As Tropical Storm Fay made its way up the Florida peninsula, Orlando residents could only glue themselves to the Weather Channel and hope they bought enough bottled water. But University of Central Florida consultant Chuck Watson said he could offer people hunkering down more than just a beginning- of-the-season forecast and the media frenzy that surrounds any storm touching U.S. soil.

Five-year-old Bertilus Bornelus hurried over to the kitchen and started to cook — corn on the cob, glazed doughnuts and tiny cans of Progresso soup. The stove is wood, the pots and pans are metal, and the food is plastic, but it didn’t dampen his enthusiasm, or volume. Five other children were in the kitchen with him, chattering excitedly.

Danube Plaza is a blend of the surrounding Azalea Park community it serves, reflecting both its age and heritage. Anchored by Las Americas Supermarket, the center is a mix of English and Spanish storefronts, a collection of restaurant/bars offering Latin and Mexican dishes, and a clientele that is both hardworking and, at times, hardscrabble.

The small, landlocked African nation of Burundi is a sad place. So sad in fact that Claudia Witcher struggled to identify the scene that touched her most during a recent mission trip there. There was the 4-year-old boy carrying his infant brother on his back while his pregnant mother carried her other infant on hers.

In hosting last week’s Orange County Community Crime Forum at Risen Savior Lutheran Church, Commissioner Linda Stewart was well aware that east-side residents are worried that crime is encroaching into their neighborhoods.

Confrontation is scary for most people. Some people avoid it, some deny it, others meet it with anger and frustration. It can end in a lawsuit, a physical fight or divorce. Rob Rogers spent most of his life running from conflict and consequently important matters went unsolved, relationships were tarnished and jobs were nearly lost.

Brendan Ganguzza lives only for his wife’s dream — to provide mental health treatment to the underpriviledged. Nicole Ganguzza was killed June 10 while taking an evening jog at Jay Blanchard Park in East Orlando. Months later, Brendan has no answers from the police investigation and a gaping hole in his heart.

Red-light runners beware! Starting this week the city of Orlando, with the assistance of cameras monitoring seven intersections, will be issuing civil citations to those who ignore traffic signals. At the same time Orange County officials are wrapping up its seven-month trial run of keeping an automated, watchful eye on motorists, and will soon decide if they will follow suit in teaching redlight runners an expensive lesson in safe driving.

Looking back on his violent encounter with teenagers while preparing to open his new martial arts school, James Gonzalez should have seen the trouble that lay ahead. But he didn’t. Instead, the incident would only be the first of several involving groups of teens, harassment and confrontation.

When prescription medications cost hundreds of dollars a month and Social Security is the main income source, $300 can be a lot of money. Maria Lane was thrilled to hear that her 84-year-old mother, Eulalia Mateu, was still eligible for the economic stimulus payment (ESP) distributed by the Internal Revenue Service in May to everyone who filed a tax return.