Christina Watkins

1 week ago | wesh.com | Christina Watkins

The federal government announced Wednesday it's shutting down the national LGBTQ+ youth suicide lifeline on July 17. The Trevor Project, a national nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ young people, is one of several contact centers working with 988 to provide that critical support. One theme park enthusiast has turned her love for Orlando's attractions into a major fundraiser for the organization. Most recently, raising more than $25,000 for The Trevor Project.

1 week ago | wesh.com | Christina Watkins

Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World are advancing their parks with new attractions, shows and experiences set to open in the coming years. At Universal's Epic Universe, which opened recently in Orlando, new permits filed with Orange County suggest expansion could soon begin on a new vertical construction project larger than 30,000 square feet. While Universal has not shared specific details, WESH 2 did confirm a separate project will bring a new dining opportunity in 2026.

1 week ago | wesh.com | Christina Watkins

Eatonville leaders have presented a master plan to Orange County Public Schools to redevelop the site of the former Robert Hungerford Preparatory School, which closed in 2009 and was demolished in 2020, leaving the land empty. Walking down Kennedy Boulevard, Eatonville native Lynette Vaughn reflected on the memories of the school. "My mother went to school here, she taught here, my aunt went to school here. I knew the principal and his family.

1 week ago | wesh.com | Christina Watkins

Florida lawmakers approved cutting more than 400 jobs from the Department of Children and Families (DCF), primarily affecting mental health positions, to save millions of dollars. Licensed mental health therapist Cherlette McCullough expressed her shock at the proposed cuts, saying, "Just a gut reaching like, Oh, my God." The approved cuts include 89 currently vacant positions and 365 full-time-equivalent posts working in DCF mental health facilities.

1 week ago | wesh.com | Christina Watkins

A Polk County deputy is recovering and a man is dead after deputies shot him in Frostproof. Sheriff Grady Judd said deputies tried to serve a warrant for child support around 9:30 p.m. Friday on West Frostproof Baptist Church Road. "While they [deputies] were wrestling with him in order to secure him in handcuffs, out of nowhere, a second suspect shows up with a long two-by-four and hits one of my deputies in the head; deputy Martin.