Lou Pearlman dies, panic at the Florida Mall, no medical bills for Pulse victims and more you may have missed
Lou Pearlman dies in jail.
The man who made Orlando a boy-band machine died at age 62 on Aug. 19, while serving a 25-year prison sentence for orchestrating one of the largest Ponzi schemes of all time. Pearlman brought the world the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC while also being accused of preying sexually on the teens that were in his charge. Pearlman was convicted of fraud in 2008.
Nine injured after false shooting scare at Florida Mall because of Joey Fatone (sort of).
But wait, there's more *NSYNC news. Former band member Joey Fatone opens Fat One's, a hot dog restaurant, at the Florida Mall Sept. 10. As part of security tests at the restaurant last week, mall employees popped six balloons and activated a fire alarm. The succession of noises scared patrons, and in the ensuing panic, nine people were injured.
UCF delays downtown campus opening until 2019.
The University of Central Florida may have wanted to open its downtown campus by August 2018, but it sounds like they got a bit ahead of themselves and will now have to open in 2019. University officials say they want to make sure they get it right before cramming 7,700 extra people into downtown Orlando.
Pulse survivors won't have to pay their hospital expenses.
In the best news this week, Orlando Health and Florida Hospital announced they would not bill any survivors of the mass shooting at the gay nightclub Pulse for treatment or follow-up surgeries. The hospitals will seek funding from insurance companies and the victims' fund set up by the city.
Orange County puts a moratorium on medical marijuana activities.
If you had any plans to enter the cannabis business in the next few months, put 'em in park. While it was already difficult, Orange County commissioners voted for a moratorium on nurseries and dispensaries in the local area. It's not clear yet whether that might change if voters approve Amendment 2, a ballot initiative that expands the list of conditions that would qualify for medical marijuana, in November.
