Florida

Central Florida students receive free prom attire from nonprofit

Published

2 months ago

April 3, 2026

ASSIGNED BY FLORIDA’S ATTORNEY GENERAL, CENTRAL FLORIDA STUDENTS ARE GETTING READY FOR THE BIG DANCE. IT IS PROM SEASON, AND MOST FAMILIES WILL SPEND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS PER STUDENT. BY THE TIME YOU ADD UP THE TICKETS, THE TRANSPORTATION, AND EVEN DRESSES AND TUXES. WESH TWO GAIL PASCHALL-BROWN IS LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM THIS EVENING. GAIL YOU FOUND AN ORGANIZATION THAT’S HELPING STUDENTS WITH SOME FREE STUFF? YES, BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS SO EXPENSIVE. I MEAN, THE AVERAGE PROM DRESS CAN RUN ANYWHERE FROM 150 TO $300. WHAT ABOUT TAXES? IF YOU’RE RENTING THEM 200 OR MORE. SO 26 HEALTH IS TRYING TO MAKE PROM FUN. NOT FRUSTRATING BY OFFERING FREE ATTIRE AND ACCESSORIES. ONE YEAR. JOANNE LARCOMBE IS A MOMMY ON A MISSION. SHE’S TRYING TO FIND THAT SPECIAL PROM ATTIRE FOR HER SON AND DAUGHTER AT PROM ON MAGNOLIA AVENUE IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO. IT’S FREE PROM DRESSES AND SUITS BY 26. HEALTH 26. HEALTH IS A NONPROFIT HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES SERVICES TO ANYONE WHO NEEDS IT. SUPPORTERS SAY PROM SHOULD BE A CELEBRATION, NOT A FINANCIAL BURDEN. PROM IS SO EXPENSIVE IT’S $111 FOR A TICKET FOR PROM. IMAGINE BUYING A COUPLE $100 SHOE. OR, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOUR KID LOOKS SNAZZY. THEY DON’T WANT TO GO WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE A NICE SUIT. SO IT’S SUCH A BLESSING. I’M SO GRATEFUL FOR IT. SHE FOUND THIS PROM DRESS FOR HER DAUGHTER, ELIZABETH. YOU’RE ON FIRE. SHE FACETIMED HER SON GEORGE TO MAKE SURE HIS SUIT WAS JUST WHAT HE WANTED. WITHOUT THIS, I DON’T THINK I WOULD HAVE HAD A PROM SUIT. OR AT LEAST A NICE ONE FOR OUR PROM. SO I’M REALLY GRATEFUL THAT MY MOM IS ABLE TO GET ME A SUIT AND THAT I’M ABLE TO GO WEAR SOMETHING NICE AT PROM. APRIL 11TH IS GEORGE’S PROM AT LAKE BUENA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL, AND SO IS DARIAN BEVAN’S PROM AT EVANS HIGH. ACTUALLY, IT’S CRAZY BECAUSE I WASN’T GOING TO GO TO PROM BECAUSE I COULDN’T AFFORD A SUIT. SO LIKE AN HOUR OR TWO, IT CAME IN MY EMAIL. I WAS LIKE, OH, MOM, I COULD GO. YOU JUST GOT TO BUY THE TICKET, I COULD GO, I WAS LIKE, YEAH, HE’S HAPPY. THAT’S GREAT BECAUSE THE TICKETS ARE EXPENSIVE, AREN’T THEY? YEAH. IT’S LIKE 132 A PERSON. WOW, ISN’T THIS BEAUTIFUL? SO HOW DID 26 HELP GET ALL OF THESE DRESSES AS WELL AS SUITS? WELL, A SOCIAL MEDIA REQUEST WENT OUT AND 26 HEALTH EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS PARTNERS DONATED 325 ITEMS FOR THIS EFFORT. WE BELIEVE IN GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. SO THIS WAS A BRAINCHILD OF OUR STAFF, OF OUR STAFF, AND THEY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE FUNDS TO PARTICIPATE IN PROM. AND THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF OTHERS, ALL THE STUDENTS WILL LOOK FABULOUS AT THEIR PROM. ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. AND THEY WERE. THEY WERE SO PRETTY AND SO HANDSOME. THIS IS 26. FIRST TIME DOING THIS. AND THE CEO SAYS, OH MY GOODNESS, WH

Central Florida students receive free prom attire from nonprofit

Updated: 10:49 PM EDT Apr 3, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Central Florida students are getting ready for prom season, and many families will spend hundreds of dollars per student on tickets, transportation, and attire.However, one organization is helping students with free prom attire and accessories.The average prom dress can cost $150 to $300, and tuxedo rentals can be as much as $200 or more, especially for designer options.26Health, a nonprofit health care organization, aims to make prom fun and not frustrating by offering free attire and accessories.Joanne LaComb is a mother on a mission, searching for special prom attire for her son and daughter at “Operation Prom” on Magnolia Avenue in Orlando.”You know prom suits are so expensive. It’s $111 for a ticket for a prom. Imagine buying a couple hundred suits, you want to make sure your kids look snazzy. They don’t want to go without looking like a nice suit. It’s such a blessing. I’m so grateful for it,” George LaComb, a student at Lake Buena Vista High School, said.She found a prom dress for her daughter, Elizabeth and FaceTimed her son George to ensure his suit was just what he wanted.”Without this, I don’t think I would have had a prom suit, or at least a nice one for our prom. So I’m really grateful that my mom was able to get me a suit and I’m able to go wear something nice to our prom,” LaComb said.April 11 is LaComb’s prom at Lake Buena Vista High School, and it is also Derrion Bivins’ prom at Evans High School.”Actually, it’s crazy, I wasn’t going to go to prom because I couldn’t afford a suit, so like an hour or two, it came in my email, ‘Oh, mom, I can go, you just got to buy the ticket.’ I can go. It’s like, yeah, we was happy,” Bivins said. “That’s great because the tickets are expensive. Yeah, it’s $130 per person.”A social media request went out, and 26Health employees and partners donated 325 items for this effort.”We believe in giving back to the community, so this was a brainchild of our staff, and they wanted to be able to do something for individuals who may not have had the funds to participate in prom,” Latrice Stewart, 26 Health president and CEO, said.Thanks to the generosity of others, all the students will look fabulous at their proms. This is 26Health’s first year doing this, and the CEO said it has been an incredible experience because giving back is what they do.

CENTRAL FLORIDA, USA —

Central Florida students are getting ready for prom season, and many families will spend hundreds of dollars per student on tickets, transportation, and attire.

However, one organization is helping students with free prom attire and accessories.

The average prom dress can cost $150 to $300, and tuxedo rentals can be as much as $200 or more, especially for designer options.

26Health, a nonprofit health care organization, aims to make prom fun and not frustrating by offering free attire and accessories.

Joanne LaComb is a mother on a mission, searching for special prom attire for her son and daughter at “Operation Prom” on Magnolia Avenue in Orlando.

“You know prom suits are so expensive. It’s $111 for a ticket for a prom. Imagine buying a couple hundred suits, you want to make sure your kids look snazzy. They don’t want to go without looking like a nice suit. It’s such a blessing. I’m so grateful for it,” George LaComb, a student at Lake Buena Vista High School, said.

She found a prom dress for her daughter, Elizabeth and FaceTimed her son George to ensure his suit was just what he wanted.

“Without this, I don’t think I would have had a prom suit, or at least a nice one for our prom. So I’m really grateful that my mom was able to get me a suit and I’m able to go wear something nice to our prom,” LaComb said.

April 11 is LaComb’s prom at Lake Buena Vista High School, and it is also Derrion Bivins’ prom at Evans High School.

“Actually, it’s crazy, I wasn’t going to go to prom because I couldn’t afford a suit, so like an hour or two, it came in my email, ‘Oh, mom, I can go, you just got to buy the ticket.’ I can go. It’s like, yeah, we was happy,” Bivins said. “That’s great because the tickets are expensive. Yeah, it’s $130 per person.”

A social media request went out, and 26Health employees and partners donated 325 items for this effort.

“We believe in giving back to the community, so this was a brainchild of our staff, and they wanted to be able to do something for individuals who may not have had the funds to participate in prom,” Latrice Stewart, 26 Health president and CEO, said.

Thanks to the generosity of others, all the students will look fabulous at their proms. This is 26Health’s first year doing this, and the CEO said it has been an incredible experience because giving back is what they do.

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Florida

Elevate your dining experience at these rooftop Collier County spots

Published

3 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Press Room

Elevate your dining experience at these rooftop Collier County spots

Want to take dinner and drinks to new heights? While Collier County may not have as many rooftop venues as larger Florida cities, the handful of elevated restaurants and bars the county features are stunning and worth visiting.

From downtown Naples views and a waterfront mangrove oasis to beautiful Gulf sunsets on Marco Island, these rooftop destinations have mastered the art of pairing scenery with food and cocktails.

Here’s three rooftop restaurants and bars in Collier County to check out this summer.

Tigress Restaurant & Rooftop Bar

Tigress is located on the seventh floor of The Perry Hotel Naples and has quickly become one of the most talked-about dining destinations since its debut a couple years ago. From its rooftop terrace, guests can take in panoramic views of the Cocohatchee River and its surrounding mangrove estuaries.

The open air rooftop bar features a huge island bar in the center of the space, inviting guests to grab a drink before dinner. There’s a few tables to dine at as well, but many guests opt to enjoy their meals inside the darker interior dining room. The interior room features a large window so the rooftop views aren’t lost.

The menu is full of delicious and modern takes on traditional Cantonese dishes, like dry-aged crown of duck with Hong Kong French toast and Mongolian barbecue pork ribs.

(12155 Tamiami Trail N., Naples; 239-423-3199; www.perryhotelnaples.com/naples-fl-hotel-dining)

Limon Rooftop Bar

Located on top of the AC Hotel Naples Fifth Avenue, Limon Rooftop Bar is one of Naples’ few elevated dining and drinking experiences. The open-air rooftop provides views of colorful sunsets and the bustling Fifth Avenue South. The views are more urban than waterfront, but Limon provides a unique dining experience regardless.

The combination of handcrafted cocktails, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, and city views has made Limon a popular spot for locals and visitors alike. Its downtown location gives guests a great venue to enjoy a meal at before a night on the town.

(455 12th Street S., Naples; 239-944-3755; limonrooftop.com)

Tesoro JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort

Looking for unobstructed Gulf views? Make a reservation at Tesoro, JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort’s adults-only restaurant. Tesoro overlooks the Gulf and Marco Island’s white sand shoreline, giving guests beautiful waterfront views to enjoy during dinner. The rooftop terrace provides front-row seats to Southwest Florida’s most beautiful nightly display: a stunning sunset.

Enjoy Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with a unique Italian flair along with a lively weekend atmosphere with a resident DJ. Expect fresh Gulf seafood, shareable plates, and handcrafted cocktails against a beautiful beach view.

(400 S. Collier Blvd., Marco Island; 239-393-3208; tesoroatjwmarco.com)

Kendall Little is the food & dining reporter for Naples Daily News. Questions, comments, or tips? Email Kendall.Little@NaplesNews.com.

Please support local community journalism and stay informed about Southwest Florida news by subscribing to The News-Press and Naples Daily News; download the free News-Press or Naples Daily News app, and sign up for daily briefing email newsletter, food & dining and growth & development newsletters here and here.

Do you have an opinion about this topic? Send us a letter to the editor or guest column at mailbag@news-press.com or letters@naplesnews.com.

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Florida

Florida to use US House districts drawn by Republicans for midterm elections

Published

13 hours ago

June 10, 2026

Press Room

Florida to use US House districts drawn by Republicans for midterm elections

The Florida supreme court on Wednesday allowed new US House districts drawn by Republicans to be used in the midterm elections, marking another victory for the GOP in a nationwide redistricting effort aimed at helping the party retain its slim House majority.

Attorneys for voters who sued had argued that the new congressional districts violate a state constitutional prohibition on partisan gerrymandering, and that the court should order the state to continue using the same districts as in the previous election. The supreme court, in a 6-1 decision, denied their request for a temporary injunction without ruling on the merits of the case. The judges said they lacked jurisdiction to intervene while the lawsuit gradually plays out in the lower courts.

Republicans already hold 20 of Florida’s 28 US House seats. The new voting districts signed into law by the Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, after a swift two-day special legislative session could improve the GOP’s chances of winning four additional seats this year.

The court’s decision provides some certainty for prospective congressional candidates, who face a Friday deadline to qualify for the state’s 18 August primaries.

James Uthmeier, the Republican attorney general, who defended the new districts in court, declared “complete and total victory” in a social media post.

Opponents expressed outrage while vowing to continue the court fight, even though it may stretch into the 2028 election cycle.

“The Florida supreme court’s failure to stop this brazen partisan power grab is not only an assault on democracy, but an abdication of its duty to the people of Florida,” said Genesis Robinson, executive director of Equal Ground, a community organizing group that sued.

The new districts are “a pretty clear partisan gerrymander”, said Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida. “We’re going to do everything we can to prevent this map from impacting further, future elections.”

Voting districts typically are redrawn after a census near the beginning of each decade. Florida is one of several Republican-led states that have undertaken mid-decade redistricting as part of Donald Trump’s plan to try to hold on to a slim House majority in November by reshaping district boundaries to the GOP’s advantage.

Florida’s legislature approved the new House map on 29 April – the same day the US supreme court weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minorities while striking down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana. Since then, several southern states have taken steps to try to eliminate minority districts that have elected Democrats.

DeSantis had called lawmakers into a special session before the high court’s ruling, but he had anticipated the eventual outcome. DeSantis’s office asserted that no racial data was used for the map he presented to the legislature. The new map, among other things, redraws a south-eastern Florida district that DeSantis’s office said was created to help elect a Black representative in an attempt to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act.

In addition to barring partisan gerrymandering, a constitutional amendment approved by Florida voters in 2010 also prohibits districts from being drawn to deny or diminish the ability of racial or language minorities to elect the representatives of their choice. It further requires districts to be compact and, where feasible, use existing political and geographic boundaries.

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Florida

Sheriff’s Office investigating fatal shooting of child in Florida City

Published

24 hours ago

June 10, 2026

Press Room

Sheriff’s Office investigating fatal shooting of child in Florida City

A 5-year-old girl died after being shot in a home in Florida City early July 10, multiple local news reported. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.

Officers with the Florida City Police Department responded to a home in the 1400 block of Northwest 1st Court at around 1:55 a.m., Angel Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, told CBS News. They found the young girl had a gunshot wound to her torso.

Under what circumstances was the girl fatally injured in Florida City?

Several people were inside the building at the time of the shooting, according to Local 10.

“We know that at the time of the shooting, there were three adults and two children, the victim who’s 5 years old, and her 4-year-old brother,” Rodriguez told Local 10. “Detectives are going to be here for quite some time, taking part of this investigation. They’re going to make sure that no stone is left unturned, and right now we’re just asking for prayers for the community.”

A police officer with Florida City transported the child and her mother to Homestead Hospital, from where she was airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, CBS News reported. She died despite efforts to save her life.

The Homicide Bureau of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is now leading the investigation.

Where is Florida City?

Florida City is located in southern Miami-Dade County, east of Everglades National Park and south of Homestead.

Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.

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