Historic Winter Park nursing home closing doors after almost 70 years

Orlando Sentinel (Brinkmann On Business) 9/13 3:50A Brian Bell

Almost 70 years ago, a Winter Park nursing home opened to help care for elderly Black residents who during segregation had no place to go. And for decades the institution fulfilled that mission. But...

36 charged in drug-smuggling probe into Orange County Jail

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 9/12 11:14A Silas Morgan

A six-month law enforcement operation at the Orange County Jail dubbed Operation Killing Time has swept up three dozen people on racketeering and drug charges, including two corrections officers and an attorney. The Metropolitan Bureau of...

Brightline train collision with car in Brevard leaves one dead

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 9/12 9:54A Silas Morgan

One person was killed Friday when a Brightline train struck a vehicle in Brevard County, according to police. The crash occurred around 12:30 p.m. at the Eyster Boulevard train crossing in Rockledge, according to a post on the city s Facebook...

What’s in a name? Winter Park resident claims city is stealing Christmas

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 9/12 8:49A Brian Bell

For decades, Winter Park has celebrated the winter holidays with popular events and decorations on Park Avenue, all of them branded by the broad holiday moniker. Last year, the local group that...

Maxwell: Most pan DeSantis vaccine plans. One medical group dodged.

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 9/12 7:15A Scott Maxwell

Today I wanted to catch up on several topics, including Orlando’s flailing efforts to get Major League Baseball and the passing of an Orlando trailblazer. But first, it’s been almost two weeks since...

Scattered showers remain for Central Florida on Friday

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 9/12 1:17A Richard Tribou

The wet week of Central Florida has at least one more day with scattered showers in store, but mostly south of the I-4 corridor on Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Rain chances across the region are from 40%-50%, the NWS in...

U.S. Justice Department probes rejection of Orlando Torah Center expansion

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 9/12 12:00A Stephen Hudak

The U.S. Department of Justice informed Orange County leaders this week its civil rights division will review a county commission decision to prevent the Orlando Torah Center from building a three-story worship center in a residential...

Florida warns teachers not to post negatively about Charlie Kirk

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 9/11 9:56A Steven Walker

Following the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk , Florida s top education official warned teachers that anyone who posted disgusting comments about Kirk would be reprimanded. Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas wrote in a...

UCF, HBCUs nationwide receive threats against Black people on campus

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 9/11 9:56A Cristóbal Reyes

University of Central Florida officials are investigating an emailed threat to Black people on campus Thursday amid a wave of similar messages that forced shutdowns at Historically Black Colleges and Universities around the U.S. The racist and...

Bear advocates aim to win hunt permits, foil Florida’s bear hunt

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 9/11 7:50A Stephen Hudak

Betsy McClain has never shot anything but the breeze yet the Longwood animal advocate hopes to win a bear-hunting permit for Florida s first hunt in a decade. If lucky, she ll be taking aim at saving a bear by blocking a bonafide sportsman from...

Man pepper-sprayed by Orlando officer charged under Florida’s ‘Halo Law’

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 9/11 6:49A Cristóbal Reyes

When James Lake spotted a group of people being arrested by Orlando police on the corner of Central Boulevard and Orange Avenue early Labor Day morning, he pulled out his cellphone and began...

Seminole gives early nod to raising taxes for first time in years

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 9/11 5:51A Martin E. Comas

At a budget meeting packed with residents, Seminole commissioners this week gave preliminary approval to hike the county’s overall property tax rate for the first time in 16 years. The new proposed rate of $5.38 per $1,000 of a property’s taxable...

Orange deputy fired after arrest in Polk for soliciting prostitution, sheriff says

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 9/11 5:04A Cristóbal Reyes

Just three months after he was hired, an Orange County deputy was arrested Wednesday in Polk County for soliciting prostitution from an undercover detective. Jabez Lowe, who was hired as a recruit in June and was enrolled in the law enforcement...

‘You shot me, man!’ Video shows Orange deputy accidentally fire on home invasion victim

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 9/11 4:40A Silas Morgan

A man who had just defended his home from an attempted break-in ended up being shot by an Orange County deputy just as he unlocked his door. Newly released body camera footage shows the deputy quietly say “Oh, shit, I didn’t mean…” after his gun...

Missing child alert issued for Orange County teen

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 9/11 2:49A Richard Tribou

A missing child alert was issued early Thursday for a 14-year-old Orange County girl. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Savannah Singer was last seen Wednesday in the area of the 2200th block of Emerald Springs Drive in Apopka. FDLE...