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The City of Apopka is offering three different camps this summer
Summer camps provide a unique opportunity for children to make new friends, develop social skills, and learn new hobbies. In Apopka, there are three options.
Are rents about to crash?
If you think building more units in this same top-down, financialized system is going to fix things, you’re stuck in the housing trap. There’s only one way out... a bottom-up revolution in how we deliver lots of units at prices anchored to local capacity.
Former Gov. Bob Graham speaks to the media about his daughter, Democratic Florida gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham, at her primary election night party held on August 28, 2018, in Orlando.
Bob Graham was a real public servant, a species nearly extinct in Florida
Bob Graham — two-term governor, three-term U.S. senator — was always thinking about Florida, how to preserve Florida’s waters and save the Everglades, how to improve K-12 education, how to promote civic engagement, how to alleviate poverty.
Many of today’s cannabis products barely resemble the ‘weed’ that most middle-aged adults grew up with.
Cannabis legalization has led to a boom in potent forms of the drug that present new hazards for adolescents
Arguments are for and against increasing the legalization of cannabis for adult use in the U.S., but expanded access to legal cannabis may also have unintended consequences for adolescents.
AAA: Florida gas prices rise 13 cents; set new 2024 high
On Wednesday, the state average reached a new 2024 high of $3.64 per gallon. Sunday's price of $3.58 per gallon is 2 cents higher than a month ago, yet 14 cents less than last year.
Local News
Orange County Consumer Protection Office Helping Victims of Fraud
A major goal of the Consumer Protection Office is to be proactive and educate consumers. It provides workshops and seminars that teach residents about best practices and how to protect against fraud.
PFAS are showing up in water systems across the U.S.
Removing PFAS from public water systems will cost billions and take time – here are ways you can filter out harmful ‘forever chemicals’ at home
Under the new EPA rules, public water systems have until 2027 to complete monitoring for PFAS and provide publicly available data.
Becker leaves Apopka a better place than he found it
Becker was a generational leader. People with his skill set usually skip municipal politics and aim for a fast track to a CEO role in a Fortune 500 company or a higher office. 
The population of Florida’s bald eagles dropped dramatically because of DDT.
Florida fueled the first Earth Day; now we need another one
Thanks to that first Earth Day, we got the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and a bunch of other environmental regulations. We also got the EPA.
Labor Department cites Florida contractor for lack of heat prevention after heat stroke claims 26-year-old worker's life
As average temperatures rise across the U.S., heat illness is a growing safety and health concern for workers indoors and outdoors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that environmental heat exposure claimed the lives of 36 workers in 2021 and 56 in 2020.
Cookies & Milk with a Cop is this Saturday at the North Orange Branch Library from 11 AM to 12 PM.
Cookies and Milk with a Cop is coming to Apopka this weekend
The Apopka Police Department continues the Cookies & Milk with a Cop program, a heartwarming initiative to foster trust and camaraderie between the APD and the community.
Business
Coffee is not the only way to fight boredom.
How to battle boredom at work
The problem with boredom at work is its negative effects can linger. You might power through a mind-numbing task, but in doing so, you harm your ability to accomplish subsequent tasks.
NEW YORK CITY - SEPTEMBER 28: People shop at a Target store in the Harlem neighborhood in Manhattan on September 28, 2023, in New York City.
DeSantis signs tougher penalties for retail theft, ‘porch piracy,’ into law
The governor’s office cited reports from retailers estimating losses as high as $112 billion during 2022, with hot spots in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.
Members of the 202nd Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers Squadron, Florida Air National Guard, clear roads in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, in response to Hurricane Ian, Oct. 1, 2022.
Florida board approves premium reimbursement formula to help insurers
The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Advisory Council has approved a new premium reimbursement formula to help alleviate the burden on insurance companies operating in Florida.
The Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation brings an arts & entrepreneurship scholarship to the Local Teen Rock Band DRIVEN through a gift from Jerry Harvey Audio.
UF/IFAS blueberry breeding research dates back to the 1950s and has a history of developing good-tasting, disease- and pest-resistant varieties.
In collaboration with founding partners AdventHealth, Florida Blue Foundation, and Gordon Food Service, CHI strives to understand how different growing methods impact nutrient quality and how consuming high-nutrient-quality foods can impact chronic illness. 
There are a number of reasons why switching to natural gas may be the best option for you or your business.
Health

Treating cardiovascular disease with integrative medicine

With heart disease on the rise, it’s paramount that each of us consider what we can do to lower our risk and promote heart health.

Dozens of groups call on DeSantis to veto bill denying heat protections for outdoor workers

A farmworker in Immokalee harvests tomatoes.

he groups have penned two separate letters in recent days to the governor, who received the bill (HB 433) on Tuesday from the Legislature.

Florida Blue Foundation announces 2024 Food Security Grant

Research has shown that when people have reliable access to fresh, local foods, they are more likely to make healthier choices, leading to better health outcomes. 

We thought measles were going away in Florida, but now there’s a new case

3D graphical representation of a spherical-shaped measles virus particle that is studded with glycoprotein tubercles.

In newly published data, the CDC's year-to-date count in the US now stands at 64 cases of measles, surpassing the 2023 total case count of 58.

As Florida winds down Medicaid eligibility review, more children under 5 are losing coverage

More than a thousand Florida children under five lost Medicaid coverage in February, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.

Despite the increase in the number of people enrolled in Medicaid, Florida removed more than 3,000 fewer people from the program, according to the February report.

The Florida Legislature doesn’t care how hot outdoor workers get

Outdoor workers in a field in Miami-Dade County.

Some Florida lawmakers have proposed bills requiring everyone who employs outdoor workers to educate them about heat illness and provide workers with adequate drinking water, access to shade, and 10-minute recovery breaks in extreme heat.

Florida social services call center has 2nd longest wait times in the country; $12 million might help

Paper cutout family with house under a Medicaid umbrella

Hoping to alleviate the problem, lawmakers agreed to put $12,261,444 for the call center in the state budget for 2024-25, but Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to sign off on it, and he can veto various budget items.

Farmworkers push back on Florida Legislature's Heat Preemption Bill

Farmworkers got scorched yesterday by the passage of SB 1492, a bill that preempts local governments from passing even the most basic workplace protections.

Government
On April 9th, the Best Foot Forward for Pedestrian Safety coalition and Orange County Sheriff's Office conducted a crosswalk enforcement operation at Apopka-Vineland Road and 1st Street.
The Apopka Voice publishes a weekly arrest report that includes arrests, crashes, calls for service, and traffic citations. This report is for the week ending April 13th.
On Monday, April 15th at approximately 9:00 A.M., Hilary Patricia Ramos Acosta, a 26-year-old Hispanic female, 5’07”, 200 pounds, with brown eyes and dyed red hair, departed her residence on East Lisa Lane in Apopka. 
The report is trumpeted as a first-of-its-kind study showcasing how the 18 million acres of the Wildlife Corridor, which runs throughout the entire state, ease the worst impact of climate change.
Fostering furbabies is a calling for Orange County resident Beth Otto
Although she’s fostered over 900 abandoned cats and kittens since 2009, Beth Otto admits she wasn’t always a cat lover.
In case you missed it: The Apopka news week in review
In case you missed it. The Apopka News Week in Review includes six articles that shaped the City... all in one place, including details on the new Vice Mayor of Apopka.
Outdoor workers in a field in Miami-Dade County.
DeSantis nixes local efforts to protect outdoor workers from Florida's brutal weather
The new law, HB 433, which takes effect on July 1, forbids the state or its political subdivisions from requiring any protections not mandated by state or federal law, even for their own contractors.
Opinion

Spring Cleanup: A Classic Community-Builder

Why do spring cleanups succeed so reliably? Obviously, there are environmental and aesthetic benefits. But they go so much deeper.
It's best to view a politician through the prism of their motivations. If they are considering a run for office, voters should be aware of the possibility. 
Too many ordinary citizens in District 2 do not feel empowered. We must restructure smaller interdependent teams based on neighborhoods and local areas so all feel welcome. In essence, we must become …
Municipal campaigns require a well-planned strategy. Running for office can be daunting and requires a lot of resources, including time, effort, and, most importantly, money.
Bonus Content

5 Delicious Ways to Revamp Your Routine with Oats

(BPT) - Do you want to add more variety and nutrition to your meal planning? Consider incorporating Quaker Oats into your diet! While oats are typically associated with breakfast, they're a versatile …

6 easy ways to boost productivity and create a comfortable, ergonomic workspace

(BPT) - How's your office working for you? According to a recent survey from organizational solution brand, Mind Reader, 86 percent of people see their workspace as having an impact on their …

Everything you need to know about mental health coaching

(BPT) - You've probably heard of life coaches and sports coaches, but how about mental health coaches? Just like it sounds, they take an active, goal-oriented approach to providing mental health …

When Allergy Season Knows No Season: The Climate Change Connection

(BPT) - By Jad Daley, President and CEO of American ForestsClimate change is reshaping our world in unexpected ways, including the worsening of seasonal allergies. This was confirmed by a 2019 study …