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City Council Extends COVID-19 Safety Precautions, Brings Civility Resolution

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A resident receives a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Photo courtesy of WKMG 6.

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – The City Of Orlando Council began its second meeting of 2021 agreeing to extend the length of the safety programs installed in March of 2020 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, as the vaccination program continues throughout central Florida.

“I don’t think any of us thought back in March extending COVID relief programs for our businesses into the summertime of this year, but we are,” Mayor Buddy Dyer said in his opening remarks.

“COVID continues to impact our community even as we see the distribution of vaccines, so you need to continue to practice your pandemic precautions, (like) wearing a mask, social distancing,” he added. “But don’t focus on what you can’t do; I think we ought to be focusing on what we can do safely, and there are lots of great things. You can meet friends and families at a distance, in your driveway, in your front yard, one of our city parks, there’s a lot of outdoor dining opportunities, you can go for walks, bike rides, visit our city parks. And that’s good not only for your physical health but for your mental health, as well.

“You can come to City Council meetings, that’s always good for your mental health… sometimes”, the mayor commented. “But getting outside reduces the risk of spreading the virus, so we want to continue protecting our family and friends and everybody here in Central Florida.”

The resolutions also include allowing for more outdoor dining, helping downtown food trucks operate through the Downtown area, and suspending the need to get any permits or pay any fees relating to that activity.

On that note, Commissioner Bakari Burns informed that, on January 15th, he participated in delivering gave out over 2,000 masks, hand sanitizers, and COVID-19 posters to businesses on International Drive.

Commissioners Anthony Ortiz and Robert Stuart of Districts 2 and 3, respectively, brought forward a Civility Resolution to set an example of behavior to both federal, state, and city governments across the country.

“If you go on YouTube and see other meetings going on, it’s not so stressful here. I appreciate the congeniality and the civil discourse that we enjoy here at this council,” Mayor Dyer said. “By adopting this resolution we can set an example to other communities and allow Commissioner Ortiz, as president of the Florida League of Cities this year, to pursue one of his goals.”

“The best way to make yourself look good is to work hard and to not use the media to make someone else look bad,” Commissioner Patty Sheehan of District 4 commented about the resolution.

“This council puts people over politics,” added Commissioner Regina Hill of District 5.

Commissioner Hill also took the time to congratulate the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as President and Vice President of the United States, respectively, especially Vice President Harris as the first female vice president in history, in honor of “equity and equality for all women in the nation.”

In preparation for Black History Month, to be celebrated throughout February, the City proclaimed that the theme for 2021 would be to celebrate “the diversity of African American families as a core part of American society.” In light of the pandemic, most Black History Month events will be held virtually and encouraged to visit the BHM Committee’s website for more information and registration.

The Council also announced a series of outdoor activities for residents and visitors, like the new Deezerland park on I-Drive, which features a collection of vehicles used in movies like Back To The Future and the Batman series; the Farmer’s Market at Barker Park on Saturdays; and the new Dinosaur exhibit at the Harry P. Leu Gardens and the “American Artists in the Southwest and American Paintings and Drawings from the Melanson Holt Collection” in the Mennello Museum of American Art.

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Juan Carlo Rodriguez is a politics and entertainment writer for Florida National News. | info@floridanationalnews.com

NFL

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

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UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.

Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.

Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:

Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant interview

Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com and www.FloridaSportsChannel.com for more.

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Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

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Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.

Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

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Golf

Lydia Ko and Jeff McNeil win the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions

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Lydia Ko win the 2024 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, Sunday, January 21, 2024. Photo by Harry Castiblanco / Florida National News

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – Lake Nona resident, Lydia Ko, has won the 2024 Hilton Grand Vacations LPGA Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, while Mets All-Star Second Baseman, Jeff McNeil, has won the celebrities and amateurs competition. The four day tournament wrapped up Sunday. Ko takes home $225,000 of the $1.5 million prize pool, while baseball player McNeil wins $100,000 of the $500,000 designated for the athletes and entertainers.

 

Lydia Ko and Jeff McNeil win the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, Sunday, January 21, 2024. Photo by Harry Castiblanco / Florida National News

Ko finished at -14, two strokes ahead of Alexa Pano. Defending champion, Brooke Henderson, finished third at ten under par. McNeil ended with 138 points using the Modified Stableford scoring system, in his first time competing in this tournament. Annika Sorenstam finished in second place amongst the celebrity golfers, with 136. Former Major League Baseball pitchers Derek Lowe and Mark Mulder tied for third place at 135.

The Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions also announced today that they have extended their agreement with the LPGA to continue this tournament at Lake Nona for another five years, with a 65% increase in the prize pool money.

Stay tuned to Florida National News for more, and be sure to follow our Florida National News page on Facebook for more photos and videos from the tournament.

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