The 5 biggest headlines Orlando Weekly saw this week | Orlando Area News | Orlando

From a popular local establishment’s behind-the-scenes drama to medieval-meets-MMA fighting to big moves in the (legal) marijuana world, Orlando Weekly saw plenty of big news this week. If you’re looking for a speedy recap as you start your weekend, we got you.

Here’s five of this week’s biggest headlines.

Florida moves one step closer to getting recreational marijuana
Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational use of marijuana have passed a preliminary hurdle to get on the 2024 ballot, with more than enough petition signatures to trigger a Florida Supreme Court review of the measure. Next, the court will review the proposal’s wording to make sure it would not mislead voters. You bet we’re staying tuned.

Orlando Disney World workers mobilize fellow cast members to ‘stand together, vote no’ on Disney’s contract offer
Union Disney World workers are mobilized fellow cast members to reject the latest contract proposal from the Walt Disney company. The Service Trades Council Union, a coalition of six labor unions representing about 45,000 Disney World workers in Orlando, is urging full-time cast members to reject Disney’s “best offer,” as the unions work to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the multinational conglomerate.

Meet the Florida Fire Drakes, a team of Orlando athletes putting the ‘hurt’ in the medieval combat sport of buhurt
Imagine the sound of metal clashing violently throughout the fighting grounds as six armor-clad men try to take each other down to the ground and you’ve got the essence of this feature story on Orlando’s own buhurt team.

Simmering resentments at Winter Garden’s Garden Theatre have caught fire
This dramatic dumpster fire first ignited publicly last summer, when acclaimed artistic director Joseph C. Walsh abruptly resigned in June; the resulting wave of resignations and terminations saw the departures of nearly the entire staff and the cancellation of several shows. Read to find out what unfolded next.

Orlando woman used romance scam to drain Holocaust survivor of $2.8 million
A 36-year-old Orlando woman, Peaches Stergo, used a years-long scam to steal a Holocaust survivor’s life savings. She was arrested and charged with one count of wire fraud and is now facing up to 20 years in prison.

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