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In case you missed it: The Apopka news week in review
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 a new housing development coming to Apopka.
Is the apocalypse coming to Apopka?
Is Apopka about to experience an apocalypse? Are college kids learning how to defend themselves against zombies starting to make sense? Are Preppers beginning to sound like pragmatic realists?
At the urging of Velazquez, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission to be retooled
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs are essential for creating a more equitable and just society. However, implementing these programs in the United States has been challenging.
Johnny Abreu, owner of Well Painted of Central Florida, with his son, Randy
The value of premium painting services: Why quality matters in your home renovation project
In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the advantages of choosing quality over affordability when it comes to painting services, and why using an established, Apopka-based company is a wise investment for your renovation project.
In participating states, low-income families will receive $40 each month for each eligible school-aged child, up to $120, to buy groceries, beginning in the summer of 2024.
Advocacy groups urge Florida to apply for 2025 summer meal programs for low-income kids
While Florida was one of 15 states that opted out of the Summer EBT program this year, according to the department's guidelines, state officials have until August 15th to notify the U.S. Department of Agriculture whether Florida will participate in the summer of 2025.
Local News
Site of the Grove Land Reservoir project.
Who put $400 million into Florida budget for new reservoir? No one will say
Why would the Florida Legislature offer no bills or resolutions about Grove Land Reservoir before funding it with $400 million? Opinion/Commentary by Craig Pittman of the Florida Phoenix.
DOH-Orange highlights National Water Safety Month
Florida offers countless opportunities to enjoy water recreation in pools, lakes, and other surrounding bodies of water. That is why water safety is critical.
The Northwest Recreation Complex
Infrastructure and a lack of staffing are at the core of numerous problems in Apopka
Olsen: "They're saying we're going to be adding 500,000 people. How many of those are coming to Apopka? What's our 2025 plan, or 2026 plan, or 2050 plan? We need to be thinking in advance."
WOMEN BUILD raises more than $220,000 for Habitat Homes 
This is the 11th Anniversary of WOMEN BUILD. This transformative experience enables women to directly help other women and families in Seminole County and Apopka by raising dollars for and helping to construct Habitat homes. Watch the video and be inspired.
Veteran homelessness is on the rise despite government efforts—here's how it happens
At least 35,000 veterans were experiencing homelessness in 2023, according to HUD. While that's about half of what it was in 2009—things have plateaued in recent years despite active efforts to get that number to zero.
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 27th.
The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) will conduct its annual national food drive on Saturday, May 11, 2024. NALC's food drive, which was first held in 1983, helps feed millions of Americans.
Business
Wallet Hub Study: Apopka ranks #58 in the US as the best small town to start a business
According to Wallet Hub, Apopka is ranked #58 in the United States among small towns for starting a business. The study analyzed 1,334 small towns across the country.
British Swim School is offering a new concept for swimming lessons in Apopka 
British Swim School, the nation’s leading “learn-to-swim” franchise with a stellar 40-year track record, is thrilled to expand its locations with the grand opening on March 25th in Apopka.
Planet Fitness coming to Apopka
Planet Fitness has firmly established itself as a top choice for those in search of a comfortable yet effective workout experience.
The problem with boredom at work is its negative effects can linger. You might power through a mind-numbing task, but in doing so, you harm your ability to accomplish subsequent tasks.
The governor’s office cited reports from retailers estimating losses as high as $112 billion during 2022, with hot spots in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.
The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Advisory Council has approved a new premium reimbursement formula to help alleviate the burden on insurance companies operating in Florida.
The Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation brings an arts & entrepreneurship scholarship to the Local Teen Rock Band DRIVEN through a gift from Jerry Harvey Audio.
Health

AdventHealth Apopka debuts $26.3 million expansion 

This new floor will address the increasing demand for complex care within the community. The 30,230-square-foot expansion adds 38 inpatient beds, including cardiovascular progressive care beds and four dialysis bays.  

Cannabis legalization has led to a boom in potent forms of the drug that present new hazards for adolescents

Many of today’s cannabis products barely resemble the ‘weed’ that most middle-aged adults grew up with.

Arguments are for and against increasing the legalization of cannabis for adult use in the U.S., but expanded access to legal cannabis may also have unintended consequences for adolescents.

Removing PFAS from public water systems will cost billions and take time – here are ways you can filter out harmful ‘forever chemicals’ at home

PFAS are showing up in water systems across the U.S.

Under the new EPA rules, public water systems have until 2027 to complete monitoring for PFAS and provide publicly available data.

Dozens of groups call on DeSantis to veto bill denying heat protections for outdoor workers

A farmworker in Immokalee harvests tomatoes.

he groups have penned two separate letters in recent days to the governor, who received the bill (HB 433) on Tuesday from the Legislature.

Florida Blue Foundation announces 2024 Food Security Grant

Research has shown that when people have reliable access to fresh, local foods, they are more likely to make healthier choices, leading to better health outcomes. 

4Roots joins partners to establish Culinary Health Institute

The Culinary Health Institute on the 4Roots Farm Campus in the Orlando Packing District.

In collaboration with founding partners AdventHealth, Florida Blue Foundation, and Gordon Food Service, CHI strives to understand how different growing methods impact nutrient quality and how consuming high-nutrient-quality foods can impact chronic illness. 

We thought measles were going away in Florida, but now there’s a new case

3D graphical representation of a spherical-shaped measles virus particle that is studded with glycoprotein tubercles.

In newly published data, the CDC's year-to-date count in the US now stands at 64 cases of measles, surpassing the 2023 total case count of 58.

As Florida winds down Medicaid eligibility review, more children under 5 are losing coverage

More than a thousand Florida children under five lost Medicaid coverage in February, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.

Despite the increase in the number of people enrolled in Medicaid, Florida removed more than 3,000 fewer people from the program, according to the February report.

Government
Commissioner-Elect Nadia Anderson shed the "elect" portion of her title to become the official commissioner occupying Seat #3. She joined Commissioner Nick Nesta (Seat #4) in taking their oaths of office at a ceremony held at City Hall on Tuesday.
Frost’s bill would ensure that hurricane preparedness tools, alerts, and planning systems would address the needs of seniors, people with disabilities, non-English speakers, and rural and urban populations.
High-speed rail projects in California, Nevada, and Texas promise world-class service to the West and South. Can Florida be far behind?
The Apopka Voice publishes a weekly burglary report from the Apopka Police Department that includes reported burglaries of businesses, residences, and vehicles. 
City Council exploring new process for foreclosing on non-compliant properties with long overdue fines
Commissioner Nick Nesta proposed a new process for dealing with non-compliant properties with long-overdue fines at the April 17th Apopka City Council meeting.
The Apopka Art and Foliage Festival begins this weekend at Kit Land Nelson Park.
62nd Annual Apopka Art and Foliage Festival opens this weekend
The festival showcases the work of artisans, crafters, and top foliage growers, along with live music, food vendors, and children's activities.
Bob Graham, on his first workday after being elected governor, handles sod for a Tallahassee road project, working eight hours in a light rain.
The environmental education of Bob Graham offers lessons for Florida today
The environment wasn’t even an issue that Graham ran on, not at first.  In seeking election as governor in 1978, he focused on education and crime. But then, well into his first term, a national magazine slammed him on his environmental record.
Opinion

Bob Graham was a real public servant, a species nearly extinct in Florida

Former Gov. Bob Graham speaks to the media about his daughter, Democratic Florida gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham, at her primary election night party held on August 28, 2018, in Orlando.
Bob Graham — two-term governor, three-term U.S. senator — was always thinking about Florida, how to preserve Florida’s waters and save the Everglades, how to improve K-12 education, how to promote civic engagement, how to alleviate poverty.
A forensic audit of a City's finances focuses on examining the financial records, transactions, and processes of municipal government entities such as departments, agencies, or public funds. Opinion by The Apopka Voice Managing Editor Reggie Connell.
Becker was a generational leader. People with his skill set usually skip municipal politics and aim for a fast track to a CEO role in a Fortune 500 company or a higher office. 
Why do spring cleanups succeed so reliably? Obviously, there are environmental and aesthetic benefits. But they go so much deeper.
Bonus Content

What’s in a VIN? How to decode the vehicle identification number, your car’s unique fingerprint

Every vehicle built after 1981 has a unique vehicle identification number, or VIN. The location of this string of letters and numbers varies, but it’s located somewhere on every car, SUV, motorcycle and truck – typically on a small metal plate or a sticker. ...

A little-understood sleep disorder affects millions and has clear links to dementia – 4 questions answered

A little-known and poorly understood sleep disorder that occurs during the rapid eye movement, or REM, stage of sleep has been garnering attention for its role in foreshadowing neurodegenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. …

Jewish Americans changed their names, but not at Ellis Island

A well-worn joke in American Jewish culture goes like this. A Jewish immigrant landed at Ellis Island in New York. The procedures were confusing, and he was overwhelmed by the commotion. …

Houston area’s flood problems offer lessons for cities trying to adapt to a changing climate

Scenes from the Houston area looked like the aftermath of a hurricane in early May after a series of powerful storms flooded highways and neighborhoods and sent rivers over their banks north of the city. …