Osceola County’s Wild Florida announces massive expansion, more than doubling in size
As screens take over ever more aspects of our daily lives, Wild Florida has found success by offering an alternative. The Osceola County nature attraction is only 10 years old this year, but it has gained a reputation as one of the region’s best offerings. Now the 85-acre attraction has announced its most significant expansion…
Orlando Ballet doc ‘Sur Les Pointes’ to screen at Cannes Short Film Festival
The short film Sur Les Pointes, a documentary created by Full Sail graduates and faculty about the Orlando Ballet, has been selected for screening as part of the Cannes Short Film Festival this month. Produced and directed by Full Sail alumnus Nehir Onay, the film follows the “journey of Orlando Ballet and Creative Director Robert…
International cruises start sailing again, but not quite yet for Floridians, or any Americans
In the early days of the pandemic, fears turned to reality as multiple cruise ships were quarantined. As media from around the globe covered the cases, it was clear that whenever the industry recovers, things would never be the same. Within a few weeks, every major cruise line in the world canceled their sailings. Now…
Legal Public Notices 9/9 issue
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSALS Date: August 26, 2020 Request for Proposal: RFP-025-C-2020 (P) Pursuant to Chapter 23, Title 31 of the Virgin Islands Code, the Department of Health, Division of Behavioral Health, Alcoholism & Drug Dependency Services Office is requesting proposals from Qualified and Licensed Adult Step-Up, Step-Down (ASUSD) Mental Health…
Disney and Universal both hit capacity over the Labor Day weekend, but big holiday events still got the axe
News coming out of the major Orlando theme parks following the Labor Day holiday highlights the wildly vacillating fortunes of the parks amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. First the good news – well, depending on how you feel about crowd situations – both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando hit capacity this weekend. This is the…
‘Great environmentalist’ Donald Trump pledges to uphold Florida’s offshore drilling ban
President Donald Trump, giving in to pressure from members of his party, signed an executive order Tuesday extending a moratorium on oil drilling off Florida’s shores as he ramped up his 2020 re-election effort in the critical battleground state. Trump acknowledged he didn’t plan to take action on the moratorium during an afternoon speech beneath…
Orlando Congresswoman Val Demings introduces bill to allow LGBTQ+ people to donate blood
Orlando Congresswoman Val Demings and Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to end the longstanding discrimination against LGBTQ+ blood donors last week. The “Science in Blood Donation Act” would put an end to discrimination against potential LGBTQ+ blood donors, calling on the FDA to revise the outdated Guidance on Reducing…
Local flight attendants and airline workers to hold demonstration in front of Sen. Marco Rubio’s office on Wednesday
Dozens of area flight attendants plan to rally on Wednesday in front of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s Downtown Orlando office to demand Senate action on a COVID-19 relief package. Flight attendants, airline industry workers and supporters will gather at 9 a.m. in front of Rubio’s Seaside Plaza headquarters on S. Orange Avenue to raise awareness…
SeaWorld’s latest round of layoffs fuel rumors and talks of unionizing
Central Florida’s labor problems were exacerbated on Friday when SeaWorld officially let go of all its furloughed employees. The move was felt across nearly every department at the Orlando-based chain but especially at SeaWorld’s Orlando parks. When the COVID-19 related closures first struck the tourism industry in mid-March, SeaWorld Parks furloughed nearly their staff. Since…
Leslye Gale’s O-Town Lowdown on Magic 107.7 for Tuesday, Sept. 8, 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. The Theme Park Industry Takes Another Hit It’s been such a rough year for the theme park industry and now their over-the-top annual convention has been canceled due…
Mamak Asian Street Food opening second Orlando location near UCF
Mamak Asian Street Food is opening a second location in East Orlando in October, six years after the family-owned date-night staple launched its first spot in the Mills 50 neighborhood. Mamak specializes in Southeast Asian street food, with influences from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, along with a full bar of cocktails and Asian beers and liquors.…
Local indie-rocker Tierney Tough to play ‘No Place Like Home’ livestream with John Vanderslice this week
Pauses frontperson Tierney Tough has been a bit quiet of late, but now she’s back with a stellar cover of a British punk gem and the announcement of her first – solo or otherwise – livestream performance set for this week. Tough released on Bandcamp a version of the Buzzcocks’ seminal pop-punk anthem “Ever Fallen in Love…
IAAPA Expo canceled due to COVID-19 impacts
In yet another blow to the theme-park and attractions industry locally, this year’s IAAPA Expo has been canceled. IAAPA organizers made the announcement on Friday that the convention, scheduled for November at the Orange County Convention Center, is off for 2020. However, there will be a more stripped-down Virtual Education Conference with presentations and over…
Local noise-rockers TTN unleash new album ‘Standardization’
Local electro-noise band TTN – a self-described “industrial wall of interstellar sound” – last week unveiled new album Standardization, released through Illuminated Paths. TTN – a ferocious mix of metallic discordance, live drum programming and synths – have been familiar faces in the Orlando underground since 2015, playing venues like Uncle Lou’s and the Nook on Robinson regularly, releasing albums on Illuminated…
Florida’s health care secretary stepping down to join hospital lobbying group
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Mary Mayhew, who has been one of the state’s key people handling the coronavirus pandemic, is stepping down to take a job with a hospital industry group. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration announced Friday that Mayhew will become president and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association, an organization whose…
Florida Police Chiefs Association issues report calling for chokehold ban, other steps
As protests and political battles rage across the country about police officers using force, the Florida Police Chiefs Association has issued a report calling for a series of steps, ranging from largely banning chokeholds and other neck-related restraints to stepping up recruitment of police officers who would better reflect communities. The association’s Board of Directors…
Could the Tampa Bay Vipers move to Orlando? Would it even matter?
A recent column on the XFL Newsroom posed a simple question: When the XFL returns, should the Tampa Bay Vipers stay in Tampa? The column cites poor attendance compared to the other XFL teams for the games played at Raymond James Stadium, explains how the XFL could capitalize on the markets created by the recently…
Enjoy fishing from a boat in Florida on ‘License-Free Saltwater Fishing Day’
Today, the first Saturday of September, is a License-Free Saltwater Fishing Day in Florida. It’s one of the eight license-free fishing days offered by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Florida, of course, isn’t just known for being the Sunshine State. It’s actually the “Fishing Capital of the World” because of the many lakes, rivers…
After accepting a $100 bet, man learns important lesson about sharks at Florida beach
After reportedly accepting a $100 bet to mess with a shark, a man found himself with the animal latched onto his arm at a Florida beach last weekend. A video posted to Facebook on Monday, which has now been widely shared, shows an unidentified man calmly standing around with his right arm firmly wedged in…
Blue Bamboo debuts new weekly online music show ‘First Takes’ on Saturday
Back in March, Winter Park’s Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts was one of the area’s first music venues to begin adapting to the new pandemic reality by becoming a soundstage for remote live performances. Their maiden foray into that realm, starring Terri Binion and Beth McKee, turned out to be the last concert I…
DeSantis urges Florida football fans to get in the stands
A day after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced they would play their first two games in Raymond James Stadium without spectators, Gov. Ron DeSantis urged the team to allow fans to attend. “If the Bucs had fans, I would try to go to the first home game. I would,” DeSantis said during a Thursday roundtable…
Gov. Ron DeSantis pledges Florida will host a college-football national championship game
Florida will host a college-football national championship game, no matter how few conferences take to the gridiron this fall, Gov. Ron DeSantis maintains. And DeSantis, in including college football among the industries needed to revive the economy, isn’t shy in saying the Big Ten Conference would be making a “huge mistake” by not allowing its…
Op-ed: World Honey Bee Day was another reminder that 40 percent of insect species are now threatened with extinction
World Honey Bee Day came and went Aug. 15, but it wasn’t a celebration: Over 40 percent of insect species are threatened with extinction. Thanks to science, we know exactly why: habitat loss, pollution from pesticides, invasive species and climate change all play a significant role. But because professional scientists only have so much time,…
DeSantis says Florida will ‘get to yes’ on bars
Gov. Ron DeSantis said he hopes to give Floridians the “ability to have some enjoyment in their life” by soon lifting on-site drinking restrictions imposed on bars and craft breweries since late June. The restrictions were put in place due to widespread non-compliance with coronavirus safety guidelines. But DeSantis said Thursday after nearly six months…
SeaWorld Orlando launches program to offer Florida teachers free admission for a year
SeaWorld Orlando is introducing a new Florida Teacher Card pass for active and certified K-12 teachers in Florida to get into the park free for a whole year. As a thank-you to educators who “play a critical role in shaping the knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the next generation of global citizens,” this new pass will…
Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream unveils September flavors Midnight Crunch and Reverse Ore-Dough
Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream in Audubon Park has unveiled two new flavors for September to cool you down for the balance of this summer: Midnight Crunch and the “limited edition” Reverse Ore-Dough. Midnight Crunch – a mix of dark chocolate peanut butter ice cream with fudge and Butterfinger pieces – will be available all month. But Reverse Ore-Dough – chocolate ice cream,…
Orlando Magic teams up to turn Amway Center into early voting site
The city of Orlando and the Orlando Magic jointly announced on Wednesday that the Amway Center will serve as an early voting location for the upcoming 2020 elections. This partnership between the City of Orlando, the Magic, Orange County and Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles is part of a larger initiative spearheaded by NBA teams…
Florida marijuana patients able to gobble up pot products
Just one week after health officials signed off on guidelines for edible pot products, Florida’s largest medical marijuana operator on Wednesday began selling THC-infused brownies, cookies, chocolates and gel caps in Tallahassee. The edible products are appearing on shelves nearly four years after Floridians approved a 2016 constitutional amendment that legalized medical marijuana for a…
Florida bars cook up ways to reopen
Hot dogs, cold sandwiches and Hot Pockets admittedly aren’t fancy fare. But low-budget, hassle-free cuisine might be a financial godsend for desperate bar owners who’ve been sidelined for months because of the coronavirus pandemic. Tavern owners throughout the state hurriedly are rehabbing behind-the-counter operations, adding triple sinks, carving out prep areas and signing up for…
Florida’s nursing homes reopen for visitors
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he will allow visitors into nursing homes and assisted living facilities, nearly six months after the state blocked visitation during the first wave of coronavirus infections. DeSantis said during an appearance in Jacksonville that he would sign an executive order lifting the ban on visitors, while also allowing “essential”…
Bazaar Botanica Market promises a plethora of local oddities, arts, crafts and plants this month
Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co. is set to host the outdoor Bazaar Botanica Market later in September, and it promises to be a one-stop open-air shop for Florida-centric oddities, plants, local arts and crafts and more. The September iteration of this monthly market boasts over 30 local vendors and artists tabling their wares, along with food…
Former Volusia County music teacher to lead Florida’s top teachers union
Florida’s top teachers union got a new leader Tuesday after its president for the past two years, Fedrick Ingram, was elected secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers. The Florida Education Association announced Vice President Andrew Spar, a former music teacher in Volusia County, will serve as president of the 150,000-member organization until a 2021…
Commercial real estate broker, failed congressional candidate to run Florida’s embattled employment agency
Rep. Dane Eagle, the outgoing House majority leader who lost a bid for Congress last month, was named Wednesday to run the state agency that includes the troubled unemployment system. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Eagle, a Cape Coral Republican and commercial real estate broker, as executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The…
Winter Park launches Curbside To-Go Initiative with dedicated pickup zones
The City of Winter Park – in partnership with the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and Park Avenue District – this week launches a new Curbside To-Go Initiative, an effort to encourage socially distanced support of local businesses. Winter Park’s Public Works Department has created dedicated street parking zones throughout busier shopping areas for convenient curbside pickup, marking the…
Waterford Lakes Town Center to debut outdoor live dinner shows with ‘Playhouse’
Waterford Lakes Town Center is set to debut an outdoor live event series called Playhouse in October. Intended as immersive dinner-and-a-show type events, Playhouse will consist of three separate themed productions on select nights in October and November. Social distancing and mask-wearing will be mandatory. The three Playhouse productions include: Country Western Jamboree (Oct. 3)…
Readers have opinions about Ron DeSantis encouraging more theme park attendance while leaving bars closed
¶ Last week, we reported that Gov. Ron DeSantis supported allowing more customers at major theme parks in Orlando (“DeSantis thinks Orlando’s theme parks should allow more people in, because why not,” Aug. 27), and gave high marks to park officials for coronavirus safety measures. The expansion push came as a Deutsche Bank analysis showed…
Adoptable dog Davey enjoys chasing toys and belly rubs, and he’s very treat-motivated
Meet Davey! Davey (A453031) is an 8-year-old neutered male brought to our shelter as a stray. Davey is a sweet, happy boy, especially when he’s playing fetch in our interactions yards. He enjoys chasing toys and belly rubs, and is very treat-motivated. He is neutered, microchipped, vaccinated and ready to go home the same day…
The fare at Mia’s Italian Kitchen knocks us out in every sense of the word
The Dining-In Diaries
Your husband doesn’t see you as a human being with needs and feelings and agency
I’ve been married for 30 years to the same man. He’s always had anger management issues. He strangled me once a few months after our son was born and never did it again. I would have left otherwise. He’s had relationships with other women but always swore it was just online. Then, a few years…
Black Orlando artist Felichia Chivaughn is not OK
Felichia Chivaughn is “not OK,” and after this week of woe from Wisconsin to Wakanda, who could possibly blame her? Amid multiple tragedies, the Orlando-based performer/director/author remains focused on the ongoing anti-racist mission of the Central Florida Entertainment Advocacy Forum she co-founded with Meka King (see Live Active Cultures, July 22). So I’m grateful she…
In Ridley Scott’s new HBO Max sci-fi series, a male and female android are tasked with raising human children
Streaming premieres you won’t want to miss
Kurt Rambus returns with bleak, conceptual dance music for bleak, dystopian times
Kurt Rambus has a guy named Hayek Von Pinochet that he’s dying to tell you all about. Bur first, who the hell is Kurt Rambus? Rambus is the shadowy alter ego of longtime Orlando DJ Nigel John. But whereas John would pack floors, Rambus operates at the outer limits, crafting dense webs of avant-dance music…
Treating COVID-19 patients with plasma from survivors *might* be safe, but there’s no data showing it actually works
What happens when politics Trump science? (Pun very much intended.)
