Recent Stories
East reacts to FCAT
Admin, parents speak out
Lindsey Gallo, 11, worried that because she’s always taken advanced courses, she’d forget the basics that would appear on her FCAT exam. The Corner Lakes sixth-grader stressed endlessly about getting a good grade.
Just 1 Book's mobile
Bus donated by county
Sarah Dewitz thought it would have been at least 10 years before her bookmobile dream would come to fruition.
Ride to peace
Women find peace at race
Diana Oakley stood next to her shiny, new bike on the sidewalk in front of her Waterford home, both excited and nervous about how the bike would feel after a 21-year hiatus.
De-stress with dogs
Event helps dogs and students during finals week
Samantha Simon would adopt Max if she could. But for now, she’ll have to settle for a walk in the afternoon sun. She is one of hundreds of University of Central Florida students who took advantage of “Pets for Vets”.
Christmas gets fire station
After 20 years, a permanent facility is built
The horses across the fence from the Christmas Fire Station mosey over to Lt. Elaine Fisher after only one holler. They know her voice means carrots or apples to munch on.
Bank helps church in crisis
New Covenant gets land back, works to keep it
The small sanctuary, filled with white fold-up chairs, smells of clean laundry. Little vases of flowers and lace doilies appear throughout the church. To Pauline Baxter, deep-seeded memories hang in every corner of her former home.
New homeless options
County negotiates new site
Each week Orange County staff gets a step closer to finding an East Orlando homeless resource center. Orange County commissioners directed county staff on March 20 to vet two possible locations for the center.
Yard sale benefits babies
Charities in Avalon Park use yard sale for their cause
For the fourth time, about a dozen people from St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church’s Respect Life Ministry divided into pairs and trolled the “stuff”-strewn yards of Avalon Park for cheap or free baby items.
Flight: Keep dreaming
Minor league basketball comes to Avalon
The rhythmic pounding on the pavement, the swoosh of the net and the adrenaline from a body working overtime all helped Mark King forget his troubles as a child.
Homeless center closer to reality
Hundreds of letters put pressure on commission
“If we build this homeless center, maybe people won’t have to live in their cars.” This excerpt from a letter by Ali, 13, of the Spirit of Joy Youth Group was one of hundreds received by Orange County commissioners.