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Wednesday, November 11, 2026

OCPS has almost 37,000 empty seats, and the St. Johns floods Geneva

Plus, a design firm for the I-Drive pedestrian bridge and UCF's overtime opener.

The ORLtoday team7 sources2 min read

News Notes

Schools

Orange County Public Schools has almost 37,000 empty seats, and district leaders say they may need to close more schools. Enrollment at near Clarcona has dropped 22% in a year, and the school is nearly half full. Spectrum News 13

Health plan

A draft report obtained by 9 Investigates says is steering employees toward AdventHealth, which the district's own consultant identified as more expensive for inpatient care. OCPS says it negotiated a better deal afterward, but it has not yet provided evidence of the savings. WFTV

I-Drive

Orange County commissioners selected the local engineering firm Avcon, Inc. on Tuesday to design a pedestrian bridge at and Sand Lake Road. The goal is better pedestrian safety and accessibility. WESH

Flooding

residents are seeing flooded streets as the St. Johns River swells after recent flash flooding in Brevard County. One resident says the canal behind his house, normally 45 feet wide, is rising and the seawall has disappeared. WESH

UCF hoops

UCF men's basketball beat FGCU 96-95 in overtime Monday night, with senior guard Dior Johnson scoring 41 points, a UCF Division I record for a season opener. Mysanfordherald

UCF outlasted FGCU in overtime to open the season

  • FGCU95
    UCF96
    FinalOvertime. Dior Johnson scored 41 points.

Source: Mysanfordherald

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Free coffee, free matcha and goat cuddling are all on the menu at the Florida Coffee Festival, back at the Milk District's Festival Park on Sunday, Nov. 15. More than 50 local coffee shops, roasters and matcha brands pour samples, and a Florida Latte Art Throwdown Championship is on the schedule. Goats and caffeine. Bold combo.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? St. Johns River crest expected Nov. 20 to 23 in Seminole County

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  1. The Weather Channelweather.com
  2. Spectrum News 13mynews13.com
  3. WFTVwftv.com
  4. WESHwesh.com
  5. WESHwesh.com
  6. Mysanfordheraldmysanfordherald.com
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Past issues

  1. Sat., Nov. 14FAA ground stop ends, but MCO expects 90 cancellations Saturday
  2. Fri., Nov. 13Yolanda Thomas is the Orlando Pride's new head coach
  3. Thurs., Nov. 12Ovation Orlando's 77-acre district near Disney gets new renderings
  4. Tues., Nov. 10St. Johns River crest expected Nov. 20 to 23 in Seminole County
  5. Mon., Nov. 9DeSantis awards $100 million for 45 water projects, including DeLand and Apopka
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ORLtodayto me · Wed., Nov. 116:00 a.m.

OCPS has almost 37,000 empty seats, and the St. Johns floods Geneva

Plus, a design firm for the I-Drive pedestrian bridge and UCF's overtime opener.

The TLDR

  1. OCPS has almost 37,000 empty seats and may close more schools
  2. A draft consultant's report identifies AdventHealth as more expensive for inpatient care
  3. Orange County picks Avcon to design the I-Drive pedestrian bridge
Read this edition

More stories this week

From ORLtoday’s other editions

All the news
TravelThe FAA lifted its nationwide ground stop, but MCO expects 90 cancellations SaturdayIf you're flying out of MCO today, check with your airline before you head to the airport. The FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon, and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority expects about 90 flight cancellations Saturday, a number that may change as airlines resume operations. The authority asked passengers to stay away from the airport unless their airline has confirmed the flight will depart.Today’s editionRead SchoolsOrange County's School Board took up the teacher health care dispute at an impasse hearingIf you work for Orange County Public Schools, Friday's impasse hearing was about your health insurance and your raise. The School Board, acting in a special legal decision-making capacity, took up the dispute after the district rejected a special magistrate's recommendations that the union had accepted. WKMG's live blog is headlined "Orange County Public Schools OKs resolution after impasse hearing," but the post we have doesn't give the terms.Today’s editionRead Orlando PrideThe Orlando Pride name Yolanda Thomas their permanent head coachIf you've been wondering who leads the Pride next season, now you know. The club named Yolanda Thomas its permanent head coach Thursday on a multiyear deal. She'd been interim coach since August, after Seb Hines left, and she's the first Black woman in a permanent NWSL head coaching job. She's also the club's fifth permanent head coach in its 11-year history.Friday’s editionRead

Around Orlando

From WKMG, WESH and 5 more newsrooms, gathered by 6AM News, 6AM City’s local news service.

More local news

  1. WKMG45 minutes ago

    Travelers at Orlando International Airport still feeling ripple effects after FAA ground stop

    A nationwide FAA ground stop that lasted more than four hours Friday continued to disrupt travel at Orlando International Airport on Saturday, leaving some passengers exhausted, stranded or forced to abandon their plans altogether.

    Also reported byWESH

  2. Daytona Beach News-Journal1 hour ago

    UCF football battles Big 12 foe Arizona State for bowl eligibility | Photos

    The UCF Knights and Arizona State Sun Devils met with football bowl eligibility on the line Saturday in Orlando.

  3. WESH2 hours ago

    More than 190 flight cancellations Saturday at Orlando International Airport following nationwide ground stop

    According to the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, there were a total of 193 flight cancellations on Saturday at Orlando International Airport — including 113 arrivals and 80 departures — following the Federal Aviation Administration’s rare nationwide ground stop.

    Also reported bySpectrum News 13Orlando ShineWDBO

  4. Spectrum News 133 hours ago

    MCO travelers still navigating delayed, canceled flights

    Over 76,000 people fly out of MCO every day. It's now going to be a challenge after Friday's nationwide ground stop delayed several flights.

  5. Florida Back Roads Travel3 hours ago

    Nov 14, Oviedo, Florida: Historic Old Town With a Modern Personality

    Oviedo, Florida is a historic old town that has been expanded over the years into a sprawling residential community.x

  6. Daytona Beach News-Journal3 hours ago

    Daytona man describes 'chaos' in Orlando during grounding

    Impacts from the FAA's grounding of flights for several hours on Nov. 13 were felt by travelers to and from Daytona Beach.