Man plans tightrope walk at Niagara Falls
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) — Daredevil Nik Wallenda says he’ll cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope on June 15.
The seventh-generation member of the Flying Wallendas stood at the edge of the falls Wednesday to announce details of his stunt.
Wallenda figures the 1,800-foot walk on a two-inch steel cable will begin in early evening and take 30 to 40 minutes. Whether he goes from New York to Canada or the other direction depends on the weather.
He’ll start rehearsing May 12 at the Seneca-Niagara Casino.
Wallenda’s Niagara Falls walk will merge two pop culture traditions — his family’s death-defying feats on the high wire and the daredevil acts at Niagara Falls that date back more than 100 years.
Company could build underwater hotels
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dubai is splashing into the business of underwater hotels again.
The Gulf emirate’s state shipbuilding division Drydocks World said in a statement sent Thursday it has signed on with a Swiss company to become the sole Middle East construction contractor of the futuristic hotels.
Switzerland’s BIG InvestConsult signed the deal on behalf of partner Deep Ocean Technology, which has developed plans for disc-shaped buildings that include underwater and above-water components. Financial terms for the deal, signed Wednesday, were not disclosed. Drydocks did not say where or when the first hotels would be built.
Yellowstone’s East Entrance now open
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — The East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park will be opened to automobile traffic on Friday morning.
Crews at Yellowstone are still working to clear some roads that remain covered with snow. Springtime visitors to the park should be aware that weather conditions are unpredictable and often include snow and high winds.
Yosemite’s Tioga Pass road opens Monday
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — After a winter of light snow, a major road in Yosemite National Park is set to open on Monday, nearly six weeks earlier than last year.
Officials say Tioga Pass Road will be cleared by noon Monday, allowing visitors to enter through the park’s east gate.
Tioga is the main eastern gateway to the park, and a popular, scenic east-west crossing of the Sierra Nevada.
It normally closes for the winter. At nearly 10,000 feet, it’s the highest highway pass in California and snowfall is generally so deep that road crews are unable to plow it until late spring.
Park officials warn that snow and icy conditions still exist at higher elevations.
All campgrounds and commercial services will remain closed.
