Log in
Apopka Fire Station #5
Apopka celebrates International Firefighters' Day
In a proclamation delivered at the April 16th City Council meeting, Mayor Bryan Nelson declared May 4th International Firefighters’ Day—a citywide tribute to the men and women who put their lives on the line daily and to those who never made it home.
A manatee greets kayakers paddling near the property Rodney Barreto owns on Lake Worth.
Florida wildlife commission chair denies trying to build destructive project he tried to build
This is not how the FWC started in 1998. Back then, the commissioners included a wildlife biologist, a dentist, a cattle rancher, an insurance executive, a charter boat captain, a retired sheriff, and a defense attorney.
A Veteran’s Mission: Honoring Norris Henderson
Since joining Heart of Florida United Way, Henderson has transformed Mission United into a vital support system for veterans across Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties.
Gators in a small body of water. Photo taken 01-19-24
Risky human behavior, not aggressive gators, behind most alligator bites
Alligator mating season, which runs from April through June in Florida and the Southeast, brings more frequent movement and territorial behavior among alligators, making human awareness and safe practices even more essential.
International relief organizations in Florida impacted by USAID cuts
The funding cuts also reverberate in the Sunshine State, home to more than 120 registered international relief organizations - among the highest concentrations in the country - including Miami-based World Relief and Coconut Creek's Food for the Poor.
Local News
Apopka Police Department Arrest Report
The Apopka Voice publishes a weekly arrest report that includes arrests, crashes, calls for service, and traffic citations. This report is for the week ending April 12th.
Downtown Apopka.
Downtown Apopka at a Crossroads: Will CRA funds spark a comeback - or be killed in Tallahassee?
Winter Garden and Apopka both began their CRAs in the early 1990s. The Winter Garden CRA created an explicit plan and measurable deliverables. Apopka’s CRA documents were just aspirational.
Fear and Resistance: Apopka immigrant communities navigate rising ICE activity, harsh laws, and economic fallout
With recent changes to federal and state laws, there has been a growth of hostility towards immigrants in the community, as well as concerning ICE raids used to enforce new rules.
Apopka CRA dollars at work: Domino’s building getting a facelift
Originally constructed as a gas station, the building has long stood as a landmark at one of the city's most prominent intersections.
Florida wildlife organization wins lawsuit over FDEP to protect Manatees
This ruling is a not only a milestone for manatee welfare but the foundation for returning the Indian River Lagoon to a healthy and thriving ecosystem.
Achoo! Coping with allergy season in Florida
The surge in Florida of sneezing, itchy eyes, and congestion is driven by wind-pollinated trees like pines and oaks - which dominate Florida's landscape.
Since our founding in 2015, we have remained committed to bringing our readers the most important local news stories. We are celebrating ten years this December, so with ten months leading to the big date, we'll be sharing memories along the way. We also want to hear from you so we can make the next ten even better! Read on for more details...
UF/IFAS Extension Orange County provides education and information to residents and businesses through workshops, publications, and mass media in the areas of family life, youth development, natural resources, horticulture, and agriculture.
Business
Farmworkers at Del Bosque Farms pick and pack melons on a mobile platform in Firebaugh, Calif., in July 2021.
Providing farmworkers with health insurance is worth it for their employers − new research
The study determined that if 20% more farmworkers got health insurance coverage, they would have earned $23,063 a year in 2022, up from $22,482 if they did not. In this scenario, their employers would earn $7,303 in net profits per worker annually versus $6,598.
With infrastructure not meeting the community's needs, it's time for a moratorium on development in Apopka
Olsen: "The infrastructure cost required to support development should fall to the property owner and developer. The power, water, sewer, roadways, sidewalks, schools, and parks to support the new development should not fall on current Taxpayers."
Federal and state job cuts threaten Florida workers' rights, services
A new White House executive order eliminating collective bargaining rights for federal workers has hit Florida particularly hard, as home to major military installations and thousands of federal employees.
This work will help guide scientists, citrus growers, and others in the industry with insights into consumers’ perceptions, attitudes, and preferences for gene editing and modification in citrus. 
SNAP helps nearly 42 million people put food on the table, including 1 in 5 children. Americans can usually qualify for SNAP benefits if their income is under 130% of the federal poverty line. A shopper who gets SNAP benefits shops for groceries at a supermarket in Bellflower, Calif., on Feb. 13, 2023. AP Photo/Allison Dinner Tracy Roof , University of …
To experience growth, cities are encouraged to take on enormous long-term liabilities to fund short-term expansions. This fiscally unsustainable pattern eventually leads to insolvency. Can Apopka avoid these hard lessons? In 2016, we updated the original Growth Ponzi …
The bill, SB 888, would require insurers to file the transparency report with the Office of Insurance Regulation when they request a rate change after October 1st.
Health

For families with sick kids, the rise of vaccine hesitancy could be life-threatening

For parents of kids and adult children with immunocompromised systems, the consequences of fewer people vaccinating themselves and their children could be life-threatening.

When the ER isn't the best option

Research shows that up to 66% of ER visits could be treated in a non-urgent setting, like a doctor’s office or urgent care center, which are usually faster and cost less.

DOH-Orange hosts Veterans Wellness Fair

Veterans Wellness Fair: Attendees will receive free stress relief tips and participate in mental health education sessions. Counseling services will be available for those needing support, and various educational resources will be provided to veterans, their spouses, and partners.

Florida Blue Foundation opens its 2025 Mental Well-Being grant applications

The Foundation is seeking proposals from Florida-based nonprofits that are designed to support innovative and effective solutions, and that address community mental health challenges; or increase the pipeline of mental health professionals.

Legislative crackdown on Florida’s hemp industry heads to Senate floor

This years’s bill (SB 438) is similar to last year’s — with more restrictions. It would forbid any amount of synthetic cannabinoids, including Delta-8.

Orange County Trailblazers: Dr. Gregorie Constant-Peter

Dr. Gregorie Constant-Peter oversees the medical operations within the Orange County Jail. She has over 20 years of experience in the medical and education field, bringing invaluable skills to her current position.

Dr. Gregorie Constant-Peter oversees the medical operations within the Orange County Jail. The Orange County Newsroom recently caught up with her for a chat.

Opioid overdose deaths decreased in Orange County for 2024

Accidental drug overdoses for Orange County have decreased by 30% from 2023 to 2024 while opioid related drug overdoses have decreased by 37.1% within the same time period.

Report: Federal Medicaid, SNAP cuts could have crushing blow to Florida’s economy

Medicaid sign at U.S. Senate Democrats’ press conference on Feb. 19, 2025.

The analysis concludes Florida would be among the five states hit hardest by the cuts that would lead to a loss of jobs in the health care and food sectors as well as other indirect jobs affected by the elimination of federal spending.

Government
Every mile of road, every pipe in the ground, every pump or sewer or sidewalk—these are all promises. They’re not just infrastructure. They’re obligations. Residents pay their taxes with the reasonable expectation that the city will maintain all the infrastructure it has built.
DeSantis has advocated for states to receive block grants to operate all aspects of emergency preparation and response over getting assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Apopka Voice publishes a weekly burglary report from the Apopka Police Department that includes reported burglaries of businesses, residences, and vehicles. 
In case you missed it. The Apopka News Week in Review includes six articles that shaped the City... all in one place, including details on the violations the Florida Department of Environmental Protection hit Apopka with on Golden Gem.
Apopka Fire Department "pushes in" its new fire engine
A push-in ceremony is a time-honored tradition in fire departments that dates back to the days of horse-drawn fire apparatus in the 1800s.
Apopka Police Department Arrest Report
The Apopka Voice publishes a weekly arrest report that includes arrests, crashes, calls for service, and traffic citations. This report is for the week ending April 5th.
Apopka Police Department Burglary Report: March 30th-April 5th
The Apopka Voice publishes a weekly burglary report from the Apopka Police Department that includes reported burglaries of businesses, residences, and vehicles. 
Opinion

FWC confirms plans for bear "trophy hunt"

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials confirmed their intent to move forward with a controversial trophy bear hunt in December 2025—despite admitting that Florida’s black bear population has not increased since 2015.
Although the agenda item to review former city administrator Jacob Smith's contract was never voted on, it did allow Mayor Bryan Nelson an opportunity to read from a prepared statement that seemed to defy the laws of time.
Jacob Smith was unceremoniously relieved of his duties as city administrator by Mayor Bryan Nelson with less thought than a baseball coach taking out a pitcher in the middle of an inning.
The Suwannee River Water Management District owns some land called the Ellaville Tract, part of Twin Rivers State Forest. Now, there’s a proposed deal to hand over that land to a Georgia peanut farming company. Nearly 700 acres of prime sandhill habitat would be given away. 
Bonus Content

How does your brain create new memories? Neuroscientists discover ‘rules’ for how neurons encode new information

Neurons that fire together sometimes wire together.

As you experience or encounter new things, your brain must encode this information via the right neural networks at the right time.

Head and neck cancer survivor gets new Jaw in a Day

(BPT) - Looks matter. And for cancer survivors who've undergone major facial surgeries, changes to their appearance and function can be emotionally and physically devastating. For many, reclaiming a …

Automotive stocks: The effect of tariffs on shares of popular automakers

Finder examines how car stocks fare before and after auto tariffs start.

Automotive stocks: The effect of tariffs on shares of popular automakers

Finder examines how car stocks fare before and after auto tariffs start.