Orlando Weekly

To most people, the changes made to the GED test for 2014 probably don’t look like that big of a deal. The price to take the test, which gives people who dropped out of high school a chance at an equivalency diploma, went up from $70 to $128. Its content was changed to more closely reflect current Common Core high school teaching standards. And finally, the test can now only be taken on a computer.

Earlier this month, we covered Mayor Buddy Dyer’s State of Downtown, at which he gave a big shout-out to Project DTO, the task force that polled Orlando residents about what they would like to see in a thriving downtown. Among the things Project DTO said people want is a celebration of the city’s history, more focus on outdoor activities and a “creator” culture.

Could Florida become the next frontier for fracking? Environmentalists, who are already concerned about the state’s fragile water supply, fear that it could, and this week they’re trying to get out ahead of the situation before the 2015 Legislative session begins in Tallahassee.

A funny thing happened on the way to November. You might recall that Orange County voters were asked to register their feelings on making local elections partisan, thereby moving the elections of wonderful lovers of transparency like Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs to presidential years. More of a fair competition, you say? Voters said no! By about 55 percent, your friends and neighbors said that this wasn’t a good idea, because partisanship is awful.

It’s widely known these days that there are huge swaths of the United States, especially in urban areas, where it’s not easy to get access to fresh, whole foods. Convenience stores stocked with nonperishables like mac-n-cheese, cup-o-noodles and premade frozen entrees are everywhere, but in some communities, true grocery stores with wide aisles stocked with fresh produce, meats, dairy and whole-grain products are scarce – you need to take a car or a bus just to get a head of lettuce or an onion, not to mention any kind of meat that isn’t in frozen nugget or patty form.

There’s been a lot of frustration and sadness lately when it comes to new developments in Orlando scheduled to displaced beloved older spaces. Recently Theatre Downtown announced that its landlord, Florida Hospital, has plans for the building the theater has called home for 25 years. The theater has to vacate by the end of January. Shortly after that, we learned that a developer is buying multiple properties in Ivanhoe Village and will be transforming the neighborhood’s artsy warehouse district into multistory mixed-use spaces.

On May 3, 2011, Orlando musician Terri Binion kissed her wife Tracy Irwin goodbye just like she might on any other morning – except, as Binion wasn’t feeling well, she only offered her cheek. Irwin was working as a contractor for a company hired by Cirque du Soleil to help complete its ambitious construction on its huge Zarkana set at Amway Arena. By 8 a.m., Irwin was at work, loading aluminum lighting trusses onto forklifts and stabilizing the load as it was slowly lifted into the air. What happened next would change Binion’s life forever. The load tilted, then it fell, fatally crushing Irwin.

Recently, Orlando Weekly reported about a proposed development project for Ivanhoe Village. Chance Gordy, a local developer, has expressed interest in…

According a recent report by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, the gains that the legislature and governor like to claim as a veritable bounty – because of huge cuts to government jobs and spending – might actually be ruining the parts of the state where government is required to make things work.

On Oct. 2, the New York Times reported on California’s water crisis. In some places in the state near the Sequoia National Forest, residents’ wells have dried up. Their taps have run dry, rivers and lakes are drying up and there is no water left to shower on once-lush landscaping.