🌱 Volusia Semi-Truck Fire Burns Cocoa + Ukraine Benefit Dinner

Happy Tuesday, Orlando! Here's everything you need to know about what's happening around Orlando today.

First, today's weather:

Sunny and breezy. High: 78 Low: 59.

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Here are the top five stories today in Orlando:

1. A semi-truck carrying 1,000 bags of cocoa caught fire early Monday morning along I-95 in Volusia County. According to the Daytona Beach Fire Department, the fire happened after the tractor-trailer's brakes malfunctioned. No one was injured. (Orlando Patch)

2. Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) reopened part of State Road 46 in Lake County on Sunday following a crash that killed two children, and sent a 1-year-old to the hospital. FHP says the driver of the car tried to pass in a no-passing zone on SR 46 and hit an oncoming truck head on. The crash caused the truck to roll over and catch fire. All five people in that truck survived and went to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. (WESH)

3. Chefs from all over Central Florida are teaming up with World Central Kitchen to host a charity dinner aiming to help the people of Ukraine as they continue to battle Russia in Eastern Europe. The event is called The Humanitarian Relief Fundraiser for Ukraine and will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on April 23 at The Center at Deltona. (Spectrum News 13)

4. Seminole County Fire Department added a new truck to its firefighting fleet on Monday called Quint 24. Officials said Quint has five primary functions including a pump, water tank, large-diameter fire hose, aerial device and ground ladders and is the second multi-functioning fire truck in use by the department. (WFTV)

5. The City of Winter Park confirmed a new Chief of Police in February and his public swearing-in ceremony will take place on Friday, April 29, at the Winter Park Community Center. Timothy Volkerson has been with the force since 2001 and served over two decades. He completed his Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy Master's Program at the University of Virginia and received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the College of Mount St. Joseph. (Bungalower)

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Today in Orlando:

• Hip-Hop Artist Fyutch at Orlando Public Library. (1:15 PM)
• Youth Worker Free Coffee & Gifts at Lineage Coffee. (3:00 PM)
• Cirque Du Soleil: Drawn To Life at Walt Disney World. (6:30 PM)
• UCF Knights Baseball vs. Jacksonville University Dolphins Baseball at John Euliano Park. (7:00 PM)
• INJOY Presents: TACO'VER Ft. DJ FLASHDRIVE at Elixir Orlando. (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• An independent forensic engineering firm hired in the investigation into a teen’s fatal fall from an Orlando drop tower found the operator of the thrill ride manually adjusted the sensors in the seat he was in, which made the ride unsafe. (Click Orlando)
• The median metro Orlando home price last month climbed to $361,000. (Subscription: Orlando Business Journal)
• SeaWorld Orlando is working on a new attraction and it is likely a new coaster. SeaWorld has dropped hints about the new project. (Spectrum News 13)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Medicare - Turning 65...What Now? 04/19 @ 10:00AM or 7:00PM (April 19)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (April 22)
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That's it for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with a new 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.