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🌱 Patch AM: How a new UCF stadium tower could reshape Orlando’s sports scene

You won't want to miss Brunch with Santa & Mrs. Claus on the Orlando Patch calendar

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Greetings Orlando! We’re your go-to source for what’s happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How a new UCF stadium tower could reshape Orlando’s sports scene
  • How a $115K watch deal in Orlando turned violently wrong
  • How will this new toll road reshape traffic south of Orlando?

Also on today's calendar: Brunch with Santa & Mrs. Claus and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Orlandofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the boat dock say when it was arrested? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Orlandofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Saturday: Mostly sunny and pleasant, with a high of 75 and low of 57 degrees.
  • Sunday: Turning sunny and pleasant, temps: high: 79, low: 53.
  • Monday: Not as warm, with a high of 67 and low of 50 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. UCF breaks ground on new Roth Tower at FBC Mortgage Stadium (fox35orlando.com) — UCF has started construction on the new $90 million Roth Tower at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, a project funded by Orange County tourist tax dollars. Set to open for the 2026 football season, the four-level facility will add luxury seating, event space, and year-round uses aimed at boosting UCF athletics, sports tourism, and the wider Orlando community.
   

2. Man used fake money to steal a $115K watch before shooting seller, deputies say (fox35orlando.com) — Orlando residents are learning more about a high-dollar watch theft that turned into a shooting, after a suspect was arrested in the U.S. Virgin Islands and extradited to Orange County. Deputies say the man used fake money to take a $115,000 watch in Orlando, then allegedly fired an AR-style rifle during a chase, injuring the seller.
   

3. Controversial toll road connecting Poinciana Parkway to Florida's Turnpike advances (fox35orlando.com) — Transportation officials meeting in Orlando have advanced the $2 billion Southport Connector Expressway, a 15-mile toll road linking Poinciana Parkway to Florida’s Turnpike through southern Osceola County. The project, meant to ease severe congestion in the fast-growing Poinciana area, moves forward despite concerns about cutting through environmentally sensitive land near the Florida Wildlife Corridor and Disney Wilderness Preserve.
   

4. The Limits of BMI (webmd.com) — An Orlando-based bariatric surgeon from Orlando Health weighs in on why BMI alone can’t fully capture your health risks, especially when it comes to dangerous visceral fat around the organs. The piece explains BMI’s limits, how waist measurements and other tests give a clearer picture, and why doctors should consider factors like exercise, blood pressure, and genetics when advising patients.
   

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Twenty Years After Their Iconic Shows Together, Tom Petty and Pearl Jam Tributes Unite for One-Night —Ryan Rose Read on Patch
  • Please help us find "Lady" ..
    we adoted her a few months ago after we were feeding her being a stray.. she's extremely close to my mom who is bedridden and we miss her greatly… (Nextdoor Quail Trail)
  • Lost dog.
    Missing since Tues Dec 9th. His name is Cash. Pls message me if you've seen him. (Nextdoor Kingswood Manor)
  • Washington state under emergency as torrential rain triggers floods, mudslides and evacuations (X: orlandosentinel)
  • Tens of thousands of residents in western Washington could face evacuation orders when another round of heavy rain drops on the region Thursday,... (X: MyNews13)
  • Landry's posted a job opening for Busser / Porter in Orlando. Apply here.
  • Harbor Retirement Associates posted a job opening for Life Enrichment Coord / Activity Coordinator / Activities staff / Activity Ambassador in Orlando. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Orlando here.

Ok Orlando! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I demand a jury of my piers.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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