Your Florida Daily: Rural residents fight off mega housing project, lawmakers consider social media ban for kids

ORLANDO, Fla. – The full Florida House is expected to take a final vote Wednesday on a bill that would ban minors from creating social media accounts.

The bill passed its final committee stop on Tuesday. It would prevent anyone younger than 16 from having social media profiles and already-existing accounts would be deleted.

Critics, though, say that’s a decision that should be left to parents and also point out the current bill doesn’t specifically say which platforms would be included.

So far, a similar bill in the Senate has not come up for any votes.

East Orange residents successfully fight rural land development

The fight against developers in a rural part of Orange County reached a peak last night with a 10-hour long commission meeting that ended with leaders voting against a proposed development.

More than 100 passionate speakers who live east of the University of Central Florida near Lake Pickett implored commissioners to vote down the project.

“I want you to know that I intentionally purchased my home in rural east Orange County because (of) the county’s promise to me and all of us in east Orange County, east of the Econ River. The promise is to not cross the river and drive increased density,” one resident said at the podium.

The proposed project, called Sustanee, would have included 1,800 homes in a rural area. Neighbors claim the development would impact their quality of life and that there’s no road capacity for that many homes.

Orange County Commissioners ultimately voted down the plan in a narrow 4-3 vote. Despite the concerns, Mayor Jerry Demings voted for the project.

“I honestly understand the concern of the residents and the east Orange ounty area because they are used to a rural character that’s the way of life,” Demings told News 6 at a groundbreaking event for another development on the west side of Orange County.

The no-vote from leaders means the area will remain zoned as rural/agricultural and cannot be expanded to allow more than one home per ten acres.

Preparations underway in Daytona Beach for Rolex 24

Anticipation is building at Daytona International Speedway — the site of 24 straight hours of racing this weekend — and it’s not just the fans who are excited.

The annual Rolex 24 means big business from visitors. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend with many already in Central Florida.

That’s giving hope to tourism officials who say almost all hotels near the speedway are already sold out.

The 62nd Rolex 24 officially begins at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Random Florida Fact

Limp Bizkit formed in Jacksonville in 1994.

The “nu metal” band was incredibly popular locally through the late ‘90s before hitting it big. So, yeah. Thanks, Jacksonville, for making “Nookie” a thing.