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As Floridians ring in the new year, new data shows the holiday brings some of the most dangerous driving situations of the year, especially with distracted driving, speeding and alcohol-impaired driving. New Year’s Day saw the highest number of distracted drivers in Florida, according to recent telematics and traffic safety data from Insurify and Cambridge Mobile Telematics, highlighting the heightened risks drivers face as the holidays wind down and families travel to visit loved ones. The data reveals several high-risk times throughout the day. Between 4pm and 6pm on New Year’s Day, which coincided with return trips and evening plans,…
Cool weather conditions and continued drop in temperatures have caused water parks in Central Florida to close for several days. With overnight temperatures forecast to be in the 30s, many attractions have been forced to adjust their schedules. Typhoon Lagoon at Walt Disney World. Volcano Bay at Universal. SeaWorld’s water park, Aquatica Orlando, and SeaWorld’s day resort, Discovery Cove, were all closed on Tuesday. Disney plans to reopen Typhoon Lagoon on January 1st. The attraction’s sister park, Blizzard Beach, had already been closed for winter maintenance before reopening on February 15th. (This is also the day Typhoon Lagoon is scheduled…
By Florida Daily Investments FORT LAUDERDALE — As school districts enter a new calendar year, what once might have been put off as a “transition issue” is solidifying as an inevitable leadership test for school boards. RFQ 26-059’s debacle was initially attributed to a procurement error under Superintendent Howard Hepburn, but a clearer narrative has now settled on it. It’s an organizational failure by Chief Operating Officer Wanda Paul, and an oversight failure to allow her to leave on terms that critics say protect leadership rather than the public interest. As daily operations resume and emergency procurement decisions are made,…
Santa Claus may have gone into hibernation this week, but the holiday spirit continues at many theme parks and attractions into the end of the year and beyond. Below is a list of last call holidays with some key end dates for 2026. They’re arranged chronologically for easy clipping and saving (ask your kids, Nana, or Mrs. Claus). • Candlelight Processional and the rest of the Epcot International Holiday Festival end on December 30th. The final celebrity narrator of the year is Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”), who will appear on Monday and Tuesday nights. (Santa Goofy will also be…
The Miami-area condo market is showing clear signs of cooling, adding weight to recent warnings from analysts that prices could face a major correction in the coming months. New market data and broker reports show that while condo inventory continues to grow across Miami-Dade and Broward counties, the pandemic-era boom has significantly slowed buyer demand. Properties are spending more time on the market, and price reductions, once rare in South Florida, are becoming increasingly common, especially on older properties. High interest rates remain one of the biggest headwinds. Mortgage rates near multi-decade highs have significantly reduced affordability, driving away many…
What is Orlando’s biggest theme park story of 2025, and why is it Epic Universe? There’s little debate. The theme-park capital of the world gained its first major park in more than 25 years, thanks to a major expansion of — and $8 billion investment by — Universal Orlando. Epic methodically dribbled out details about its lands, rides, previews, ticket sales and trio of hotels. It played host to international media and a star-studded build-up – complete with “celestial carpet” – to its May 22 debut. Early reviews were mostly positive, lauding the immersive nature of Super Nintendo World, Dark…
The Miami Hurricanes have won college football’s national championship five times, more than the Florida Gators (three) and Florida State Seminoles (three). Miami accomplished this feat through major postseason bowl game wins in 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 2001. These accomplishments solidified the Canes’ reputation as a college football powerhouse, affectionately known as “The U,” and demonstrated the program’s ability to excel in key moments. The rosters and media guides of the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s are filled with iconic names, from Ray Lewis to Warren Sapp to Michael Irvin and many other great talents who went on to…
Jason Chin said his James Beard Award-nominated Good Salt Restaurant Group’s normal rate of new restaurants is one every two to four years. In 2025, he opened two restaurants with his wife and partner Sue. It was a year that he and others in the Orlando restaurant industry described as tough economic times. “Not just in a general sense, but especially in terms of restaurant economics,” Chin said. Over the past few years, with COVID-19 and beyond, “we’ve all been a little reeling trying to make sense of everything with inflation and wages and things like that,” he said. And…
Eggnog is a thick, creamy drink traditionally associated with holiday celebrations. Over the centuries, its history has evolved from a drink consumed by Europe’s elite to a celebratory staple enjoyed around the world. origins of medieval europeEggnog’s roots go back to the medieval European drink “posset” made with hot milk, eggs, and ale or wine. Posetto was not only drunk as a cold remedy, but also enjoyed as a luxurious drink at social gatherings. By the 17th century, milk and eggs had become scarce and expensive, and posset became a drink primarily for the wealthy. Over time, the recipe evolved.…
On a frozen Christmas day during World War I, the sounds of gunfire along parts of the Western Front went eerily quiet. In the spaces between the trenches – land recently torn apart by shelling – soldiers emerged, without rifles, with hesitant gestures of goodwill. Among the most memorable stories of the day is a simple soccer game played for several hours between uniformed opponents who chose humanity over hatred. Accounts from the time describe soldiers greeting each other, sharing food, and making improvised goalposts out of their hats and coats. In some retellings, the match also included German and…