Lake sheriff employee avoids prosecution on charges of illegally accessing database

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/31 5:28A Cristóbal Reyes

A Lake County Sheriff s Office civilian employee was ordered to perform community service rather than being prosecuted for using agency databases to search for information on her husband and his ex-wife . The outcome comes two months after Hannah...

Scott Maxwell: Where I stand, what I believe. An annual disclosure

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/31 5:14A Scott Maxwell

Every year, I continue a tradition started decades ago by a former colleague, Charley Reese. Charley believed that if newspaper columnists are going to spend all year telling you what they think, they should first tell you where they stand, what...

Orlando attractions 2026: Muppet thrill ride, Galacticoaster, sloths in action

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/31 4:00A Dewayne Bevil

If all goes according to the 2026 plan, Orlando-area theme parks and attractions will welcome updated animatronics, a new roller coaster, more Muppet mania, revived rides and a slew of sloths. Yes,...

Eatonville council wants last-minute changes to Hungerford land deal

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/31 12:58A Silas Morgan

In a contentious meeting Tuesday night featuring finger-pointing and personal attacks, the Eatonville Town Council said it wanted last-minute changes to the contract to sell the historic Hungerford property — though exactly what those changes...

Chilly New Year’s in store for Central Florida

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/30 11:17P Richard Tribou

The good news is the skies will be clear when the clock strikes midnight for New Year s Eve. The bad news is that you ll need to be bundled up if venturing outside. The National Weather Service in Melbourne expects temperatures to drop into the...

Health inspectors shut down Orlando restaurant after finding 228 flying insects

Orlando Sentinel (Brinkmann On Business) 12/30 11:00P Richard Tribou

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation shut down one Central Florida restaurant for health code violations during the week from Dec. 21-27. Orange Lee & Rick s Oyster Bar at 5621 Old Winter Garden Road in Orlando was shut down on...

Cold front closes down Orlando water parks

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/30 4:06A Dewayne Bevil

Cool weather conditions and continually dropping temperatures have prompted Central Florida water parks to close for a few days. Forecasts for overnight temps in the 30s pushed many attractions to adjust their schedules. Walt Disney World s...

Central Florida could see wind chills in the 20s overnight

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/29 11:42P Richard Tribou

The cold front that moved across Central Florida overnight is set to drop temperatures even lower into Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Most of the region is under a Cold Weather Advisory from 1-9 a.m. Wednesday as...

Seminole lays out future for its camps, libraries, golf course

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/29 11:00P Martin E. Comas

From expanding summer camps and libraries to building a new indoor sports facility and adding more upgrades to the county’s golf course, Seminole officials are sketching a vision for developing the...

Struggling to set 2026 financial goals? Get an AI assist

Orlando Sentinel (Brinkmann On Business) 12/29 5:17A Nerdwallet

AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT and Google Gemini offer new ways to plan your 2026 financial goals. But how can you leverage them without compromising your privacy? With a NerdWallet survey finding that more than 2 in 5 Americans (43%) say...

It’s a date: When Orlando theme parks wrap up holiday celebrations

Orlando Sentinel (Brinkmann On Business) 12/29 5:02A Dewayne Bevil

Santa Claus may have gone into hibernation this week, but holiday cheer extends through the end of the year and beyond at many theme parks and attractions. Here’s a last call holiday list with a few...

Stocks slip on Wall Street as 2025 winds down

Orlando Sentinel (Brinkmann On Business) 12/29 3:16A Associated Press

By DAMIAN J. TROISE, AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks slipped in quiet trading on Wall Street Monday to kick off another holiday-shortened week. The losses have little impact on the broader annual gains for major indexes as they close...

12 swans found dead at Orlando’s Lake Eola Park, bird flu suspected

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/29 2:58A Ryan Gillespie

A dozen swans have died at Lake Eola in the past week, leaving Orlando officials fearing another outbreak of bird flu at the city’s signature park. City Commissioner Patty Sheehan posted on Facebook...

17-year-old shot and killed in Orange County, deputies say

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/29 1:23A Richard Tribou

A 17-year-old boy was shot and killed Sunday evening in the Holden Heights neighborhood south of downtown Orlando, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The shooting occurred around 9 p.m. in the 1500 block of 26th Street, the sheriff...

‘No-brainer’: St. Cloud’s new drone program joins nationwide trend as city, population grows

Orlando Sentinel (Osceola County News) 12/29 12:00A Cristóbal Reyes

When a mental health call came in to St. Cloud police last fall of a man digging into the street with a fixed-blade knife, officers weren t the only ones to respond. A drone, deployed and piloted from...