Kate Santich

Left to Right, Special Olympian Brett Harper, ATF Agent Warren Newman, and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings pose for a photo with the torch —
Special Olympics athletes accompanied by law enforcement officers bring the Flame of Hope to Orlando City Hall, on Thursday, June 2, 2022.
The 2022 Special Olympics USA Games Law Enforcement Torch Run began in Soldier Field in Chicago, the site of the first Special Olympics in 1968.
(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)

Special Olympics drops COVID vaccine mandate after Florida threatens $27.5M fine

June 23, 2022 at 8:04 p.m.

Florida threatened to fine Special Olympics International $27.5 million for requiring 5,500 participants at the USA Games in Orlando to be vaccinated against COVID, prompting the organization to drop the...

Nurse Eva Diaz administers the Pfizer vaccine to Pam Peters a nurse practitioner at John Knox Village, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, in Pompano Beach, Fla. Many long term care workers have declined the COVID vaccine.

Many long-term care staffers refused the vaccine. Now they have more infections than residents.

April 12, 2021 at 4:24 p.m.

At Florida's long-term care facilities, more workers are now infected with COVID-19 than elderly residents, a dramatic shift from earlier in the pandemic. Despite state and federal attempts to offer...

This is what the annual Helpings from the Heart Thanksgiving meal looked like in 2010, when it served over 20,000 people. Amid COVID, the event will be a to-go meal for about 5,000.

Central Florida charities struggle to provide Thanksgiving meals amid historic need

November 16, 2020 at 5:28 p.m.

For 27 years, businessman Eric Holm put on one of the biggest Thanksgiving feasts in the nation in Orlando, often serving — for free — as many as 25,000 people...

Life Time is providing yoga, cardio and strength-training classes on demand for both members and non-members for free. New classes are added daily.

How to care for your mental health during COVID-19 pandemic

April 6, 2020 at 10:44 p.m.

If you've felt anxious, scared, overwhelmed, lonely, sad or moody at some point during the past few weeks, you're far from alone. Mental health professionals say recognizing the emotional toll...

Weary of coronavirus? Canine Companions presents live puppy cam

March 24, 2020 at 7:59 p.m.

If there's a treatment for constant coronavirus worry, it may well be watching a live puppy cam feed from Canine Companions for Independence. The puppy cam lets you peek into...

Miracle dog rescued from Bahamas’ rubble settles in with Florida family

January 7, 2020 at 5:48 p.m.

ORLANDO, Fla. — A dog named Miracle who survived more than three weeks buried in the rubble of Hurricane Dorian is now thriving on a special diet, CBD oil and...

Nancy Meyer, publisher of the Orlando Sentinel, speaks during "The Prescription for Change: Finding Solutions to the Opioid Crisis in Central Florida" event at the Citrus Club in downtown Orlando on Tuesday, October 29, 2019. The discussion was hosted by the Orlando Sentinel and Project Opioid to address Opioid addiction issues. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

In Central Florida, successful opioid treatment harder to get than illicit drugs, speakers say

November 4, 2019 at 4:42 p.m.

When her brother finally admitted he needed help for an opioid addiction, Heather Schuerman, a corporate benefits manager who lives in Windermere, immediately found a facility that accepted his insurance...

Neuqua Valley grad taking page from Robin Hood tale

May 16, 2019 at 11:10 a.m.

Former Naperville resident Ricky Marton was the kind of kid who, at age 10, gave away all his birthday presents to a homeless shelter. So it's not a huge leap...

Florida hospitals won’t bill Pulse nightclub shooting victims

August 22, 2019 at 12:50 a.m.

lando Health and Florida Hospital will not bill survivors of the Pulse nightclub massacre for out-of-pocket medical expenses, officials announced Wednesday. Instead, the hospitals will write off an estimated $5.5...

Better Together Fund starts to disburse Pulse money

August 23, 2019 at 1:49 a.m.

The Better Together Fund, created in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub massacre to support local nonprofit organizations, issued its first grant Friday — $122,000 to the Heart of Florida...

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