Foodie Award winners | Orlando plan to lure high-profile events | Maxwell on textbooks | Kissimmee police lieutenant arrested | Downtown plaque honors history | Time-change debate

Restaurant of the Year: Transformative June dawns new era in Thornton Park dining • Bird is the word: Small, sexy Sparrow is a high-flying hit, named Best New Restaurant in Foodie Awards

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Orlando Sentinel Evening Update Friday, March 6, 2026

Stay informed — sign up for these newsletters Things to Do WEEKLY A look at entertainment and sporting events in Orlando and around Central Florida. Sign up Foodie Award winners | Orlando plan to lure high-profile events | Maxwell on textbooks | Kissimmee police lieutenant arrested | Downtown plaque honors history | Time-change debate Our 2026 Foodie Award winners list revealed — see who won Which restaurants did Orlando Sentinel food writer Amy Drew Thompson pick as the best of the best? How did her selections compare to the ones chosen by the readers? See if your favorite place won! Read more → Restaurant of the Year: Transformative June dawns new era in Thornton Park dining Food writer Amy Drew Thompson picks June in Orlando's Thornton Park as the 2026 Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards Restaurant of the Year. Read more → Bird is the word: Small, sexy Sparrow is a high-flying hit, named Best New Restaurant in Foodie Awards Chef Wendy Lopez helped the North Quarter scene with Reyes. Read more → 'Wow the world': Orlando wants to spend $35 million to lure Olympics qualifying and NBA All-Stars The local sports commission is seeking to bring high-profile events to city using Orange County tax money. It promises tourist spending and a higher profile for the region. Read more → Maxwell: Florida censors 'racism' references out of college textbook Maxwell: As Florida censors a college textbook on sociology, cutting mentions of 'racism' down from 115 to 6, the whitewashing of history and facts continues in the "Free State of Florida." Read more → Kissimmee police lieutenant, 'sergeant of the year,' arrested for misusing surveillance video Santone was promoted last December despite an internal investigation finding she violated agency policy two months earlier. Read more → New downtown plaque points out Disney history-making spot The date and location of Orlando's biggest news day is officially marked at the former Cherry Plaza Hotel downtown. Read more → This weekend's U.S. clock change is a problem, and there's a deep divide on how to fix it This is the weekend clocks move ahead, causing angst, lost sleep and health issues. Read more → Florida surgeon general wants to abolish school vaccine mandates. Lawmakers aren't on board Joseph Ladapo made national news in September when he said he wanted to abolish all school vaccine mandates, but the Legislature never took up his proposal, and even its weaker bill looks dead this year. Read more → Congress' updated NASA directive seeks to extend space station life to 2032 A new NASA authorization bill moving through the U.S. Senate would extend the International Space Station's life among other directives. Read more → DeSantis heightens push for AI rules as bill falters Gov. Ron DeSantis continued his pursuit Friday for a statewide "Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights," even as the bill is stalled and likely dead for the legislative session. Read more →

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