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After more than 30 years of operation at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Kuumba, the roller coaster, is coming to an end. The attraction’s final day is Aug. 2, the park announced Tuesday. It will be replaced by a “next generation” version of the coaster called Kumbaz Revenge. Details and schedule for the new ride have not been announced. “Kumba has inspired generations of thrill-seekers and earned its place as one of the most iconic roller coasters in the world,” Busch Gardens Tampa Bay President John Vig said in a news release. “As we celebrate its incredible heritage, we’re also looking…

Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining, presented by Orlando Health, will reopen for its 21st year on August 14th with a record-breaking 188 participating restaurants and will run through September 30th. The 38 new restaurants and 16 Michelin Guide-certified establishments will each offer a three-course prix fixe menu for $40 or $60 (tax and gratuity included). In fact, star power is in the spotlight this year, with Winter Park’s OMO by Jônt offering a $60 menu option (perhaps the perfect excuse to add a star to your culinary portfolio), and two options at the Universal Helios Grand Hotel near the park offering…

Florida’s ballot amendment needs 60% to pass. According to a recent poll conducted by Saks Media, if elections were held today, the property tax cut would pass with 64% of the vote. Support between political groups 87% of Republican voters support this proposal. Sixty-two percent of independents supported it, but only 35% of Democrats agreed. Florida renters also support the tax reform. A Saks poll found that 64% of renters use them. There were mixed signals from renters. A plurality (42%) said they would be encouraged to own a home if the proposals passed, while 25% said it would not…

Florida Attorney General James Usmeyer has launched an investigation into the sale and distribution of foods containing potassium bromate, a chemical additive used in some commercial baking flours. Usmeyer’s office issued civil subpoenas to General Mills and General Mills Operations seeking records regarding brominated products sold to consumers, businesses and schools in Florida. The investigation is being conducted under the Florida Deception and Unfair Trade Act and will examine the company’s supply chain, product disclosures, and research into the potential health effects of additives. “This investigation is designed to protect Florida families and provide transparency to consumers,” Usmeyer said. “Floridians…

In the coming months, Florida voters will consider whether to support or oppose a property tax proposal scheduled to be placed on the state’s 2026 ballot. But on the other hand, some of Florida’s new tax laws recently signed into law by Governor DeSantis have gone into effect to benefit consumers’ back pockets. Public schools are scheduled to reopen next month, depending on the county, between Aug. 10 and Aug. 13, 2026, setting new dates for the back-to-school sales tax holiday. This year, it will start next Monday, July 20th, and run for a full month until August 20th. Excluding…

Written by Charles Broadway Imagine a Kissimmee parent who believed her bright 13-year-old daughter had been safely dropped off at school, only to learn that she never arrived that day. On February 26, 2024, Madeline Soto was reported missing. The mother’s boyfriend, Stephen Stearns, claimed he dropped her off near Hunters Creek Middle School around 8:40 a.m. This was a story that might not have been possible without the right tools. But thanks to license plate reader (LPR) technology, investigators soon uncovered the truth. LPR data showed Stearns’ vehicle was miles away from the school at the exact time he…

Big changes are coming to Florida’s construction industry. The state just passed one of the most significant permit reforms in years. Florida’s new HB 803 law significantly expands the use of private providers in plan reviews and inspections, greatly impacting builders, developers, contractors, and local governments. Here are the changes: Commercial permit fees must be reduced by at least 25% if a private provider is used for either plan review or inspection, and by at least 50% if both services are outsourced. Once a private provider has been approved, local authorities will no longer be able to review the plans…

Q: Several butterflies come to our flowers. What should I plant to attract more? A: Colorful flowers usually attract butterflies. Out of all these, my favorite is the red penta. Butterflies and hummingbirds love visiting individual flower clusters. But your landscape should also include bush daisies, coreopsis, firespikes, gaillardia, lantana, marigolds, porterweed, salvias, and zinnias. Place these in a sunny location, in a container or on the ground floor. These should attract butterflies throughout the summer and fall. Plant Doctor: Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary with a patriotic container garden Q: Some of my 15-year-old bottle brushes have dead leaves. Is…

The viewing sequence for Epic Universe Theme Park’s new nighttime spectacular may involve looking up, down and around you. “Universal Celestial Goodnight” includes not only fireworks in the sky and lagoon lighting, but also effects inside the attraction, on the hotel facade, at the edge of the amphitheater seats and along the stair railings. And that was the plan. Even before Epic Universe was built, it had an interconnected design, said Jason Horn, Universal Orlando’s assistant director of entertainment and creative development. “Who thought you could tie everything together? … I mean, what a great move. … Now we have…

SeaWorld Orlando has revealed the identity of its first haunted house for the 2026 edition of Howl-O-Scream. For those involved in the real estate market, this may become familiar. The after-hours extra-ticket Halloween event will feature a maze called “Everything Must Stay,” based on a suburban house that has been on the market for six years. “Every open house ends the same way: frightened buyers run away from something they can’t explain,” a SeaWorld news release said. “Go inside and find out why. Trapped in the worst situation imaginable, an invisible force awakens.” According to the theme park, Howl-O-Scream will…