Archive for March, 2005

>Sitting in the cool, shaded office of the Lemon Tree RV Park in Mission, manager Cheryl Stanley was busy processing paperwork for about a dozen residents scheduled to head for home today. With the Winter Texan season drawing to a close, Stanley will watch her park’s population drop by close to 80 percent before the end of May.

“They’ve been leaving for the last two weeks,” she said.

“It will be like this for another few weeks. Then it’s our break time.”

As the Rio Grande Valley’s Winter Texans hit the road for summer homes in Des Moines, St. Paul, Kansas City and points between, local businesses are already preparing for the drop from a seasonal tourism industry worth around $328 million a year, according to the McAllen Chamber of Commerce.

“Directly or indirectly, we’re all affected by this,” said Chamber Vice President Nancy Millar. Full Story…

>Traffic slowed to a crawl on I-15 in Salt lake City, UT Friday afternoon.

The accident happened around 2:30 p.m. on Interstate 15 at North Temple Street. Authorities say the RV was traveling southbound on the freeway when it ran over a stray mattress which was lying in the road. The mattress became caught underneath the vehicle and was dragged for several yeards down the road. The matress eventually ignited which then set the motor home ablaze.

Everyone inside noticed the flames immediately and got out safely.
The motor home was destroyed. Photo and Story…

>With a $2 million down payment tucked into the recently passed state budget, Kentucky is on its way to creating a state park at Herrington Lake near Lancaster — potentially the first addition to the park system since 1997.

The parks department, according to the budget language, can use part of the money to purchase some of the 3,600 acres owned by Kentucky Utilities, which created the lake in 1920.

Rep. Lonnie Napier, a Republican from Lancaster, said the lake is a natural site for a new park because Central Kentuckians already make the trip to Herrington for fishing or for a round of golf at the nearby privately owned Peninsula golf course.

Commerce Secretary Jim Host said he is reserving judgment until he checks out potential resort sites near the lake in the coming weeks. But he said Central Kentucky would be an ideal location for a new park.

If plans for a resort go forward, it would be the first addition to the 17-park system since Dale Hollow Lake State Park opened in 1997. Full story…