Theme parks perking up plantlife after freezes

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/5 4:20A Dewayne Bevil

The colder-than-usual winter for Florida has been a challenge to homeowner lawns and to horticulture teams at Central Florida’s theme parks. At Walt Disney World , it meant covering up elaborate...

Central Florida man charged with murder; mother also arrested in 3-year-old’s fatal beating

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/5 12:59A Richard Tribou

A Marion County man arrested after the fatal beating death of a 3-year-old girl now faces homicide charges, while the girl s mother was also arrested for child neglect. The Marion County Sheriff s Office announced the new charges Wednesday in the...

Central Florida getting warmer with some chance for rain Thursday

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/4 11:59P Richard Tribou

Temperatures across Central Florida remain higher than normal with the mid-80s expected inland on Thursday along with a chance for afternoon rain, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne. An east coast sea breeze will steadily move...

Health inspections lead to 8 Central Florida restaurant shutdowns

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/4 11:00P Garfield Hylton

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation shut down eight Central Florida restaurants for health code violations during the week from Feb. 22-28. Orange Lee & Rick s Oyster Bar Inc. at 5621 Old Winter Garden Road in Orlando shut down...

Orlando hosts new puppy-centric musical that helps children cope with grief

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/4 10:00P Matthew J. Palm

More than a decade ago, and in the space of a few months, Deborah Haber lost her sister to ovarian cancer and the elder of her two dogs to old age. In a sense, Haber s younger canine companion, a blue...

Orlando plans renovations at 11 parks, opens new playground near Pine Hills

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/3 11:00P Michael Cuglietta

A class of fourth graders from Rolling Hills Elementary School set their books aside on Tuesday morning and, with their principal and gym teacher, walked the short distance to a newly renovated...

Florida poll shows Republicans lead Democrats in statewide races — but only by single digits

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/3 10:00P Anthony Man

The leading Democratic candidates for Florida governor, David Jolly and Jerry Demings, are within striking distance of Republican frontrunner Byron Donalds, a statewide poll released Wednesday found. In hypothetical head-to-head matchups in the...

Orlando teen pleads no contest to 2024 murder, handed 4-year prison sentence

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/3 10:15A Cristóbal Reyes

A teen was sentenced Tuesday to four years in prison for the 2024 murder of a 17-year-old, after changing his not guilty plea in exchange for being given a lighter sentence as a youthful offender. Marcus Anderson, 19, entered a no contest plea...

Florida bills could cripple teacher, faculty unions, labor leaders say

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/3 8:31A Steven Walker

Proposed legislation that some school union leaders say could be “fatal” to their existence soon will face votes in the GOP-dominated Florida Legislature, which three years ago passed another measure that made it tougher for those same unions....

Maxwell: Accused crypto-scammer boosted profile through Orlando’s charity, political scene

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/3 6:46A Scott Maxwell

About a year ago, a P.R. company tried to get the Orlando Sentinel to write about Christopher Delgado, saying the young and relatively unknown entrepreneur had precisely the kind of rags-to-riches philanthropist story we should share. Two things...

Theme park: Peppa Pig’s brother outfitted with hearing aid

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/3 4:39A Dewayne Bevil

George, the younger brother of the Peppa Pig character, will begin wearing a hearing aid at appearances at Peppa Pig Theme Park in Winter Haven.  The change is in conjunction with a storyline development in the animated Peppa Pig series. In its...

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

Orlando Sentinel (Osceola County News) 3/3 1:46A Garfield Hylton

After 1,889 restaurant inspections across Central Florida in February, only 170 had no issues for the entire month, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Brevard had the highest percentage of...

A slight chance of showers but Tuesday will be mostly sunny

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/3 1:29A Garfield Hylton

There is a slight chance of showers in the afternoon, but Tuesday will be mostly sunny with a high near 81. The showers are likely to happen between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., according to NWS Melbourne. They are isolated to scattered onshore-moving...

Feds: Orlando crypto firm CEO lived a high life on others’ money

Orlando Sentinel (Osceola County News) 3/1 12:00A Stephen Hudak, Silas Morgan

Christopher A. Delgado, CEO of a Central Florida-based company at the heart of an alleged $328-million cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme, lived an eye-popping life of luxury for a few years before his...

Seminole sheriff’s deputy arrested for falsifying overtime hours, police say

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 2/27 5:41A Silas Morgan

A Seminole County Sheriff s Office deputy is accused of falsifying the number of overtime hours he worked, allowing him to collect thousands of dollars in pay he didn t earn. Nestor Nieves Jr. was arrested Thursday on a charge of organized fraud....