The South Padre Island City Council on Wednesday discussed a series of physical improvements that must be made to the Old City Hall before the facility is designated for a specific use. “We need to top out the building with a six-foot slab to bring up to six feet elevation,” said Councilman Sam Listi, adding that the entrance will also be fixed ad that the flood plain will be set...
The City of South Padre Island and SPI Chamber of Commerce canceled a public hearing to discuss plans to build a second causeway that had been set up for 5:30 pm, Thursday. A make-up date for the hearing has not been announced. The proposal to construct an alternate route that connects the Island to the mainland has been on the table for nearly a decade and several public hearings and...
Considered one of the most influential Dirty South artists to gain mainstream success, Ludacris takes the stage on South Padre Island Friday, July 18. Doors open for the show at Clayton’s Beach Bar & Grill at 8 p.m. Recording artist, actor, philanthropist and restaurateur are just a few of the titles given to Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, who first gained worldwide acclaim more than 10 years ago with his debut album...
Photographer Kenny Braun will make two stops in South Padre Island this weekend to promote his book “Surf Texas.” Braun’s book spotlights Texas surf culture, where cowboys, happy-go lucky hippies and extreme athletes converge for the search of the elusive perfect swell, according to a press release. “If you know when to look and if you look hard and patiently enough, it’s there,” Braun said Braun about the hunt for...
The Food Network is coming here next week to give a local restaurant a makeover. An episode of “Restaurant: Impossible,” hosted by Chef Robert Irvine, will be filmed at Padre Rita Grill on July 23-24. According to the show’s publicity, the “Restaurant: Impossible” challenge is to “save America’s most desperate restaurants from impending failure in just two days with only $10,000.” Padre Rita Grill will be a beneficiary of the...
On the eve of the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to support SpaceX’s proposal to launch rockets from Cameron County, Elon Musk’s space exploration firm wrapped up the purchase of an additional 50 acres of land, public records show. The purchase from private landowners was officially filed in the public record July 8, one day before the FAA issued its Record of Decision to support the issuance of launch licenses...
Space Florida conceded Monday that SpaceX is poised to establish the world’s first private and commercial vertical launch site at Boca Chica Beach in Cameron County. “It’s part of the process,” Space Florida’s Chief of Strategic Alliances Dale Ketcham said Monday in a telephone interview. “Eventually, space will continue to grow to be a very large marketplace and Florida, regardless of what happens, we are going to continue to compete...
The streets of South Padre Island were lit for the first time by solar-powered street lamps Friday night as part of phase one in an expansion project to protect the Island’s sea turtle population. Sea Turtle Inc., by way of a $30,000 donation from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, installed eight amber streetlights on Turtle Drive, said Katie Ryan, the public relations specialist for Green Mountain. Sea Turtle Inc....
Space Florida is bracing for a major blow to the Sunshine State that could come as soon as this week. The state agency said SpaceX is close to publicly announcing a new commercial launch complex in Brownsville, Texas. “We kind of have known it’s coming for a while,” said Dale Ketcham, of Space Florida. “But it’s still going to be traumatic and not insignificant disappointment.” Just last week, SpaceX cleared...
Local performer and Texas Southmost College (TSC) professor Dr. Jonathon Dotson arrived for his scheduled interview carrying his guitar case. Hopes for an impromptu performance were quickly squelched, however, when he revealed he’d only brought it with him because it was too hot outside to leave the valuable instrument in his vehicle. “This guitar is worth more than my car!” said the guitarist, gently setting the case close to...
