Things To Do In SW Florida

By Tommy Tindall, NerdWallet

November is a great month for bargains. Black Friday happens this month after all, and the supposed single-day sale holiday seems to get stronger and go longer every year. Plus, online retailers like to keep you guessing and may drop a worthy deal on any given day.

Your strategy to save money this month? Review your budget, make a list of what you want and remember to ABC: always be checkin’ (or just set deal alerts) for discounts. Consult this Nerdy list of the best things to buy and skip in November, too.

Buy: Electronics

Black Friday, which falls on Nov. 29 this year, is synonymous with great deals on gadgets, but you may not have to wait until the end of the month to get the goods you’re after. Jane Boyd Thomas, a professor of marketing at Winthrop University, says she’s noticed retailers are getting an early jump on technology deals.

“We know that a lot of spending on Black Friday is self-giving, not gift-giving,” says Thomas. And with consumers still dealing with high prices in non-discretionary categories like food and fuel, retailers can entice shoppers to spend discretionary dollars with deals that come early and often. read more

Consulting

Jeff Lessey has joined KW Property Management & Consulting as regional vice president overseeing the Central Florida market.

Hospitality

Jessica Bingham was appointed executive pastry chef at the Caribe Royale Orlando.

Law

Attorney Lynn B. Aust Moot has joined the Orlando office of ShuffieldLowman as of counsel, practicing in estate planning.

Public relations

Ryan Greene was hired as a public relations specialist at Curley & Pynn Public Relations Management, Orlando.

Real estate

Jessica Ray has joined Hillpointe LLC, Winter Park, as vice president of marketing.

Submit professional appointments, management-level promotions and significant awards for individuals, along with photos as .jpg attachments, to peopleonmove@orlandosentinel.com.

By TARA COPP and DAVID KOENIG

WASHINGTON (AP) — Boeing overcharged the Air Force nearly $1 million for spare parts on C-17 cargo planes, including an 8,000% markup for simple lavatory soap dispensers, according to the Pentagon’s inspector general.

The Defense Department’s auditor reviewed prices paid for 46 spare parts on the C-17 from 2018 to 2022 and found that 12 were overpriced and nine seemed reasonably priced. It couldn’t determine the fairness of prices on the other 25 items.

The Office of the Inspector General said it reviewed the soap dispenser prices after getting a hotline tip.

Boeing disputed the findings.

“We are reviewing the report, which appears to be based on an inapt comparison of the prices paid for parts that meet aircraft and contract specifications and designs versus basic commercial items that would not be qualified or approved for use on the C-17,” Boeing said in a statement. “We will continue to work with the OIG and the U.S. Air Force to provide a detailed written response to the report in the coming days.” read more

Chapter 7

Central Florida individuals and businesses that have filed for liquidation under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code include:

VetJet LLC, 3232 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando. Filed: Oct. 21. Assets: $57,029. Liabilities: $491,290. Major creditors: Barr Credit Services, Tucson, Ariz., $150,755; NIA Broadcasting OTA TV Partners, Washington, D.C., $150,000; Everbank, Denver, $100,000. Creditors meeting: Nov. 19.

GGA Concept LLC, 1276 Twin Rivers Blvd., Oviedo. Filed: Oct. 23. Assets: $233,970. Liabilities: $196,091. Major creditors: U.S. Small Business Administration, Washington, D.C., $121,709; Chase, Charlotte, N.C., $24,102; Square Financial Services, San Francisco, $20,000. Creditors meeting: Nov. 26.

Chapter 11

Central Florida individuals and businesses that have filed for reorganization and protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code include:

Thomas Roofing and Repair Inc., 924 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando. Filed: Oct. 26. Assets: $100,001-$500,000. Liabilities: $1,000,001-$10 million. Major creditors: U.S. Small Business Administration, Portland, Ore., $1,124,000; American Builders & Contractors Supply, St. Petersburg, $541,432; David Tom, Miami, $250,000. Creditors meeting: Nov. 18. read more

Blue Origin hauled the immense first stage booster for its upcoming debut launch of its New Glenn rocket to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Wednesday.

Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp posted images to social media showing the 188-foot-long first stage with its seven BE-4 engines wrapped up in coverings with not-so-little Blue Origin logos making the trip from its factory in Merritt Island adjacent the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex over to its future launch site at Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 36.

Jeff Bezos’ rocket company is still aiming for a November launch of the heavy-lift rocket, which when combined with the second stage and fairing would be more than 320 feet tall. The exact date has not been announced, although Port Canaveral officials alluded to a Nov. 30 target date in a recent port commission meeting.

Up next: Integrated launch vehicle hotfire. (And one of my favorite photos from the move!) https://t.co/mdaADyKWhY pic.twitter.com/fSEtAa8bZt

— Dave Limp (@davill) October 30, 2024 read more