Good Morning! On this day in 1781, Spanish Gov. Bernardo de Gálvez defeated the British in the Siege of Pensacola.
As news broke Thursday about the first pope from the United States being named, St. Augustine’s Cathedral Basilica rang its bells in celebration. Find out more in Et Cetera.
Don’t forget to kick off your weekend with our weekend podcast host, Amy Hess! Click here.
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Daytona Beach ⛈️ 85/73° | Ft. Myers ⛅ 89/74° | Jacksonville ☁️ 85/72° | Key West ☁️ 84/79° | Miami ⛅ 84/78° | Ocala ⛅ 88/71° | Orlando ⛈️ 89/73° | Pensacola ⛈️ 77/68° | Port St. Lucie ⛅ 89/74° | Tallahassee ⛅ 78/68° | Tampa ☁️ 88/74°
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Orlando Tourism Rebounds from Pandemic
In 2024, Orlando welcomed over 75 million visitors—cementing its spot as the most-visited destination in the United States. This represents a 2% increase from 2023, bringing Orlando nearly back to its pre-pandemic peak of 76 million in 2019.
Part of the growth is due to international travel increasing by 6% in 2024.
“The people who live here will benefit the most,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, noting that the growth is expected to create more career opportunities across the region.
The Orlando area is projected to continue to see an increase in 2025 as Epic Universe, a new theme park, opens this month and new rides debut at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
Bank Teller Taken by Force During Robbery
Police shot one alleged bank robber and arrested two others after a bank teller was taken by force during a robbery on Thursday.
Randall Williford, 37, entered an Ocala bank with a gun, demanded cash, and took a bank employee by force. He released the employee outside the bank before fleeing in a getaway car with two accomplices.
The getaway car driver, Amanda Bishop, led officers on a high-speed chase before crashing into a ditch. Williford ran and was shot in the wrist by police officers after refusing to drop his weapon.
All three were arrested and face charges.
No Worries About FEMA Changes in Florida
Florida’s top emergency management official said Thursday he doesn’t expect any changes to FEMA to impact Florida’s upcoming hurricane system, as most of the response has been coordinated at the state or local level anyway.
“What the governor is going to do, what I’m going to do underneath his direction is we’re going to continue to perform at a very high level for the residents of Florida,” said Kevin Guthrie, the executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
A week earlier, President Trump appointed Guthrie to the new FEMA Review Council, which is tasked with fixing “a terribly broken system.”
“I definitely believe that there should be some changes (to FEMA),” Guthrie said. “The complexity of FEMA we do need to streamline.”
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➤Statewide:Florida gas prices rose to an average of $2.99 a gallon this week, up from last week’s average of $2.96 a gallon. (More)
➤Tampa: The owner of Olympus Pools was sentenced to 20 years in prison for defrauding customers by collecting payments and never building the promised pools. (More)
➤Mount Dora:A city-ordered 83-page study has solved the mystery of the unpleasant odor at the heart of years-long complaints, saying it is most likely from the Mid-Florida Mount Dora landfill. (See Video)
➤Taylor County: New funding acquired through the Department of Commerce allowed 50 AmeriCorps members to be re-employed at the Boys & Girls Club of North Central Florida. (See Video)
➤Tallahassee: City commissioners will consider a moratorium on new gas stations through Dec. 31, 2025, after resident complaints. (More)
➤ The Florida Panthers faced off against the Toronto Maple Leafs at home last night with a chance to fight their way back into the playoff series. See the game results by clicking the following link. (More)
➤Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill shared a social media post celebrating a successful wrist surgery, finally repairing an injury he suffered before the 2024 NFL season even started. (More)
➤ The Miami Heat are expected to make a splash trade this summer, with Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Zion Williamson being named as potential targets. (More)
➤ Goldman Sachs says this phenomenon is creating 1,600 new millionaires daily—yet it’s flying under the radar. The analyst who foresaw Amazon and Qualcomm’s rise is now revealing his next big prediction, claiming this opportunity could surpass anything investors have seen before. (See It Here)
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➤ A 106-year-old WWII veteranwas honored in Manatee County Thursday, receiving the Knight of the Legion from French Consulate officials. He received a special escort from local sheriff’s deputies. (See Photos)
➤ SEA LIFE Florida in Winter Park welcomed its first finned residents Friday, marking the transition from “construction site to conservation site.” (See Photos)
➤St. Augustine’s Cathedral Basilica, the oldest Catholic congregation in the U.S., rang its bells Thursday in honor of the new pope. (See Video)
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