Things To Do In SW Florida

By Amanda Barroso | NerdWallet

Amazon just announced this year’s Prime Day sale will be held July 16-17. Prices are likely to rival those on Black Friday and in some cases beat them. Last year, NerdWallet tracked prices on 10 popular items. Four of them hit their lowest price during Prime Day. We expect similar deals this year, too, offering a good chance for shoppers who want to get ahead for the holidays or simply want a good deal now.

Here’s how to prepare to get the most out of Amazon Prime Day 2024.

What is Prime Day?

Prime Day is Amazon’s July two-day sale exclusively for Prime members. The online sale is likely to bring in lots of shoppers looking to save. Amazon says Prime members saved more than $2.5 billion on purchases made during the 2023 event.

Prime Day deals

Amazon has kept fairly quiet about what’s going to be included in the sale. This level of secrecy can be frustrating for shoppers trying to plan ahead. So, why does Amazon do it? “They’re trying to create a buzz around these two days,” says Mark Bergen, a professor of marketing at the University of Minnesota. read more

United Launch Alliance made it official Wednesday. Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spacecraft won’t be flying on the next Vulcan Centaur launch as ULA seeks national security certification of its new rocket.

The Vulcan first-stage powered by two Blue Origin-made BE-4 engines and the Centaur upper stage that will be used on the Certification-2 mission arrived this week to Cape Canaveral by ship and ULA plans to fly them in early September.

Originally, Dream Chaser, which is supposed to fly cargo on its first mission to the International Space Station, was lined up to fly on Cert-2, but it’s not likely to be ready by then, so ULA announced a pivot.

“We have been informed by Sierra Space that they feel they have significant risk toward making the flight dates,” said ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno on a media call Wednesday noting that the Cert-2 launch date had already been delayed from what was supposed to be before July. “They have told us that they will step aside in order to support our critical national security space missions.” read more

Two Central Florida restaurants, both in Volusia County, shut down the week of June 16-24, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Volusia County

Uncle Chicken’s Cast Iron Kitchen at 409 Mary Ave. in New Smyrna Beach shut down on June 18. Inspectors found seven violations, two of which were a high priority. Those violations included ready-to-eat food not being consumed within seven days of being opened and rodent activity. Authorities revisited the restaurant on June 19. They found four violations, but none were a high priority. The restaurant met inspection standards.

Sally’s Diner IV LLC at 2487 S. Volusia Ave. Suite 101 in Orange City shut down on June 19. Inspectors found 17 violations, six were a high priority. Those violations included rodent activity, a stop sale on food due to temperature abuse and food touching an employee’s bare body part. A second inspection the same day found three violations, but none were high priorities. The restaurant met inspection standards. read more

A new wax figure of entertainer Lady Gaga has been added to the lineup of Madame Tussauds Orlando, the star-studded attraction on International Drive.

The new Gaga is outfitted in an emerald green velvet dress that harkens to a gown she wore to the BAFTA ceremony in 2022. It has platform boots and silver accessories. Faux Gaga strikes a “paws up” pose, a shout-out to her “Little Monsters” fan base.

“We aim for Gaga’s Little Monsters and music fans alike to feel as though they’re stepping into the spotlight alongside Gaga with her newest wax figure,” Paul Gould, general manager of Madame Tussauds Orlando, said in a news release.

Orlando Science Center: Exhibit features ‘World Records’ pace

Lady Gaga’s most recent album is “Chromatica,” which was released in 2020. She will appear in the “Joker: Folie a Deux” film alongside Joaquin Phoenix in October, where she will play Harley Quinn.

The recent Lady Gaga addition is installed in the A-List Party room of the Icon Park attraction. It replaces a Gaga replica that was in the music room.  Other A-Listers seen in Madame Tussauds Orlando include Samuel L. Jackson, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Watson, Angelina Jolie and others.  More recent additions in the attraction include Chris Pratt (a la “Avengers: Endgame” red carpet), Dua Lipa (fuchsia catsuit), Rihanna (Super Bowl baby bump) and Harry Styles (pearl necklace). read more