Meet the Missionaries
Elder Donnelly and Elder Sharp face constant rejection, but persevere thanks to the support of their companion and the thick skin deepened with every “no” and “sorry, I have to go to an exam.”
MARISSA MAHONEY
FEATURE STORIES
If You Don't Belong, Don't be Long
The cattiness of salon environments did at least one good thing for Sharon Loe; it pushed her in the right direction toward the world of barbershops.
IN YOUR BACKYARD - Snapshot of the homelessness crisis throughout Nassau County
Benjamin Franklin put it nicely that only two things in life are guaranteed -death and taxes -but here in Nassau County, there's a third absolute: Wondering where all the affordable housing is.
A CHANGE IS GOING TO COME - American Beach breaks ground on septic to sewer project
"This project is not about any one person or any one organization. This is about our community. We wanted to continue to progress and to live on. I believe that the founders of American Beach would be proud to see what we are doing with the legacy that they left to us."
DIFFERENCE MAKER - Patricia Thompson reflects on career serving her community
“Even growing up before integration, I feel that Fernandina (Beach) treated Blacks fair, but not equal. With that in mind, I just wanted to make sure that I could let other races know about other races, so I found myself at an early age telling whites about Blacks – who we are. If we get cut, we bleed like you bleed.”
THE PAIN IS REAL - Micah’s Place serves as a resource to combat domestic violence
“We’re never empty. The phone’s never not ringing. We work so hard in the community to raise awareness, and part of our mission is to hopefully end domestic violence. If a place like us doesn’t exist, do people realize that the issue exists?”
UCF Mormon missionaries deal with near-constant rejection
Elder Donnelly and Elder Sharp face constant rejection, but persevere thanks to the support of their companion and the thick skin deepened with every “no” and “sorry, I have to go to an exam.”
I-Drive workers share their complaints about working in the vacation capital of the world
We know their jobs can't be easy, so for this Love/Hate issue, we asked them to tell us what they hate most about their daily grind.
RENAISSANCE BOY - 13-year-old with life-threatening diseases finds joy, life in raising animals
"For me, it's more like, 'Well, would you like to die? If so, eat the bread, but if you don't want to die, stay away from the bread.'"
SHOW BOAT - Ed Glascock brings joy with his 21-foot boat car
“Worst mistake you could do is not talk to people. I’ll take it to the grocery store, and I have to worry about my ice cream melting because somebody’s going to want to talk to me about it.”
A LONG TIME COMING - 'The Color Purple' brings raw emotion to AMP stage
"It's almost like we're writing a fine line. It's such a freeing feeling to dig into those emotions that we can all relate to. I might not have the same exact experience as Celie, but we're all human."
HAPPY PLACES - Story & Song book details the good of Amelia Island
“We didn’t create this book to get more people to move here. We created this book for those of us who live here and the people we love who visit us."
MEN ON A MISSION - Foar From Home ready for Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge
“The minor fall and the major lift” has taken on a whole new meaning for this unassuming guitarist who’s about to hop in a rowboat and cross the Atlantic Ocean with three other guys.
RW Herman on his second book, surviving Vietnam and climbing the ladder in the Navy
“I took a right turn at the fork in the road in 1972 and went back to the Navy. What if I had taken a left turn?"
Orlando’s only after-hours spot, Club Nokturnal, is now open for business
There was so much shade being thrown in Nokturnal, they probably didn't even need to manually dim the lights.
We asked Orlando 7-Eleven clerks to tell us their best stories
"This guy's like 90. He comes in on a regular basis, and he buys like five packs of green White Owl blunt wraps...One time, I joked around and ID'ed him, but he didn't get the joke."
This year's UCF student government elections are completely insane
SGA elections at UCF have been pretty weird this year, involving everything from alleged campaign violations to a Trump look-alike.
HARD NEWS
SEE YOU IN COURT - County commissioners vote to block 85-foot-high condos
"This is in my commission district. I do understand the concern of folks who live here. I live there. I cannot and will not support the settlement, and my vote will be for option three where the county tells Riverstone to pound sand and see you in court."
‘Disqualified … to serve’ – County attorney retires to avoid criminal prosecution
“When it became clear that Mike was instructing us to do something illegal, Susan got uncomfortable and actually asked for herself to be excused and she did. Me, Taco (Pope) and Mike were all present, and he told me to delete the text messages. Then, he told me he also deleted his.”
American Beach residents balk at septic assessment fees
“Funding through ARPA should relieve property owners of tax burden. Duval County did not assess water and sewer fees for residents in at least one of its predominantly Black neighborhoods. They’re not paying one red cent in Jacksonville.”
County won’t stop burning by developer
“According to my CAT scan, my lungs are inflamed. I don’t have pneumonia. I’ve never been a smoker. But I’ve smelled smoke and breathed smoke every single day.”
Sanders dependent on young voters to win Florida
Only one man would feel comfortable blasting a playlist that bounces from improvised jazz to “Disco Inferno,” and that man is presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
Third Orlando Speaks workshop is business as usual, despite criticism
"'Our officers just want to go home to their families, too,'" Gelzer says. "But that’s not the same for a citizen who gets stopped by a police officer?"
PHOTOGRAPHY
Orlando United: Photos honoring Orlando's many first responders, volunteers and helpers
In the wake of the deadliest attack by a single shooter in American history, Orlando stepped up.
21 photos from President Bill Clinton's rally at Rollins College
Former President Bill Clinton made a jaunt to Rollins College Monday evening to stump for his wife Hillary.
Here's everything we saw at Donald Trump's rally and protest
The controversial Republican presidential candidate drew a large crowd of college students, Orlando residents and American Islam members to peacefully protest his rally.
Photos from the Kanye West 'The Life of Pablo' world premiere in Orlando
Kanye West premiered his new fashion line Yeezy Season 3 and new album "The Life of Pablo" on Feb. 11. Pointe Orlando held a screening of the whole event.