Fisher House Foundation opens 76th military comfort home
Fisher House Foundation, which operates a network of comfort homes for military families, recently opened a 16-suite, 14,000-square-foot home at the Orlando VA Medical Center.
Bleisure travel shows Orlando parks not just for kids
A helicopter manufacturer landed a new model chopper at Walt Disney World. A tech conference booked Universal’s Harry Potter park. Those are just a few examples of how conventions and conferences take advantage of Orlando, Florida’s theme parks when they hold their meetings there. The parks are obviously a big attraction for families, but those […]
Orlando shopping center fetches $10.1M from Continental
This is the second property the company has acquired in Florida this week.
Allegiant suspends Hagerstown flights
(AP) Low-cost carrier Allegiant Air is temporarily suspending its passenger route from Hagerstown Regional Airport to Orlando as vacation season winds down. The twice-weekly service will resume Oct. 31. The Herald-Mail in Hagerstown reported that the seasonal shutdown is an annual occurrence with Allegiant. An airline spokesman says the hiatus is an important part of […]
Zimmerman makes court appearance in Fla. shooting
SANFORD, Fla. — Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman made his first court appearance Thursday on a second-degree murder charge in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. During the brief appearance, Zimmerman stood up straight, looked straight ahead and wore a gray prison jumpsuit. He spoke only to answer “Yes, sir,” twice after he was asked […]
Special prosecutor to forego grand jury in Martin case
ORLANDO, Fla. — A grand jury will not look into the Trayvon Martin case, a special prosecutor said Monday, leaving the decision of whether to charge the teen’s shooter in her hands alone and eliminating the possibility of a first-degree murder charge. Prosecutor Angela Corey said her decision had no bearing on whether she would […]
Allegiant Air returning to Hagerstown
HAGERSTOWN — Hagerstown Regional Airport is welcoming back an airline offering flights to Orlando after a nearly two-year break. Airport officials said Thursday that Allegiant Air will resume twice-weekly flights to Sanford International Airport on May 25. The Las Vegas-based carrier pulled out of Hagerstown in July 2010 after providing the service for about 19 […]
New coasters, immersive rides coming in 2012
ORLANDO, Fla. — A host of new roller coasters, a 12-acre town lifted straight out of the animated “Cars” movies and an elaborate “Transformers” 3-D simulator ride are among the new theme park attractions scheduled to open around the country in 2012. The list was introduced Tuesday by the International Association of Amusement Parks and […]
Theme parks cash in on guests’ Halloween screams
ORLANDO — Universal Orlando’s first foray into Halloween Horror Nights 21 years ago involved one weekend, a single haunted house tucked away in the back of the park by the “Jaws” ride and some people in store-bought masks jumping out of dark corners. What was largely an experiment that first year has evolved into a […]
‘Not guilty’ means ‘innocent’
I’d like to discuss the most recent news surrounding Casey Anthony, namely, her desire to change her name and move out of the Orlando area. The moves are because of the verdict last week that acquitted Casey of murdering her daughter, Caylee. Due to the resulting shock and anger, Casey may fear reprisals and death […]
Harry Potter park chips away at Disney’s dominance
ORLANDO, Fla. — Craig Taylor wasn’t much interested in vacationing in Orlando with his parents this month — until he and his girlfriend plugged into the hype swirling around the new Harry Potter attraction. So Taylor, 23, a police dispatcher who lives near Manchester, England, and girlfriend Katherine Lucarz, 22, both fans of the wildly […]