Joe Mario Pedersen
Health ReporterOriginally from South Florida, Joe Mario came to Orlando to attend the University of Central Florida where he graduated with degrees in Radio & Television Production, Film, and Psychology. He worked several beats and covered multimedia at The Villages Daily Sun but returned to the City Beautiful as a reporter for the Orlando Sentinel where he covered crime, hurricanes, and viral news. Joe Mario has too many interests and not enough time but tries to focus on his love for strange stories in comic books and horror movies. When he's not writing he loves to run in his spare time.
-
Several Central Florida counties saw higher-than-average heat exposure calls in June as the summer continues to swelter. Experts are urging parents and coaches to keep kids safe from the heat this weekend. -
As the regional blood bank is grappling with a shortage of donations, OneBlood is calling on those of African descent to donate blood as soon as they can to save the life of a Florida woman with sickle cell disease in need of a rare blood type combination. -
The Florida State Board of Education passed new rules requiring college applicants to be citizens or lawfully present. -
During a Thursday night forum, the candidates for Orange County mayor and the District 2 commissioner seat met with voters about issues like the property tax cut. -
On the night marking 10 years since the Pulse Nightclub shooting, a dozen survivors gathered to reflect, to cry, and to dance. -
In 2016, Christopher Andrew Leinonen was killed while attending the Pulse Nightclub after a gunman stormed the club. Ten years later, his mother reflects on life without her son. -
Ten years after Orlando’s darkest day, experts, family, and community members weigh in on the grief, what was taken, and how the region evolved. -
Mosquito control groups are hard at work during the Florida drought, making sure the low mosquito buzzing doesn’t become a population boom. -
On Thursday, the state reported that two Orange County residents were diagnosed with measles. One of them is a young child. -
The designs for the Pulse Memorial have been updated. The City of Orlando presented an update on the progress of the Memorial design process, which is 60% complete.
