Things To Do In SW Florida

SpaceX is looking for a quick return to flying its grounded Falcon 9 rocket while it works on an investigation for the Federal Aviation Administration about a partial failure of its workhorse hardware from a California launch last week.

Elon Musk’s company requested a public safety determination from the FAA on Monday that, if approved, would set up a return to launches, including several lined up from the Space Coast this month while the mishap investigation continues into the failed mission.

The FAA said in an emailed statement it was reviewing the request and it would be  “guided by data and safety at every step of the process.”

At issue is the failure of the second stage of a Falcon 9 rocket on a Starlink satellite launch on July 11 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The first stage lifted off as planned and made a successful recovery landing. The second stage, though, failed to relight its Merlin vacuum engine to put the 20 Starlink satellites into the intended orbit. read more

A Rhode Island man was sentenced Wednesday to two years in federal prison for falsely accusing his girlfriend of bringing a bomb onto their flight out of Orlando, according to court records.

Evan Sims, 41, agreed to plead guilty to one count of false information or threats concerning aircraft as part of a March deal with prosecutors. He will also pay the airline $25,000, according to a press release. He was sentenced In Jacksonville where he’s remained in custody since his arrest.

Sims was traveling Dec. 5 on a Breeze Airways flight from Orlando International Airport to Providence, Rhode Island with his girlfriend. Passengers heard the two arguing on the plane before takeoff.

Sims was saying he’d never heard of the airline before and was hoping the plane wouldn’t “go down” and that they’d be “gone with the wind,” according to court records. The girlfriend repeatedly told him that she was breaking up with him and to leave her alone. She later stated that Sims poured a drink on her and cursed at her. read more

Jeff Ostrowski | (TNS) Bankrate.com

Mortgage rates broke below the 7% barrier this week, according to Bankrate’s latest lender survey. It was the first time since February that the average 30-year rate was in the sub-7 range. The reason: optimism that the Federal Reserve might cut rates in the near future.

The 30-year mortgage rate fell to 6.92%. The 15-year rate fell to 6.92% and the 30-year jumbo to 6.92%.

The 30-year fixed mortgages in this week’s survey had an average total of 0.28 discount and origination points. Discount points are a way for you to reduce your mortgage rate, while origination points are fees a lender charges to create, review and process your loan.

Monthly mortgage payment at today’s rates

The national median family income for 2024 is $97,800, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the median price of an existing home sold in May 2024 was $419,300, a record, according to the National Association of Realtors. Based on a 20% down payment and a 6.92% mortgage rate, the monthly payment of $2,214 amounts to 27% of the typical family’s monthly income. read more