Things To Do In SW Florida

A parking spot shuffle coming up this weekend more than 250 miles above Earth will mark a unique feat for a pair of NASA astronauts who will become the first to fly in both Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft.

NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams who flew up to the International Space Station in Starliner, but remained on board when NASA opted to return it back to Earth without crew, are now part of the four-member crew that will fly home on the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom next year.

Freedom arrived to the ISS on Sept. 29 with just two crew — NASA’s Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov —leaving room for Wilmore and Williams on that flight home targeting February 2025.

But because parking space is limited at the ISS, all four will climb on board early Sunday for a short trip moving from the Crew Dragon Freedom from the front-facing port of the space station’s Harmony module, and redock it to the space-facing port of the same module.

That will make room for the planned launch of a SpaceX Cargo Dragon on the CRS-31 mission launching from Kennedy Space Center’s Space Launch Complex 39-A as early as 9:29 p.m. Monday carrying 6,000 pounds of supplies. read more

Ten years ago, on Nov. 6, 2014, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts was inaugurated with a ribbon cutting and the promise of performances by Emmylou Harris, Broadway stars Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess, opera great Deborah Voigt, Orlando Ballet and the Bach Festival Society to come.

Among the flowery speeches by various officials — including Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who said he was having more fun than any other mayor in the country —  arts-center president and CEO Kathy Ramsberger sounded a reflective note of realism.

“This has been a difficult project,” she said. “But that’s why it’s so worthwhile.”

Now that more than 5 million guests have attended some 4,500 performances, it’s more worthwhile than ever, she says. And she’s feeling grateful. Grateful for the “perseverance” of board members, who at one point personally guaranteed $16 million in loans to get construction started. Grateful for the employees who keep the center — now with four major indoor venues and the outdoor Seneff Arts Plaza — running. Grateful for the government officials who spent years championing the project. read more

Q: My downstairs neighbor often hangs out on his porch, which is directly under ours, and due to his drinking and smoking pot, we hear loud, explicit conversations into the early morning hours at least twice a month. Our bylaws state that “quiet time” is between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., but the HOA says they can only send him a reminder letter. I work and need my sleep, but management suggests calling the police, which I’m reluctant to do. Any suggestions on how to handle this? — Donna

A: While everyone has the right to enjoy their property, this right does not extend to actions that prevent their neighbors from enjoying the same privilege. When someone’s use of their property interferes with their neighbor’s peaceful enjoyment of their home, it is known as a “nuisance.” Under the law, excessive noxious smells, smoke, and noise are considered nuisances.

What is considered a nuisance can vary depending on the situation, so it is essential to figure out what would be considered reasonable in your specific case. For instance, an occasional party that ends before most people go to bed differs from loud music that continues until 4 a.m. every weekend. read more

SpaceX may have contributed to an overall Space Coast record with its previous launch last weekend, but a Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral on Wednesday marked the most launches Elon Musk’s company has ever sent up from Florida in one year.

A Falcon 9 with 23 Starlink satellites lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:10 p.m.

The first-stage booster for the mission made its 14th launch with a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic Ocean on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

Watch Falcon 9 launch 23 @Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida https://t.co/iIsv5lZKRQ

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 30, 2024

This marked the 74th launch from the Space Coast in 2024, building on the new record that already surpassed 2023’s 72 launches on Oct. 26.

But this was the 69th launch for SpaceX for the year, besting its total in 2023 by one from either Cape Canaveral or neighboring Kennedy Space Center. United Launch Alliance has flown the other five so far. read more

Starting this week, airline passengers who have flights canceled or significantly changed will receive automatic cash or credit card refunds instead of travel credits.

The new federal rule makes it easy for passengers to get refunds when airlines cancel or dramatically change their flights, don’t promptly deliver checked bags or fail to provide extra in-flight services they purchased, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them — without headaches or haggling,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement. “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”

Before the new rule, airlines set their own standards for what kind of flight changes warranted a refund. Because each airline had its own policy, passengers often were not given their money back during spikes in flight cancellations or changes, according to the DOT. read more