Articles by Mike Schneider

$29.5M to be Paid Out From Florida’s Pulse Nightclub Victims’ Fund

Officials with a fund created from donations for victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting say they will distribute $29.5 million on 305 claims when the process is completed. Officials with OneOrlando Fund said Dec. 2 that $27.4 million has been …

Parents of Son Killed by Gator at Walt Disney World Won’t Sue

The parents of a toddler killed by an alligator at Walt Disney World said Wednesday that they don’t plan to sue the Florida theme park resort over the death. Matt and Melissa Graves of Omaha, Nebraska, said in a statement …

Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub Exceeded Number of Required Exits

One of the exits at the Pulse nightclub was inoperable weeks before the massacre of 49 patrons by a gunman on June 12, but the gay nightclub had twice the number of exits needed to accommodate its maximum occupancy of …

Investor Lawsuit Against SeaWorld Dismissed

A judge in southern California has dismissed a securities fraud lawsuit brought by investors in SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. who claimed company officials misled them about the impact of the documentary “Blackfish” on the company’s financial performance and attendance at its …

$50M Suit Challenges Florida’s Suspension of Driver’s Licenses in DUI Cases

A federal lawsuit is challenging the way driver’s licenses are automatically taken away from drunken-driving suspects in Florida. The class-action lawsuit filed Feb. 17 in federal court in Orlando says the current process denies DUI suspects the right to due …

Alabama Family to Sue Disney Park Over Death Related to Snake Bite

An Alabama family says an escaped snake at Disney’s Animal Kingdom dropped from a tree and bit a boy, which led to the death of the boy’s grandmother. The family’s attorney, Matt Morgan, said Jan. 28 that the family plans …

Census Data Breaks Down Florida Metro Area Housing Traits

New data released by federal authorities show the housing characteristics of Florida’s four major metro areas – Jacksonville, South Florida, Orlando and Tampa. According to the report, Jacksonville residents are more likely to have fireplaces in their homes than in …

Florida High Court Rules that Sovereign Immunity Applies to University Athletic Program in Death of Football Player

A private corporation that runs the University of Central Florida’s athletic program won’t have to pay $10 million to the family of a football player who died during practice, the Florida Supreme Court ruled May 28. The court ruled UCF’s …

Florida DMV Changes Drivers’ License Process to Prevent Sex Offender Error

The Florida agency that issues driver’s licenses has changed how clerks enter information into the computer system after two people were given licenses that wrongly labeled them sex offenders or predators. An agency spokesman on Monday provided The Associated Press …

Florida Supreme Court: UCF Athletic Association Entitled to Sovereign Immunity

A private corporation that runs the University of Central Florida’s athletic program won’t have to pay $10 million to the family of a football player who died during practice, the Florida Supreme Court ruled May 28. The court ruled the …