🌱 Gatorland CrocFest + Orlando House Fire + COVID Victim Christmas Lights

Hey, Orlando! Here's everything you need to know to get this day started. Today is National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day. It's a day to celebrate who you are and how you get there.

In this issue, you'll learn about a shooting of a school employee at a gas station, how to help gators, a fire that burned down a family home, a Christmas light memorial, and more.

First, today's weather:

A t-storm around in the a.m.. High: 79 Low: 65.

Here are the top stories today in Orlando:

1. A Seminole County school employee was shot Thursday morning while pumping gas at a gas station near Sanford, according to Seminole County Public Schools. The gunman is in custody. (WFTV)

2. Honoring Victims: An Orlando couple has decorated their Lake Como home with more than half a million Christmas lights to honor those who lost their lives to COVID-19. The display took 32 days to create. (WFTV)

3. A family narrowly escaped an Orlando home as it went up in flames on Thursday. Officials say the smoke detector inside the house was not functioning and the family says they lost everything in the fire and a GoFundMe has been setup. An investigation is underway. (Click Orlando)

4. CrocFest is coming to Gatorland on Saturday, December 11th. It is a fundraiser for endangered crocodiles and has raised hundreds of thousands for the cause over the past 11 years. Tickets are now available and includes dinner and drinks. (Orlando Weekly)

5. Metroplan Orlando Director Gary Huttmann says the Infrastructure Bill passed in Congress last week could improve mass transit in Central Florida. Huttman projects it could be anywhere from a 30% to a 40%-42% increase in funding. Many projects would require matching funds locally as well. (WMFE)

Today's Orlando Daily is brought to you by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Orlando!

Today in Orlando:

• 2021 State of the Schools - Orange County District. (8:00 AM)
• EDC Orlando 2021 - Electric Daisy Carnival Orlando. (10:00 AM)
• Drive-Thru Thanksgiving Food Distribution. Free event. The first 400 families will receive a Frozen Turkey (10 to 12 lbs.), Instant Potatoes, Stuffing, Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Mini Marshmallows, Macaroni & Cheese, and Turkey Gravy. (10:00 AM)
• Callahan Neighborhood Center Mobile COVID-19 Vaccine Site. (3:00 PM)
• Elf the Musical at Dr. Phillips Center. (7:00 PM)

Orlando Patch Notebook

• Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer: One hundred years ago, Captain Charles Albertson offered his collection of 12,000 books to the City of Orlando on one condition: that a library was built to house the books. His donation led the way to the creation of one of our ... (Facebook)
• Yelp Orlando: "It’s Elite Week at @AmericanSocial Orlando, and the #YelpElite Squad has been enjoying ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT tacos + margaritas all week long! Be sure to check out their happy hour, as well as its Tacos & Tequila Tuesday menu! #AmSoOr..." (Instagram)
• Pet Alliance Greater Orlando: "Meet Susan, our Orlando Foster Care Coordinator! She's part of the dedicated and passionate team of shelter staff workers that go above and beyond every day to ensure the best care for our animals. Learn more about our foster program a..." (Instagram)
• Orange County: Congratulations to these incredible @ocfl employees who are celebrating over 20 years of service! We hosted a special service award ceremony with Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings and Commissioners to celebrate their outstanding ... (Instagram)
• Central Florida Zoo: Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild starts next week! 🐲 And YES, the lanterns this year are new! Get your tickets for your preferred date before it sells out! . . . #CentralFloridaZoo #CFZAsianLanternFestival #AsianLanternFestival #In..." (Instagram)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with your next update. If you're feeling these newsletters, consider bringing some friends and neighbors on board. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Orlando Daily? Reach out anytime to carlosreportsnews@gmail.com.