In a time where terrorism fears run rampant, an event that occurred recently at Downtown Disney serves as a reminder that even the smallest incident will get big attention. Orlando County law enforcement is currently investigating the discovery of a “homemade low-level volume explosive” in a small trash container in one of the Downtown Disney parking lots.
While most people are accustomed to random daily minor road rage incidents, one recent event serves as a reminder that retaliation could end up in major violence. On the afternoon of Sunday, July 1, a motorist travelling on I-4 experienced a hail of gunfire as a result of an altercation near the Lee Road exit.
If you’re an everyday traveler of I-4, the 408, or streets in the downtown area, you are well aware of all of the constant construction going on. No doubt, the city is undergoing growth. As a result of higher volumes of traffic in the area, large-scale projects are now underway. This includes the most noticeable work taking place on I-4 at Anderson Street.
The hottest question in Central Florida on everyone’s lips, at least up until now, has been “where in the world is Lou Pearlman?”
Last year, I attended a downtown mixer at City Hall, where Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer spoke of bold plans to renovate of the Citrus Bowl, create a new cultural and performing arts center, and build a new sports and concert arena. As Buddy bloviated, it sounded magnificent. I was glad I moved to Orlando to get in on the ground floor of this envisioned boom.
Orlando County Mayor Richard Crotty recently gave his 7th annual State Of The County Address, marking several goals that he intends to pursue during the coming year. But which are fluff, and which are realistic?
Despite the downturn in property values all across the Southeast and much of the United States, there is a growing concern that affordable housing units are also on a sharp decline, especially in Orange County. While downtown housing and towers skyrocket, and urban homeowners continue under the delusion that they can still get high prices for their properties, residents are moving further and further outside of the area in order to take advantage of any price breaks and maintain a decent standard of living.
When an in-law that you just can’t stand comes for a visit once a year, the experience can be dreaded and stressful. A similar experience is upon us again. Hurricane season is back.
As often seen, actions at the state level can have a profound effect on the activities at a local level. While state lawmakers look ahead to the next election cycle, tax cuts are the name of the game. That’s causing a dark cloud to form over Orange County’s budget. Individual property owners would argue that this dark cloud has a silver lining.
On May 19th, around 7pm, residents in the East Lake Reserve area of Narcoosee Road got a firsthand look at an army of police officers in action. Osceola County and Orange County officers arrived with some twenty-five or more units in total. Every side road for two miles was blocked off by a patrol car. Police search boats were on the scene. Police officers in body armor jackets with rifles were present. Aviation units from Orange County were in the air. Even K-9 units from both counties were on the scene.