First Private Citizens to Make Spacewalk

Polaris Dawn crewmembers Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis are set to make history on Thursday as the first private citizens to spacewalk during a mission, funded by Isaacman in partnership with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Scheduled to launch at 3:38 this morning from Kennedy Space Center, the SpaceX mission is sending a four-person crew, including Scott “Kidd” Poteet and Anna Menon, into orbit for five days aboard a Crew Dragon “Resilience” capsule.

The spacecraft will reach an altitude over three times higher than the International Space Station—the highest humans have reached since the final Apollo moon mission in 1972.

The mission is considered “risky” because the crew will rely solely on their spacesuits when the capsule’s hatch is opened, exposing the interior to the vacuum of space due to the absence of an airlock.

Central Florida Tourism Booms to Record $92.5B

The Central Florida travel and tourism industries had a record $92.5 billion economic impact in 2023, up 5.6% from the previous year.

Visit Orlando broke down Central Florida’s tourism industry figures last week, reporting that visitor spending increased 5.4% to $58.5 billion. Tax impact also increased, climbing 5.3% to $6.6 billion, saving an average of $7,400 per household in taxes. 

The industry supported 464,000 jobs in the region. 

In 2022, tourism was responsible for 9.5% of all Florida jobs, making it Florida’s second-largest employer.

Top Florida Cities for Safety and Affordability 

These eight Florida cities offer what some consider the best of both worlds—affordability and safety—according to a report by GOBankingRates.

Based on real estate agents’ feedback, Palm Coast, Cape Coral, Ocala, Gainesville, Port Orange, Tallahassee, Vero Beach, and Sebring are considered the most inexpensive of the safest cities in Florida.

Among the cities, Cape Coral has the highest average home price, at $382,000, and Sebring has the lowest, at $247,000. Several of the cities, including Port Orange, have an A+ safety rating.

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➤ After days of protests, state officials released a statement late Sunday saying the plan to build golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County has been withdrawn. (See Video)

➤ Kissimmee: After a recount of last Tuesday’s primary election, John Cortes will face Jackie Espinosa in the November mayoral election. Cortes won by six votes. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, after 17 hours of vote recounting, Sherri Cox won the District 3 County Commission Primary in Okaloosa County by 14 votes. (More)

➤ A Central Florida nonprofit is working to mitigate the effects of loneliness in seniors by giving out artificial intelligence devices for at-home use. (See Video)

➤ The Buccaneers football team is bringing back its popular Tampa Bay Chef Series, offering fans gourmet creations from top Bay area chefs at home games. (See Details)

➤ 2,200 volunteers assisted the nonprofit Light Orlando in packing one million meals for families in need at the Central Florida Fair Grounds on Saturday. (Watch Video)

➤ Naples: After 10 hours of hearings, the council approved Port Royal Club’s $100 million reconstruction petition to allow the 65-year-old club to build a larger, three-level clubhouse. (See Details)

➤ The Miami Marlins are calling up prospect Griffin Conine, son of Marlins legend Jeff Conine. The 27-year-old is batting .268 with 19 home runs at AAA Jacksonville. (More)

➤ Miami Dolphins star pass rusher Bradley Chubb will remain on the PUP list, keeping him out for at least the first four games of the season. (More)

➤ The Jacksonville Jaguars have begun their 2024 roster cuts. The team announced on Monday that ten players have been released. (See List)

Yesterday’s results: MLB | WNBA | US OPEN

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➤ KFC is piloting the “KFC Original” restaurant concept in 16 of its Orlando locations, featuring a new menu, new decor, new technology, and updated service speed. (More)

➤ Walmart has recalled nearly 10,000 cases of apple juice due to potentially harmful levels of inorganic arsenic sold in 25 states, including Florida. (See Details)

➤ The University of South Florida is one of the best places to work in the state, according to a new list of America’s top employers released last week by Forbes. (More)

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➤ “Cocaine sharks” may be swimming off the coast of Florida. Brazilian scientists recently tested 13 shark corpses and found each one tested positive for cocaine. (See Details)

➤ Three-time medal recipient Florence Weinstein of Naples was honored last week, 80 years after serving in World War II as an Army private. She turns 100 on Wednesday. (See Video)

➤ Meanwhile, the daughter of a fallen World War II veteran who lives in the Daytona Beach area celebrated the 10-year anniversary of her book, At Last I Know My Father, based on letters her father wrote during the war. (See Book)

➤ A construction worker at the new Sjouwerman Adoption Center at the Humane Society of Pinellas met and adopted his new best friend, King. (See Photos)

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Monday’s Results:

Where do you get your weather forecast?

1. Phone app: 45.2%
2. TV: 17.9%
3. I look outside: 12.9%
4. Other: 11.3%
5. Flyover Florida: 6.4%
6. The newspaper: 6.3%

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