Mayor Jerry Demings has reassembled a citizen panel to weigh how Orange County spends a surge in tourist-tax revenue. The task force begins meetings July 21.

West Colonial Oaks, a grocery-anchored center on West Colonial Drive, traded this spring for about $25.1M to a Dallas investor while remaining roughly 95% leased. Longstanding national tenants will stay in place.

Depositions and a local podcast reveal how the DeSantis‑Disney feud paused Walt Disney World expansions and revived last‑minute Reedy Creek deals that reshaped development plans.

Orange County’s prehospital whole‑blood program lets trained paramedics transfuse patients at crash scenes; county video shows a survivor credited with being stabilized by the care.

Orange County officials say measles has been detected and urged residents to check MMR records and call their doctor if exposed.

Orange County deputies arrested a man after they say he struck another vehicle, fled a traffic stop on Powers Drive and abandoned a 4‑year‑old at the scene.

A 41-year-old man died and a 15-year-old girl was hospitalized after a two-vehicle crash on State Road 46 near Morgan Alderman Road.

A 90-year-old man from Apopka died after his SUV left Kelly Park Road and struck a fire hydrant. Troopers suspect a medical episode; the crash is under investigation.

Lake County Schools plans to consolidate Oak Park and Carver middle schools at the Carver campus to boost electives and ease staffing strain. The district is targeting Fall 2027 for the merged school.

A pre-dawn Falcon 9 launched 29 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral as booster B1067 completed a record 35th flight and landed on the droneship. The flight pushed the Space Coast’s busy 2026 manifest higher.

A bomb threat prompted the evacuation of the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford; deputies later cleared the grounds and the zoo plans to reopen Monday under normal hours.

A 46-year-old man was wounded Friday at the Ollie's in Market Place Plaza; police say suspects fled in a black Mazda and are asking for tips.

Rescuers say discarded fishing line and trap gear are tangling more bottlenose dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon, putting calves and adults at risk. Experts urge anglers to secure line and report entangled animals.