A Pokemon parade at Universal Studios Japan might hint at what’s coming for Epic Universe
Japan’s outpost of Universal Studios seems to be one step ahead of stateside parks. While we wait for Epic Universe to open with a Super Nintendo-themed land, there’s already a fully operational Super Nintendo World across the Pacific. And while Pokémon projects have long been rumored at Universal, Japan’s park has already confirmed a multi-year,…
Orlando’s Corridor Project announces participating artists set to turn I-4 billboards into ad hoc art exhibition
Last month we wrote about the open call for artists to participate in the Billboard Exhibition, an ambitious public-art undertaking that will turn billboards along I-4 in Central Florida into canvases for a host of local artists, starting in the final days of 2021 and running into January. Well, the call for artists is now…
Icon Park doubles down on roadside rides with two record-breaking attractions
We’re still weeks away from international tourists returning, and business travel may never fully recover. However, any uncertainty that may still be found in the travel industry can’t be seen from International Drive. While other attractions have been fretting, Icon Park has been busy forever changing the skyline of Orlando. Already home to two of…
Legal Public Notices 10/27 issue
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below at the property indicated: November 5, 2021 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 Eric Brooks – Household Goods,…
Orlando Beer Festival returns to Festival Park this November
Having a few beers outside was one of the few joys left when the world went into lockdown. Now that the COVID-19 outlook is a bit less terrible and vaccination numbers continue to rise, we’re bringing back the opportunity to have a beer in the park with 3,000 of your closest (respectfully distanced) friends. Orlando…
The Milk District’s new food hall concept Milkhouse is now serving on a soft opening basis
The Milkhouse Eatery & Cocktails food hall in — where else? — the Milk District have quietly and stealthily thrown their doors open for a soft opening trial period starting Tuesday. When we last wrote about Milkhouse back in July, the roster of tenants for the hall was shaping up to include Cicchetti, Bagel Bruno (both courtesy Pizza Bruno’s…
Comedian Tig Notaro wants to say ‘Hello Again’ to Orlando in 2022
Comedian Tig Notaro is ready to say ‘Hello Again” to Orlando, with a live performance scheduled for early 2022. Notaro announced her three-month “Hello Again” trek this week. The tour kicks off in January in Pittsburgh and finally winds its way down into Florida for three shows in February. Notaro will headline the Plaza Live…
Florida’s CFO pitches In-N-Out Burger on move to Florida following chain’s vaccine mandate fight
Florida’s CFO Jimmy Patronis is pushing to bring the iconic West Coast burger chain In-N-Out to Florida, following the chain’s pushback against vaccine mandates in California. The lone San Francisco location of the fast food chain was closed briefly after failing to check customers vaccination status, a requirement for indoor dining under a citywide mandate.…
Florida Dragstrip Riot 5 brings muscle cars to Orlando Speed World this weekend
It’s a generally accepted truism that things feel worse all the time. The last year or so has done little to dispel the idea that the trajectory of the world in general is pointing down. But that doesn’t mean we can’t stave it off with some good, old fashioned nostalgia. Feel a blast from the…
Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash to roll into Orlando’s Hard Rock Live solo-style in 2022
Guns N’ Roses axeman and top-hat connoisseur Slash has announced a tour next year, and he’ll be rambling into Orlando thanks to the good people at WJRR. In February of next year, the guitarist will release his fifth solo album from his solo project Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators (try chanting that for…
Judge rules that online orders of medical marijuana are OK in Florida
Leafly and similar sites will be able to resume contracting with Florida medical-marijuana operators to allow patients to order products online, under a ruling issued Monday by an administrative law judge. Florida health officials this year stopped medical-marijuana operators from using Leafly and other third-party sites to process patient orders, saying the arrangements violated a…
Ron DeSantis pushes $5,000 signing bonus in Florida for nation’s anti-vax cops
Last year, COVID-19 was the leading cause of death for police officers in the country, killing more cops than gun violence and vehicle crashes combined. And, while most first responders believe that getting vaccinated is part of what it means to “serve and protect,” many still don’t, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants these un-vaxxed…
Joe Biden admin warns Florida against blocking federal aid to school districts punished over mask mandates
President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday warned top Florida education officials to “reconsider your threatened actions” after the state said it would try to thwart attempts to use federal money to cover salaries of county school-board members who approved student mask requirements. Eight school boards face state financial penalties because of decisions to enact mask…
Everything we saw when AEW Dynamite took over Orlando
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Orange County school board leave mask mandate off agenda as expiration date looms
Orange County Public Schools may stop requiring students to wear masks next month. Though the school district is currently locked in a legal battle with the state over their decision to implement mask mandates amid a startling COVID-19 spike in county schools, the school board appears ready to let their mandate end. The district sent…
Brevard County School Board weighs changes to public comment rules following months of mask debates
Brevard County School Board members are considering limiting the amount of time speakers get for public comment, after several meetings have dragged on for hours. The idea that changes might be necessary came after a heated start to the school year that saw many districts considering mandatory masks to protect students against COVID-19. This led…
Florida could spend nearly $4 million to address manatee deaths
The DeSantis administration is asking state lawmakers to allow it to spend nearly $4 million to help Florida’s suffering manatees, which have been dying of starvation at a frightening rate. Deaths could rise further over the approaching winter months. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year includes $3.8 million…
Florida’s surgeon general refused request to wear mask from state senator suffering from breast cancer
Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson has backed Sen. Tina Polsky, a Boca Raton Democrat who is being treated for breast cancer, after an incident in which state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo refused to put on a mask while they spoke. Simpson, R-Trilby, sent a memo Saturday evening to senators and staff members after the Florida…
Judge to rule on future of Florida’s school mask mandate ban
An administrative law judge will have up to two weeks to issue a decision after a hearing ended Friday in a challenge by six school boards to a state Department of Health rule designed to prevent student mask requirements. The challenge was filed by school boards in Alachua, Broward, Duval, Miami-Dade, Orange and Leon counties,…
AAHZ Reunion returns to the Beacham for an evening of Orlando Breaks luminaries in November
It’s a reunion of a reunion! After sitting out last year, the AAHZ Reunion dance night is back next month in time for the holidays. A yearly event that brings together the luminaries of Orlando Breaks and a few of their biggest fans for a blowout that’s sure to make all involved bleary-eyed and groggy…
Umphrey’s McGee replaces Joe Russo’s Almost Dead as Hulaween headliner
Hulaween is fast approaching and Florida’s jam band-loving folks are gearing up to descend on Live Oak for three nights of noodling and bass drops. Unfortunately for some, the band Joe Russo’s Almost Dead won’t be there. The act was forced to drop their headlining slot due to “unforeseen circumstances” with Umphrey’s McGee stepping in…
Florida election supervisors plead with GOP candidates to move away from ‘stolen election’ rhetoric
As Republicans throughout the nation continue to refuse to acknowledge former President Donald Trump’s re-election loss to Democrat Joe Biden nearly a year ago, Florida supervisors of elections are pleading with candidates and elected officials to tamp down the rhetoric. “The Great American Experiment, our cherished democracy, is under threat. Our nation is only as…
Italian chain Spoleto returning to Orlando as a ghost kitchen
Last year we wrote about the closing of all the Orlando area locations of Italian destination Spoleto, but it looks like the fast-casual restaurant is rising from the metaphorical grave as a ghost (kitchen) locally. In spring of 2020, the Brazil-based Italian chain abruptly shuttered all Central Florida outposts abruptly due to the pandemic’s impact…
Florida Jerk Festival brings Caribbean music, food to Lake Lorna Doone Park on Sunday
Though they took a few years off, reports of the Florida Jerk Festival’s death were an exaggeration. The Caribbean celebration returns to Lake Lorna Doone Park this Sunday (October 24) with a healthy slate of food and music. On the music front, the fest will be a cross-section of Caribbean styles. Soca music, reggae and…
Florida Gov. threatens Orange County over vaccine mandates. Mayor Jerry Demings says ‘bring it on’
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings was not cowed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ continued threats against the county over vaccine mandates. DeSantis called out Orange County at a rally earlier this week, noting the story of a fire and rescue battalion chief who was terminated for refusing to discipline firefighters who ran afoul of the…
Lawsuit accusing Florida of withholding COVID-19 data at height of pandemic moves forward
A Leon County circuit judge has scheduled a two-day hearing next month in a lawsuit alleging the Florida Department of Health has violated public-records laws by refusing to provide detailed data about the COVID-19 pandemic. Judge John Cooper issued an order this week scheduling the hearing on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10. State Rep. Carlos…
Florida’s new surgeon general questions COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness
Florida’s new surgeon general questioned the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines during a Ron DeSantis rally on Thursday. Joseph Ladapo, whose first act as the state’s surgeon general was allowing children who had been exposed to COVID-19 to return to school without quarantining, posited that vaccines were not a solution because vaccinated people still occasionally contract…
Orlando artist Meka Nism releases lush new solo single “The Day Fell”
Meka Nism, frontperson of eponymous Orlando metal ragers Meka Nism has thrown fans a curveball with her new solo single — a dramatic departure from the heavier sounds she’s known best for. “The Day Fell” is a moving and emotive number written by Meka on piano during the lockdown summer of 2020, and has way more in…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to call special session of legislature to ban vaccine mandates
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced his intention on Thursday to call a special session of the Florida legislature to pass a law barring vaccine mandates in the state. At a a rally in Clearwater, DeSantis told the crowd he plans to call legislators back for an emergency session in November with the purpose of passing…
Florida Cannabis Festival returns to Mount Dora in November
Mount Dora is about to get conspicuously mellow once again as the Florida Cannabis Festival returns in early November. For a second year, Renninger’s Twin Markets will be host to the Festival, assembling a small army of vendors, along food options, live music and cannabis advocacy. Currently, there are 200 vendors scheduled to table over…
Judge orders conservative thinktank to turn over communications with lawmakers around Florida’s voter suppression bill
A federal judge has ruled that the conservative Heritage Foundation and its lobbying arm are required to turn over documents to groups challenging the constitutionality of a new Florida elections law. The Florida State Conference of the NAACP, Common Cause and Disability Rights Florida asked U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks to compel the Heritage Foundation…
Florida approves changes to civics education, seeking ‘upright and desirable’ citizens
The State Board of Education on Wednesday approved a new rule aimed at shaping civic education in public schools. The rule, which centers in part on teaching students about characteristics that make an “upright and desirable” citizen, is the culmination of legislation passed by state lawmakers earlier this year. Making changes that inject patriotism into…
School districts’ challenge of Florida’s school mask mandate ban will be heard in court
An administrative law judge Wednesday rejected a request by the Florida Department of Health to dismiss a challenge by six school boards to a rule that seeks to prevent student mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision by Judge Brian Newman came a day before a hearing is scheduled to start in the challenge…
A Florida man applied for 60 entry-level jobs in a month to prove the so-called ‘labor shortage’ is a myth
In a bit of pushback to the all-around lie that people don’t want to work anymore, a Florida man applied for more than 60 entry-level jobs in his area and only heard back from one. Joey Holz said he was inspired to apply for two jobs a day the entire month of September by increasing…
All Them Witches to cast musical spells at the Abbey on Halloween week
Based on the name alone, All Them Witches will roll into Orlando’s Abbey at a most fortuitous time — Halloween week. The musical coven of Nashville-based psych rockers — named after a book briefly spotted in Rosemary’s Baby — are currently on the road promoting their expansive 2020 release Nothing as the Ideal. All Them Witches headline the Abbey with…
Thornton Park’s big Halloween Block Party returning this month
Thornton Park’s big Halloween Block Party bash is coming back this year for an 8th go-around. On Saturday, Oct. 30, a stretch of Washington Street in the Thornton Park District near downtown Orlando will shut down to cars but open up to a massive monster mash. The evening features DJ Blue Star, stilt walkers, fire dancers,…
Pour Choice Taphouse on Mills Avenue is in soft opening mode
New Mills 50 drinks emporium the Pour Choice Taphouse is currently in soft opening mode. So if you want to get a sneak peek at this “self-pouring” taproom, now’s the time. An Instagram post on Tuesday, casually broke the news that Pour Choice’s doors are open for a test run. And according to the post,…
Orange County Fire & Rescue chief fired over refusal to discipline employees who bucked COVID-19 vaccine mandate
An Orange County Fire & Rescue battalion chief was fired for refusing to discipline firefighters who refused to get vaccinated. The Orlando Sentinel reports that Chief Stephen Davis was terminated by the department over insubordination. As Orange County employees, all OCFR members were required to begin the process of getting vaccinated by the end of…
Alt-right troll, congressional hopeful Laura Loomer has raised over $100k this quarter (but none of it came from her Central Florida district)
Laura Loomer has raised over $100,000 this quarter for her congressional campaign, but not one red cent of it came from the Central Florida district she plans to represent. That news comes courtesy of Florida Politics, who report that the alt-right troll and would-be representative has raised $106K in donations from across the nation, with…
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Florida continue to drop
The numbers of Florida residents hospitalized and in intensive-care units because of COVID-19 continue to drop. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services posted data Tuesday that showed 2,852 inpatients at Florida hospitals had COVID-19, down from 3,945 a week earlier and 5,414 on Oct. 1. Similarly, the federal website Tuesday reported 762 patients…
No immediate solution to healthcare staffing shortages in Florida, say industry leaders
A staffing crisis currently plaguing hospitals, nursing homes and community health centers likely has no short-term solution, a panel of industry leaders told state lawmakers Tuesday. Florida Hospital Association President and CEO Mary Mayhew told the House Health & Human Services Committee that eliminating burdensome paperwork and “anything that is detracting from the care at…
New music from Orlando natives Tonstartssbandht out this week
They may be a breakout act, but Tonstartssbandht (pronounced “ton-starts-bandit”) are still very much a self-proclaimed Orlando band. After starting out playing noisy shows at local spots like Uncle Lou’s, the brotherly duo of Andy and Edwin White went on to other cities like New York and Montreal and became a relentlessly touring band of…
Gatlin Hall Brewing brings top-notch beer and bites to a rejuvenated SoDo plaza
The enlivening of the South Orange corridor between Michigan Street and the town of Edgewood continues. Gatlin Hall Brewing’s opening complements its neighbors — The Porch, Buttercrust Pizza and anchor Brazas Chicken — as yet another excellent option for happy hour, casual weeknight eats and leisurely weekend hangs. The dozen beers produced on site at…
Find out Thursday if Denis Villeneuve loused up ‘Dune’ like David Lynch did or found new ways to suck
Premieres Wednesday, Oct. 20: Found — Here’s the story of three sisters who found each other on 23andMe and ventured off to explore their roots in China. Damn, all I learned from 23andMe was that my roots are in the Many Saints of Newark. (Netflix) Night Teeth — A chauffeur discovers his female passengers are…
Wild Fork is now open in Orlando, Bad As’s moves back to the Milk District, and more local food news
OPENINGS + CLOSINGS: Bad As’s Sandwiches has closed its Fairbanks location and moved all staff into the original spot on Primrose Drive in the Milk District … Top Chef All-Stars winner and James Beard nominee Richard Blais will open a concept in the former Hemingway’s restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. Look for an…
Gun school: A true story of fear, fatherhood and the collapse of the empire
The class I took was Basic Handgun, a beginners course in which I was introduced to “the operation of semi-automatics, revolvers, and firearm safety.” It was September 2020, mid-lockdown, mid-crazy, a month before my second son would be born, 22 years after my first son was born. At gun school, social distancing would be practiced,…
Simply avoiding wedge issues isn’t going to be enough for Dems to win swing voters in the upcoming elections
With apologies for starting consecutive columns in North Carolina, let me tell you a story about the state’s first Black lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson. He’s a Republican religious fundamentalist with a long history of anti-LGBTQ social media posts who rose to fame after a pro-gun speech went viral. He’s spent his time in office targeting…
Savage Love: ‘His reaction to your sudden onset of warts will tell you everything you need to know about him’
Dear Dan: I’m a woman in her 40s in a relationship with a man and I have my first STI with symptoms. Genital warts — yay! I noticed them about two months ago (near my b-hole) and went to the gyno today and had them treated. My question is, do I need to tell my…
Spooky Empire brings Alex Vincent, aka Andy Barclay from the ‘Child‘s Play’ films, back to Orlando
COVID-19 nearly dealt a killing blow to the pop-culture fan convention circuit last year. But just like an ’80s slasher movie villain, you can’t keep a good con down, and Spooky Empire (spookyempire.com) — which has grown over 18 years into one of the nation’s biggest gatherings of fright-flick fans — is staggering back into…
Orlando concert picks, Oct. 21-26: Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Tinnitus Rex and more
Sheer Mag, Soul Glo, Human: Headlined by two of Philadelphia’s brightest, this hat trick is one of the best lineups this year. Sheer Mag, who ignited Will’s Pub in their 2017 debut, are an all-out rock & roll party. Afro-punk band Soul Glo, who scorched Uncle Lou’s in 2019, are an inferno of hard truth…
Things to do in Orlando, Oct. 20-26: The Hives, Playboi Carti, Spooky Empire, Bad Religion
Our selections of the best stuff to do this week. Wednesday, Oct. 20The HivesSometimes you just have to admit that the bands of your youth have become “legacy acts,” touring on ever-fainter reflections of their former glamour. At least with Swedish garage-rockers the Hives, you’re getting a sweaty, incredible show before everyone involved turns to…
Sheer Mag comes back to Orlando to kick ass and confiscate whistles
“I always wanted to sing. I don’t think these people who say shit about me know I’ve been dealing with this since I started singing.” Somewhere in South Philly, Christina Halladay, lead singer of the full-hearted and resolutely DIY punk band Sheer Mag, is reflecting on her storied roots while picking up whisky for a…
