Regina Hill blasts elder abuse case against her, claiming FDLE manipulated the alleged victim

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/27 10:46A Cristóbal Reyes

A new motion in the elder abuse case against suspended Orlando commissioner Regina Hill offers the first glimpse of her defense: that the elderly woman Hill is accused of manipulating in fact willingly handed over control of her finances, and that...

Legislation from 2 Florida lawmakers seeks to reform embattled FEMA

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/27 10:28A Anthony Man

U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Jared Moskowitz have a plan to reform federal emergency management and improve the efficiency of federal emergency response efforts. They would remove the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a unit of the Department...

Manatee milestone: SeaWorld Orlando reports 1,000th rescue

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/27 5:26A Dewayne Bevil

SeaWorld Orlando has announced that it has now logged 1,000 manatee rescues. “Manatees are an iconic part of Florida’s ecosystem, and we are honored to play a key role in their conservation, Jon Peterson, park president, said in a news release....

5 years later: How COVID-19 precautions still influence theme parks, tourism

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/27 3:23A Dewayne Bevil

Five years ago, tourism officials were wrapping their heads around theme park reservations, temperature checks at turnstiles, amped-up sanitization procedures and the very concept of social distance...

Thursday is warm and full of sunshine after morning fog

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/27 1:53A Garfield Hylton

An early morning fog across east Central Florida is expected to last until 9 a.m. After the fog clears, sunshine is plentiful across the region, according to NWS Melbourne. Conditions will be dry with temperatures in the high-70s on the coast and...

4 Central Florida restaurants and 1 food truck shut down last week

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/27 12:00A Garfield Hylton

Four Central Florida restaurants and a food truck shut down the week of March 16-22, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Orange Mr. Quick Restaurant at 5615 W. Colonial Dr. in Orlando shut down...

Food bank in ‘crisis mode’ after federal cuts cancel food deliveries

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/26 11:30P Michael Cuglietta

Twenty-eight flatbed trucks filled with produce and other fresh food were scheduled to arrive this week at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, but the Trump administration canceled the...

When Jellyrolls leaves Disney, it plans to keep on making memories

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/26 11:00P Matthew J. Palm

Jellyrolls may be leaving Walt Disney World , but the dueling-piano bar will continue to make sweet memories for Florida locals and vacationers in a new — but as yet undisclosed — location, its...

Accused Sanford drive-by shooter charged in 2022 killing of 18-year-old

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/26 9:33A Cristóbal Reyes

Months before authorities said he participated in a deadly drive-by stemming from a beef between two rappers Thallas Inman killed someone else,  Sanford Police announced Tuesday. Inman, 23, was in the John E. Polk Correctional Facility when...

Maxwell: The twisted ‘justice’ of Tommy Zeigler’s half-century on death row

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/26 8:21A Scott Maxwell

If you want proof of how perilously flawed death penalty cases can be, look no further than Tommy Zeigler. Last week, Zeigler’s legal team filed a motion based on new DNA evidence that his attorneys...

Osceola County things to do, starting March 28

Orlando Sentinel (Osceola County News) 3/26 8:18A Joe Rassel

What’s happening Fire Station Open House: The City of Kissimmee Fire Department is opening its doors to the community Fire Station 14. This family-friendly event offers a unique opportunity to step inside the world of firefighting and emergency...

Wells Fargo vows to appeal massive Seminole trust fund verdict

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/26 7:29A Rafael Olmeda

Wells Fargo Bank will appeal Tuesday s landmark verdict awarding more than $800 million to a trust fund benefiting the children of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, a decision that came after a six-week trial in Broward County, a bank spokeswoman...

Sheriff’s office: ICE has deportation orders for 10,000 people in Orange County

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/26 4:58A Stephen Hudak

Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement has told Orange County it has about 10,000 orders of removal for county residents it considers unauthorized immigrants, and the numbers may grow sharply in coming weeks. Mayor Jerry Demings relayed...

What leak? Republicans in Waltz’s old district aren’t angry at him, Trump over Yemen Signal chat

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/26 3:38A Mike Schneider, Adriana Gomez Li

DELAND — As Washington was roiled by the news that one of President Donald Trump’s top aides added a journalist to a group chat discussing military plans , many Republicans going to the polls to...

17-year-old arrested and charged with murder after shooting

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 3/26 3:11A Garfield Hylton

A teenager faces murder charges after being arrested Wednesday morning. Officers from the Orlando Police Department (OPD) charged the teen with first-degree murder with a firearm and attempted robbery with a firearm, according to their press...