McCain Will Travel to Iowa Flood Zone

by Shushannah Walshe
(FoxNews.com)

Senator John McCain surprised the press corps during his speech on energy today when he told the crowd that he will be going to Iowa tomorrow. He said he will be visiting the site where massive flooding all over the Midwest began and has turned into the worst domestic natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina.

“I’m here to learn about energy as well as to talk and this visit brings me here at a very difficult time for many folks in the eastern Missouri, Iowa and Illinois and tomorrow I am going to be in Iowa where the flooding began. People in the Midwest have a way of pulling together in adversity,” McCain said, “They are doing it right now and they are showing a lot of courage and they should have confidence that the government will help see them through this time of trial. Our thought and prayers go out to all those people all over these states that are experiencing such hardships today.”

The presumptive Republican nominee will be touring the flooding in Columbus Junction–a small town between Moline, Illinois and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Flooding Stalls Bridge Travel Between Iowa, Ill.

by ALLEN G. BREED

OAKVILLE, Iowa (AP) — The rising Mississippi River forced the closure of one bridge between Iowa and Illinois and the partial shutdown of another Tuesday as residents of the two states and other parts of the Midwest stacked sandbags to prepare for more flooding.

Authorities saved several people, including a motorist rescued from on top of his car, after a levee break near the small village of Gulfport, Ill. They closed the Great River Bridge that connects Gulfport to Burlington via U.S. Highway 34, as well as part of the highway.

People were urged to evacuate the area, Illinois Emergency Management Agency spokesman Chris McCloud said. Floodwaters threatened about 7,500 acres in Illinois, Henderson County Deputy Sheriff Don Seitz said.

About 20 miles down the river, the BNSF Railway Co. swing span bridge was closed early Tuesday to car traffic at Fort Madison, near the Iowa-Illinois line, Lee County emergency management director Steve Cirinna said.

Read entire article here.

Visited Every State in the USA!

by Jeff Barr
(Kalamazoo Gazette )

The Christopher family, a band of fun-seekers and sightseers, will add more mileage and milestones to its travelogue next week when they venture to Hawaii.

The Portage parents, Larry and Barb, and their two teenage daughters, Beth and Erica, will begin a 32-day jaunt Tuesday to the other side of the United States.

They will drive to San Francisco, board a plane to Honolulu, and when they touch ground they will have set foot in every state in the Union.

Eighteen days will be spent on four Hawaiian islands, the rest will comprise the circuitous drive to California and back.




Read entire article here.

Big ski country Aspen too far? Try Montana for a snowy getaway

by Nicholas K. Geranios

There are two big destination ski resorts in Montana. Big Sky, near Bozeman, is expensive and polished. Big Mountain, near Whitefish, is not.

You can go as big as you want in Big Sky Country. But which is the real Montana?

I grew up there and can tell you with authority, they both are. Here are some observations from recent visits to both resorts:

BIG MOUNTAIN

They just renamed this "Whitefish Mountain Resort at Big Mountain," but it's just Big Mountain to Montanans. It has fewer runs and a more rustic village than Big Sky, but many of the condos are nice and affordable, and usually come with access to a pool or hot tub.

Read entire article here.

Penny-pinching in Hawaiian paradise

by Brian J. Cantwell

After a Washington winter of too much snow and spirit-dampening floods, Hawaii is calling you — and the Aloha State's seductive "come hither" carries a "get lucky" price: The depressed economy has dropped airfares and spurred a frenzy of hotel deals.

A recent check found round-trip coach seats, Seattle to Honolulu, for around $300 in February and March — $100 to $200 off what you might have paid in recent years during this desirable season in the islands (when temperatures peak in the low 80s).

With an eye toward stretching my travel dollars until they squeaked like an out-of-tune ukulele, I spent a week on Waikiki not long ago and found these budget tips for those of you — like most everyone — with frostbitten wages and 401(k)s that have shrunk to 201(k)s.

Read entire informative article here.

Sun Country reports $1 million profit

by LIZ FEDOR

Sun Country Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy in October, reported Wednesday that it produced a $1 million profit in the fourth quarter because it reaped the benefits of changing its business strategy during 2008.

The carrier's income on $49.5 million in revenue was in dramatic contrast to its performance a year earlier, when the Mendota Heights-based airline lost $18 million on revenue of $54.5 million.

Sun Country also announced Wednesday that it will begin service to Boston in May, with one daily departure Sundays through Fridays.

Read entire article here.