Things To Do In SW Florida

TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s unemployment rate held at 3.1 percent in February for the third consecutive month, even as job losses were posted in many industry sectors.

The unemployment rate for the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metropolitan statistical area rose to 3.2 percent from 3.1 percent in January.

The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area had the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.5 percent. Other rates included the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater and Jacksonville areas at 3.3 percent and the Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent area at 3.4 percent. The Homosassa Springs area had the highest rate at 5.2 percent, while The Villages was at 5.1 percent.

The unemployment rate in the state held as a growing labor force continues to counter the number of people who are out of work.

The Florida Department of Commerce on Friday estimated 345,000 Floridians qualified as unemployed in February, up 5,000 from January and up 44,000 from February 2023. Meanwhile, the labor force totaled 11.089 million in February, an increase of 12,000 from January and up 217,000 from a year earlier. read more

Walt Disney World is replacing and upgrading all 365 cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, a process that’s part assembly line and part intricate dance.

The existing cabins, in place since 1999, are manufactured homes on wheels. They’ll be replaced with permanent structures the same size as their predecessors — 504 square feet. The first of the outgoing trailers rolled away this week.

The replacement cabins will be Disney Vacation Club properties, although they will be available to people who are not timeshare owners, too. The average price for the existing cabins has been about $500 per night.

DVC members will be in the first set of new units on July 1. The total project is scheduled to be completed next March.

Disney is tackling the project with innovation and efficiency and minimal disruptions to Fort Wilderness visitors and operations.

The 750-acre resort, which debuted with Disney World in 1971, also hosts RVs, tents and has other recreational activities.

“We’re very close to all of the other occupied areas. It’s not like a new resort where we’re demo-ing the whole site,” said Todd Watzel, manager of programs with Disney’s facility-asset management team, which wrangles WDW renovations. Fort Wilderness has many trees and other natural features that they didn’t want to disturb, he said. read more

By Stan Choe, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The Wall Street debut of Donald Trump’s Truth Social network could give him stock worth billions of dollars on paper. But the former president probably will not be able to cash it out right away, unless some things change.

The longer-term outlook for the business is highly questionable. Trump’s company has said it expects to continue losing money for a while, and at least one expert says it’s likely worth far less than the stock market suggests.

Trump’s pending return to Wall Street comes down to a vote scheduled for Friday by shareholders of a company named Digital World Acquisition Corp., which at the moment is essentially just a pile of cash. The corporation hopes to merge with Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social that goes by TMTG. If the shareholders approve the deal, TMTG could soon see its stock trading on the Nasdaq in Digital World’s place.

Here’s a look at the proposal and Trump’s role in it. read more

By Taryn Phaneuf | NerdWallet

Both major national lottery jackpots continued their march upward after drawings Monday and Tuesday, with Mega Millions inching tantalizingly close to an estimated $1 billion top prize. Only five previous Mega Millions jackpots have hit that mark.

The Powerball jackpot rolled over again on Monday night and now stands at an estimated $687 million, with its next drawing tonight (Wednesday, March 20).

• Mega Millions: $977 million estimated jackpot, next drawing Friday, March 22.
• Powerball: $687 million estimated jackpot, next drawing Wednesday, March 20.

If either or both continue to elude a winner in upcoming draws, 2024 could see its first billion-dollar-plus jackpot, a mark that has become more common in recent years. Powerball had a $1.765 billion jackpot (won by a single ticket) as recently as October 2023.

Powerball and Mega Millions tickets are sold for $2 apiece in 45 U.S. states, as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

• To play Mega Millions, pick five numbers between 1 and 70, and a sixth number between 1 and 25. If you don’t want to pick the numbers yourself, you can get a set of numbers generated for you.
• To play Powerball, pick five numbers between 1 and 69 and a Powerball number from 1 to 26 (or have them randomly generated).

How much is the Mega Millions jackpot?

The current jackpot is estimated at $977 million.

Winners can opt to take their winnings in the form of an annuity or as a single lump sum, known as the cash option. The cash option for the current jackpot is estimated at $461 million. read more

Engineering

Kevin Harder has joined Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s Orlando regional office as a senior project manager.

Steven McRory has joined Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s Orlando regional office as a project manager.

Entertainment

Jay Moore was hired as vice president of marketing at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

Health care

Interventional cardiologist Dr. Ashraf Jmeian has joined AdventHealth Medical Group and will perform procedures at AdventHealth Fish Memorial, Orange City.

Law

Laura L. Kelly has joined Shutts & Bowen LLP as a partner in the law firm’s Orlando office.

Thomas A. Joynt has joined Dean Mead as an attorney in the law firm’s Orlando office.

Attorney Geovanna A. Vazquez has joined McDonald Toole Wiggins P.A., Orlando..

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