WEATHER ALERT
Sweet before the storm: Orlando ice cream shops clear freezers with hurricane sales
Read full article: Sweet before the storm: Orlando ice cream shops clear freezers with hurricane salesHoping to clear freezers and avoid losing thousands of dollars in frozen treats because of Hurricane Milton, many ice cream shops in Orlando held hurricane sales Tuesday.
MLB will air local games for Guardians, Brewers and Twins next season
Read full article: MLB will air local games for Guardians, Brewers and Twins next seasonMajor League Baseball has announced it will produce and distribute local broadcasts for the Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins next year.
A centuries-old cemetery for people who were enslaved is reclaimed in New York
Read full article: A centuries-old cemetery for people who were enslaved is reclaimed in New YorkA historic cemetery for African Americans in Kingston, New York, is being reclaimed as the Pine Street African Burial Ground.
Tourism tax collections reach new record in March in Orange County
Read full article: Tourism tax collections reach new record in March in Orange CountyTourist Development Tax (TDT) collections climbed to a record setting $40,550,000 in March, marking another increase in revenue compared to the previous month according to the Orange County Comptroller.
Amazon will invest in Diamond Sports as part of a bankruptcy restructuring agreement
Read full article: Amazon will invest in Diamond Sports as part of a bankruptcy restructuring agreementAmazon will partner with Diamond Sports as part of a restructuring agreement as the largest owner of regional sports networks looks to emerge from bankruptcy.
Local broadcasts for 11 NHL teams will remain on Bally Sports after agreement
Read full article: Local broadcasts for 11 NHL teams will remain on Bally Sports after agreementThe NHL and Diamond Sports Group, the largest owner of regional sports networks, have reached an agreement that will keep local broadcasts for 11 teams on Bally Sports through the end of this season.
Tourism tax collections down in October compared to last year, says Orange County officials
Read full article: Tourism tax collections down in October compared to last year, says Orange County officialsTourism tax collections in Orange County fell in October year-over-year as hotel occupancy slipped, according to new reports by the county comptroller and Visit Orlando.
Local broadcasts for 15 NBA teams will remain on Bally Sports after agreement
Read full article: Local broadcasts for 15 NBA teams will remain on Bally Sports after agreementThe NBA and Diamond Sports Group, the largest owner of regional sports networks, have reached an agreement that will keep local broadcasts for 15 teams on Bally Sports through the end of this season.
Orange County lays out options for tourism tax revenue amid ‘summer slowdown’
Read full article: Orange County lays out options for tourism tax revenue amid ‘summer slowdown’Orange County is considering its options about how to spend its tourist development tax (TDT) revenue amid a “summer slowdown” for tourism countywide.
🚜Bid on trucks, tractors and TVs in Orange County auction benefitting community programs
Read full article: 🚜Bid on trucks, tractors and TVs in Orange County auction benefitting community programsPre-owned vehicles, equipment, tech and more up grabs at this Orange County auction. We get an Insider look at the warehouse.
May tourist tax dollars down month over month, year over year in Orange County
Read full article: May tourist tax dollars down month over month, year over year in Orange CountyOrange County’s Tourist Development Tax collections in May showed decreases from the prior month and year, according to Comptroller Phil Diamond.
Judge: Diamond Sports must pay full value of contracts to Diamondbacks, Guardians, Twins, Rangers
Read full article: Judge: Diamond Sports must pay full value of contracts to Diamondbacks, Guardians, Twins, RangersA federal bankruptcy judge has ordered Diamond Sports to pay the full value of its media contracts to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers.
MLB takes over Padres broadcasts Wednesday after Bally misses payment
Read full article: MLB takes over Padres broadcasts Wednesday after Bally misses paymentMajor League Baseball will take over broadcasts of San Diego Padres games beginning Wednesday after Diamond Sports missed a rights fees payment and let the grace period expire.
‘Diamond,’ of pro-Trump duo Diamond and Silk, dies at 51
Read full article: ‘Diamond,’ of pro-Trump duo Diamond and Silk, dies at 51Lynette “Diamond” Hardaway of the conservative political commentary duo “Diamond and Silk” has died, according to former President Donald Trump and the pair’s official Twitter account.
August another record-setting month for Orange County Tourist Development Tax collections
Read full article: August another record-setting month for Orange County Tourist Development Tax collectionsOrange County Comptroller Phil Diamond announced August 2022 set its own bar with the highest Tourist Development Tax collections for the month on record.
Orange County reports ‘highest monthly collections ever’ for tourism tax
Read full article: Orange County reports ‘highest monthly collections ever’ for tourism taxThe county’s TDT collections for March 2022 were millions of dollars higher than any monthly collection report published in the last several fiscal years.
‘Only time will tell:’ Orange County leaders worry rising gas prices will impact tourism
Read full article: ‘Only time will tell:’ Orange County leaders worry rising gas prices will impact tourismWith the gas prices shattering a record high on Tuesday, concerns are rising about the impact it will have on Central Florida tourism.
Orange County hotel tax revenue in June marks highest intake since pandemic began
Read full article: Orange County hotel tax revenue in June marks highest intake since pandemic beganJune also marked the second month Orange County officials haven’t needed to tap into reserve funds since the pandemic began.
1 year into pandemic, Orange County tourism tax dollars back on the rise after taking dip in January
Read full article: 1 year into pandemic, Orange County tourism tax dollars back on the rise after taking dip in JanuaryAfter taking a downturn in January, Orange County’s tourism development tax collection from hotel and resort stays was back on the rise in February, the latest report shows.
Orange County tourism taxes decline for first time since initial pandemic fallout
Read full article: Orange County tourism taxes decline for first time since initial pandemic falloutORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – For the first time since Orange County’s tourism development tax collection hit rock bottom during the pandemic, Comptroller Phil Diamond said January’s numbers did not increase like the previous months but instead took a downturn. Speaking from the Orange County Convention Center on Monday, Diamond announced the latest tourism development tax, or TDT, dollar intake for January, which is collected from hotel, resort and motel stays. This is the lowest amount the county had collected in tourism tax dollars in any December since 2005, according to the TDT report. “That shows that the business community has confidence and optimism about Orange County, to long term economic outlook,” Diamond said. The funds go toward tourism projects within the county, including the convention center and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
Dustin Diamond, Screech on ‘Saved by the Bell,’ dies at 44
Read full article: Dustin Diamond, Screech on ‘Saved by the Bell,’ dies at 44“Saved by the Bell” star Dustin Diamond died Monday after a three-week fight with cancer, according to his representative. AdFormer co-star Mario Lopez took to Twitter to say farewell: “Dustin, you will be missed, my man. A sequel was launched on Peacock last fall featuring many from the original cast, including Gosselaar, Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley and Tiffani Thiessen. “God speed, Dustin,” Thiessen wrote on Instagram. “Dustin was a humorous and high-spirited individual whose greatest passion was to make others laugh.
Super Bowl won’t be tourism touchdown for Central Florida
Read full article: Super Bowl won’t be tourism touchdown for Central FloridaIn the past when Tampa hosted Super Bowls, travel experts say thousands of people flocked to Central Florida to extend their vacation, visiting theme parks and resorts. With COVID, I would suspect we’ll only see hundreds of guests that would be here in Central Florida for the Super Bowl,” said President and CEO of Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association Rich Maladecki. Maladecki said COVID has really changed the game plan for the Super Bowl. The county is dipping into its reserves to fully cover expenses like upkeep for the Orange County Convention Center and contracts with Visit Orlando. You can watch the Super Bowl on News 6 on Sunday, February 7th.
Dustin Diamond undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancer
Read full article: Dustin Diamond undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancerDiamond is undergoing chemotherapy treatments after being diagnosed with cancer, according to his representative. Diamond, best known for playing Screech on the hit 90s sitcom, was hospitalized earlier this month in Florida. Last week, his team disclosed he did have cancer. (AP Photo/Dana Ferguson, File)Original “Saved by the Bell” star Dustin Diamond has begun undergoing chemotherapy treatments after being diagnosed with cancer, according to his representative. Diamond, best known for playing Screech on the hit ’90s sitcom, was hospitalized earlier this month in Florida.
Ring with more than 12,000 diamonds sets Guinness World Record
Read full article: Ring with more than 12,000 diamonds sets Guinness World RecordThere’s a new Guinness World Record for the largest number of diamonds on a single ring: it’s 12,638. It breaks the previous record by nearly 5,000 diamonds. Harshit Bansal, founder of Renani Jewels in Meerut, India, set the new record with this impressive design on Dec. 21. Guinness World Records says all the diamonds are conflict-free. Two years later, his company completed the ring design.
Orange County comptroller sees signs of hope after September hotel stays bring in $7 million
Read full article: Orange County comptroller sees signs of hope after September hotel stays bring in $7 millionORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County’s comptroller, Phil Diamond, said the tourist development tax dollars from hotel and resort stays around the county continue to go up after the initial plunge this spring due to coronavirus closures. Diamond announced Monday the September numbers further the trend of increasing collections every month since April. He said the county brought in TDT collections totaling more than $7 million for the month of September. [TRENDING: Eta drenches Florida | 2 killed in Orange County crash | Biden names COVID-19 task force]Diamond said that’s a 60% decrease from the same time last year but he added, in looking at the numbers, there are signs of hope. When you compare September, which is just over $7 million, to the more than $5.7 million in TDT dollars in August of 2020, that’s an increase of over 22%.
‘Flawless’ 102-carat diamond sells for $15.7 million
Read full article: ‘Flawless’ 102-carat diamond sells for $15.7 millionAn exceptionally rare 102-carat diamond made auction history Monday. The flawless diamond sold for $15.7 million. [TRENDING: DeSantis to lift restaurant limits in Fla. | Here’s how to track your mail-in ballot | How can I tell difference between flu and COVID-19?] Cut from a rough diamond discovered in Ontario, Canada, in 2018, it achieved top rankings in each of the “four Cs” -- cut, color, clarity and carat weight. It has the highest grading for a white diamond, classified as “D color.”