The salty waters surrounding South Padre Island are home to various marine wildlife, but some islanders were in for a surprise on a recent afternoon when a manatee made an appearance at a local boat dock on the northwest side of the Island, according to Parrot Eyes Water Sports employee Ryan Fuentes. Fuentes, originally from Miami, is familiar with manatees from his native state but said he hadn’t see...
The arrival of the USS Independence at the Port of Brownsville has been delayed by fears on the part of environmental regulators that some of the preparations for the ship’s departure from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard were polluting the water there. According to a Jan. 10 article from the “Kitsap Sun,” the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington State Department of Ecology were concerned that the scraping of...
Much like a little puppy, the young brown pelican follows people around. Wildlife rehabbers Dr. Ronald Hines and his wife, Gloria, said the little guy is used to people and loves to be around them. “He’s real gentle. I talk to him while he eats,” Gloria said. This behavior is definitely a step up from one week ago, when he was found sick, without his mama, along the highway. Animal lover Renee...
Mark Haggenmiller was ahead of his time when he started brewing hand-crafted beer on the Island in 1995. Since then he has been mixing hops and barley for a family of premium beers available only at the Padre Island Brewing Company. Because of his foresight and his dedication to the craft of brewing beer, Gov. Greg Abbott awarded Haggenmiller withThe Governor’s Small Business Award. Haggenmiller was recognized at the Governor’s...
Red Tide is usually considered a problem for people near affected areas. Red Tide Rangers conducted a cell count this week determining there is no Red Tide in South Padre Island anymore. The increase in Karenia Brevis Algae, otherwise known as Red Tide is now gone. This week the Red Tide Rangers confirm there is 0 cells of this algae per milliliter. This recent bloom lasted a few months. Tony...
The Port of Brownsville will soon be back in the grain business as the result of a deal with West Plains LLC, which is leasing the port’s towering grain elevator and has already made substantial improvements and repairs to the long-idled, 50-year-old facility. West Plains is owned by Houston-based BioUrja, a Houston-based energy and grains commodities trading company. The deal was facilitated by OmniTRAX Inc., part of The Broe Group,...
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — This city is taking the next step toward possibly bringing a hospital to the Laguna Madre area. The City of South Padre Island approved the formation of an ad hoc Healthcare Committee Jan. 8 during a city council meeting. The purpose of the ad hoc Healthcare Committee is to put together a group of people from the healthcare industry who can come up with a roadmap...
It’s not something people get to do everyday. Saturday morning thousands of people will be running and walking across the Queen Isabella Memorial Causeway in the Port Isabel Chamber of Commerce’s 36th annual Causeway Run and Fitness Walk. According to a press release from the City of South Padre Island, motorists should expect traffic delays before and after the event. The run and fitness walk will begin at 8 a.m....
Most of us love the ocean, live near it or wish we did. For artist Connie Lovell, who lives in Harlingen, the ocean is her “heart and soul.” Lovell was so bothered by trash on the beach left by beach goers, trash that washed ashore, and trash in our oceans that, in the early 80’s, Connie became involved in the Ocean Incineration of Toxic Waste, where she met Sarah Kulungowski....
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — More than 100 people gathered Wednesday at Isla Blanca Park on South Padre Island to witness the release of seven rehabilitated Atlantic green sea turtles. The turtles were rescued, treated and released into the Gulf of Mexico by officials at Sea Turtle Inc., a nonprofit turtle rescue and rehabilitation center on the Island. The turtles — named Dante, Lizzo, JAAMS, Stout, Cinderblock, Rainbow and Nickelback — were...
