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Kroger Co. has agreed to reimburse Lake County more than $460,000 after it decided to close a Groveland plant the county had supported with a hefty incentive package.

Under the termination agreement the company signed, Kroger must reimburse $460,714.53 to the county by Dec. 31, an amount representing incentive and impact fee rebates received by Kroger from 2022 to 2024. Kroger will also forgo its 2025 incentive and rebate payments, expected to total about $400,000.

The county hopes to get nearly $900,000 more from a British online grocery company that worked with Kroger to build the Groveland facility and was also provided county incentives, but no deal has been reached with that firm yet.

Kroger announced on Nov. 18 that it would be closing its Groveland eCommerce fulfillment center by Feb. 1,  leading to the loss of about 1,400 Florida jobs as the company modifies its grocery delivery approach.

The closing will impact about 935 employees at the Groveland facility and nearly 500 others, many of them delivery drivers, stationed in Jacksonville, Rockledge and Tampa, according to notices the company filed with the Florida Department of Commerce. read more

Thinking about making a big life change in 2026? Well, buying a home is a lot like getting married. The planning seems to take forever, everything’s more expensive than you thought it would be, and stress can quickly reach “Should we even be doing this?” levels.

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All of that leads up to a single day — closing day for buyers or the wedding itself — that goes by in the wink of an eye. And that one day isn’t an end, it’s a beginning. You’re now a spouse or a homeowner, and that brings new responsibilities, joys and challenges. You’ve reached a major milestone, but it’s only the first big step on this journey. read more

Changes that Disney made to a popular program that lets qualifying disabled people skip long lines at its California and Florida theme parks are too restrictive, disabled fans contend in a federal lawsuit and shareholder proposal that seek to expand eligibility.

The battle over who can skip long lines on popular rides because of their disabilities marks the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while cracking down on past abuses. But some Disney fans say the company has gone too far and has no right to determine who is disabled.

“This isn’t right. This isn’t what Walt and Roy would have wanted,” said Shannon Bonadurer, referring to the Disney brothers who founded the entertainment empire. Despite being unable to wait for long periods of time in the heat because she uses an ileostomy bag, Bonadurer was denied a pass for the disability program.

In a statement, Disney said it was committed to providing a great experience to all visitors, particularly those with disabilities who may require special accommodations. read more

Legoland Florida theme park has confirmed the opening date for its Galacticoaster. The indoor, family-friendly roller coaster will debut on Feb. 27.

Development of the thrill ride was announced in March, with its theme identified in July and its name revealed in September. Its grand opening date was given before a holiday tree-lighting ceremony at the Winter Haven attraction, with the date spelled out as part of a drone show. The event also included appearances by Lego character Space Creature and real-life Space Gal Emily Calandrelli, a science communicator and TV host of “Xploration Outer Space.”

Legoland California is also building Galacticoaster, which is part of owner Merlin Entertainments Group’s $90 million investment in the parks. The West Coast version is set to open March 6.

The new ride will offer customization of digital versions of the ride vehicles, Merlin chief operating officer Rob Smith said during IAAPA Expo last month. Riders will select key elements — such as the nose, tail, wings and color — of their spacecrafts via RRID technology in a wristband, he said. There will be 625 possible combinations. In the ride’s storyline, passengers try to avoid the “asteroid of probable destruction.” read more

Hallmark Channel will film a holiday movie next year at locations across Walt Disney World, the companies have announced. The film, starring Lacey Chabert and titled “Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True,” will air in late 2026.

The storyline features Chabert’s character taking a family vacation to Disney World during the holiday season. As fate would have it, they stay in a resort next door to a man (played by Travis Van Winkle from “You” and “FUBAR”) with whom she had a bad first date. Not many details have been revealed, but a wish made at the Cinderella fountain is involved.

The project was announced by Chabert during a broadcast of “The Hallmark Christmas Experience: A Hometown Holiday.”

“I love visiting here with my family, and I always thought it would make the absolute perfect setting for a Hallmark Christmas movie,” Chabert said, flanked by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at Magic Kingdom.

Chabert has appeared in more than 40 Hallmark productions. Other actors set to appear in the Disney-Hallmark film are Richard Kind (“Only Murders in the Building,” “Inside Out,” “A Bug’s Life”), Christy Carlson Romano (“Kim Possible,” “Even Stevens”) and Bryce Durfee (“General Hospital”). read more