Things To Do In SW Florida

Karen Bennett | (TNS) Bankrate.com

Many smartphone users rely on digital subscriptions as a source for entertainment, physical fitness and connecting with others. You can sign up for most streaming services, exercise clubs or dating apps in a matter of minutes — or seconds — and they conveniently charge you monthly or annually.

But those automatic payments can add up to a hefty bill. The average consumer spends $219 per month on subscription services, according to a 2022 survey by C+R Research, a Chicago-based market research firm.

Though each subscription probably seemed like a good idea when you signed up, you might now be paying for some that you no longer use. You could review your credit card statement and cancel them one by one — but a time-saving alternative is a subscription-trimming app that helps manage them. These subscription management tools can help you save money and time.

Rocket Money

Rocket Money is an app that monitors your credit card or bank statement, and it allows you to view and manage your subscriptions from a single dashboard. You can choose to cancel subscriptions on your own, or Rocket Money can do it for you if you’re signed up for its paid service. read more

An Orange County restaurant is the only one in Central Florida that was shut down following health inspections the week of Aug. 11-17, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Orange County

Cici’s Takeout Restaurant at 5112 North Lane in Orlando shut down on Aug. 13. Inspectors found 16 violations, two of which were a high priority for rodent activity. Officials conducted another inspection the same day. They found 14 violations, but none were a high priority. The restaurant requires a follow-up inspection but has reopened.

Complaints and warnings

Orange County had the top spot for most warnings and other complaints in Central Florida, with 48.

Volusia, Brevard, and Lake had 15, Osceola had 11 and Seminole had 10.

Port Canaveral won’t pursue plans for a new cruise terminal after commissioners voted to reverse course in the wake of state officials’ raising an alarm that those plans would harm the space industry.

In a Wednesday meeting, the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to drop plans approved in May to build what would have been the seventh cruise terminal at the port in space that currently is a cargo berth on the north side.

The vote comes after officials received a letter earlier this month from Florida Department of Commerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly and Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue charging the port was making decisions that benefited its lucrative cruise business at the cost of needs for the growing commercial space business.

Florida officials warn Port Canaveral leaders over dock plans

The letter pointed out the port’s plans would take real estate that could be needed for liquified natural-gas facilities, for instance. But the teeth of the letter was warning that the two state agencies would shift or halt funding to Port Canaveral unless they reversed their decision. read more

TALLAHASSEE — Future visits to some of Florida’s state parks could include getting in 18 holes of golf or playing pickleball.

The state Department of Environmental Protection this week announced what it has dubbed a “Great Outdoors Initiative” aimed at expanding public access to state parks.

The announcement included such things as adding campsites and cabins and increasing “the number of outdoor recreation opportunities available at Florida’s state parks, including pickleball, disc golf, golf and paddling.”

“The initiative will work to expand public access, increase outdoor activities and provide new lodging options across Florida’s state parks — reinforcing the state’s dedication to conservation, the outdoor recreation economy and a high quality of life for Floridians,” the department said in a news release.

The department didn’t immediately respond to questions about the plan. But a series of meetings are scheduled for Aug. 27 to review management plans for Honeymoon Island State Park in Pinellas County, Hillsborough River State Park in Hillsborough County, Oleta River State Park in Miami-Dade County, Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County, Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park in Broward County, Anastasia State Park in St. Johns County, Camp Helen State Park in Bay County and Topsail Hill Preserve and Grayton Beach State Park in Walton County. read more

TALLAHASSEE — A real-estate firm has objected to a proposed $439 million deal that would lead to the health system Orlando Health buying three hospitals in Brevard and Indian River counties as part of the bankruptcy of hospital operator Steward Health Care.

Medical Properties Trust, Inc., which owns the hospital properties and leases them to Steward, argued in a court document Monday that Steward had not properly followed bidding procedures because it did not distinguish between the values of hospital operations and the real estate.

The document said bankruptcy laws and the U.S. Constitution don’t allow Steward and Orlando Health to “dictate the terms on which the debtor’s landlord (MPT) will sell its private property.”

“There is no basis at all for a scheme under which a non-debtor real estate owner can be compelled not just to sell its property, but to accept whatever (capped) price that the buyer dictates,” MPT’s attorneys wrote.

But Steward’s attorneys Monday filed a complaint that said Steward and its affiliates, “consistent with their rights under the bidding procedures, allowed bidders to submit bids that contemplate a single purchase price for the relevant hospital’s or hospitals’ operations and real estate combined.” read more