🌱 SeaWorld Doubles Manatee Care + Disney World Protest Fizzles

Get on up, Orlando! Here's everything you need to know to get this Thursday started off right. Here's everything you need to know about what's happening in town today.

First, today's weather:

Thunderstorms, severe early. High: 77 Low: 57.

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Here are the top five stories in Orlando today:

1. Olympia High School is celebrating two decades of theater with its "Twenty Years of Theatre and Talent" show starting tonight at 7 p.m. through Saturday, March 26. Tickets are $15 in advance or cash-only at the door. Although all shows in the department's history will be mentioned during the program, only a select number will actually include performances. (West Orange Times)

2. A judge issued an arrest warrant Wednesday for a New Jersey woman who appeared in a viral video riding a motorized suitcase through Orlando International Airport while being pursued by a police officer. 32-year-old Chelsea Alston failed to appear in court for her trial on felony charges of battery on a law enforcement officer and criminal mischief. Alston will be extradited to Florida whenever she is arrested, according to the judge's order. (Click Orlando)

3. There was plenty of buzz for Disney's planned walkouts on Tuesday, but it's unclear how many actually ended up taking part in the protest. Local reporters searched for workers that walked off the job, but they were relatively difficult to come by. A lone protestor was seen standing outside Disney at Hotel Plaza Boulevard. (WESH)

4. SeaWorld Orlando says it will double the size of its critical care space for manatees. The theme park giant said it is adding 200,000 gallons of water and a new critical care lift floor to its existing pool to help care for the sea cows, which are facing record deaths. The upgrades will make SeaWorld the largest manatee care facility in the United States. (WFTV)

5. Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is adding raised medians to Goldenrod Road between SR-408 and SR-50 in Orange County. The $11 million project also includes widening the roadway to make way for bike lanes, upgrading traffic signals and improving lighting. Construction is expected to be completed by the summer of 2023. (Spectrum News 13)

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Today in Orlando:

• Tales for Twos at Winter Park Library. (9:15 AM)
• Pappy's Patch U-Pick Strawberries. (10:00 AM)
• Roving at Bill Frederick Park. (11:00 AM)
• Painting With A Twist's Pop In And Paint. (2:00 PM)
• Gametime's Play Your Way Thursday. (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Edible Education Experience is hosting a special series of dinners on Sunday, April 10, and Monday, April 11 to celebrate its fifth anniversary. The dinners will feature an array of local chefs hosting a 5-course family-style dinner. (Bungalower)
• City of Orlando is home to some of the world's most well-known and innovative game development companies. Wednesday, the city welcomed Electronic Arts to downtown Orlando. (Facebook)
• Dragons and Fairies is entering its final week. Make sure to grab tickets for this immersive, walkthrough experience before it disappears. (Facebook)
• Jeremiah's Italian Ice has partnered with the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida for a cool day of tasty treats and fundraising today. Make sure you stop by and mention the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida by name at the window to ensure 20% of your check is donated directly to it. (Facebook)
• Limbitless Solutions, a local non-profit organization that makes prosthetic arms for children, will soon launch a clinical trial with Orlando Health. The trial will include about 20 patients. (Facebook)

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That's it for today. See you all tomorrow 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.