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 Harlingen Art Forum is hosting the annual Beachcombers Art Show fundraiser on South Padre Island on July 26 and 27. The show has been held for 55 years and features artists from the around the Rio Grande Valley and the state. It is an annual fundraising event for the Harlingen Art League, a nonprofit organization. Although the art show is held on the Island, it benefits the whole Valley...
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...
The 75th Annual Texas Fishing Tournament (TIFT), held from July 30 to August 3, is supposed to attract as many as 1,500 anglers and more than 500 boats during the two-day fishing competition. The tournament will be divided into three divisions: Bay, Tarpon, and Offshore. Anglers will haul in catches of speckled trout, redfish, and flounder. Every registed child participant will receive a trophy for their efforts. Registration will be...
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...
The Federal Aviation Administration has approved SpaceX’s proposal to develop the world’s first private commercial vertical launch site in Cameron County. FAA on Wednesday issued its Record of Decision, a critical step that paves the way toward licensing launch activity at Boca Chica Beach. Finding that the proposal by Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies would have unavoidable impacts on the environment, which would be mitigated, the Record of Decision explains...
