Orlando

Governor DeSantis vetoed over $2 million in funding for projects in Central Florida

Published

5 years ago

June 2, 2021

Orlando –Today, Governor DeSantis vetoed over $2 million in funding for projects in Central Florida. These projects, championed by Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando), would have provided an array of important services to constituents and organizations throughout the community.

“Creating this budget was not easy. We entered session expecting massive shortfalls and cuts to vital programs. This historic $100 billion dollar budget was made possible by funds from Democrats in Washington and their passage of the American Rescue Plan. The Governor chose not to utilize the full $10 billion and placed billions in reserve. There was no reason to veto these projects. His $1 billion in vetoes just goes back into general revenue for him to spend as he pleases. These actions will only harm the most vulnerable populations in our community. Providing housing and health services to our LGBTQ+ community, counseling for human trafficking victims, and expanding access to nutritious foods are just a few of the services the Governor chose to single out and eliminate for Central Floridians,” said Stewart.

Senator Stewart’s vetoed projects include the following:

$750,000 – Zebra Coalition’s Youth Housing Project for construction of transitional housing for LGBTQ+ homeless youth.

$150,000 – Orlando United Assistance Center at LGBTQ+ Center, for counseling and case management services for victims and those affected by the Pulse Tragedy.

$80,000 – The Lifeboat Project, for services to victims of human trafficking.

$250,000 – D.U.S.T. (Developing Urban Sophisticated Technocrats). Funding for after school programs in economically disadvantaged areas that engage and encourage students to pursue S.T.E.M. related higher education.

$95,000 – City of Winter Park Mead Gardens, improvements to nature trails to expand ADA accessible pathways.

$250,000 – United Against Poverty, for improvements and expansion of capacity and outreach of the Member Share Grocery Program that provides nutritious foods to income qualified shoppers.

$250,000 – Gateway Orlando Economic Prosperity Initiative to provide relief, resources, and training to businesses and residents impacted by COVID-19.

$100,000 – Best Foot Forward for Pedestrian Safety, to reduce pedestrian fatalities using engineering and high visibility safety solutions.

“The Governor has made himself clear with his actions – my constituents and the millions of visitors to Central Florida are nothing more to him than a donor county to the state’s budget for next to nothing in return,” said Stewart.

Golf

Russell Henley Wins Red Cardigan at 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

1 year ago

March 9, 2025

Mike Brodsky

Russell Henley wins the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Russell Henley wins his first 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. This is Henley’s fifth win on the PGA Tour.

Russell Henley is greeted by his family on the 18th green after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

Henley finished at 11 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 70 today. Collin Morikawa finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, finished today at 4 under par, tied for 11th place.

Scottie Scheffler tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for 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.

NFL

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

Published

2 years ago

October 30, 2024

Mike Brodsky

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.

Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2024

Mike Brodsky

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.