Shaniqua Rose, Travaris McCurdy head to runoff in Orlando City Council District 5 special election
Two of the seven people running in the Orlando City Council special election will advance to a runoff race in June, according to unofficial results posted by the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office after polls closed Tuesday.
Orlando groups canvasing, busing seniors to vaccination sites
ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando Commissioner Regina Hill has been working with other local organizations like Equal Ground Education Fund to canvas areas in northwest Orlando to help seniors that may not have access to transportation and the internet get a vaccine. Davis is among the nearly two dozen seniors that live at Lorna Doone Apartments, in west Orlando, who have tried getting the vaccine with no luck. A partnership between Orlando Commissioner Regina Hill and other organizations like Pegasus Transportation is helping these seniors register and get the vaccine. “The westside of Orlando has a large population of African Americans and Hispanic population.”A population still falling behind when it comes to getting the vaccine. Hill said she and her staff are moving on to Magnolia Points Apartments to canvas for seniors who want to get vaccinated.
Orlando seniors stuck in isolation to receive free ride to get COVID-19 vaccine
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – In an effort to make the COVID-19 vaccine accessible to all seniors, Orange County Commissioner Regina Hill announced a partnership with Pegasus Transportation to provide rides to seniors to and from the FEMA site at Valencia College. At 10 a.m. on Thursday seniors at Lake Lorna Doone Senior Living Apartments will be offered a ride to get vaccinated against COVID-19. [TRENDING: ‘Manatee graveyard in Fla. | 6 major announcements from Disney | Fla. woman charged in US Capitol attack]AdThe partnership is aimed at eliminating barriers for underserved seniors. Ron DeSantis emphasized his Seniors First approach and said nearly 60% of seniors have been vaccinated in Florida. With that you are not able to meet the qualification because you need your doctor’s consent,” Hill said.
1 week into early voting, Orange County sees fewer voters at Amway Center location
ORLANDO, Fla. – Early voting at a new early voting location in Orange County has seen a bit of decline in recent days, but election officials say it could be voter choice or because it’s a new polling location and more people are voting by mail. The Amway Center saw an increase the first day of early voting, then the numbers dropped shortly after. Here’s how to track your ballot]News 6 asked Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles about the Amway early voting stats. He said early voting numbers are actually up countywide compared to early voting so far in 2016. Cowles also said the Amway Center is a new early voting location and that it’s common to see larger early voting numbers toward the end of early voting.
Can you pitch in? Community’s help needed to save Orlando woman’s home
ORLANDO, Fla. – Last week, the City of Orlando was weeks away from condemning Theresa DeFairia’s home. District 5 Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill grew up in the same Orlando neighborhood. “We are a united Orlando and when we stand together, here in Orlando, miraculous things happen,” Hill said. If you’d like to help Ms. Theresa, you can contact Commissioner Regina Hill with the City of Orlando. If you would like to donate, DeFairia has a GoFundMe page.
My Brother’s Keeper awarded $1 million to expand in Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando city commissioners voted this week to approve $1 million to help fund the My Brother’s Keeper program, expanding it to four new neighborhoods throughout the city. The program is a national initiative started by President Barack Obama aimed at helping minority youth reach their full potential. He said he turned his life around thanks to the My Brother’s Keeper Program. Raysean Brown also mentors kids in Parramore and is a former coordinator for the My Brother’s Keeper program. You can read more about the My Brother’s Keeper Program and ways to get involved here.
We are focused on racial equality:' Changes proposed to Orlando Police Department
ORLANDO, Fla. Orlando city commissioners met virtually Monday morning for the first of several budget hearing workshops for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. This comes after protesters spent weeks marching through Orlando fighting for equality after George Floyd was killed in police custody. In addition, theyre working to implement a pilot co-responder program to engage mental health professionals and social workers. Piloting co-responder models that engage mental health and social service professionals on calls involving individuals experiencing homelessness or a mental crisis. Funding mental health professionals who will work directly in the department to offer and expand direct access to mental health assistance for officers.
These Orlando residents can get tested for COVID-19 at no cost this weekend
ORLANDO, Fla. Free COVID-19 testing will be available to certain Orlando residents this weekend. Commissioner Regina Hill has partnered with the Sports and Entertainment District to offer residents of District 5 free drive-in and walk-up testing on Saturday. Anyone looking to get tested must be 18 or older and will need to schedule an appointment ahead of time. To schedule an appointment to be tested for the novel coronavirus at this location, residents of District 5 can visit www.SEDlawn.com or call 855-332-2533. Residents do not need to be showing symptoms of COVID-19 to be tested but must bring a government-issued ID to their appointment, according to officials.
Free COVID-19 testing happening Saturday in Orlandos Parramore neighborhood
ORLANDO, Fla. Orlando Commissioner Regina Hill has partnered with the Sports + Entertainment District to bring free COVID-19 testing to the Parramore area on Saturday. Testing will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Geico Garage located at 400 W. South St. in Orlando. Drive-thru and walk-up options will be available to anyone 18 and older who has an appointment. District 5 residents whod like to get tested during the event should keep in mind that masks are required and the space is not air conditioned. Quest Diagnostics will process the 500 nasal swab tests that are performed that day.
‘COVID is real:‘ Black community leaders ask residents to ‘mask up'
“The very life that you save might be your mamma’s.”The commissioner said COVID-19 has also exposed health and wealth disparities in the Black community and now is the time to find resources to invest in Black health. “COVID is real, COVID is not just real but (it) kills,” Hill warned. “When the community see us reach out and see we’re taking it seriously, the community will also take it seriously also,” Fountain said. All of the leaders present reinforced the fact that wearing a mask will help everyone stay safe. “We stand here together speaking to our black and brown community, with people that look like us, please mask up,” Hoisington said.
Orlando commissioners take a hard look at how law enforcement police the community
In Orlando, Commissioners Regina Hill and Bakari Burns met with community members virtually for a town hall meeting centered around racial injustice and accountability. A lot of things that were discussing are structural and for the long-term and a lot of things were discussing take time, Burns said. Hill responded to questions geared at taking a hard look at how law enforcement police the community. The discussion reignited the conversation about Orlandos nine-member citizens review board and police oversight in response to police brutality. I think were getting some pushback on how independent that looks and what powers that would look like, Gilbert said.
Orlando commissioners hosting virtual town hall on racial injustice
That is the driving force behind a virtual town hall Monday evening focused on bringing people together over the issues that are driving them apart. Orlando City Commissioners Regina Hill and Bakari Burns are hosting the conversation to engage more with the community. After the protest, whats next, and we want to make sure the whats next is all inclusive, Hill said. We want to make sure they know their history, and know why people are protesting and know what happened. This comes after News 6 hosted a Juneteenth town hall Friday where viewers got a chance to ask questions about race relations.
Crime-ridden Orlando apartment complex could get $19.4 million facelift
ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando apartment complex plagued by crime could be getting a multi-million dollar makeover. The Windsor Cove Apartments on Mercy Drive may soon undergo a $19.4 million renovation. The existing 256 affordable apartments will be supported by tax credits, HUD and several other local and federal partners. Jerry McGruder lives nearby at the Village on Mercy, a new affordable housing complex on Mercy Drive. He’s happy to see more affordable housing options and hopes he’ll see new additions in the future.
Crews work to preserve historic Orlando church after roof collapse
Crews work to preserve historic Orlando church after roof collapsePublished: December 6, 2019, 1:47 pmCrews are expected to return to the site of a historic Parramore church Friday to begin the preservation process while removing pieces of the roof that collapsed earlier this week.