Maxwell: Ding-dong-ditch … dead. In Florida, kids are warned the adults may shoot pranksters

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 11/7 5:58A Scott Maxwell

A recent front-page story in the Orlando Sentinel looked at teenagers in Florida held at gunpoint and even shot dead after staging ring-and-run pranks — where they ring a doorbell at night and then scurry away before anyone answers. Now, kids...

Friday is warm and sunny with a slight chance of rain in the afternoon

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 11/7 1:02A Garfield Hylton

Friday has a chance of showers in the mid-to-late afternoon. There is a 20 percent chance of rain after 4 p.m., mainly south of Interstate 4, according to NWS Melbourne. The day is expected to be partly sunny with highs near 84 degrees. Friday...

Aquatica Orlando powers up Illuminate, a bright-light nighttime event

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 11/7 12:07A Dewayne Bevil

A new after-hours event at Aquatica Orlando water park is designed to bring some light to the season. Illuminate features larger-than-life, lantern-inspired figures — primarily shaped as animals —...

State DOGE audit finds UCF most-efficient university, New College the least

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 11/6 11:00P Steven Walker

The University of Central Florida was the state s most financially efficient university last year, a new state audit found, with the Orlando school spending far less per student and per degree than the 11 others. Where do I put my money that I m...

Thursday is partly sunny with chances for rain in the evening hours

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 11/6 12:52A Garfield Hylton

Thursday is partly sunny with highs in the mid-80s. Winds are blowing east to northeast at 5 to 10 mph, according to NWS Melbourne. There is a moderate risk of rip currents at all Atlantic beaches. On Thursday night, there s a chance for...

Righting a racist wrong: Zora finally takes the Annie Russell stage

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 11/5 10:00P Matthew J. Palm

Zora Neale Hurston, the celebrated Harlem Renaissance author, wanted to stage a play with an all-Black cast at Rollins College — just a stone s throw from where she had grown up in Eatonville. The...

6 Central Florida restaurants shut down last week

Orlando Sentinel (Brinkmann On Business) 11/5 3:33A Garfield Hylton

Six Central Florida restaurants shut down the week of Oct. 26-Nov. 1, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Brevard Ako Sushi and Seafood at 725 N. Washington Ave. in Titusville shut down on Oct....

Orange County’s tourist tax in 2024-25 smashed the all-time record. Will it continue?

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 11/4 4:04A Stephen Hudak

Boosted by the opening of the Epic Universe theme park, Orange County s tourist tax collections hit an all-time high in fiscal year 2024-25, shattering the previous 12-month best, set last year, by $25.1 million, according to a comptroller report...

Tuesday off to a cool start but will be sunny with a light wind

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 11/4 1:50A Garfield Hylton

Tuesday is off to a cool start, but it will be sunny with a high near 80 degrees. Winds are blowing northeast at 10 to 15 mph with gusts as high as 20 mph, according to NWS Melbourne. There is a high risk of rip currents at all area beaches....

First look: How new ‘Zootopia’ show fits in at Animal Kingdom

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 11/4 1:44A Dewayne Bevil

A new attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom puts polar bears in your face, introduces one very wet walrus, presents a buff buffalo clad in Lycra and solves a mystery, all in 10 minutes. It’s all...

Clean bills of health: Which Central Florida restaurants had perfect inspections in October?

Orlando Sentinel (Brinkmann On Business) 11/3 11:00P Richard Tribou

After 2,318 restaurant inspections across Central Florida in October, only 266 had no issues for the entire month, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. After 2,318 restaurant inspections across...

A driver faces charges for a traffic death, but loved ones blame Orlando police

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 11/3 9:03A Stephen Hudak

Jaicarious Grace arrived Monday at an Orange County courtroom in a jail jumpsuit and handcuffs, expecting a judge to hand him a long prison sentence for causing a deadly crash in February 2023 that...

Osceola to provide $1 million for food pantries amid SNAP decrease

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 11/3 8:43A Natalia Jaramillo

Osceola commissioners voted 4-1 Monday to set aside $1 million to aid 38 food pantries, one week after county nonprofits said the increase in need due to a decrease in SNAP funding will spark a crisis. This made me lose sleep the whole weekend,...

Orlando voters in 3 districts hit the polls Tuesday

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 11/3 8:13A Ryan Gillespie

A relatively few number of ballots have been cast so far in Orlando, where voters tomorrow could elect commissioners in Districts 1, 3 and 5. Since each race has more than two candidates, it s also conceivable that nobody is elected tomorrow and...

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is running for governor

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 11/3 6:34A Ryan Gillespie

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, a trailblazer in Central Florida and one of the most prominent Democrats in the state, has filed to run for governor, election records show. Demings, who had hinted at a possible run amid his recent battles with...