🌱 Florida Man Found Dead In Car + Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Fate

Hello again, everybody! It's Saturday in Orlando and I'm Carlos Hernandez, back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening in town, including updates on...

• A man from Orlando was found dead inside a car pulled from water in Osceola County.
• Walt Disney World is closing the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser experience.
• Florida's CFO Jimmy Patronis has launched a new attack on Walt Disney Co.

But first, today's weather:

An afternoon thunderstorm. High: 89 Low: 73.

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Here are the top stories today in Orlando:

1. A fourth person has died in a multi-state outbreak of a drug-resistant bacterial infection linked to contaminated eyedrops. There are now 81 patients in 18 states, including throughout Florida. Adam Di Sarro, a fire captain from Naples, claimed he lost his vision after using EzriCare Artificial Tears. (Sarasota Patch)
2. A man from Orlando has been found dead inside a car pulled from the water in Osceola County. Police said the man failed to make a turn, fell of the roadway, hit a utility box and went into the pond where he died. An investigation is still underway into the crash. (WFTV)
3. Florida is planning to pilot a year-round school program with no more summer vacation. State Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, sponsored the senate version of the bill. Stewart said the bill would help solve a summer daycare problem for parents. The pilot program would begin in the 2024-25 school year session. (Click Orlando)
4. Walt Disney World is planning to close the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser experience. The closure is part of a plan to reduce costs by $5.5 billion. The last voyage will be on Sept. 28. Bookings are currently paused until May 26. (Orlando Weekly)
5. Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis launched a new attack against Walt Disney Company, claiming the company is using Gov. Ron DeSantis as a "scapegoat" for a supposedly failing business model. Patronis also falsely claimed the "federally-owned New York Times" is the subject of leaks from Disney. (Florida Politics)

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Today in Orlando:

• Pathway Homes Of Florida's Third Annual Duck Race at Island H2O Waterpark. (9 a.m.)
• Rare Earth Gift Anniversary Event. (10 a.m.)
• Storytelling Through Dance With The Asian Cultural Association at Orange County Regional History Center. (3 p.m.)
• Ella & The Bossa Beat at Timucua Arts Foundation. (7:30 p.m.)
• Grabbing The Hammer Lane: A Trucker Narrative at Orlando Fringe Festival. (9:45 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Orlando Police Department shared: "Earlier this week, officers in our Neighborhood Patrol Unit were conducting pro-active patrol #OnTheBeat. A traffic stop led to the recovery of a firearm, cannabis and drug paraphernalia. The driver was arrested and charged accordingly." (Orlando Police Department via Facebook)
• Central Florida Zoo shared: "Next week, join us at the Zoo for an evening of celebration. We're kicking off Sunset at the Zoo with a celebration of Asian American & Pacific Islander heritage, including music, entertainment, food and more. Grab tickets on our website." (Central Florida Zoo via Instagram)
• Nature Conservancy in Florida shared: "In honor of Endangered Species Day and 2023 being the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, today we are celebrating 50 species that have come back from the brink of extinction." (Nature Conservancy in Florida via Instagram)
• Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer shared: "I’m so glad that we’ve found the right person to help ensure that our Harry P. Leu Gardens remains a gem for our entire community, and visitors to Orlando." (Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer via Facebook)

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That's it for today! I'll see you around.

— 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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Orlando Patch newsletter? Contact me at carlosreportsnews@gmail.com