Things To Do In SW Florida

By MATT OTT

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern confirmed that they are in “advanced” merger talks that would create a single U.S railroad with service stretching from the East to the West Coast.

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The Associated Press reported last week that the companies were discussing a tie-up but neither company acknowledged that until Thursday morning.

The potential merger would combine the largest and smallest of the country’s six major freight railroads.

Independent railroad analyst Tony Hatch said that the disclosure by the railroads suggests that negotiations are further along than previously thought. read more

By Henry Payne, The Detroit News

There’s never a dull moment in the U.S. market as automakers hustle to divine consumer trends, navigate federal regulations, juggle tariff-driven plant production, and dodge activist Molotov cocktails.

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The first six months of 2025 saw robust sales on track for an annual 16.3 million in unit sales as gas prices dropped and tariffs rose. America’s love affair with trucks and SUVs continued with sales making up 82% of the light vehicle market. Just 10 years ago, cars made up 43% of the market. This year? Just 18%. read more

Chapter 7

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

Central Florida Health and Rehab Clinic LLC doing business as Smooth Body Contours, 453 N. Kirkman Road, Suite 104, Orlando. Filed: July 10. Assets: $3,200,000. Liabilities: $7,163,269. Major creditors: Raymond F. Caron P.A., Kissimmee, $2,000,000; Breakout Capital LLC, McLean, Va., $245,000; Oakwood, Toms River, N.J., $90,000. Creditors meeting: Aug. 19.

Solutions Tax Services LLC, 2473 Cedar Rose St., Apopka. Filed: July 10. Assets: $2,500. Liabilities: $5,310,384. Major creditors: Newtek Small Business, New Hyde Park, N.Y., $4,028,270; U.S. Small Business Administration, Washington, D.C., $564,546; Breakout Capital, McLean, Va., $245,000. Creditors meeting: Aug. 21.

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:

Crosskix LLC, 242 Bridge Creek Blvd., Ocoee. Filed: July 11. Assets: $100,001-$500,000. Liabilities: $100,001-$500,000. Major creditors: JP Morgan Chase Bank NA, Chicago, $173,000; Chase, Wilmington, Del., $25,554; Chase, Wilmington, Del., $17,004. Creditors meeting: Aug. 11. read more

By ALEX VEIGA

The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage eased this week, offering little relief for prospective homebuyers facing record-high home prices.

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The long-term rate slipped to 6.74% from 6.75% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.78%.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also eased. The average rate dropped to 5.87% from 5.92% last week. A year ago, it was 6.07%, Freddie Mac said.

Elevated mortgage rates have been weighing on the U.S. housing market, which has been in a sales slump going back to 2022, when rates started to climb from the rock-bottom lows they reached during the pandemic. read more

A Ripley’s-themed miniature golf course is planned for Icon Park on Orlando’s International Drive.

The course — named Ripley’s Crazy Golf — will be an indoor, glow-in-the-dark experience with “surprising sights that make each hole feel like its own otherworldly adventure,” a Ripley news release says.

“We’ve taken everything people love about our attractions, imagination and oddities, and brought it to the putting green. It’s outrageous. It’s unpredictable. It’s crazy in the best way possible!” Jim Pattison Jr., president of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! World Entertainment, said in the release.

The mini-golf course will be located next door to the Museum of Illusions at Icon Park, and it’s expected to open in the winter of 2025.

There’s currently a Ripley’s Crazy Golf attraction operating in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Tickets cost $18.99 at that location, and there are bundled-ticket offers for nearby Ripley attractions.

Ripley already has two attractions open on I-Drive, a Believe It or Not Museum (the building that looks like it’s going into a sinkhole) and the neighboring Mirror Maze attraction.  They are less than a block from the future mini-golf course. Orlando is also home to the corporate headquarters of Ripley Entertainment, which has more than 100 attractions worldwide. read more