Things To Do In SW Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis said the Legislature would step in before the end of the year to help condominium owners facing financial turmoil as a result of new building safety regulations that go into effect Jan. 1.

“At some point over the next three and a half months, something will be done,” he said at a roundtable meeting with local condo owners in Pinellas Park on Thursday.

Still, the governor would not commit to calling a special session himself. And last month, Republican leaders rejected calls to reconvene the Legislature early to tackle the condo issue.

The new rules, passed in the wake of the deadly Surfside building collapse, require certain condo associations to inspect their buildings and come up with plans to pay for necessary repairs.

Though legislators hoped this would prevent future engineering failures, condo owners say in the short term it has led to unwieldy special assessments that threaten to price out low-income and senior residents.

Earle Cooper, a Bellaire condo owner who spoke at the roundtable, said his building needs around $3.69 million in repairs. That could cost individual residents anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000. read more

TALLAHASSEE — Hurricane Debby caused up to $263.2 million in estimated losses to crops and farm animals when the Category 1 rainmaker swept through North Florida last month.

Preliminary findings by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, known as UF/IFAS, could mean the agricultural damages from Debby were close to losses from Hurricane Idalia, a Category 3 storm that roared across the same rural region nearly a year earlier.

“There always are impacts to agriculture of these types of events,” Christa Court, UF/IFAS economic impact analysis program director, said Thursday during a call with reporters. “Hurricane Debby was not quite as intense as Hurricane Idalia, which might still be somewhat fresh on people’s minds. But it’s still a reminder that there’s a lot of production of agriculture out in Florida.”

UF/IFAS found Debby affected more than 2.2 million acres of agricultural land in the state, with two-thirds of the land used for livestock grazing. It resulted in an estimated $93.7 million to $263.2 million in losses, with the loss amount expected to be narrowed in the coming months. read more

Health care

Dr. Beatrice Bratu, gastroenterologist, has joined AdventHealth Medical Group in Volusia County.

Dr. Hasson Zulfiqar, gastroenterologist, has joined AdventHealth Medical Group in Volusia County.

Dr. Natalia Cavin, nephrologist, has joined AdventHealth Medical Group in Volusia County.

Dr. Mark Duber, orthopedic surgeon, has joined AdventHealth Medical Group in Volusia County.

Dr. Frank Velez, general surgeon, has joined AdventHealth Medical Group in Volusia County.

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

Chapter 7

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

WKS 1959 Group LLC, 1993 Morritts Court, Eustis. Filed: Sept. 5. Assets: $500,001-$1 million. Liabilities: $500,001-$1 million. Major creditors: Not available. Creditors meeting: Oct. 17.

Danesca’s Legacy LLC, 1439 Sunningdale Way, Orlando. Filed: Sept. 9. Assets: $0. Liabilities: $29,714. Major creditors: Navy Federal Credit Union, Merrifield, Va., $15,923; Navy Federal Credit Union, Merrifield, Va., $4,791. Creditors meeting: Oct. 24.

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:

985 JNC LLC, 985 Jack Nicklaus Court, Kissimmee. Filed: Sept. 3. Assets: $1,000,001-$10 million. Liabilities: $1,000,001-$10 million. Major creditors: Not available. Creditors meeting: Oct. 9.

AV Contractors Services LLC, 202 Jasmine Lane, Longwood. Filed: Sept. 11. Assets: $100,001-$500,000. Liabilities: $1,000,001-$10 million. Major creditors: Liberty Staffing USA,  Largo, $3,489,119. Creditors meeting: Oct. 7. read more

SeaWorld Orlando is adding a “flying theater” attraction with scenes from the Arctic. It is scheduled to open in spring 2025, the theme park announced Thursday.

The visuals for the theater will include icy landscapes, the Aurora Borealis, beluga whales, orcas, walruses and other sea life from the air and from land, including remote parts of the Arctic.

The new attraction is under construction in the space formerly occupied by Wild Arctic, a motion simulator that opened in 1995. It has been closed since the beginning of the pandemic shutdown in March 2020.  The live animal habitats with belugas and walruses there will continue to be open.

“We are thrilled to introduce this first-of-its-kind attraction to SeaWorld Orlando,” Jon Peterson, president of SeaWorld Orlando, said in a news release. “By bringing the wonders of the Arctic to life, we are offering guests an unparalleled and immersive experience that will create lasting memories for people of all ages.”

The attraction will have two multi-level theaters that hold 30 visitors apiece for a 4.5-minute experience that SeaWorld called “a cool, thrilling escape.”  The height requirement will be 39 inches. read more