Orange County Positivity Up + FLOTUS In Orlando For Spelling Bee

Morning, people of Orlando! It's me again, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Orlando Daily. Here's everything going on today in town.

First, today's weather: Possible light rain in the evening and overnight. High: 91 Low: 77.

Here are the top stories today in Orlando:

1. Orange County’s positivity rate has climbed back above 5%, sparking concern among local leaders. 40% of Orange County’s population remains unvaccinated for COVID-19. Over 90% of hospitalizations and deaths in Orange County are from unvaccinated residents. (Click Orlando)

2. Flavors of Florida, an event that celebrates Florida dishes and drinks, has returned to Disney Springs through August 12. Disney released a “Foodie Guide” for the event on its official parks blog. (Spectrum News 13)

3. Orlando Police are investigating a death in the Thornton Park neighborhood. The victim is a man and there are no obvious signs of foul play at this time. (WESH)

4. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and Congresswoman Val Demings sent condolences to the sizeable local Haitian community after the assassination of Haiti President Jovenel Moïse. (WMFE)

5. First Lady Jill Biden is in Orlando today for the Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals at Walt Disney World Resort. She will meet with competitors and their families before the competition. 11 finalists will compete for the champion title at the in-person event, televised on ESPN starting at 8 p.m. (WMFE)

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Today in Orlando

• Central Florida Early Childhood Educator Job Fair at CareerSource Central Florida. (9:00 AM)
• STEM at Princesses and Princes Orlando. Sensory activity. (10:30 AM)
• Family Wheel at Super Awesome Cool Pottery. (12:00 PM)
• Orange County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting. (12:00 PM)
• Homeschool Class at Orlando Aerial Arts. (1:30 PM)
• Orange County Vision 2050 Town Hall Meeting. (6:00 PM)
• Thornton 2nd Thursday Wine & Art Walk. (6:30 PM)
• Cameron Airborne "Writing on the Wall Tour" at Soundbar Orlando. (7:00 PM)

Orlando Patch Notebook

• The fight between Florida and the CDC about cruise industry restrictions is headed to an appeals court.
• The death toll in the Surfside condo collapse in Miami has passed 46.
• Orlando Fire Department: "It was a fun Friday evening kicking off the Predators game with Orange County Fire Rescue Department, Florida in a jo..." (Facebook)
• Universal Orlando Resort: " Theme Park Red Flag : Shows no excitement on roller coasters Tell us what your theme park red flag is! (:..." (Instagram)
• Orlando Police Department: "YOU DID IT: Officer Makenson Chery was one of 22 recruits sworn in today. He served Sanford Police Department for 2 y..." (Facebook)
• Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida: "Eastmont Baptist Church came out to our campus and volunteered their time by deep cleaning our Center for Women and F..." (Facebook)
• Montgomery Biscuits: "Xavier Edwards is headed to the MLB All-Star Futures Game! He'll join former Biscuits Shane Baz and Vidal Brujan repr..." (Instagram)
• Thornton Park District: "Happy Birthday Commissioner Patty Sheehan!! We SO appreciate all that you do for District #4!! Wishing you for a joy ..." (Facebook)
• Orlando Fire Department: "Crews responded to a small apartment fire on Rio Grande Avenue leading into the weekend. Luckily, it was a quick knoc..." (Facebook)

Alrighty, you're all good for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with a new update. If you're enjoying these newsletters, consider bringing some friends and neighbors into the fold. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Orlando Daily? Reach out anytime to orlando@patch.com.