilation album of holiday classics – Why? Because It’s Christmas – and a portion of the proceeds will go to a local nonprofit working to help local out-of-work Disney employees. Why? Because It’s Christmas features holiday chestnuts performed by former Mouse Clubbers…
Flying cars in Orlando? The first U.S. ‘air taxi’ hub is coming to Lake Nona by 2025
Move over, I-4 Ultimate – the skies over Orlando may very well look like The Jetsons in a few years. A new partnership between Tavistock Development Company, the city of Orlando and Lilium Aviation, Inc. is moving forward with a plan to bring a “high-speed, electric air mobility network” to Orlando by 2025. Lilium, a German…
Legal Public Notices 11/11 issue
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 the location indicated: 408 N Primrose Dr Orlando FL 32803, 321-285-5021 on 11/19/2020 @ 10:00 am. Stephanie Berrios- mattress, Angela Bland- household items The auction will be listed and advertised on…
Orlando company to offer last-minute rapid COVID-19 testing on holiday ‘eves’
The holidays are almost here (how!?), and a lot of people are going to be traveling and hosting or attending get-togethers with family and friends, pandemic be damned. For those wanting to take a precautionary measure at the last possible second, an Orlando company will be doing rapid COVID-19 on the crunch-time dates of Thanksgiving…
Osceola attraction Wild Florida to sell annual passes for drive-thru safari
Osceola County animal attraction Wild Florida will soon be offering an annual pass for their Drive-thru Safari for the first time later this month. And you only can snap this deal up during – when else? – the spendapalooza shopping weekend that kicks off on Black Friday. From Nov. 27-30, the Drive-thru Safari Annual Pass will be going for a…
Florida Attorney General signs on to brief challenging Pennsylvania absentee ballot count
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody signed on Monday to a brief aimed at convincing the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that allowed Pennsylvania elections officials to count some late-arriving absentee ballots. Moody was one of 10 Republicans attorneys general who filed the brief in a challenge to a decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme…
Florida waits as Tropical Storm Eta ‘meanders’ in Gulf of Mexico
Tropical Storm Eta remained almost stationary Tuesday in the Gulf of Mexico, continuing to bring rain to South Florida and swells along the state’s west coast, as forecasters wait for the system to move north, possibly into the Panhandle later in the week. The National Hurricane Center pointed to the system meandering Tuesday afternoon off…
‘Uprooting Prejudice: Faces of Change’ photo exhibit opens at Maitland’s Holocaust Center
Maitland’s Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center announced the opening of a new photographic exhibit this week, Uprooting Prejudice: Faces of Change. The exhibition consists of photographs taken by Minneapolis photographer John Noltner – whose work has appeared in National Geographic and Smithsonian – following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. A couple of days after…
Classic Albums Live Band to play ‘Abbey Road’ on NYE at Orlando’s Hard Rock Live
If you’re feeling feisty and fortified enough to head to a club and hear some live music on New Year’s Eve, Hard Rock Live announced on Tuesday that a crack classic-rock covers squad will be playing the Beatles’ goodbye note, Abbey Road, from start to finish to usher in 2021. If you want a musical…
Leslye Gale’s O-Town Lowdown on Magic 107.7 for Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. Florida’s newly elected and returning legislators will report to Tallahassee next week. The House and Senate are laying out very different Covid plans. – LINK Also happening next…
Maitlander Chris Nikic becomes first person with Down Syndrome to complete the grueling Ironman triathlon
Maitland resident and Special Olympics Florida athlete Chris Nikic made sports history over the weekend, becoming the first person with Down Syndrome ever to complete the grueling Ironman triathlon. For the uninitiated, the limits-testing Ironman course consists of – and our muscles gave out just typing this – a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race and a 26.2-mile run.…
This absolute unit from the Orange County Animal Services shelter found TikTok fame and a new home, in that order
The Orange County Animal Services shelter knew they had a sweet, sweet hunk of chonky on their hands when they took in Ohno … but they didn’t know that after they posted her photo on their website, they also had a bona fide celebricat. They made a special adoption video for her with “Officer Danielle,”…
Eta could bring tropical storm conditions to Orlando as early as Wednesday
Florida faces a second impact from Tropical Storm Eta later this week, but the path, along with the future strength of the storm, remains uncertain. Eta, the record-tying 28th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, moved Monday into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico after saturating the Florida Keys and South Florida with rains up…
The Florida Legislature will convene next week, and in the Senate, masks will not be mandated
Legislative leaders released details last week surrounding the Nov. 17 organization session, with the House and Senate laying out different plans for how they will conduct business and celebrate election victories amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While organization sessions are normally ceremonial events where family members and friends watch legislators get sworn in, incoming Senate President…
Leslye Gale’s O-Town Lowdown on Magic 107.7 for Monday, Nov. 9, 2020
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. Picture sitting under the stars with a glass of chilled white wine and Marilyn Monroe on the big screen. Thanks to the creative folks at the Enzian Theater…
Enzian announces ‘Fountain Features’ outdoor film series starting this week
Maitland movie house Enzian Theater is launching a new outdoor film series this week, Fountain Features, in the attractive environs of their Eden Bar. Fountain Features kicks off Wednesday, Nov. 11, with the Marilyn Monroe vehicle Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and will continue weekly through the holiday season. Fountain Features will be a strictly limited (capacity)…
Trump adviser attributes GOP win in Florida to door-knocking, rallies and successfully branding Dems as ‘socialists’
A top Florida campaign strategist for President Donald Trump credited outreach to a broad swath of voters and sophisticated use of data as playing key roles in Trump’s win Tuesday over Democrat Joe Biden in the state. Trump senior adviser Susie Wiles, in a three-page memo Thursday, said the campaign focused on reaching out to…
Antifa hunter and milkshake attractor Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz tests positive for coronavirus antibodies
It was widely reported Saturday that U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) has contracted coronavirus. Gaetz denies this, however, stating that he has tested positive for the antibodies, not the virus. (Here’s Johns Hopkins Medicine’s explanation of the difference between a viral test and an antibody test.) Politico’s Playbook newsletter on Saturday morning stated, “GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of…
DeSantis declares state of emergency in eight Florida counties as Tropical Storm Eta nears
A state of emergency was declared Saturday by Gov. Ron DeSantis for eight southern Florida counties because of a growing threat from Tropical Storm Eta, which also could affect northern parts of the state later in the week. DeSantis issued an executive order that declared the state of emergency in Broward, Collier, Hendry, Lee, Martin,…
Trump triumph, down-ticket GOP wins prove ‘Florida Man’ bleeds red
Shifting from laughingstock to the epitome of efficiency, Florida’s mastery of the presidential election this week may erase the longstanding blemish that hanging chads and butterfly ballots branded on the Sunshine State two decades ago. As of Friday morning, the race between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden was still a nail-biter nationally,…
Internet comes through with trap, house, and Wu-Tang remixes of Paula White’s epic rant
Central Florida pastor Paula White, who has also served as Donald Trump’s “God whisperer” in the past four years, busted out an ardent and deeply weird preach/rant at a prayer service last Wednesday night. Related As these things do, a clip of White chanting about Trump went viral, and of course, the remixers of Twitter had their…
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris take the White House in historic Democratic win
The election has been called, and Joe Biden will be the 46th President of the United States. By gaining Pennsylvania’s electoral votes, Biden has passed the threshhold of 270 electoral votes required for victory. Florida, of course, went red, but our 29 electoral votes did not go into the winning column. Kamala Harris makes history…
Sweeping losses leave Florida Dems in shreds as they gear up for midterm elections in 2022
Forget purple state. And don’t even think about blue state. Florida Republicans dominated Tuesday’s elections from the top of the ballot on down, leaving Democrats searching for answers after more than two decades of GOP control of the state. In a victory that by Sunshine State standards was a landslide, President Donald Trump defeated Democratic…
Hawkers to serve up seasonal ‘Thanks + Giving Bao’ through November in Florida
Asian street-food emporium Hawkers is offering a new Thanksgiving-leftovers-themed goodie for the month, and if you buy one (or more) some of the money is going to a good cause. From Nov. 11-25 (day before Thanksgiving), you can avail yourself of the Thanks & Giving Bao – a bao bun bursting with roasted duck, sage stuffing, and…
Universal Orlando’s holiday celebration will include a chance to get up close and personal with the Macy’s Balloons
Universal Orlando Resort has unwrapped this year’s holiday happenings. The celebration runs from Nov. 14 through Jan. 3, 2021. Universal is presenting a socially distanced spin on their traditional offerings — for instance, rather than presenting the Macy’s Balloons in a crowded parade setting, this year, “Guests will stroll along a picturesque pathway where they’ll…
Orlando Burger Week is upon us, complete with $5 burgers from an army of Orlando restaurants
Orlando Burger Week is happening right now, and after a week like this you’ve certainly earned a dose of comfort food. With over 30 local restaurants participating and five extra days added to Burger Week, everything about this year’s event is bigger and better … except for the prices. These burger specials cooked up from…
Leslye Gale’s O-Town Lowdown on Magic 107.7 for Friday, Nov. 6, 2020
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. With record numbers of Covid cases being reported, Orlando will be offering free, drive-thru testing at Barnett Park starting next week. – LINK When White Castle slides into…
Amid skyrocketing COVID cases, DeSantis decides Florida seniors may come and go from nursing homes without testing
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, which has made a concerted effort to scale back restrictions enacted because of the coronavirus, wants to make it easier for residents of long-term care facilities to reunite with families for the holidays — even it means forgoing COVID-19 testing. The DeSantis administration on Wednesday provided answers to questions that nursing…
White Castle to break ground on massive Orlando outpost this month
Tiny hamburger time grows ever nearer for Orlando. Construction will begin on Orlando’s first branch of the famed fast-food chain White Castle – also set to be the largest free-standing White Castle in the WORLD – with a groundbreaking on Thursday, Nov. 19. The 4,567 square-foot restaurant – complete with indoor and outdoor seating and two drive-through lanes…
After spending $6 million to raise Florida’s minimum wage, John Morgan says he’s done with politics
Orlando attorney John Morgan won’t fund more constitutional amendments. And end the rumors that he’ll ever run for political office, he said Wednesday while ruminating on passage of a minimum-wage amendment and his own mortality. “The good news for Florida, and the better news for the legislators and the special interests and the Chamber of…
Orange County Public Schools’ Medical Advisory Committee urges Florida to extend virtual learning
Orange County Public Schools’ Medical Advisory Committee sent a letter to Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran on Wednesday, strongly urging that Orange County’s schools be allowed to continue with virtual education as an option through the balance of the 2020-21 school year. The School Board here in Orange County established the Medical Advisory Committee back in…
Timucua Arts Foundation kicks off concert series at the Dr. Phil with Nestor Torres
The Timucua Arts Foundation announced on Thursday the beginning of a new partnership with the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Orlando. Beginning in December, Timucua will program a series of concerts at the Dr. Phil, kicking off with a mellifluous bang courtesy of Latin Grammy-winning jazz flutist Nestor Torres. On Saturday, Dec. 5,…
Leslye Gale’s O-Town Lowdown on Magic 107.7 for Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. With the announcement of more Disney layoffs and the closing of the Parliament House, it was a difficult week for the hard-working folk of Central Florida. Bao’s Castle…
Universal Orlando announces new ‘Endless Summer Resort’ to open on-site in December
Universal Orlando is taking the plunge and opening its newest on-site hotel, the Endless Summer Resort Dockside Inn and Suites, in December. On Dec. 15, the doors will swing open at Dockside Inn and Suites, the second of Universal’s “Value” hotels – along with Surfside Inn and Suites – with nightly rates starting at $79, and an increased emphasis on…
Orange County Health Services to offer free, drive-thru rapid COVID-19 testing at Barnett Park starting next week
Orange County Health Services will begin offering drive-thru rapid COVID-19 testing for free at Barnett Park, beginning next week. A rapid COVID-19 testing facility will be set up at Barnett starting Monday, Nov. 9 and running through the end of 2020, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. This service will be free to Orange County residents.…
Central Florida right-wing preacher’s prayer for Trump gets the Twitter remix treatment
As it becomes more and more apparent that Democratic candidate Joe Biden has a clear path to the presidency, ardent supporters of Donald Trump are doing whatever it takes to thwart this momentum, including chanting rhythmic prayers that can easily be remixed over an Eminem beat. Related This was the case with Paula White, a…
This is fine
As if the existential dread of waiting on the results of the 2020 presidential election wasn’t enough, it now appears that a Tropical Storm will hit most of the Florida peninsula in the next few days. According to the National Hurricane Center’s 7 a.m. EST update, Tropical Storm Eta made landfall as a Category 4…
OK, horny grandpa: Stay off Tinder, be on the alert for scammers, and do NOT send a dick pic
I’m a nearly 80-year-old straight man, with undiminished libido. I have no problem with it, just a persistent curiosity. Like, why now? And why so various? And is it common among us old geezers? Male and female? I’m more sex-obsessed than ever before, including adolescence. Until my 60s, tits were my sexual focus, and other…
‘We miss Florida so much’: British couple haven’t been able to visit their second home here since January
Regarding the Oct. 28 article “DeSantis supports lifting travel restrictions so U.K., Brazilian tourists can return to Central Florida”: We need to change the U.K. flight ban to an Orlando open again, with quarantine restrictions or rapid COVID-19 testing. We live in the United Kingdom and were fortunate enough to purchase a second home in…
Netflix debuts ‘Love and Anarchy,’ an outrageous Swedish romantic dramedy series
Plus more streaming premieres you won’t want to miss
Between the Disney layoffs and the Parliament House closing, last week was the worst ever for Orlando entertainers
Luckily, the ‘Spooky and Gay’ picnic cabaret stepped up to soothe
The Week: Things to do in Orlando Nov. 4-10, 2020
All the best stuff to enjoy this week in Orlando. Wednesday, Nov. 4Orlando City SC vs. Columbus Crew SCMLS Soccer. 7:30 p.m., $25-$129. Exploria Stadium, 655 W. Church St., orlandocitysc.com Wednesday, Nov. 4Virtual Studio Visit: Edson CamposMeet the local artist and take a virtual look into his studio and his practice. 6 p.m., free. Presented…
