Things To Do In SW Florida

TALLAHASSEE  — Free orange juice will continue to flow at Florida interstate welcome centers while state citrus officials adjust to a pending 10% legislative budget cut for promotions.

The Florida Citrus Commission on Thursday will be asked to approve a $225,000 contract with Visit Florida about the welcome-center refreshment, a reduction of $25,000 from the past.

John Fuller, director of global marketing for the Florida Department of Citrus, said the reduction reflects issues, including fewer welcome centers.

“When this was originally set up, there were four official welcome centers,” Fuller said. “So, it just didn’t make sense to keep using that same number.”

Visit Florida, the state’s tourism-marketing agency, has had three highway welcome centers since closing its facility on U.S. Highway 231 in Jackson County in 2019.

Free cups of juice had been a staple of welcome centers since 1949, according to Visit Florida, and an outcry brought back funding for the promotional effort in 2020. read more

Only one Central Florida restaurant was shut down the week of April 28-May 4, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Orange County

Station 441 A Paradise Inc. at 2 S. Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando shut down on April 29. Inspectors found 14 violations and two were a high priority. Those violations included an expired business license and 113 rodent droppings around the restaurant. Officials revisited the restaurant on April 30. They found 13 violations, and one was a high priority for the license. However, they issued a time extension for the expired business license. The restaurant requires a follow-up inspection.

Complaints and warnings

Orange County had the top spot for most warnings and other complaints in Central Florida, with 37.

Lake had five, Seminole had three, Volusia had seven, Osceola 11 and Brevard had seven.

Warnings given with required follow-up inspections could lead to a business being shut down if problems remain.