ReportWire

Tag: Orlando

  • Video: Panelist’s reaction to DeSantis’ threat against Disney has guests in stitches | CNN Business

    Video: Panelist’s reaction to DeSantis’ threat against Disney has guests in stitches | CNN Business

    ‘My stomach is hurting from laughing’: Hear panelist’s reaction to DeSantis’ threat to Disney

    CNN panelists react to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis floating the idea of building a competing theme park next to Disney World in Orlando.

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  • 2 adults, 1 young child shot and killed in suspected domestic violence incident in Orlando, police say

    2 adults, 1 young child shot and killed in suspected domestic violence incident in Orlando, police say

    Three people, including one young child, were shot and killed in a suspected domestic violence incident in Orlando early Sunday morning, authorities said. The suspected shooter was also killed.

    The incident happened at around 2:25 a.m. local time in Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood, the Orlando Police Department said in a statement. Officers initially arrived at the scene in response to a reported domestic violence call, and heard shots fired inside the home shortly after they got there, according to the statement.

    “The suspect came out of the house and shot at officers who returned fire,” the police department said. The suspect was then transported to a hospital and confirmed dead.

    Officers found two adults and one child suffering from gunshot wounds when they entered the home, according to Orlando Police. The child was transported to a local hospital and confirmed dead, the police department said, noting that both adult victims were also killed.

    Neither of the two police officers involved in the shooting response sustained injuries, according to the police department. Both officers were placed on paid administrative leave after it happened, as various local and state agencies opened investigations into how the response was handled.

    “As with all officer involved shootings, FDLE [the Florida Department of Law Enforcement] will conduct an independent review of the incident, followed by the State Attorney’s office,” the police department said. Orlando Police will additionally conduct an internal investigation of its own. Footage from the two responding officers’ body-worn cameras will be made available to the public within the next 30 days, according to the police department.

    Orlando Police chief Eric Smith did not share any identifying details about the victims or their ages at a news briefing held about three hours after the shooting took place. Smith told reporters that it was unclear at that time whether the suspected shooter had a criminal history.


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  • Sugar sand in Clearwater perfect medium for sculpting, finding love

    Sugar sand in Clearwater perfect medium for sculpting, finding love

    CLEARWATER, Fla. —Susanne Ruseler is bending sand to her artistic will.

    She’s spraying a mound of it down with water.

    “Otherwise, the sand is all fluffy really and it doesn’t stick together,” she explained.

    Then she can pack it — pound it into shape with a trowel.

    Now it’s ready to sculpt for the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival on Clearwater Beach.

    Ruseler is working on her part of the “A Blast from the Past” theme.

    “This part of the sculpture is about the moon landing,” Ruseler explained.

    She is just standing behind a pretty good huge, rounded mound, with a cylinder of sand a couple of feet high sticking out of it.

    Ruseler is from the Netherlands — a biologist turned sand sculptor.

    And astronaut Neil Armstrong — is somewhere in that packed cylinder of sand.

    “So it’s gonna be a little figure I haven’t carved that yet. You can’t see it,” said Ruseler.

    She’s got some reference photos, but she’s got to interpret them for the medium.

    She can extend an arm too far without support, so hands need to be at the astronaut’s side.

    “I have to figure it out a little bit and I want to do the footstep,” said Ruseler, referring to an iconic photo of a footstep left on the moon from an astronaut’s boot.

    It was her first steps — turning her hobby in her profession — that changed her path in life.

    “I meet my colleagues all over the world,” Ruseler said. “It’s really nice. You see, it’s like a little family. You travel around, you meet in Japan or in Italy.”

    Or in love.

    Her partner and husband is fellow sculptor Canadian David Ducharme.

    “We live in our luggage,” Ducharme said, laughing, working on sand flowers.

    These traveling artists tackle joint projects and solo trips — coordinating their schedules, committed to their art — and each other.

    “Any conventional relationship is pretty challenging ‘cause there’s a lot of time away,” said Ducharme.

    “We work together quite a lot. It goes generally very well,” Ruseler said, laughing, shaveling said. “It’s really nice to travel together and to work together, yeah.”

    It’s one time building a relationship on a foundation of sand works.

    Virginia Johnson

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  • Cool down at Gatorland’s Central Florida splash park

    Cool down at Gatorland’s Central Florida splash park

    ORLANDO, Fla. — As the temps heat up, one Central Florida splash park is advertising itself as the place to cool down.

    “A splash park in Central Florida? I don’t know how you go to a theme park without a place to cool off,” said Gatorland President and CEO Mark McHugh.

    He showed Spectrum News new water features, like a massive dumping barrel.

    Elsewhere at Gator Gully Splash, he pointed out coconut palm sprayers, frogs that flood and well-placed Adirondack chairs to let the adults lean back.

    “Get a cold beverage from our Gator Gully general store and let the kids run off that energy off,” McHugh said.

    The 110-acre park started as a roadside attraction and is about stirring up memories of old Florida while showering guests with new experiences.

    Now through the end of March, Florida residents get half-off a single day admission ticket to Gatorland. The splash park is included in the price of admission.

    Julie Gargotta

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  • Disney World deal with union will raise minimum wage to $18 an hour

    Disney World deal with union will raise minimum wage to $18 an hour

    Unions for service workers at Walt Disney World reached a tentative deal with the company on Thursday that would raise the starting minimum wage from $15 to $18 an hour by year-end in a pact that could set the basement for starting pay throughout central Florida’s sprawling tourism industry.

    Disney World service workers who are in the six unions that make up the Service Trades Council Union coalition planned to vote next Wednesday on the contract proposal after rejecting an earlier offer that fell short of the $18 hourly minimum wage last month. The agreement covers around 45,000 service workers at the Disney theme park resort outside Orlando. Workers could see their hourly wages rise between $5.50 and $8.60 by the end of the five-year contract if it’s approved, union leaders said.

    “Securing an $18 minimum hourly rate this year, increasing the overall economic value of Disney’s original offer, and ensuring full back pay for every worker are the priorities union members were determined to fight for,” said Matt Hollis, head of the coalition of unions. “Today, we won that fight.”

    Mickey gets a raise

    Disney said in a statement that the tentative deal also included “industry-leading” benefits in health insurance coverage and tuition reimbursement.

    “Our cast members are central to Walt Disney World’s enduring magic, which is why we are pleased to have reached this tentative agreement,” Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort, said in the statement.

    The contract with the service workers covers the costumed performers who perform as Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters, bus drivers, culinary workers, lifeguards, theatrical workers and hotel housekeepers, representing more than half of the 70,000-plus workforce at Disney World. 

    The contract approved five years ago made Disney the first major employer in central Florida to agree to a minimum hourly wage of $15, setting the trend for other workers in the region dominated by hospitality jobs.

    The contract proposal with the largest group of workers at the resort comes at a precarious time for Disney World. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature recently passed legislation giving the Republican governor the power to appoint the governing board of the district that oversees government services for the 27,000-acre (11,000-hectare) resort. The board previously had been controlled by Disney.


    Florida governor signs bill putting Disney district under state control

    00:28

    The takeover of the Disney district began last year when the entertainment giant, facing intense pressure, publicly opposed the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, which bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade and lessons deemed not age-appropriate.

    DeSantis has built a national reputation as a culture warrior ahead of an expected GOP presidential run.

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  • DeSantis to expand ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law to all grades

    DeSantis to expand ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law to all grades

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ′ administration is moving to forbid classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, expanding the controversial law critics call “Don’t Say Gay” as the Republican governor continues to focus on cultural issues ahead of his expected presidential run.

    The proposal, which would not require legislative approval, is scheduled for a vote next month before the state Board of Education and has been put forward by the state Education Department, both of which are led by appointees of the governor.

    The rule change would ban lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity from grades 4 to 12, unless required by existing state standards or as part of reproductive health instruction that students can choose not to take. The initial law that DeSantis championed last spring bans those lessons in kindergarten through the third grade. The change was first reported by the Orlando Sentinel.

    DeSantis has leaned heavily into cultural divides on his path to an anticipated White House bid, with the Republican aggressively pursuing a conservative agenda that targets what he calls the insertion of inappropriate subjects in schools.

    Spokespeople for the governor’s office and the Education Department did not immediately return an emailed request for comment.

    White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the proposal saying “It’s wrong, it’s completely, utterly wrong.” She called it “part of a disturbing and dangerous trend that we’re seeing across the nation” of targeting LGBTQ people.

    Last year’s Parental Rights in Education Act drew widespread backlash nationally, with critics saying it marginalizes LGBTQ people and their presence in society. President Joe Biden called it “hateful.”

    DeSantis and other Republicans have repeatedly said the measure is reasonable and that parents, not teachers, should be broaching subjects of sexual orientation and gender identity with their children.

    Critics of the law say its language — “classroom instruction,” “age appropriate” and “developmentally appropriate” — is overly broad and subject to interpretation. Consequently, teachers might opt to avoid the subjects entirely for fear of being sued, they say.

    The law also kicked off a feud between the state and Disney, one of the state’s largest employers and political donors, after the entertainment giant publicly opposed the law and said it was pausing political donations in the state.

    At the governor’s request, the Republican-dominated Legislature voted to dissolve a self-governing district controlled by Walt Disney World over its properties in Florida, and eventually gave DeSantis control of the board. The move was widely seen as a punishment for the company opposing the law. The board oversees municipal services in Disney’s theme park properties and was instrumental in the company’s decision to build near Orlando in the 1960s.

    Disney later this year will host a large conference on LGBTQ workplace representation with the group Out & Equal, continuing a longstanding relationship with the organization.

    DeSantis has faced calls from at least one Republican presidential contender to go even further than the existing law, with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley last month saying the prohibition could be more stringent and extended into later grades.

    The proposed rule change this year also signals the governor’s willingness to bypass even the compliant state legislature and instead leverage state boards in order to accomplish his high-profile political goals. Late last year, at DeSantis’ urging, state medical boards voted to ban children from receiving hormones or undergoing surgeries to treat gender dysphoria.

    “Everything he does is about what can further his own career ambitions,” said Brandon Wolf, press secretary for the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida. “And it’s clear he see the anti-LGBTQ movement as his vehicle to get him where he wants to go.”

    ___

    Associated Press reporter Aamer Madhani contributed from Washington.

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  • Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival offers tour of world cuisines

    Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival offers tour of world cuisines

    TAMPA, Fla. — Busch Gardens is offering a culinary trip around the world without ever leaving the Tampa Bay area.

    What You Need To Know

    • Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival is currently running weekends through May 21

    • Executive Chef Matt Maslowski explains the global food and wine pairings chosen for the festival 

    •  Concerts are also part of the event, with acts like 38 Special and Elvis Crespo 

    It’s the Busch Garden’s Food and Wine Festival, which will run on weekends through May 21.

    The festival will include concerts and a view of the park’s Serengeti and the newly opened “Screaming Swing” the Serengeti Flyer.

    Executive Chef Matt Maslowski says kitchens have a lot in common with theme parks.

    “Lot of moving parts like a roller coaster,” he said, laughing. “You build a strong team to make sure everything runs smooth. But it’s just that trying to take things out of the natural theme park atmosphere when it comes down to food and take it to another level.”

    From baklava in Greece to tuna poke in Hawaii, food from around the world is there to try, plus the drink pairing that makes what Maslowski calls “an orchestra in your mouth.”

    Concerts Coming Up:

    • Sunday, March 25:  Rodney Atkins
    • Sunday, March 26: Flo Rida
    • Saturday, April 1: Jeremy Camp
    • Sunday, April: +Live+
    • Sunday, April 9: The Fab Four
    • Saturday, April 15: 38 Special
    • Sunday, April 16: Mitchell Tenpenny
    • Saturday, April 22: Air Supply
    • Sunday, April 23: Gabby Barrett
    • Saturday, April 29: Hoobastank
    • Sunday, April 30: Walk The Moon
    • Friday, May 5: The Como La Flor Band
    • Saturday, May 6: Celia Vive
    • Sunday, May 7: El Gran Combo
    • Saturday, May 13: Toño Rosario
    • Sunday, May 14: Grupo Niche
    • Saturday, May 20: Elvis Crespo
    • Sunday, May 21: Luisito Ayala y la Puerto Rican Power

    Virginia Johnson

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  • Art Garage Sale welcomes all creators

    Art Garage Sale welcomes all creators

    TAMPA, Fla. — Art lovers celebrate! Trashy Treasures Art Garage Sale is upon the Tampa Bay area, in Dunedin.

    What You Need To Know

    • Dunedin Fine Art Center’s Trashy Treasures Weekend

    • Sat.: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., admission $10, Free hot dog and drink 

    • Saturday night dress code is your version of a Trashy Treasure

    It’s time for Trashy Treasures, the one night, one day art garage sale at the Dunedin Fine Art Center. Saturday night, there’s a party selling donated art mostly through a live auction. And then on Sunday, it’s art plus everything used to make it.

    It’s one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the DFAC.

    “So if you are a student of art, if you are an artist you don’t want to miss being here on Sunday because that is art, brushes, canvases and paints, fabric, galore,” said Catherine Bergmann, the Center’s Curatorial Director.

    Adrian Smith is an artist and teacher in addition to being the Gallery Shop Manager at DFAC. Like the other members of the DFAC, Smith is filled with gratitude.

    “It’s so fun for me as an artist to be in here and look at all the supplies and see what we have and see what people have been so gracious to donate to us,” said Smith.

    Virginia Johnson

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  • SeaWorld goes all green for St. Patrick’s Day

    SeaWorld goes all green for St. Patrick’s Day

    ORLANDO, Fla. — For the second year in a row, SeaWorld Orlando is going green all weekend long for St. Patrick’s Day.

    What You Need To Know

    • SeaWorld celebrates St. Patrick’s Day all weekend during the Seven Seas Food Festival

    • The park has added Irish themed food and festivities this weekend

    • The celebrations runs through Sunday

    • The Seven Seas Fest ends in May

    “It was absolutely something that we saw that no one else was really doing so we added it to our festival to once again keep that Seven Seas Festival fresh, and every weekend you come back there is something new to experience,” said Kyle Smith, Manager of Creative Show Operations at Sea World.

    The celebration is a feast for the senses with some fresh bites from the Irish market, like Irish Coddle and the Shamrock Sour, which is made with Jameson Irish Whiskey. 

    “It is amazing you’ve got to come and taste it,” said Smith.  

    Once your belly is full, you’ll be ready to do your own jig, watching performers who will transport you to the Emerald Isle.

    “We’ve added entertainment with traditional Irish dancing we have some schools coming in that are local to the Orlando area and showcasing their talents for all of our guests coming into the park,” said Smith. “We also have some added stilt walkers, some traditional Irish musicians roaming the parks well to add in to the fun.”

    Like the saying goes, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day and SeaWorld hopes these festivities will help bring people together.

    “Festivals like St. Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras, Cinco de Mayo, it is something for people to bond over whether it is food and drinking, whether it is dancing, the festivals and the season just brings people more joy,” said Smith. 

    All this makes for a party you don’t want to miss.

    “Grab an Irish dish or an Irish cocktail and green beer and come on out,” said Smith.

    If you can’t celebrate today, don’t worry, the celebration runs through Sunday. After that, SeaWorld will add a special Cinco De Mayo party to close out the Seven Seas Food Festival in May.


    Nicole Griffin

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  • Tampa fabricator makes magic at childhood zoo

    Tampa fabricator makes magic at childhood zoo

    TAMPA, Fla. — Chris Pino is responsible for the shrink machine at Zoo Tampa’s Bugtopia, currently open until April 30.

    What You Need To Know

    • Bugtopia at ZooTampa through April 30th

    • 13 Anamatronic super-sized insects

    • Chris Pino, owner of Wood Valley Group, made everything else

    • Shrink machines allow little ones to experience insect life

    It’s the only way to get small enough to see these insects up close.

    “We have an unshrinking machine as well,” Pino said, smiling.

    Pino is the owner of Wood Valley Group in Tampa, and he can fabricate pretty much whatever you could imagine, size-changing machines included.

    So when the 13 massive insects of Bugtopia came to life at Zoo Tampa, Pino and his crew went to work — from making a super-sized soup can to a huge shoe.

    Children will literally be walking through these giant facades into little learning centers.

    Pino has created these and other fanciful objects to further immerse children into a bug’s world.

    It’s his form of magic.

    “I love it. That’s the best part about my job, to see the reaction of all the guests,” said Pino.

    And Pino isn’t handling these pieces for just any zoo. This is the zoo of his childhood.

    It’s where he first experienced what would become his career — making kids believe in magic a little longer.

    “It’s awesome. I loved doing these events because I loved them as a kid, and now I get to produce them,” said Pino.

    Virginia Johnson

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  • Explosive found in checked luggage at Pennsylvania airport; suspect in custody, feds say

    Explosive found in checked luggage at Pennsylvania airport; suspect in custody, feds say

    A Pennsylvania man is in custody after an explosive was allegedly found in his checked baggage at Lehigh Valley International Airport on Monday, court documents show. Mark Muffley, 40, was taken into custody by the FBI later that night.

    During routine screening by Transportation Security Administration agents, Muffley’s bag set off an alarm indicating it contained suspicious items, according to a criminal complaint. TSA personnel found a “circular compound, approximately three inches in diameter, wrapped in a wax-like paper and clear plastic wrap hidden in the lining of the baggage,” the complaint said.

    The “immediate area” of the airport where the device was found was then evacuated “out of an abundance of caution,” TSA said in a statement.

    The FBI was then contacted and an explosives expert found that the cylinder was filled with flash powder and a type of powder “consistent with a commercial grade firework.” The device also appeared to have had a “hobby fuse” — a type of fuse that burns slower than a “quick fuse” — added on, the complaint alleges.

    An FBI agent determined that the powders were “susceptible to ignite from heat and friction and posed a significant risk to the aircraft and passengers.”

    A surveillance image allegedly showing Mark Muffley. 

    U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania


    A can of butane, a lighter, a pipe with white powder residue, a wireless drill with cordless batteries and two taped-together ground fault circuit interrupter outlets were also found in the luggage, the complaint said.

    Muffley was booked to fly to Orlando, but never boarded the flight, the complaint said. Security footage showed him leaving the airport shortly after he was paged on the airport’s public address system, according to the complaint.

    The FBI arrested Muffley at his home in Lansford, Pennsylvania. He is due in court Thursday, where he will appear virtually for a probable cause and detention hearing.

    —Pat Milton contributed reporting.  


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  • Florida governor signs bill putting Disney district under state control

    Florida governor signs bill putting Disney district under state control

    Florida governor signs bill putting Disney district under state control – CBS News


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    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill giving him more control over Walt Disney World’s self-governing district. The bill is seen as a punishment for the company’s opposition to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law.

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  • Child and TV news reporter among 3 killed in Orlando shooting rampage

    Child and TV news reporter among 3 killed in Orlando shooting rampage

    Child and TV news reporter among 3 killed in Orlando shooting rampage – CBS News


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    A 9-year-old girl and a local TV news reporter were among three people killed in a series of shootings in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday. Newly-released police bodycam footage showed the arrest of the suspect. Manuel Bojorquez has the details.

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  • 9-year old and TV reporter among 3 dead in shootings near Orlando: CBS News Flash Feb. 23, 2023

    9-year old and TV reporter among 3 dead in shootings near Orlando: CBS News Flash Feb. 23, 2023

    9-year old and TV reporter among 3 dead in shootings near Orlando: CBS News Flash Feb. 23, 2023 – CBS News


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    Three people — including a child and a TV news reporter — were killed in a series of shootings near Orlando. A suspect is under arrest. A Jan. 6 rioter who threatened Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Chuck Schumer on social media was sentenced to 38 months in prison. And Lady Gaga’s former New York City apartment is up for rent – for $35,000 a month.

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  • 9-year-old girl, TV news staffer among 3 killed in Orlando shootings

    9-year-old girl, TV news staffer among 3 killed in Orlando shootings

    A 9-year-old girl and a local TV news journalist were among three people killed and two others wounded in shootings in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday, authorities said.

    Keith Melvin Moses, 19, has been arrested in connection with the shootings, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said in a news conference. Moses is expected to be charged in the shootings, Mina said.

    Moses allegedly shot and killed a woman in her 20s on Wednesday morning, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said, and police were called later in the day to two additional shootings near the scene. 

    At one home, a 9-year-old child and her mother were shot, Mina said, while at another scene nearby, staffers from Spectrum News 13 who were covering the previous shooting were shot near their vehicle.

    Mina said the deadly rampage began at 11 a.m. local time when deputies responded to a shooting and discovered a woman in her 20s who had been fatally shot. 

    Moses was an acquaintance of that victim, he said. Then, shortly after 4 p.m., deputies received another call regarding two additional shootings near one another.

    In one location, deputies located a reporter and photographer for Spectrum News 13 — who were on the scene to cover the homicide which had occurred Wednesday morning — shot in or near their news vehicle, Mina said. 

    Mina said it is unclear why the Spectrum News 13 crew members were targeted, or if the suspect even knew whether or not they were media members, because the news vehicle wasn’t obvious. 

    After being taken to a hospital, one of the News 13 employees died from their injuries, Mina said. Spectrum News 13 said on its website that they were not yet releasing any information on the journalists who were involved in the shooting.

    Authorities also discovered a woman and her 9-year-old daughter inside a nearby home who had been shot. Mina said the 9-year-old child died while her mother was continuing to “fight for her life.”

    “It is unclear why the suspect entered that home,” Mina said. The sheriff said they didn’t yet know if the suspect had any connection to the news crew, or the mother and daughter. 

    Mina said that Moses has a lengthy criminal history that includes gun charges and charges for aggravated battery and assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and grand theft. 

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  • Performer talks about bringing the Carnival fun to Busch Gardens

    Performer talks about bringing the Carnival fun to Busch Gardens

    TAMPA, Fla. — Mardi Gras marks the end of Carnival season, but not at Busch Gardens.

    What You Need To Know

    • Mardi Gras at Busch Gardens continues weekends through March 5

    • Several parades will be held each day, with beignets and other New Orleans-style offerings

    • Performers like Devin Collins bring the joie de vivre

    From the expert glitter application on his face to the green Chucks on his feet, Devin Collins is the walking embodiment of Mardi Gras ensconced in purple, green and gold — the holiday colors.

    “Basically, anything you that you throw at any of our performers, we learn it, we master it, we throw it in the show,” said Collins.

    Devin Collins started here with stilt walking in 2008, so the intricate Mardi Gras stage make-up is no big deal.

    It’s prepping and performing with his friends that puts Collins at ease, especially in the moments before they go live in the park.

    “There’s so much love and passion here within our Busch Gardens family, so we really like to just show that to our guests,” Collins said.

    Couple the performers with New Orleans jazz, and the crowds get wise quick. It’s parade time.

    “The vibe? they’re ready to party!” Collins said about the crowds, over the cacophony of music and clapping.

    The best part comes last — throwing the beads.

    “We have fun, the kids love this,” said Collins. “We get to bring a smile to everybody’s faces.”

    Happy Mardi Gras, Devin Collins.

    Virginia Johnson

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  • Collard greens in gumbo wins festival competition

    Collard greens in gumbo wins festival competition

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — “So this is where is begins—in the garden,” said Chef Ja’Vin LeCount.

    What You Need To Know

    • The 6th Annual Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival is Saturday, Feb. 18 at 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

    • It will be at the Carther G. Woodson African American Museum and surrounding streets

    • It’s located at 2240 9th Ave. S., St. Petersburg

    You see, gumbo in the style Chef Ja’Vin LeCount speaks of requires collards.

    LeCount is in the garden at Daystar Life Center in St. Petersburg, gathering his leafy greens.

    LeCount’s addition of collard greens in his Cajun dish helped to crown him a top chef for the 2023 Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival.

    “This is something I love to do,” he said as he began chopping his collards into ribbons.

    “For a thicker ribbon you would want to go for maybe like a thicker texture,” LeCount explained. “For a thinner ribbon, you may want to cook your greens a bit faster.”

    The festival isn’t just for young chefs like LeCount.

    It’s for the greater St. Pete community, too.

    “Our mission is to promote healthier living in our communities through foods we love to grow and eat,” said festival co-found Boyzel Hosey, “through agricultural sciences, the culinary experience, fitness, nutrition and family fun.”

    For LeCount, this honor reinforces something he’s enjoyed his whole life — creating smiles through his culinary creativity.

    “I’ve got a lot of good reactions from these collard greens,” said LeCount. “And really a lot of people told me I need to share this with the world, so I want to share this with as many people as I can at the event.”

    Lecount, who turned 17 this month, has been cooking as long as he can remember, and has spent the last seven months as a chef.

    The Prince Private Academy student would like to thank his family, Junior Chefs of America and the American Culinary Federation.

    Virginia Johnson

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  • ETHOS Event Collective South Florida, Orlando and Grand Cayman Markets Strengthen With New Sales and Operations Pros in the Company

    ETHOS Event Collective South Florida, Orlando and Grand Cayman Markets Strengthen With New Sales and Operations Pros in the Company

    Press Release
    –

    Feb 6, 2023 11:30 EST


    FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., February 6, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The Destination and Event Management Company ETHOS Event Collective has welcomed two new specialists to its Sales and Operations teams and celebrates the promotion of Kathleen Michael.

    Erica Seidman, Senior Business Development

    ETHOS Event Collective is excited to welcome Erica Seidman in the position of Senior Business Development, serving the South Florida destination. Erica will serve as the key link between sales staff, clients, and industry contacts for full-service fulfillment of DMC, event and consultation services with an emphasis on client goals and community development. Before joining ETHOS Event Collective, Erica was the Associate Director of Business Development at PRA Events Inc. for three years and National Sales Manager at JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa for two years, where she generated record-breaking revenue.

    Although the art of sales is where Erica excels, she is also both passionate and successful in collaborating in the creative process and curating unique experiences. She prioritizes community engagement and giving back and plans to partner with Miami Bridge Youth & Family Services as a volunteer soccer coach as her passion project. Erica’s proven passion, strategy and influential ideas align with ETHOS’ reputation for thought leadership in the industry.

    John Dillis, Director of Operations

    As the Director of Operations for ETHOS Event Collective’s newest destination, Grand Cayman, John Dillis will be responsible for managing the Operations team and policies to ensure successful completion of services sold and ensure successful delivery of client objectives. John comes to ETHOS with over 25 years of experience, most recently as the Director of Events at the Westin Grand Cayman, and previously as Director of Operations at Koncept Events, USA.

    In addition to being a leader for the Grand Cayman team, John is looking forward to blending the ETHOS Event Collective mission with the local culture in a way that enriches the lives of all. He prioritizes customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and revenue, with a proven track record of significant contribution to the growth of businesses and communities. John’s passion project is 100 Men Cayman, a nonprofit organization that gathers to help financially support different local charities each quarter.

    Anne Laxson, Business Development

    With over 20 years of experience in Destination Management, Anne Laxson is prepared to put Purposeful Planning front and center in the Central Florida community. As the newest addition to the Orlando sales team, Anne will be in search of opportunities for long-lasting, positive effects for the companies and clients serviced through events and community projects. Laxson brings extensive Central Florida knowledge and relationships from her earlier roles in the DMC industry.

    When Anne is not connecting with clients and community, she is passionately sharing the impact her Passion Project, Soldier’s Angels, can have on the military community. This mission supports the military and Veteran community through each stage of military service and can be tied into events through team-building activities and building care packages for deployed soldiers or VA hospitals.

    Kathleen Michael named Senior Experience + Design Manager

    Kathleen Michael has been promoted to Senior Experience and Design Manager. In this new role, Michael will be responsible for training, development and mentorship of the team, along with development of creative and strategic offerings in client program design. She will develop and manage supplier relationships while building trust with clients in the ETHOS creative strategy, through delivery of fresh concepts that drive results.

    Since first joining ETHOS in 2021, Kathleen has served on the Creative Team as an Experience and Design Manager. Specifically, she played a pivotal role in leading the department with product development by finding new and valuable partners within the market. According to Julie Addelman, Director of Experience + Design, “Her passion for purposeful design, coupled with demonstrable leadership and mentorship skills, have exceeded all expectations; we fully expect Kathleen will be an asset in the years to come, that will provide our clients with programming and creativity that prove ROI in meetings and events”.

    About ETHOS Event Collective

    In January of 2021, ETHOS Event Collective set out to do things differently; to be a company that creates ROI for their clients, hotel partners, suppliers, and communities; a company that connects their local businesses to their local charities; a company that knows the destination and not afraid to re-direct a client if needed so they can achieve their company goals and objectives when operating a meeting. At ETHOS Event Collective, they aspire to use business as a force for good and take a personal approach to their service and how they treat people. Their goal is to inspire and support those around them to improve their work and the communities in which they work. They call it Purposeful Planning, and it’s how they ensure results for both company and community long after a meeting or event has ended. To learn more, visit www.ETHOSEventCollective.com.

    Source: ETHOS Event Collective

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  • Couple in central Florida retirement community found slain

    Couple in central Florida retirement community found slain

    MOUNT DORA, Fla. — A couple living in a central Florida retirement community was found slain in their home, and a woman who was seen driving the couple’s car has been arrested, authorities said.

    The couple, Darryl Getman, 83, and his wife, Sharon, 80, were believed to have been killed on Saturday in their home in Mount Dora, Florida, located about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Orlando.

    A woman found driving the couple’s car was arrested on vehicle theft. Authorities wouldn’t identify her or say where she was arrested.

    The woman entered the apartment complex where the couple lived on Friday afternoon, “dressed in a particular way,” and was escorted out by security, Mount Dora Interim Police Chief Mike Gibson said Tuesday at a news conference.

    Later that night, she went to an apartment in the retirement community and asked the resident if she could take a shower. The resident hit a security panic button, and the woman fled, the police chief said.

    About three hours later, overnight Saturday, security camera video captured the Getman’s car being driven out of the retirement community. The bodies were discovered on Sunday after a concerned neighbor called security upon seeing the couple’s garage door open.

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  • Florida’s tussle with Disney wouldn’t have happened ‘if Bob Iger had been CEO,’ says top DeSantis ally

    Florida’s tussle with Disney wouldn’t have happened ‘if Bob Iger had been CEO,’ says top DeSantis ally

    Florida lawmakers are reviewing ways to restore some of the privileges that the state stripped from Walt Disney Co., still reducing the company’s benefits dramatically without going as far as ending them all, a key legislator said.

    Earlier this year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law that in 2023 would dissolve a special government district that’s granted sweeping benefits to Disney for half a century, called Reedy Creek, unless it’s reinstated by the legislature. The move was triggered by what the Republican governor saw as Disney’s criticism of a law he signed that limits elementary school teachings about gender identity.

    The sponsor of the law axing the entertainment giant’s Florida perks, state Representative Randy Fine, said he’s encouraged by last month’s ouster of Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek, who led opposition to DeSantis’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law. Fine said discussions were helped by signs that Disney’s returning CEO Bob Iger will steer clear of Florida politics. 

    “I think Mr. Iger has already said it probably was a misstep on the company’s part and how they handled it,” Fine said in an interview.  “I don’t think we’d be in this situation if Bob Iger had been CEO.” 

    The move pitted DeSantis against one of Florida’s largest and most powerful employers, known for several iconic theme parks in Orlando. DeSantis, who’s widely believed to be plotting a run for president in 2024, has made the blow against Disney a key part of his so-called “anti-woke” agenda. The Florida governor has vowed repeatedly to go after corporations that side against him on culture-war fights over race, gender identity and abortion. Fighting what he called “the woke” was the foundation of a reelection campaign that gave DeSantis one of the largest landslide victories of any Republican in the US midterm elections in November.

    DeSantis won’t make any “U-turns” from the law he signed this year, his chief spokesman said. The governor will not reverse pledges to remove “the extraordinary benefit given to one company,” Press Secretary Bryan Griffin said in an emailed statement.  “A plan is in the works and will be released soon.”

    Iger to ‘quiet things down’ in Florida

    One goal would be to ensure that Disney would be responsible for paying back the nearly $1 billion in municipal bonds issued by the special district, DeSantis has said. “We will have an even playing field for businesses in Florida, and the state certainly owes no special favors to one company,” Griffin said. “Disney’s debts will not fall on the taxpayers of Florida.”

    A Disney spokesperson declined comment. In a recent hall meeting with Disney employees, Iger, said: “Do I like the company being embroiled in controversy? Of course not.” 

    “It can be distracting and have a negative impact on the company. To the extent I can quiet things down, I’m going to do that,” he said, adding that he’s still getting “up to speed” on the situation with Reedy Creek and that he doesn’t have all the details about the ramifications of Florida’s decision.

    Legislation to replace Reedy Creek will seek to strip away benefits that no other company except Disney enjoys, said Fine, who said he’s involved in discussions among lawmakers and the governor. Fine declined to comment on details of the discussions or what privileges might be on the chopping block once a new law is proposed in the legislature. 

    But he cited perks Disney has enjoyed such as government-like powers to seize land via eminent domain and to sell bonds. The Reedy Creek tax district was created by the legislature in 1967 in a deal that led to the construction of Disney World. It gave Disney self-governing power over 25,000 acres, including overseeing its own building code and permits, which helped the company build faster. 

    “I think what you’ll likely see is some of the things that just made no sense,” said Fine. “You know, it isn’t going to be, ‘Oops, let’s go back to the way it was.’ You’re gonna see something substantially different.”

    Iger, in the wide-ranging meeting with employees, said he’s not going to back down on having Disney be a “good citizen of the world,” which is sometimes mistakenly branded as political. 

    “I think there’s a misperception here about what politics is,” he explained. “I think that some of the subjects that have proven to be controversial as it relates to Disney have been branded political, and I don’t necessarily believe they are.” 

    —With assistance from Thomas Buckley

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    Michael Smith, Bloomberg

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