Central Florida News

Hundreds of manatees have gathered in the warm waters of Blue Spring State Park as colder temperatures drive the animals away from the St. Johns River, drawing large crowds eager to see them.

The stage was set on Monday at Hard Rock Stadium as fans gathered ahead of the college football championship matchup between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes.

Thousands of volunteers gathered at the Orange County Convention Center on Monday to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through community service, packing meals for people in need across Central Florida.

Authorities have released the name of the third victim in a triple murder in Kissimmee, Florida, identifying him as 68-year-old James John Puchan of Ohio. The other victims have been identified as Robert Louis Kraft, 70, of Michigan, and his brother Douglas Joseph Kraft, 68, also of Ohio.

In a Jan. 19 press conference. Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost compared ICE's detention center expansion as being like an "Amazon Prime for humans. He advocated against establishing an ICE detention center in Orlando. 

"We don't want ICE our communities," Rep. Maxwell Frost said in response to news that ICE is looking to an Orlando warehouse as a potential detention center site. 

County Commissioner Nicole Wilson called for local government to scrutinize an Orland warehouse in a corporate park to be used as a potential detention center. 

Volunteers gathered at the Orange County Convention Center on Jan. 19 to pack one million healthy meals for distribution across the Central Florida region. The event will continue until 3 p.m., with open spots for volunteers. 

Following the death of a 70-year-old woman who died in the hospital after riding Universal Studio's Revenge of the Mummy, Matthew Miller, from Innovated Studios, said all of the parks are safe, it's just the volume of guests that are attending -- which could make the number of injuries appear skewed. 

19-year-old University of Central Florida student Antonio Constantino Pizza, a graduate of Haggerty High School in Seminole County, says he wants more students learning in person in schools, rather than students being allowed to drop classes and enroll online.  

With the weather in the low 40s in DeLand on Jan. 19, experts at Blue Spring State Park discussed its manatee count and what brings the animals to Central Florida this time of year. 

Does it snow in Florida? It can – and it did. Believe it or not, snow flurries are falling in northern Florida. Traffic cameras in northern Florida showed snow actively falling, as well as a light dusting on the freeways.

Interim Osceola County Sheriff Chris Blackmon gives an update on a triple shooting in Kissimmee, Florida. The shooting happened Saturday at a rental home. Deputies received 911 calls about shots fired. When deputies arrived, three men were dead outside the home. A suspect was arrested and has been booked into jail. Sheriff Blackmon said the shooting appears random, but said the suspect's actions were cold blooded and premeditated. He said the suspect is known to the sheriff's office. 

Deputies with the Osceola County Sheriff's Office are investigating after a shooting left three men dead on Saturday, according to officials. Officials were initially notified about a shooting in the Indian Hill Subdivision near Kissimmee around 12:13 p.m., according to a release. Deputies arrived at the location to find three males dead from gunshot wounds in front of the residence, officials said. 

Eduardo Rodriguez, 23, was shot and killed at a Gainesville lumber yard by a man he did not know, authorities said. Friends described Rodriguez as having a bright future, with plans to marry, start a family, and open his own business.

New video released this week shows the moments before a Seminole County police officer shot a man outside a Longwood gas station. Authorities say the man was armed.

Authorities have filed additional charges against a man dubbed the “scumbag of the week” by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly stealing jewelry from senior residents and selling it at pawn shops.

Central Florida lawmakers are reporting that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may be planning a new detention center in Orlando, located in East Orange County near Transport Drive. The potential site is in the Sunbridge Business Park, a large industrial area with a 400,000-square-foot warehouse currently zoned for industrial distribution.

One game stands between the reigning state champion Lake Mary High School girls soccer team and another deep postseason run. The Rams, who finished the regular season with just one loss, face Montverde Academy as they seek to capture a second consecutive state title.