🌱 Orange County Bus Design Contest + Central Florida Neighbor Donates Kidney

Happy Friday, people of Orlando! Merry Christmas Eve to all who celebrate. Here's everything you need to know about what's happening in town today.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and pleasant. High: 76 Low: 57.

Rent this space!

Are you a local business owner or marketer in Orlando? We'd love to start connecting local businesses with our amazing readers. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top five stories today in Orlando:

1. Florida grew by 211,196 residents from July 1st, 2020, to July 1st, 2021, to a population of 21,781,128, U.S. Census estimates show. The only state to grow by more people was Texas. Economists currently predict average growth of 309,867 new Florida residents a year through 2026. (Orlando Weekly)

2. Orange County Arts and Cultural Affairs is hosting a design contest with GoPegasus and the United Arts of Central Florida for a wrap design on a bus that will carry a group of Central Florida arts advocates to Tallahassee in January. The winner of the contest will receive $1,500. Hurry, the deadline is Monday, December 27th. (Bungalower)

3. Missing person: 31-year-old Paola Marie Miranda-Rosa was last seen on December 17th in Orlando. Her car was located yesterday at Wekiwa Springs State Park. Miranda-Rosa was last seen wearing blue jean shorts and a green or white shirt. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Osceola County Sheriff's Office. (WESH)

4. Little Drug Company, an iconic hometown pharmacy and fountain in New Smyrna Beach is closing down just ahead of its 100th anniversary. The owners say the pandemic hit them hard financially. (Click Orlando)

5. Christmas miracle: A Central Florida man found a kidney match with his neighbor. The neighbor reached out after hearing about the story on local WESH 2 News. Jim Cochrane said, “words can't describe it, the generosity, the feeling of me not being worthy of such a great thing." Surgery is scheduled for early January. (WESH)

Today's Orlando Daily is brought to you in part 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:

• Christmas Eve Hawaiian Party at The Brass Tap - Waterford Lakes. (11:00 AM)
• March For Our Lives Toy Drive - The Willows. (2:15 PM)
• Prime Rib Feast Christmas Eve at Citron. Reservations required. (5:30 PM)
• Nochebuena at Simon Parilla Bar & Grill. (9:00 PM)
• Old School Christmas Rap Night at Lil Indies. (10:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Florida reported 26,811 new COVID-19 cases to the federal government on Wednesday, a new record. (WPLG Local 10)
• Nature Conservancy in Florida is working to restore oyster reefs at Blackwater Bay in the panhandle. (Instagram)
• Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer visited Harry P. Leu Gardens to experience Dazzling Nights. (Facebook)
• The county says nearly 9,500+ toys collected during this year's toy drive will stay in the Orange County community to help benefit local youth and families. (Instagram)
• Orlando Science Center: "Are you in a pinch and looking for a last-minute gift? Orlando Science Center has you covered! From a private evening amongst the stars to a well-deserved night out, consider gifting an experience — no shipping required! Check out the e..." (Instagram)
• Cashmere Infinity Gibson Foundation visited Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida recently to give more than 100 bags filled with hygiene items and 50 bags filled with coloring books, pencils and other goods for children. (Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Save 15 Percent On FTD’s Christmas Collection (December 25)
• Add your event

Loving the Orlando Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

• Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe
• Get your local business featured in front of readers
• Send me a news tip or suggestion at carlosreportsnews@gmail.com

Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— 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.