By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
ORLANDO, Fla. -- For better or for worse, these were the Top 100 stories in 2025 in Central Florida in The Year That Was. This segment: Nos. 16-20.
Nos. 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-80, and 81-100 are archived at the end of this segment.
16. Dwight Howard elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025, along with ex-teammate Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, Billy Donovan & others
Photo courtesy NBA & Orlando Magic / LEFT: Dwight Howard was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 6, 2025.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Dwight Howard, a former Orlando Magic player and first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, has been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a first-ballot inductee and was recently inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame.
Congratulations to 8x @NBAAllStar, 2020 @NBA Champion, and 3x NBA Defensive Player of the Year, #25HoopClass inductee Dwight Howard. pic.twitter.com/DiNgDYZ6J1 — Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) April 5, 2025. Also selected for enshrinement: NBA great Carmelo Anthony, WNBA greats Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, Chicago Bulls coach and two-time NCAA champion Billy Donovan, Miami Heat managing general partner Micky Arison and longtime NBA referee Danny Crawford.
The enshrinement weekend was Sept. 5-6 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, and at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
“When the call comes and in my case, I saw Springfield on the phone,” Carmelo Anthony said on the televised announcement. “You know what time it is? Springfield is on the phone. You know who it is. You get the phone call, and you hear, ‘You’re in.’ And I think for me, it was a burden off of my shoulders.”
Billy Donovan won back-to-back titles as a college coach with Florida. Arison oversaw Miami’s path to NBA titles in 2006, 2012, and 2013. Crawford worked NBA games for 32 seasons and was picked to work the NBA Finals in 23 of those years.
“For some, this is an individual honor,” Arison said. “But for me, this speaks to what our entire Heat family — players, coaches, staff and fans — have built together.”
The Redeem Team’s selection means that Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Jason Kidd, and Kobe Bryant — already enshrined as Hall of Famers — essentially now go in for a second time. James and Paul, who are obviously both locks to get into the Hall after they retire, also played for that Olympic team, as did Michael Redd, Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, and Tayshaun Prince.
Multimedia video
ESPN video / Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame FULL ANNOUNCEMENT ? Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, Dwight Howard & MORE / Rece Davis and Jay Bilas reveal the 9 inductees of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame who will be inducted into the 2025 Hall of Fame class in September. Segments as follows:
0:00 Induction announcement;
3:32 Carmelo Anthony;
10:36 Dwight Howard;
15:45 Mike Krzyzewski for the 2008 Redeem Team;
21:03 Billy Donovan;
26:15 Sue Bird, Maya Moore & Sylvia Fowles;
33:10 Referee veteran Danny Crawford;
35:38 Micky Arison.
Multimedia video
Orlando Magic video / April 6, 2025 / Orlando Magic All Access: Recap: Dwight Howard in the Magic HOF | Presented by City National Bank.
Here's a summary of Dwight Howard's accomplishments and his path to the Hall of Fame:
Orlando Magic Hall of Fame:
- Howard was inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame on March 24, 2025, becoming the 13th inductee.
- He played eight seasons with the Magic from 2004-2012, leading them to the 2009 NBA Finals.
- He is the Magic's all-time leader in points (11,435), rebounds (8,072), and blocked shots (1,344).
- He was named to the All-NBA First Team in five consecutive seasons from 2007-2012, the most of any player in Orlando history.
- He was an NBA All-Star six consecutive times from 2007-2012.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame:
- Howard was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a first-ballot inductee.
- He joins Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles, Danny Crawford, the 2008 U.S. Olympic men's team, Billy Donovan, and Micky Arison in the Class of 2025.
- Howard's career saw him rise and peak with the Orlando Magic, where he earned five straight All-NBA first-team nods, won three straight Defensive Player of the Year Awards, and led the team to the 2009 NBA Finals.
- He is one of only four players to win DPOY at least three times, alongside Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace, and Rudy Gobert.
17. Aftermath of tornado that slammed Longwood & other areas of Seminole County 9 days ago: $10 million in damages; 52 structures impacted
Photos for Headline Surfer / LEFT & LOWER LEFT: Seminole County firefighters responded to the aftermath of the EF-2 tornado that slammed parts of Seminole County including Longwood, on March 10, 2025, and dissipated before the Seminole in Central Florida dissipating before reaching the St. Johns River Bridge that straddles the Seminole and Volusia counties. BELOW: Multimedia video.
LONGWOOD, Fla. -- Cleanup continues nine days after a powerful EF-2 tornado back on March 10, 2025, slammed parts of Seminole County, including the city of Longwood.
It's a day Matt Morgan, a Longwood city commissioner and former mayor, won't soon forget, recalling it as one of the most frightening experiences of his life.
There is little that frightens the 7-footer, but Mother Nature's wrath certainly did.
"Not gonna lie, this one scared me because it literally came out of nowhere with a very limited time of heads up," recalled Morgan, a retired WWE pro wrestler. "Me and my dog were inside of my bathroom as that's the safest place."
"Not gonna lie, this one scared me because it literally came out of nowhere with a very limited time of heads up," Matt Morgan, a retired WWE pro wrestler, and a Longwood City Commissioner, told Headline Surfer. "Me and my dog were inside of my bathroom as that's the safest place."
Morgan continued: While I felt good about my son, Jackson, being over in Orange County at school that day, as well as my wife at her job in Orlando, this was a very scary window for me and my fellow residents."
"There were two occupants and both were uninjured," according to Seminole County firefighters who were assessing two homes obliterated in Longwood and damage to dozens of others elsewhere in Seminole County.
"A small tornado hit my neighborhood a few minutes ago here in Lake Mary Florida…power out and heard stuff hitting against roof & sides," Mike Lever posted on Facebook.
A semitrailer overturned near Lake Emma Road and Commerce Street in Lake Mary.
“We did have a driver and his dog in the semi when it did get flipped by the wind event," a Lake Mary first responder told local media. "They’re both OK, and we’re really grateful for that.”
These were among the anecdotes of the tornado's almost immediate aftermath.
The National Weather Service reported that the tornado touched down around 9:40 a.m. EDT and “was located over Lake Mary,” heading northeast at 30 mph, reported Monica Danielle, AccuWeather Managing Editor.
The tornado was captured moving across Interstate 4 just north of Orlando, as it whipped through Lake Mary and into Sanford. The worst of it, though was the Longwood area where two homes were leveled and several others damaged.
Tower cameras showed debris flying as the twister passed near Fox 35 Orlando in Lake Mary, which was in the middle of a news broadcast. Employees took shelter under their desks to wait out the storm, station officials said.
The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-2 tornado touched down near the Wekiwa Springs State Park around 9:35 a.m. and made its way northeast through the Wingfield Reserve and Whispering Winds neighborhoods in the Longwood area, according to WKMG Ch. 6 Orlando.
Some six minutes later, the tornado headed to Interstate 4 and fell apart near Skyline Drive, according to an NWS damage survey.
"It was wild, wasn't it?" Seminole County Commissioner Amy Linville Lockhart asked Headline Surfer rhetorically about the devastating tornado.
"It was wild, wasn't it?" Seminole County Commissioner Amy Linville Lockhart asked Headline Surfer rhetorically about the devastating tornado.
Multimedia Video
18. Orlando Cops: Woman drowned her miniature schnauzer in a toilet at Orlando International Airport when she couldn't board a flight with the little dog due to paperwork issues
Photos for Headline Surfer / LEFT: Alison Lawrence, 57, of Clermont, is shown at Orlando International Airport with Tywinn, her 9-year-old miniature schnauzer on Dec. 16, 2024, on a flight to Colombia. The little dog never made it onboard. Lawrence is shown in her mugshot from her arrest on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, by the Orlando Police Department on felony charges of drowning her dog in an airport bathroom toilet after she was told it could not fly with her due to a paperwork issue. LOWER LEFT: Lawrence is shown with the dog going through baggage and heading toward the gate to depart. BELOW: She's shown seated at the gate to take off. In this screenshot by Orlando police from airport cameras, the dog is no longer with her. That's because she killed it, according to the Orlando PD arrest affidavit. The dead miniature schnauzer's dog collar was found in a trash can as was its wrapped body left behind in a bathroom stall.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Clermont woman is accused of deliberately drowning her little dog in a toilet at Orlando International Airport after learning she could not take it with her when she tried to board her flight.
According to the arrest affidavit from the Orlando Police Department, on Dec. 16, 2024, Alison Lawrence, 57, of Clermont, traveled to the airport with her white miniature schnauzer, Tywinn, for a flight to Colombia.
When the Clermont woman was denied boarding due to improper paperwork, she took Tywinn, her 9-year-old miniature schnauzer, to a bathroom and deliberately drowned it in a toilet, according to the arrest affidavit. The dog was later found dead in a trash bag by an airport employee, who reported the incident to her supervisor.
According to the affidavit, the employee told police she saw a woman, later identified as Lawrence, "on her knees cleaning up a lot of water and a lot of dog food from the floor of the bathroom handicapped stall."
The employee said she had to tend to an emergency elsewhere, and when she returned, she saw Lawrence exit the stall and leave with a purse and suitcase.
In plain view of surveillance cameras, after speaking to an airline agent for several minutes, Lawrence allegedly walked into a bathroom near the ticketing area with the dog. Less than 20 minutes later, she left the bathroom without the little doggie. In plain view of surveillance cameras, after speaking to an airline agent for several minutes, Lawrence allegedly walked into a bathroom near the ticketing area with the dog. Less than 20 minutes later, she left the bathroom without the little doggie.
In plain view of surveillance cameras, after speaking to an airline agent for several minutes, Lawrence allegedly walked into a bathroom near the ticketing area with the dog. Less than 20 minutes later, she left the bathroom without the little doggie. In plain view of surveillance cameras, after speaking to an airline agent for several minutes, Lawrence allegedly walked into a bathroom near the ticketing area with the dog. Less than 20 minutes later, she left the bathroom without the little doggie.
Paperwork issues prevented Lawrence from taking the pet along with her on an international flight, Orlando police alleged. Lawrence "is believed to have taken extreme and tragic action by killing the dog," the Orlando PD arrest affidavit says.
Lawrence was taken into custody on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Lake County, where she posted a $5,000 bond, and was released, according to Orlando police. She was facing aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony.
19. Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma remembers HE Thomas Jr: Deputy shot to death in the line of duty 36 years ago today
Photos for Headline Surfer / ABOVE: Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma is shown along with slain Deputy HE Thomas Jr., shot and killed in the line of duty on March 28, 1989, in Geneva, Florida. LEFT: Graveside of Seminole County Deputy HE Thomas Jr., buried in Lake Mary, Florida. BELOW: Tribute videos to HE Thomas Jr and five other deputies killed in the line of duty with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.
LAKE MARY, Fla. -- You know the road if you live in Sanford or Lake Mary: HE Thomas Jr Parkway.
It's a key main thoroughfare, also known as Seminole County Road 46A. It intersects with Rhinehart Road and is a short distance to Interstate 4 in Lake Mary.
You might not know the name of the individual for whom this roadway is named, but Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma does.
On March 28, 1989, Deputy Sheriff Hugh E. Thomas Jr., 24, was shot and killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic-related prowler call in Geneva, a rural community in Seminole County.
Lemma, the elected sheriff of Seminole County since 2017, was hired as a deputy three years after Thomas was gunned down in cold blood. He may not have known him personally but he knows of his enduring legacy on road patrol for five years since the tender age of 19.
"Deputy Hugh Thomas Jr. was a pioneer of community policing throughout Seminole County," Lemma told Headline Surfer on the anniversary date of his death. "Many know his name but may never know the impact he made on our profession."
Sheriff Lemma added, "Deputy Thomas is one of our heroes. He remains a pillar of our organizational philosophy of engaging and partnering with every sector of our community. He is honored and missed every day."
"Deputy Hugh Thomas Jr. was a pioneer of community policing throughout Seminole County," Sheriff Dennis Lemma told Headline Surfer on the anniversary date of his death. "Many know his name but may never know the impact he made on our profession." Lemma added, "Deputy Thomas is one of our heroes. He remains a pillar of our organizational philosophy of engaging and partnering with every sector of our community. He is honored and missed every day."
Here is a synopsis of what led to Thomas' death as described in part in the Orlando Sentinel the day after he was killed:
A Sanford man may have been trying to carry out his vow to kill his wife when the deputy spotted him off a rural dirt road, rifle in hand, 30 feet from the house where she was staying.
Before he could fulfill his threat, Tony LeMasters shot Deputy Thomas, who tried to stop him. Then he took the deputy’s service revolver, held the .357-caliber pistol to his head, squeezed the trigger, and fell beside his victim.
Thomas, who was engaged to marry his former commander’s daughter, became the first Seminole deputy killed on duty in 11 years.
“It is easy to say a deputy is a nice guy. But in this case he just happened to be a great guy,” said sheriff’s Capt. Roy Hughey, the department spokesman at the time. “A few weeks ago he helped my 81-year-old mother get her cat off the roof.”
The fatal shooting was five days after LeMasters, 27, was released from the Seminole County jail in Sanford. The Seminole-Brevard state attorney’s office, citing lack of evidence, decided not to bring formal charges against him for helping his fugitive brother and another man elude authorities the month before, according to the Sentinel.
LeMasters’ wife, who had visited him in jail, got a court order to keep him away from her.
“. . . He has said that ‘If you ever leave, I will find you and kill you,’ ” Janice LeMasters told a circuit judge, as reported in the Sentinel.
The morning LeMasters was released from jail, he hitched a ride from two men who saw him standing on a bridge over the Econlockhatchee River, according to Hughey in a Sentinel story on the bloodshed. The men said they saw LeMasters carrying a .22-caliber rifle but thought he had been shooting at fish in the stream.
They let LeMasters off along Snow Hill Road near the intersection of State Road 426, close to his mother-in-law’s house where his wife and 5-month-old daughter had been staying.
Eddie Banks, who lives nearby, said he saw a man get out of a Jeep-like vehicle at about 8:15 a.m. The man, carrying a rifle, crawled into some brush. Banks went back to his house, got his gun, and told his wife to call the sheriff’s department, according to the Sentinel.
“I knew it didn’t look right,” said Banks, 69, of 855 Snow Hill Road. “A man wouldn’t just crawl on his stomach when he could have walked.”
A few minutes later Thomas arrived and went down McLain Lane, a dirt road running off Snow Hill. He went to the front door, spoke with someone inside the house, and then went to the side of the home, Hughey said.
There he confronted LeMasters. Banks said he heard the deputy yell, “Halt!” Then the gunman cursed at the deputy. He heard four shots fired successively – the first from the suspect’s rifle. Another neighbor said he heard two to three shots. Then-Deputy Tony Diaz arrived as backup a minute later. He found both men dead.
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SCSO video / Trubute: On this day in 1989, Deputy Hugh Thomas, a Lake Brantley High School graduate, was shot and killed in the line of duty. Especially in the challenging times we face today, know that the courageous men and women who wear the badge are there whenever you need them. This video is our memorial to a dedicated public servant, gone too soon.
End of Watch
HE Thomas is among six deputies killed in the line of duty with the Seminole County Sheriff's office. Here is a brief summary of the others:
Deputy Sheriff Matt Miller - End of Watch Dec. 26, 2011: A 28-year law enforcement veteran, Miller served five years with the Longwood Police before joining the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office in 1988. In 1992, he was one of the first deputies assigned to the agency’s newly-created motor unit, and he would go on to spend much of his career assigned there. On the afternoon of Dec. 26, 2011, Miller was conducting traffic enforcement when a vehicle made a left-hand turn in front of him, colliding with his motorcycle and fatally injuring him. A former member of the U.S. Marine Corps and a skilled law enforcement officer, Miller was highly regarded within the agency and the community. He was 53 years old and was survived by his wife.
Deputy Deputy Sheriff Eugene Gregory - End of Watch July 8, 1998: Gregory lost his life in the line of duty after being mortally wounded while handling an aggravated assault call involving an armed, mentally ill person. Gregory exemplified the spirit of community policing in his day-to-day service, and his death served as the inspiration for the community and the Sheriff's Office to take a proactive role in mental health intervention and treatment that continues to this day.
Deputy Sheriff George Pfeil - End of Watch Dec. 29, 1977: Pfeil made the ultimate sacrifice after being mortally wounded when he interrupted an armed robbery at the Longwood Village Pharmacy. Having just completed a special detail, Pfeil was in uniform and entered the pharmacy to get a prescription filled when he was gunned down. One of the suspects was sentenced to death and executed in 2000; two others were subsequently murdered, and the fourth suspect was sentenced to prison. Pfeil was a retired New York City police officer who served as a reserve deputy sheriff with the SCSO after moving to Florida.
Deputy Sheriff Moore Robert O. Moore - End of Watch June 9, 1975: Moore made the ultimate sacrifice when he succumbed to smoke inhalation and intense heat exposure while rescuing inmates during the Seminole County Jail fire on June 9, 1975. Moore had successfully brought several inmates to safety before heroically re-entering the burning jail his final time in yet another attempt to save other trapped inmates. Ten inmates and Moore perished in this fire, which was intentionally set by an inmate.
Deputy Sheriff James Cleveland Jacobs - End of Watch Sept. 14, 1922 - was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man for stealing a pair of pants. Jacobs located the man at a nearby home and went to the front door. As he stood at the front door, the suspect opened fire with a shotgun, striking Deputy Sheriff Jacobs in the chest. Though mortally wounded, Jacobs still managed to fire two shots at his assailant. Jacobs was transported to the hospital, where he tragically succumbed to his wounds. The suspect was arrested, tried, and convicted of the murder of Jacobs. He was sentenced to death and later hanged on March 30, 1923.
20. BREAKING: Orlando Police: Suspect armed with Ak-47-style assault rifle shot & killed in gunfire exchange at strip mall
Photos for Headline Surfer / TOP: A man armed with an assault rifle was shot and killed on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, after exchanging gunfire with Orlando police outside a strip mall on Edgewater Drive, Orlando, Florida. It remains unclear if he was killed by cops or by his own hand. Orlando Police Chief Eric D. Smith, shown in this screenshot, gave an update on the deadly encounter (see video below). BELOW: The fatal shooting occurred at the Edgewater Shopping Center, 4864 Edgewater Drive near Lee Road, at the nameless tattoo shop there, while police were executing a search warrant involving multiple suspects related to alleged illegal drug and firearms activity at the tattoo shop.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- A man armed with an assault rifle was shot and killed earlier today after exchanging gunfire with cops during the attempted execution of a search warrant at a tattoo shop in a strip mall.
The suspect was armed with an AK-47-style assault rifle, having exchanged gunfire with cops at the tattoo shop located at 4864 Edgewater Drive near Lee Road, Orlando police said.
It was not immediately clear if the gunman was shot and killed by cops or by his own hand.
At approximately 2 p.m., OPD SWAT served a search warrant related to drugs and firearms at a tattoo shop, involving multiple suspects. Their criminal histories include burglary, robbery with a firearm, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, sex offenses, drug offenses, auto theft, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Here is a synopsis of what occurred as described by OPD: Around 2:05 p.m., officers saw a man flee the tattoo shop armed with an AK-47-style rifle. Officers fired at the suspect, who fled back into the business. Approximately one hour later, OPD SWAT made entry into the business and located one suspect who was deceased.
Here is a synopsis of what occurred as described by OPD: Around 2:05 p.m., officers saw a man flee the tattoo shop armed with an AK-47-style rifle. Officers fired at the suspect, who fled back into the business. Approximately one hour later, OPD SWAT made entry into the business and located one suspect who was deceased.
The officers involved in this shooting were not injured and have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure. As with all officer-involved shootings, FDLE will conduct an independent review of the incident, followed by the State Attorney’s office, an Orlando Police press release stated.
There were multiple suspects connected to the search warrant and apprehended, the police department said, but no names were released.
This is an ongoing investigation that remains active, Orlando police stressed in the release, adding, "This is all the information we are able to share at this time."
Multimedia
Headline Surfer Facebook download / Orlando Police video / Friday, Nov. 14, 2025 / Orlando police Chief Eric D. Smith gives an update on an officer-involved fatal shooting of an armed suspect with an AK-47 asault-style rifle who exchanged gunfire with police at a tattoo shop.
Previous Coverage:
THE YEAR THAT WAS: Top 100 Stories of 2025 in Central Florida: No's 21-30
Published: Sat, 02/21/2026 - 18:54
THE YEAR THAT WAS: Top 100 Stories of 2025 in Central Florida: No's 31-40
Published: Fri, 02/20/2026 - 03:50
THE YEAR THAT WAS: Top 100 Stories of 2025 in Central Florida: No.'s 41-50
Published: Tue, 01/27/2026 - 18:53
THE YEAR THAT WAS: Top 100 Stories of 2025 in Central Flortida: No.'s 51-60
Published: Fri, 01/23/2026 - 17:05
THE YEAR THAT WAS: Top 100 Stories of 2025 in Central Florida: No's 61-80
Published: Mon, 01/12/2026 - 02:30
THE YEAR THAT WAS: Top 100 Stories of 2025 in Central Florida: No's 81-100
Published: Mon, 01/05/2026 - 16:52
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