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Permits Withdrawn for Offshore Wind Farm

July 21, 2014

  A developer that planned Texas’ first offshore wind farm stopped paying on two state offshore leases, one of which expired today, an official said Friday. Austin-based Baryonyx Corp.’s lease of 19,794 acres about five miles offshore of South Padre Island expired because the company stopped making an annual payment of $2.08 per acre, or $41,171.52, said Jim Suydam, spokesman for the Texas General Land Office in Austin. Suydam said...

Travel Tips for Pet Owners

July 21, 2014

Travel tips for pet owners Jules Benson, Petplan’s chief veterinary officer, recommends pet parents plan ahead and be aware of important travel safety protocols. 1. Safety first. Your pet could become a projectile in an auto accident or crawl under the gas pedal while you’re trying to drive. Restrain your pets with pet vehicle restraints or, if driving an SVU or van, in an appropriate sized crate. Also, make sure...

Old City Hall to Receive Facelift

July 18, 2014

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...

Chamber Cancels Public Hearing For Second Causeway

July 18, 2014

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...

Dirty South: Ludacris Brings His Brand of Hip Hop to SPI

July 17, 2014

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...

SPI Hosts Two Stops on “Surf Texas” Book Tour

July 17, 2014

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’s “Restaurant: Impossible” To Make Over SPI’s Padre Rita Grill

July 16, 2014

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...

SpaceX Land Buys Grow

July 16, 2014

  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: “Win some, lose some”

July 15, 2014

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...

SPI Turtle Lights Flipped On

July 14, 2014

  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....