ORLANDO, Fla. – Mother’s Day is right around the corner a day dedicated to showering mothers and other maternal figures in your life with love A day out with mom doesn’t always require a dining reservation as there are plenty of places to choose from in Central Florida Below is a list of suggestions to make it a Mother’s Day to remember Be sure to share your Mother’s Day event on ClickOrlando.com’s Community Calendar Dezerland Park – 11 a.m Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens - 9 a.m Aloma Bowling Centers - All day moms bowl free with shoe rental and two games when accompanied by a paying child This offer is available at all Aloma centers: Aloma Bowl (10 a.m Museum of Illusions Orlando – 11 a.m Cirque du Soleil at Disney Springs - Through May 11 which can be used on performances now through Sept giving you opportunities to celebrate mom all summer long Harry P. Leu Gardens - 8 a.m The Showcase of Citrus - From 12 p.m enjoy a Mother’s Day Social at Florida’s Fresh Air Attraction Bok Tower Gardens - 8 a.m Dave and Buster’s Orlando- Mommy and Me Mother’s Day Brunch May 11 ($24.90 and includes access to the brunch buffet and all event activities.) The first 10 moms to purchase a ticket will receive a free gift bag All moms will receive complimentary mimosas Enzian Theater - Gather your dancing queens inside the theater for live music and a Sunday brunch buffet spread followed by a special screening of “Mamma Mia!” Live music & brunch begin at 10:30 a.m. Limited VIP tables are available and offer the convenience of reserved seating The Alfond Inn — 10 a.m Adult tickets cost $130.80 for a brunch featuring gourmet delights City Works Eatery & Pour House - 10 a.m The brunch will also include a complimentary Mother’s Day rose for mom Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek - 8 a.m Celebrate Mom with a festive brunch at Tesoro Cove Pricing is $58 for adults and $29 for children (ages 6-12); kids five and under dine free (Prices are exclusive of tax and gratuity.) Margaritaville Resort Orlando - St Somewhere Spa is offering multiple Mother’s Day spa specials AdventHealth - Let mom unwind at Eden Spa with exclusive May specials Volusia County Orchid Society - Orchid show and sale — 9 a.m Orlando Outdoor Market — 7 a.m Mount Dora Village Market - 10 a.m Southern Hill Farms— 9 a.m Orlando Farmers Market — 10 a.m Want your Mother’s Day event featured in this article? Send us an email festivals and more by signing up for our Central Florida Happenings newsletter Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved Haley is a digital content producer for ClickOrlando.com and first started as a News 6 producer in October 2014 She's a graduate of Indiana University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in journalism She specializes in theme parks and lifestyle writing TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us / Follow on Social Media Careers at WKMG Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications EEO Report Disability Assistance Copyright © 2025 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group ORLANDO, Fla. – The electrified portal pulses purple as you enter Dark Universe at Universal’s Epic Universe lights flicker around gravestones at the entrance to the village of Darkmoor to quote Mary Shelley in “The Bride of Frankenstein,” “the air itself is filled with monsters.” The new land inside Universal’s Epic Universe draws heavily from the classic monster films Universal Studios made in the 1930s particularly “Frankenstein,” “The Wolfman” and “Dracula.” While the film company struggles to resurrect its monster movie franchise the theme park is reinvigorating the classic tales for a new age “I love that there is now so much money dedicated to keeping these characters alive and keeping the next generation of horror fans and movie fans looking back on these films that were so important,” said Zachary Beckler, associate lecturer at the University of Central Florida’s film program “Universal is the studio that monsters saved.” [RELATED: Frankenstein, Wolfman animated figures revealed at new Epic Universe attraction] Universal was well-acquainted with horror before 1931’s “Dracula” and “Frankenstein.” I think the first horror movie you could consider like a universal horror movie was probably 1913 Hyde,’ a silent version of that,” Beckler said known as “The Man of 1,000 Faces,” whose appearance in “The Phantom of the Opera” really gave Universal a foothold in the horror world “Especially ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ just one of the most iconic makeup designs in film history,” Beckler said I’ve seen that they do have him in the new ride looking exactly like Lon Chaney did in that film.” It’s believed Chaney was one of the choices to play “Dracula,” but he died in August of 1930 after a period of illness that included lung cancer took his cape and his widow’s peak to Universal’s soundstages “Frankenstein,” directed by James Whale and featuring Boris Karloff as “The Monster,” came out in November 1931 “I think the design of the characters is the thing that has stood this and will continue to stand the test of time,” Beckler said “The first image you have in your head of Dracula is usually the widow’s peak and that widow’s peak was a (makeup designer) Jack Pierce trademark And there is just no other Frankenstein’s monster that enters your head than the flat top.” The commercial success of “Dracula” and “Frankenstein” typecast the two stars but it also led to an explosion of Universal horror movies “The Invisible Man” with Claude Rains premiered in 1933 “The Bride of Frankenstein” came out in 1935 Universal churned out sequel after sequel to the Frankenstein and Dracula franchises and even crossover event films (do you think Marvel was the first to do it?) The monsters even met comedy superstars Abbott and Costello With the exception of “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” in 1954 Universal’s horror entries in the 1950s were largely B-movie creature features and little else Matinee showings and television screenings kept the monsters in the public’s eye even as horror films evolved with Hammer Horror Bryan Murphy owns Atomic Horror, a horror-themed shop on East Colonial Drive in Orlando, and he points to late-night horror programs on TV like “MonsterVision” and the advent of VHS. “I was very into classic movies too, so I watched Dracula and Frankenstein and a lot of more obscure older horror movies when I was even much younger. And then we lived through the 80s and 90s, just the golden era of the direct-to-video. Horror movies that, you know, we went to the video store all the time to see what was new,” Murphy said. But it wasn’t a horror story that led Universal back to its classic monsters with 1999’s “The Mummy.” It was an adventure. “That movie definitely leans away from horror and more into Indiana Jones style adventure comedy,” Beckler said. “And I think that what happened with Universal is every time they try to do something new with the monsters, they fall back on ‘The Mummy.’” Beckler said Universal made the same mistake with the monster franchise that was supposed to be Universal’s answer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That franchise’s name? “Dark Universe.” “They put out in all the trades, the picture of all these upcoming projects with Javier Bardem and Johnny Depp, and none of them ended up happening because ‘The Mummy’ (2017) was kind of a disappointment,” Beckler said. “The Mummy,” which starred Tom Cruise and was also more of an action movie, also focused too much on the worldbuilding aspect for the franchise, rather than just telling a good story, Beckler said. “You have Jekyll, and there’s a whole subplot, and it just doesn’t work, where they’re feeding in all the monsters they’re going to announce in future films,” Beckler said. While the “Dark Universe” was abandoned on the big screen, Universal’s monsters live on. A new “Invisible Man” film came out in 2020, and “Wolf Man” was released earlier this year, both released through Universal Pictures. Two Frankenstein films not tied to Universal are also being released in the next year: “Frankenstein, by director Guillermo del Toro, comes out on Netflix in November. “The Bride!” directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, is scheduled to be released by Warner Bros. next year. And, of course, “Dark Universe” at Epic Universe is a whole new chapter, with the granddaughter of scientist Henry Frankenstein hoping to resurrect Dracula and rehabilitate him, which is the basic plot of the main ride, “Monsters Unchained.” Murphy got the chance to check out the land and the ride recently. “It’s just probably the best work Universal’s done in terms of environments, atmospheres,” Murphy said. “Dark Universe is pretty rich in terms of atmosphere. And the main ride, the monster ride, I think, is a terrific ride. It really has so many great big animatronics.” He also sees it as a chance to get new clientele. “I’m excited to have something for the horror people, and then maybe it’ll get some people newly into it deeper. There’ll be some kid who goes, and it’ll be their favorite land, and like you were asking me, they’ll be like, I don’t really even know why. It’s fun. It’s creepy, it’s fun to be scared,” Murphy said. If you want to see some Universal Monster films before visiting the parks, both Beckler and Murphy agree that Frankenstein is a great place to start. “I think there’s a really good trilogy in the universe, the movies, which are ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘Bride (of Frankenstein)’ and ‘Son (of Frankenstein).’ That’s a really nice starting place, because I think those are three of the strongest films, and ‘Son’ is kind of underrated. It has a really great Bela Lugosi performance as Ygor,” Beckler said. “I feel they’d watch ‘Frankenstein’ and really see it as a modern movie,” Murphy agreed. “Dracula is a little more stiff, a little more still taking some from the silent era. And the acting’s a little different style, more theatrical, especially since Bela had done the play so many times for so long that he really was coming in there to be like, this is how I performed it.” “The Wolfman is a great place to start because that’s an entertaining film,” Beckler added. “‘Invisible Man,’ anything (director) James Whale did.” Murphy also recommends “Creature From the Black Lagoon.” The Gill-man has a small part to play in “Monsters Unchained.” “The creature is like the best costume design, I think out of any of the originals and almost ever in my mind. Yeah, I just thought that one was so terrific,” Murphy said. “And it is a Florida movie, you know, it’s ties to Silver Springs and everything.” Dark Universe’s Village of Darkmoor is heavily inspired by the “Frankenstein” films, but there are little touches and tributes to all of the Universal monster films throughout the area. The words atop the portal entry to Dark Universe were spoken by Dr. Henry Frankenstein as his monster came to life in the 1931 film. The iconic words have been in every iteration of the Frankenstein story ever since, in homage to the film. The graveyard coming right out of the portal has grave markers, tombstones, and statues that mirror the ones in the cemetery at the beginning of “Frankenstein” (1931), in particular the Grim Reaper statue. Also, look for a statue of a little girl holding flowers. It’s a tribute to Maria, a child who has a fatal encounter with the monster in the film. This store is named after Dr. Septimus Pretorius, the eccentric mad scientist and true villain of “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935). The actor who plays Pretorius, Ernest Thesiger, was a classically trained stage actor who appeared in several films for Universal, including the horror film “The Old Dark House” (1932). This quick-service food vendor pays tribute to a family that featured in the original Frankenstein story by author Mary Shelley. The DeLacey family was poor, and the father was blind, but through watching the family, the monster began to learn how to speak and how to act. He even tried to befriend them, but is rebuffed by the younger family members who can see his monstrous form. In Shelley’s original story, Dr. Frankenstein’s name was Victor. In the movie and in Dark Universe, it’s Henry. There’s a portrait of him as you go through the queue for the “Monsters Unchained” ride, and he looks very much like the actor who played Henry in the first two Frankenstein films, Colin Clive. There is also a large photo of Frankenstein and his bride from the film over a fireplace in the queue. Ygor is Victoria Frankenstein’s assistant, and is a character you can meet. His appearance is very like the assistant to Dr. Henry Frankenstein in “Frankenstein” (1931), but in that film, his name is Fritz, and he’s played by Dwight Frye. There is an assistant named Ygor in the sequel “Son of Frankenstein” (1939), played by Bela Lugosi. He looks nothing like the Ygor in the park though, and you really wouldn’t want to meet him. The Bride is a character you can meet, and sometimes with the Monster as well. The Bride in “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935) only appears for a few minutes at the end of the film, but her arrival is iconic, earning her a proper spot in the Monster Pantheon. The Invisible Man is a character you can meet, and yes, you can actually see him. Like Claude Rains’ portrayal of Dr. Jack Griffin in the film, The Invisible Man wears bandages for his face, sunglasses, a smoking jacket, and a fedora. The Golden Lion is the inn that features in “The Invisible Man” (1933). There’s a sign for the inn in Darkmoor. A camp of carts is situated outside the Curse of the Werewolf roller coaster. There, you meet guild leader Maleva, who explains the curse of the werewolf. Maleva was also the name of the wise woman who explained the curse in “The Wolfman” (1941). One of the most iconic scenes of all Universal monster movies is the shot of the burning windmill at the end of “Frankenstein” (1931). Above The Burning Blade Tavern is a windmill that lights on fire periodically. View this post on Instagram A post shared by News 6 WKMG (@news6wkmg) Listen for the bells ringing in the square because that means angry villagers have chased the monster to the edge of the town More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter Christie joined the ClickOrlando team in November 2021 Copyright © 2025 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. View this post on Instagram A post shared by News 6 WKMG (@news6wkmg) It's Monday, and another week of NWSL action is in the books which means it's time for ESPN's Power Rankings Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 7 to come up with this week's order of all 14 teams in the league Orlando collected their second loss in three games after falling 1-0 to Portland on Saturday. While the Pride did produce offensive opportunities, the Thorns (who ended Orlando's record 24-game unbeaten streak last season) held them off with tight defending and Mackenzie Arnold's four-save performance They'll look to recover with another tough challenge on the road as they head to North Carolina to play the Courage next weekend Gotham outshot Chicago 14-4, and 5-1 to on target, but there was no getting past Stars keeper Alyssa Naeher on Sunday. Naeher's five saves helped see Chicago to a 0-0 draw in New Jersey marking the first time since March 28 that Gotham's failed to score San Diego's rookie defender extraordinaire Trinity Armstrong scored a 95th-minute match-winner to clinch a 2-1 victory against Bay FC on Sunday evening The 17-year-old center-back has been stellar for the Wave in her first seven games for the SoCal squad as a key member of an impressive rookie class for the third-placed Wave and Portland's stolid backline of defenders helped keep the clean sheet Seattle keeps their score lines low (they've scored seven goals in seven games and are now undefeated in their last three games The Spirit have conceded seven goals (out of 10 total this season) in two straight defeats They play 14th-place Chicago Stars and 13th-place Utah Royals in their next two matchdays providing a solid opportunity to turn things around Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only). and leads Angel City (as well as the NWSL rookie class) in goals as she collected a brace against the Spirit bringing her season total to five goals in seven games who scored the matchwinner against the Current Bay looked set to secure a 1-1 draw against San Diego on Sunday (with another goal from 21-year-old rookie Karlie Lema) until Armstrong's 95th minute match-winner sealed victory for the Wave They face a few tough challenges ahead as they look to gain momentum this season: Kansas City's up next Emma Sears and Kayla Fischer were back on the scoresheet for a second straight week in Louisville's 2-1 win over Houston Dash Five of Louisville's eight season goals have come in their past two games (with Sears scoring 50% of their total) as the club finishes week seven with some more offensive momentum It seems Houston got the memo that they weren't producing enough offensively. In their first six matches, the Dash registered the fewest total shots (54) in the league. They fired off 12 against Louisville, 18% of their total this season. Avery Patterson gave them an early lead but they conceded twice at home in a 2-1 defeat Mandy McGlynn made five saves in a 2-0 loss against the North Carolina Courage on Saturday, marking one of her best performances of the year, though it wasn't enough to get a point from the Courage. Ally Sentnor continues to shine for the Royals in her second year in the league though she may need some more support as the Royals are still in search of a second victory after seven matchdays A few days after firing their head coach Lorne Donaldson, the Chicago Stars pulled off a 0-0 draw against fourth-place Gotham in New Jersey. Naeher was immense in the draw, making five saves to keep a clean sheet against a team that scored 11 goals in their last four games before this weekend. With that, the United States legend has secured 50 clean sheets in the NWSL regular season just the second goalkeeper in league history to reach that milestone ORLANDO – Video released Monday by Orlando police show a downtown confrontation last month between two people that led to a man firing a shot into the air and officers subsequently shooting and killing him Johnathan Flores, 38, was shot and killed April 20 by Orlando police officers outside a downtown Orlando restaurant The video released from the OPD Crime Center is surveillance video from about 1:30 a.m outside the Thrive Cocktail Lounge and Eatery The video then shows him picking up the gun the man can be seen shooting the gun once into the air Police also released three body-worn cameras which show the officers approaching the man with their guns drawn the man is bent over to pick up something and is commanded to put his hands up with the gun still in his hand when the officers open fire Flores was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center The officers involved in the shooting were not injured and were placed on administrative leave as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducts an investigation of the shooting Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More — Several LGBTQ+ organizations in Orlando are reporting a loss in funding for programs Nikole Parker, Chief Operating Officer with The Center Orlando, says the group has lost $182,500 in federal and state grants She started receiving emails in February and March “What we’re seeing is an attack on the LGBTQ+ community,” said Parker “LGBTQ people are human beings just like anyone else and we should be able to live healthy and happy lives The LGBT+ Center Orlando is a community staple established nearly 50 years ago and Oak Street in Kissimmee. The center offers free services such as support groups and mental health programming along with HIV testing and an emergency food pantry “It was really hard to get these because some of these grants we’ve had for many years,” said Parker Parker shared screenshots of the emails online telling Spectrum News transparency is important to her The emails confirm an end to funding for the food pantry and HIV programs it would be very difficult to run some of these programs and things so while the center will always be here it may just look very different It may look like a scaled-down version of some of our programs we have but we want to avoid that at any cost,” said Parker She expects to lose another $443,000 by 2028 after totaling up the number of money the group receives through grants each year Another LGBTQ+ group, Zebra Youth, says they have also been affected by the cuts, primarily with HIV funding. Executive Director Heather Wilkie shared the plan was to expand the program to increase their clientele intake, but now they cannot because the funding will no longer be extended. She said they received a roughly $250,000 grant for that program, which is federal funding funneled through the county, but they were notified about the loss last month. As for The Center Orlando, they are asking for donations so they can continue to provide free support. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. The headline from Sports Illustrated's 2009 NBA Playoffs preview might still ring true: Can the [Orlando] Magic's dunk machine get serious for a moment Howard has matured and grown since those early days, but he still has that playful spirit. That was on full display when Howard boasted the Orlando Magic would upset the Boston Celtics in the first round Who could blame him? Howard is feeling rather nostalgic these days after the team inducted him into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame and he was welcomed home with open arms after a contentious decade Who could blame him in a rematch of one of his greatest playoff victories from the 2009 NBA Finals run It feels like the Magic have an extremely bright future ahead of them He was asked about the current iteration of the Magic when he was in Orlando for his Hall of Fame induction in March Howard knows how quickly a team can come together and reach contention and how quickly things can fall apart he has come to understand how special his time in Orlando was It is why returning to Orlando for his Hall of Fame induction -- and his arrival for Game 6 of last year's Playoffs -- were special for him Those lessons were still with him as he thought about the Magic's next great team they don't take these moments for granted," Howard said in March "I know the year we went to the Finals we thought we were going to be so good that we could go every year I would just say don't take any of these moments for granted none of this for granted because you never know if you will get this opportunity again." Certainly it feels right now the Magic are going to be competing for the Playoffs for years to come It indeed feels like contention is inevitable But if there was one lesson from this season the Magic seemed to have some grasp of that as they looked back on their season Orlando thought it was on an inevitable rise up the standings It became a struggle just to make the Playoffs The Magic found that repeating success is not so easy That lesson from Howard should be one that rings with them The Magic did not defeat the Celtics in the end. Boston won the series in five games. But Howard's larger point about how good Banchero could be played out 8.4 rebounds per game and 4.2 assists per game That confirmed his strong showing in the 2024 Playoffs (27.0 points per game 8.6 rebounds per game and 4.0 assists per game in the seven-game series with the Cleveland Cavaliers) It seems Paolo Banchero is destined for superstardom. The Magic have a star player to build around -- and then another with Franz Wagner that gies them their best one-two punch in nearly 30 years This offseason is a big one for the Magic President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said it is indeed a new phase in the team's rebuild They will make moves with a "win-now lens." Part of that will include a new extension for Banchero as his rookie contract expires after the 2026 season It is clear Banchero will not be going anywhere anytime soon as he gets his anticipated max deal "I love it here," Banchero said at exit interviews "I think in the last year or so I've been able to get myself settled in here and get more comfortable I couldn't be more happy to be part of the Orlando Magic Look forward to spending more years here." They were not satisfied with a second straight first-round exit or a five-game series with a championship contender The franchise seems to have taken that message The last two seasons have revitalized Magic fandom to a point it has not been since Howard was here Everyone is hungry to see the team competing for more and grow into a championship team Everyone can see the potential with the talent "It's very difficult to make it to this level," Howard said in March "I just don't want them to take anything for granted How much are they willing to sacrifice for the opportunity to win a championship It would be best for the city and well deserved." Only time will tell if this advice is heeded and if the Magic make the most of this opportunity © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Howard has matured and grown since those early days, but he still has that playful spirit. That was on full display when Howard boasted the Orlando Magic would upset the Boston Celtics in the first round Who could blame him? Howard is feeling rather nostalgic these days after the team inducted him into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame The Magic did not defeat the Celtics in the end. Boston won the series in five games. But Howard's larger point about how good Banchero could be played out It seems Paolo Banchero is destined for superstardom. The Magic have a star player to build around -- and then another with Franz Wagner that gies them their best one-two punch in nearly 30 years This offseason is a big one for the Magic Dwight Howard had one piece of advice for this young Magic team Antetokounmpo would make the Magic instant championship contenders alongside All-Star forward Paolo Banchero Acquiring Antetokounmpo would require a massive haul of assets The deal includes the Magic trading Wagner $224 million contract extension last offseason Perez said the Magic should consider if Bucks are interested "Franz Wagner feels like the expendable one if you're really swinging for the fences," Perez wrote "And now that KCP can't hit water if he fell out of a boat you're going to need to take a massive swing of assets When else is anyone coming to Orlando that's not overpaid in unrestricted free agency?" Perez added this trade could be a great starting point for the Bucks if they shift into a rebuild despite his issues from beyond the three-point line and that hitch in his jump shot," Perez said young player that's going to be on your team for the next decade and someone who can really score the basketball with some high upside You have Anthony black coming off the bench who is one of the Magic's best defenders can stretch the floor and be that 3-and-D type player who's getting better each season NBA Champion Potentially On Orlando Magic Trading Block NBA Insider: Orlando Magic Could Address Two Major Needs In Draft Orlando Magic Could Target $100 Million Scoring Threat In Trade Andrew Cherico is a contributor to the Orlando Magic On SI He can be reached at andrewbelmont03@gmail.com X: @Andrew_Cherico ANDREW CHERICOAndrew Cherico is an avid NBA and Orlando Magic fan who has covered the University of Central Florida football, basketball and baseball for the past few years as a student. Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates CHICAGO — On the heels of a rivalry win over Atlanta United Orlando City SC now set its sights on the Chicago Fire Eduard Atuesta misses out on tonight's game after being listed late in the week as questionable due to a neck issue César Araújo returns to play alongside Kyle Smith The rest of the lineup remains the same as last week he is 20 minutes away from a Lions milestone: 10,000 minutes with the club Smith will play in his 190th match for the Lions who just started for Orlando City B last night Rafael Santos also returns to the bench after serving his red card suspension Be sure to tune into Kickoff -60 on orlandocitysc.com at 7:30 p.m ET as well for the latest pregame info before tonight's match Here's the rest of Orlando's lineup and bench for when the team takes the pitch at 8:30 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV: spooking animals“Wish they landed on a gator,” one post mused   An alligator rests in the marsh at Orlando Wetlands Park in 2021.By Stephen HudakOrlando Sentinel (TNS)Published YesterdayMost weekends the Facebook pages dedicated to the Orlando Wetlands focus on spectacular pictures of nature in action — huge mischievious otters and a flamboyant array of nesting birds But last weekend, a pair of unwelcome fliers sailed into the 1,650-acre park about 25 miles east of Orlando causing a commotion that sparked an outcry among visitors and led to the filing of complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration and the state Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission law enforcement division The fliers piloted motor-powered paragliders into the protected space where even drones are forbidden “I saw them coming in,” said James McNair, 61, a hospice nurse who spends most weekends with his camera gear at the wetlands and who serves as moderator of the Facebook page Orlando Wetlands Photography McNair snapped pictures of the fliers, one of whom headed directly toward a cypress tree dome, the main spot for nesting birds, which included wood storks, a long-legged wading species federally listed as threatened. The wetlands is home to hundreds of species of birds from plain-looking flycatchers to bright pink Roseate spoonbills, and more than 60 kinds of butterflies. Alligators, bobcats, coyotes, otters and raccoons also roam the marshy grounds. McNair said he watched the paraglider sail toward the rookeries, flying closer and closer before pulling up at the last second. Dozens of birds scattered, abandoning nests and chicks. When the paraglider drifted away, the birds slowly returned. “But it definitely spooked a lot of them,” McNair said. The nature community reacted angrily online to McNair’s photos of the fliers. Some called for the FAA to investigate. Others described the fliers as self-entitled and idiots. “Wish they landed on a gator,” one post mused. In response to critics, a man posted an apology in the Facebook group, suggesting he was one of the fliers. The Orlando Sentinel was unable to verify his identity or contact him. “I respect nature and always try to respect people…I was out flying around and didn’t know the wetlands park was there,” the post read. “If I would have known, we would have steered clear of it. Never try (to) ruffle anyone’s feathers, and I’m sorry to anyone that might have gotten upset with (us) flying by. It won’t happen again since we know it’s there now.” Mark Sees, the Orlando Wetlands manager, referred an inquiry to the city’s communication team. Spokesperson Ashley Papagni said the city learned of “low-flying paragliders over the Orlando Wetlands” from photos and community concerns. “One of the individuals involved later contacted us directly, expressed regret, and we were able to clarify the sensitive nature and the importance of protecting wildlife,” Papagni said. Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter You’re all signed up!Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started. She did not name the individual, but said incident was reported to the FAA and FWC. Chad Weber, a law enforcement officer with the state wildlife agency, said investigators were gathering information about the incident, and it could potentially fall under Florida laws prohibiting harassment of wildlife. The city acquired the 1,650 acres in 1986 for about $5.13 million to filter reclaimed wastewater. Water flows through the marsh and the plants, which consume the nutrients before the cleaned liquid spills into the St. John’s River. In December 2022, the city opened a 2,200-foot boardwalk to allow hikers, birdwatchers and other visitors a view over the water and closer to the coots, egrets, herons and wood storks who nest near the cypress dome. “It’s what I consider a hidden jewel of Central Florida,” said Bruce Doerle, 77, a nature photographer. Doerle said the paragliders are probably attracted to the wetlands area for the same reasons as birds. Not many houses and a beautiful view from up high, he said. On its website, the United States Powered Paragliding Association notes that “Airspace can be very intimidating to a lot of paramotor pilots.” “It means there are some places where we need permission to fly and other places where we don’t.” WHO: Florida Everblades (2nd South) vs Orlando Solar Bears (4th South) BROADCAST: Watch every Florida Everblades game on FloHockey.TV Listen to the exciting game action on ESPN Southwest Florida on 770 AM 104.3 FM and online at https://espnswfl.com.  – The Florida Everblades took a 1-0 series lead over the Orlando Solar Bears last night and now look for another win in Game Two of the South Division Finals on Saturay The Everblades scored the first five goals of the game from five different goal scorers en route to a 5-3 victory in Game One Colton Hargrove is now on a three-game goal streak and Kyle Betts each had a multi-point game Florida’s head coach Brad Ralph grabbed his 100th playoff win in his ECHL career with the victory last night Orlando scored all three of their goals in the third period Jon Gillies got chased from the crease at 15:13 of the second period after allowing four goals on 18 shots against Ryan Fanti in relief stopped eight of nine Florida went 2/7 on the power play and 2/2 on the penalty kill last night Cam Johnson is one win away from tying Riley Gill for the most playoff goaltending wins all time in ECHL history after yesterday’s match JOIN THE FUNSeason ticket plans for the 2025-26 campaign are on sale now! Become a Blades 365 Member for the 2025-26 season and enjoy incredible savings and benefits! To view the Blades 365 Membership savings, benefits, and options click HERE Group Packages are available for a group of 10 or more There is no handling of money or tickets and no limit to the amount of money your group can make with the Everblades' easy-to-run online Fundraiser or to reserve a Fundraiser Night at an Everblades regular-season home game Sign up for our email newsletter to be the first to know about news and upcoming games! Watch every Premium Live Event and get unlimited access to WWE's premium content - available to you anywhere, anytime, on any device. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Netflix Sign up for Peacock to watch. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. Visit Sony LIV to sign in or sign up and enjoy WWE's premium content. Watch WrestleMania and other WWE Premium Live Events on Flow. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. A Delta Air Lines airplane with almost 300 passengers and crew caught fire before it was supposed to take off at a central Florida airport, forcing the evacuation of passengers. Flames rise from a Delta Air Lines airplane Monday, April 21, 2025, at the Orlando International Airport, in Orlando, Fla. (Dylan Wallace via AP) Travelers line up to go through a TSA checkpoint at Orlando International Airport before the Memorial Day weekend, May 28, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File) ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A Delta Air Lines airplane caught fire on Monday before it was supposed to take off at a central Florida airport, forcing the evacuation of passengers, airport officials said. There were no reports of any injuries during the fire on the plane at Orlando International Airport, Delta said in a statement. The engine fire broke out late Monday morning on Delta Air Lines Flight 1213 while the plane was at the ramp before a scheduled departure from Orlando to Atlanta, airport officials said on social media. AP’s Lisa Dwyer reports on a plane fire in Florida. The passengers were evacuated, and the airport’s rescue and firefighting team responded, the airport’s statement said. The Airbus A330 aircraft had 282 customers, 10 flight attendants and two pilots, according to Delta. “Delta flight crews followed procedures to evacuate the passenger cabin when flames in the tailpipe of one of the aircraft’s two engines were observed,” Delta said in a statement. Maintenance teams will examine the aircraft in an effort to determine the cause of the fire, Delta said. 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Subscribe to Adweek newsletters Alan Campbell will join WESH 2 NEWS Sunrise as a morning anchor beginning in June This is a move from within Hearst Television for Campbell Florida NBC affiliate from Hearst’s WBBH Gulf Coast News in Fort Myers “I am excited to be joining the team at WESH 2 a station that has the reputation for quality journalism and local coverage I look forward to making Central Florida my home and being a part of this vibrant community,” said Campbell Campbell started his journalism career in Charleston and went on to work as an anchor in markets including Rio Grande Valley “We are thrilled to welcome another experienced and accomplished journalist to the WESH 2 News team will be invaluable in helping our audience start their morning informed and ready to tackle the day ahead,” said Stephanie Linton Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem One of them was backcourt offensive production Starters Cory Joseph and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope averaged a combined 10 points during the five-game series versus the Boston Celtics Nearly all of the scoring responsibility was left on Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner More talent is needed in the backcourt along with a returning Jalen Suggs Andy Quach of the Pelican Debrief proposed a trade that sends Magic center Goga Bitadze 25 pick (via Denver Nuggets) in exchange for Pelicans guard CJ McCollum but CJ McCollum would be an absolutely harmonious fit for the Orlando Magic," Quach stated he went from being a capable outside shooter to one of the most lethal outside bombs in the entire league." is entering the later stage of his career on an expiring deal he has averaged at least 20 points the last 10 seasons "Adding CJ would instantly change Orlando's offensive gravity," Quach wrote but he can launch from a variety of different ways: off the catch having a sniper like McCollum on the court would prevent defenses from being able to load up on Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero." This trade hurts the Magic defensively but bolsters offense Is the Magic ready for a "win-now" mindset? This trade for perimeter players on the Suns can benefit the Magic Jalen Suggs looks to return in full form next season He can be reached at andrewbelmont03@gmail.com A goal to win could keep him in the organization for many years to come Banchero, on an expiring deal is embracing any changes that could possibly motivate him to sign a contract extension with hopes of winning a title The Magic are coming off a second straight early loss in the playoffs they fell to the defending champion Boston Celtics in the first round Banchero expressed openness to change that President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman shared The Magic have plenty of options to add talent during free agency It likely involves trading draft picks to add another superstar to complement the list of young players "It definitely excites me to hear that we're trying to win," Banchero said " I think that's always been the goal So whatever is being done to contribute to winning more games and winning in the postseason Orlando Magic Could Add Consistent 20-Point Scorer Jeff Weltman Says Orlando Magic Ready For A "Win-Now" Mindset Pursuing Ja Morant May Not Be Worth Risk For Orlando Magic Go to Home PageSubscribeAdvertiser disclosureSearch The Points Guy A spokesperson for the Atlanta-based carrier told TPG that the carrier will add service on eight point-to-point routes The expansion also includes a host of new flights to Orlando International Airport (MCO) one of the nation's top domestic vacation destinations You'll find the full list of new routes below. They'll be available to book through all Delta channels (including SkyMiles redemptions) beginning on Saturday: and will operate seasonally on Saturdays through April 11 The airline will deploy regional jets on all of the new services but the carrier didn't share which Delta Connection partner or what aircraft type will actually operate each route Read more: Here's how to plan an epic trip to Universal Orlando Resort this year Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of these new routes is that none of them touch one of Delta's domestic hubs Delta usually would prefer to funnel traffic from a city like Nashville to Atlanta This setup helps airlines get the most usage out of their aircraft and it allows travelers to book a seemingly endless number of one-stop itineraries to places around the world But this Delta expansion, which is largely focused on Orlando, takes out all the stops and will bring travelers closer to the theme parks Saturday-only service is typically harder for an airline to market and fill seats especially since it means that travelers booking with Delta will need to spend a week in Orlando fly home with a connection or fly home on a different carrier entirely It'll be interesting to see how these new flights perform and whether they might return for another season Of the new routes, just one is from a focus city: Austin (to Palm Springs) Cirium schedules show that Delta will be the only airline operating this route after American pulled out of the market in May 2024 The seven new Orlando routes are seemingly poised to attract customers away from Spirit and Southwest both of which already fly in Delta's new Orlando markets (The only route that Spirit doesn't fly is Grand Rapids to Orlando.) Both Spirit and Southwest are undergoing major commercial transformations so it's possible that Delta senses some weakness at these carriers and hopes to capitalize on that as much as it can Use your Hilton Honors points near Disney: Reviewing the Conrad Orlando, with its 8-acre blue lagoon Elsewhere across its network, Delta will add a slew of special one-off flights for college football fans. The airline announced on Friday that it plans to add 40 additional flights for key matchups, such as LSU at Clemson, Texas at Ohio State and several Notre Dame games. Most of these additional flights will depart on Fridays and return on Sundays, making it easy to choose Delta for a quick out-and-back gameday weekend. In total, Delta plans to add 8,000 additional seats across its network for the college football season. The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach That’s why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality One team that could make sense as a trade partner for the Magic is the Los Angeles Clippers who are seeking a backup center for Ivica Zubac Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley suggests the Clippers could be interested in Goga Bitadze in a trade "When the Clippers had Zubac on the floor this season they outscored opponents by 9.4 points per 100 possessions (would have tied Boston for the second-best net rating they were outscored by 3.4 points per 100 possessions (would have ranked 24th)," Buckley wrote "They need to beef up their roster behind the big fella He's been squeezed for floor time by Orlando's crowded center rotation 3.4 assists and 2.5 blocks per 36 minutes this season it may be smart for the Magic to shop Bitadze They should only make a deal if they get good value for him "And since the Magic are so deep at that spot they should be willing to field offers for him," Buckley wrote "Assuming the price is relatively reasonable he'd make a ton of sense for this team." Could Orlando Magic Trade For Future Hall of Fame Guard? Orlando Magic Star Paolo Banchero Hints At Contract Extension? Orlando Magic Connected To $100 Million Guard In Trade Rumor To Help Paolo Banchero Jeremy Brener works as a contributing writer for Orlando Magic On SI. He can be reached at jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com or follow him on X @JeremyBrener. he could be involved in trade talks this offseason Caldwell-Pope struggled in the first round against the Boston Celtics, averaging just five points on 26.7 percent from the field while averaging 32.6 minutes Michael Saenz of Sir Charles In Charge said the front office remains hopeful that Caldwell-Pope can turn it around "As the Magic explore ways to improve their roster this offseason trading KCP could very much be on the table," Saenz said "I'm sure the front office still has the hope that KCP can turn his struggles around next season you can't help but wonder if KCP is simply not a good fit for the Magic If that is indeed the conclusion the front office comes to Saenz said Caldwell-Pope could be moved if the right deal becomes available "I wouldn't suggest it to be a sure thing," Saenz wrote "But if the right deal does come around for the Magic I don't believe this team would hesitate to pull the trigger it's certainly something to keep a close eye on Especially as the Magic search for ways to close the gap between them and the rest of the East's contenders." just going to see if we stay mentally strong and together," Caldwell-Pope said my job is to come back better than I was this year." Star Paolo Banchero Encouraged By "Win Now" Comments Magic Could Add Consistent 20-Point Scorer To Fill Backcourt Need Andrew Cherico is a contributor to the Orlando Magic On SI particularly during the first half when the teams had even numbers 17 points) extend a shutout stretch to five matches (1-0-4) But the Lions' inability to take advantage of Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady's 36th-minute dismissal meant Orlando had to settle for a fifth draw during their eight-match unbeaten run 13 points) extended its winless start at home to five matches (0-1-4) and has now gone six matches (0-3-3) without a victory this was a major improvement from last weekend's 7-2 loss at Nashville in which the Fire set a club record for most goals allowed in an MLS match Referee Victor Rivas sent Brady off after the goalkeeper made a decision to come off his line for a 50-50 ball and clattered into Duncan McGuire to deny an obvious goal-scoring opportunity Rivas also originally pointed to the penalty spot but revised that portion of the decision to a direct free kick from just outside the area Orlando eventually gained control of the match -- despite some promising stretches from Chicago -- but put only two of its 23 shot attempts on target The Lions came closest to scoring when Martin Ojeda struck the near post from the left side of the penalty area in the 75th minute, and two minutes later Marco Pasalic's long-range effort drew the crossbar Chicago was the more threatening side before going down a man with Gallese intervening to keep Orlando on several times His best sequence was a strong double save in the 10th minute, first diving to deny Philip Zinckernagel's low shot from the edge of the penalty area, then getting to his feet in time to thwart Hugo Cuypers' rebound attempt Then Cuypers had another chance to add to his team-leading total of seven goals but saw Gallese positioned well to deny his goal-bound header in the 28th minute You might not know the saying “Paris syndrome,” but you’ve likely experienced it before The phrase is used by travelers who go on vacation and are disappointed in the destination Perhaps Paris was hyped up to be a romantic Just in time for summer travel, AttractionTickets.com released a list of the top 20 destinations that will help you avoid Paris syndrome Grand Canyon or Paris were the places to be this summer you don’t have to travel far to experience most of the spots in the top 10 the Sunshine State makes up 60% of the top 10 “To help families avoid the disappointment of Paris Syndrome we created a new data-led ranking of the top 20 global vacation spots that leave families excited to go back instead of underwhelmed,” according to AttractionTickets.com “These are the “Paris Syndrome-Proof” destinations that genuinely live up to the hype especially for families with kids in tow.” What’s the best destination to avoid Paris Syndrome?That distinction goes to Discovery Cove in Orlando. This all-inclusive day park offers swimming with dolphins The park is abundant with lush landscaping allowing guests to forget they are in the center of the theme park capital of the world snacks and drinks are included with daily admission The park's lazy river was recently named the best in the country by USA Today 10Best. “This recognition from AttractionTickets.com is the latest in a string from USA Today 10Best! TripAdvisor and others that all tell visitors the same thing: a day at Discovery Cove doesn’t disappoint,” said Brad Gilmour “We love the recognition for our team and all the hard work they put in to delivering a serene escape where families can connect with nature and each other ensuring their time with us is nothing short of extraordinary.” What other Florida destinations made the list?No Orlando“With high satisfaction scores and rave reviews from families Florida proves again why it’s the global leader in expectation-exceeding vacations,” the website said “It’s clear that iconic “Instagrammable” locations often fall short of expectations with all the top Paris Syndrome-Proof spots built around fun and Movie World in Australia scored highly because they prioritize experience which is perfect for families traveling with kids What else made the list for good travel destinations?No GermanyHow were these destinations selected?A team at AttractionTickets.com analyzed more than 40 global vacation destinations Four factors were used when compiling the top 20 She can be reached at MSpitzer@Floridatoday.com An offensive-minded guard fits what they need The Magic have been linked to a possible trade with Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons Joe Moore of the Blazers Edge said a trade landing Simons in Orlando would benefit everyone involved that statement has major implications heading into this offseason," Moore stated "It has long been speculated that an Anfernee Simons trade to Orlando would be beneficial for all parties and Simons gets to play in his home state of Florida Whether this trade ever comes to fruition remains to be seen a shift to acquire more offense seems to put Simons in even higher demand in Orlando." would provide an instant spark to the lackluster offense of the Magic This potential deal has some risks. The 6-foot-3 guard is entering the final year of his contract, set to make $27 million next season before becoming an unrestricted free agent Simons has also struggled to remain reliable on defense throughout his career. This season, he posted a defensive rating of 119 a number unlikely to improve given his smaller frame as a guard The Magic appear willing to swap defense for offense complementing forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner could be exactly what they need to bolster their scoring Star Paolo Banchero Encouraged By "Win Now" Comments Orlando Magic Could Add Consistent 20-Point Scorer To Fill Backcourt Need (WZTV) — Delta Air Lines is giving Nashville travelers a sunny escape this Winter with the launch of a new nonstop flight to Orlando Beginning Dec. 20, 2025, Delta will offer Saturday-only service from Nashville International Airport (BNA) to Orlando International Airport (MCO) The seasonal route is set to run through April 11 aligning with major travel periods including the holidays and spring break The outbound flight is scheduled to depart BNA at 9:15 a.m Tickets go on sale Tuesday — After two consecutive first-round playoff exits Orlando Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and coach Jamahl Mosley wanted to convey a singular message Thursday to the public and perhaps also to the players themselves “I think we’re ready to kind of walk into the next phase of our team Weltman made that declaration during his annual end-of-season question-and-answer session with local reporters He also made similar comments earlier in the day during separate interviews with The Athletic and a morning show on the team’s radio flagship station As Mosley told reporters: “We’re not chasing mediocre.” It made for a clear ramp-up in terms of rhetoric and Weltman and his front office will have an entire offseason to attempt to turn those bold words into tangible action “Proven offensive help is what we’re going to be looking for,” Weltman said But how will Weltman seek to add that help especially with the Magic currently projected to venture into luxury-tax territory in 2025-26 and with the punitive second apron not that far away long-term contract extensions Franz Wagner and Suggs already have agreed to will begin in the season ahead and Banchero is all but certain to agree to a maximum-salary contract that would go into effect during the 2026-27 season Weltman discussed this past season and the critical offseason to come which has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity Do you regret not making a move at the trade deadline and I know that just as our players and our whole organization needs to get better every day adding some depth heading into the playoffs and we had to ask ourselves the question “at what cost?” Where the conversations went I thought they had a chance to get executed We were kind of on the same page with teams We were literally in discussions into the last hour of the deadline and both of those teams elected to retain their players and sit tight So when I see the way that we came together after the deadline and I see the storm that we navigated and how we managed it and how we went into the postseason playing our best ball of the year I feel we now have a better understanding of who we are as a team and what we’re going to try to accomplish this summer and I’m glad to have all those (draft) assets in our back pocket Were the options on the table at the deadline rentals we’re in a different place than we’ve been in in previous seasons and I think sometimes you just associate the Magic with having all this cap flexibility we’ve caught up to the rest of the league financially now as we pay our young players and we no longer are separated from the league in that regard We’re now just another team that has the same financial restrictions that the rest of the league has A lot of the names that were being bandied about really weren’t realistic for us so they weren’t even really on the board for us for financial reasons What we were more focused on were expiring contracts and ways to upgrade our roster through that and the definition of that is those guys aren’t under contract next season at what cost do you pursue players that you’re not sure you’re going to be able to retain That was part of the math that we were looking at Why was the team so far below the league average in 3-point shooting this past year and why has it tended to struggle in prior years with its 3-point shooting the easy answer is we need to continue to add proven shooters to our team there’s a lot that goes into what makes a team a good 3-point shooting team we were a significantly improved 3-point shooting team We’ve looked at that from a lot of different perspectives There are a lot of streams that feed that pool we were all over the board due to our injuries at different points of the season We were literally last when Franz and Paolo were out of the lineup and when they came back and our team found its footing the last part of the season after the All-Star break — from March 1 or so — we were first in the league in shot quality That was reflected when our 3-point shooting bounced from 31 percent to 35 percent for the last part of the season that’s the historical aggregate percentage: We’re a 35 percent 3-point shooting team is having a healthy team and all of the above but it’s something that is priority one for us this summer Will the team consider adding a shooting coach We had a lot of inconsistencies this year through injuries and different lineups and rotations and you don’t want to tinker too much with players’ strokes during the season We have all the roles associated with a strong player-development department and we need to look at all of these other streams that will make us better shooters and we will look for ways to improve all of our processes and all of our development streams I don’t know how you characterize the conventional term “point guard,” and Paolo talked about getting a table-setter (a year ago) playmaking abilities to create advantages and maintain advantages That’s what the league is really getting reduced to now as offenses get more specialized and they try to carve out the weakest link defender You’ve got to be able to have guys that can make plays off the dribble I think there are a lot of different ways to do that But I think that Cory Joseph’s impact on our team late in the season showed the value for us of having someone that can get us into our stuff and organize us You don’t need me to remind you the Magic are projected right now to be in the luxury tax next season I haven’t even had that conversation (with ownership) I feel that a team has to earn its way into that conversation and so we have to earn our way into that conversation being in the tax is a lot more than just spending money There are a lot of strategic restrictions that are associated with the different levels of tax and aprons and thresholds and they can really hamstring a team going forward It’s going to require a lot of fancy footwork for us starting this summer That’s going to have to be part of what we navigate going forward I think for a lot of our roster upgrades we’re going to look at trades and swaps more than just adding players That’s obviously going to be part of the landscape that we have to navigate going forward Both aprons are huge concerns for every team They come with huge restrictions: not being able to take more money back than you’re giving up in a trade There are so many different ways that teams get hamstrung The second apron becomes very daunting because you’re talking about freezing draft picks years down the road and even bumping them down to 30 (in the draft order) which really limits your ability to navigate future planning and every team has to be very mindful of them going forward I don’t think anyone can really predict what the league is going to look like financially what contracts are going to look like financially Is it going to be primarily through trades We’ve been trying to thread that needle and develop our young guys and get better and we’re ready to look at the future of our team through a different lens now all of those things will have to be considered I think we’re going to have to look at more shuffling the roster than just adding to it If you find ways to do that — because it takes two teams or increasingly more than two teams to make a deal these days — how do you do that and retain the defensive identity that the team has built over a period of years for all of the frustration that we have with our offensive struggles the reason that we’ve been a good team — not good enough not where we want to be — is because we always have that elite defense as our backbone and we don’t want to compromise the DNA of our team as we look to improve offensively But that’s going to be a big part of our conversation and that’s going to be part of what we have to navigate going forward I’d rather start at a really elite level at one or the other before we start to look at how we balance the team than to be stuck in the middle on both sides of the board knowing that we can probably spend a little defense on offense and still remain a very strong defensive team But that’s going to be the balance that we have to keep an eye on I believe the Magic plus-one on all your first-round draft picks plus a pick swap We have eight first-round picks over the next seven years Then we have the fifth- or sixth-most second-round picks in the league those picks are becoming increasingly valuable to help you navigate It’ll behoove teams to have a bunch of those seconds in your back pocket could those be in play as you try to improve the roster I’m excited about this summer because I think this is the first time where I think I can really say nothing’s off the table for us Is that going to take the form and fashion of a big deal or a small deal or a succession of small deals We’ve been very protective of our assets and our young players I think that this is the first season that we kind of enter into with really no discussion off the table We want to improve our team and get into the next stage of our development Across the league there are times when teams add assistant coaches to beef up certain areas the Clippers added Jeff Van Gundy to help improve an already good defense Will the team seek to add an assistant coach to focus on the offense I haven’t even had that conversation with Coach Mose I think we’re going to get through the first wave of closing up shop for the season we’ve been talking a lot about this summer We’ve been having meetings for weeks and months about this summer … Coach and I will visit next week and discuss where we think we can get better Coach Mose is going to look himself in the mirror and he is going to look at our whole situation and try to come up with the best way to get better But I know that I want us to improve in a lot of areas this summer and we’re going to be open-minded about however we do that (Top photo of Paolo Banchero and Zaccharie Risacher: Dale Zanine / Imagn Images) specifically on offense to add a creator alongside Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner NBA insider Marc Stein is reporting the Magic are interested in acquiring Portland Trail Blazers point guard Anfernee Simons in a trade another Trail Blazer has been increasingly projected as an Orlando target: Lillard's former Blazers backcourt mate Anfernee Simons The 25-year-old is an Orlando native who would certainly blend in nicely from a timeline perspective alongside Banchero (22) and Wagner (23)," Stein wrote "You'll recall that Simons was one of four Blazers we mentioned in a recent around-the-league notebook — alongside Robert Williams III Deandre Ayton and Matisse Thybulle — because he is routinely pointed to by rival teams as a potential trade candidate Simons' proven ability to score makes it conceivable that he could generate more external interest than anyone in that quartet." Simons averaged 19.3 points and 4.8 assists with the Blazers this season which was a slight dip from the previous two years when he passed the 20-point threshold but he would give Orlando a much needed third scorer that it needs to form a more complete offense That could be what the Magic need to finally get their first playoff series win since 2010 In an offseason when the Orlando Magic are limited in spending the organization has a chance to add a quality point guard on a team-friendly deal Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently linked the Magic with Tyus Jones of the Phoenix Suns "Orlando could use a quality ball-handler in its point-guard rotation and it desperately needs to improve its range shooting making a run at Kyrie Irving or James Harden—both have player options—probably isn't realistic," Knox wrote "Phoenix Suns point guard Tyus Jones is probably the top realistic target for the Magic." $3 million deal last offseason after recording career highs in points and assists with the Washington Wizards in 2023-24 Jones signed with Phoenix to have a chance at championship contention but those aspirations were dashed when the Suns underperformed and missed the playoffs Jones also lost his starting job to Bradley Beal in February "It's definitely frustrating, especially knowing what I bring to the table, knowing what I can provide to a team," Jones said Jones is a proven point guard who can facilitate and score. During his time with Phoenix, he averaged 10.2 points and 5.3 assists Jones provides a blend of veteran leadership and youth that can fit nicely with Orlando's up-and-coming core The Magic would also benefit from Jones' proven durability as he has played 65-plus games in eight straight seasons Mock Draft Has Orlando Magic Taking Talented Big East Freshman Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCARRABELLE (WCTV) - The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a hit-and-run crash that left a pedestrian critically injured along U.S Highway 98 in Franklin County Thursday evening the crash happened on Highway 98 near Lake Morality Road around 8:40 p.m FHP’s investigation revealed that the pedestrian was walking west on the northern shoulder of the highway when he was struck by a vehicle that veered onto the shoulder a full description of the vehicle was not available but FHP believes the vehicle may have been a “large truck type vehicle.” To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky and X (Twitter) Have a news tip or see an error that needs attention? Write to us here Please include the article’s headline in your message Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here to get started