Things To Do In SW Florida

SeaWorld Orlando is spicing up an after-hours event. The theme park’s Coasters After Dark, which returns March 12, will have elements of its Seven Seas Food Festival included.

The limited time/limited attendance event allows access to eight thrill rides: Manta, Mako, Kraken, Pipeline, Ice Breaker, Journey to Atlantis, water ride Infinity Falls and Penguin Trek, the coaster that debuted in July. The idea is fewer people and shorter wait times.

This time around, admission will include a five-sample lanyard for use at select Seven Seas booths. SeaWorld says that will include mini beef gyros and fish and chips as menu options. There’s also complimentary popcorn included at three in-park locations during the event.

New park president set for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Upcoming Coaster After Dark dates are March 12, March 28, April 4 and April 11.  After Dark’s operating hours are 9 p.m. through midnight.

The admission price posted on SeaWorld’s website is $69.99.  This is a separate ticket from daily SeaWorld Orlando admission. read more

State lawmakers expressed support Wednesday for a space industry “big six” list of infrastructure needs to meet rapid growth amid expansion efforts by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

But some also cautioned against expecting a light-speed response.

“You must understand, we are a government. We do not work quick. We’re behind on roads in this state. We have a lot of people coming here for reasons other than space,” Rep. Randy Maggard, R-Dade City,said during a House Transportation & Economic Development Budget Subcommittee meeting. “We just can’t flip a switch. We’re not going to, you know, what is it? We’re not going to go to the speed of plaid, right?”

Faster than light speed, ships in the 1987 Mel Brooks spoof “Spaceballs” could use a hyperdrive called “ludicrous speed” that created a plaid pattern for people in its wake.

Otherwise, lawmakers appeared to continue to offer support as they held a panel discussion on the future of the space industry. Industry officials focused on six areas of need. read more

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Struggling fabric and crafts seller Joann plans to close about 500 of its stores across the U.S. — or more than half of its current nationwide footprint.

The move, announced Wednesday, arrives amid a tumultuous time for Joann. Last month, the Hudson, Ohio-based retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time within a year, with the company pointing to issues like sluggish consumer demand and inventory shortages.

By Eliza Haverstock, NerdWallet

President Donald Trump has vowed to dismantle the U.S. Education Department, which oversees federal student financial aid. There are reports that members of Elon Musk’s Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) team have accessed financial aid data containing the personal information of millions of students enrolled in the federal student aid program.

These developments may sound the alarm for student loan borrowers. But for now, there’s no need to make dramatic changes to your student loans.

“We have to engage in the process that currently exists…we don’t have any guidance that suggests we should be doing things in different ways,” says Wil Del Pilar, senior vice president at EdTrust, an advocacy and research organization that works to dismantle racial and economic barriers in the American education system.

Education Department spokesperson Madison Biedermann declined to comment on whether Musk and DOGE had accessed a financial aid dataset, as reported by the Washington Post. She directed NerdWallet to a Jan. 20 Executive Order that allows DOGE teams to install in federal agencies within 30 days. read more

By JOSH FUNK

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Egg prices hit a record high as the U.S. contends with an ongoing bird flu outbreak, but consumers didn’t need government figures released Wednesday to tell them eggs are terribly expensive and hard to find at times.