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Atlantic Coast tourism leaders worry about the coming hurricane season
DestinationsWhen Scott McQuade thinks about the Jersey Shore these days, he envisions something he hopes he never sees here. To the director of the Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau, the images are haunting — oceanside attractions like roller coasters and homes yanked from their foundations and tossed into an angry sea like children’s toys; [...]
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Court rejects Costa Concordia captain’s manslaughter plea bargain
TransportProsecutors rejected a plea bargain offer by the captain of the cruise ship Costa Concordia, which capsized off Italy’s west coast last year with the loss of 32 lives, lawyers said on Tuesday. Captain Francesco Schettino is accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship. He has admitted making mistakes but says he should [...]
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New Jersey transit execs cite “security” to avoid explaining Hurricane Sandy failure
TransportAs superstorm Sandy barreled toward the tri-state area, two of the nation’s largest transportation agencies worked to safeguard their systems, moving buses and rail cars to areas they thought would be protected. But NJ Transit and New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority had vastly different rates of success. Eleven MTA rail cars were damaged, compared with [...]
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The 9/11 pilot’s widow who’s pressing Congress for better cockpit security
TransportA widow of a pilot who died on one of the jets that crashed into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, is gaining congressional support in her campaign to add another barrier to airliner cockpits. Ellen Saracini, widow of United Airlines Flight 175 Captain Victor Saracini, says a flaw persists with cockpit doors, [...]
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Boston shuts subway after Marathon bombing; New York City increases security at landmarks
DestinationsTwo explosions hit the Boston Marathon as runners crossed the finish line on Monday, killing at least two people and injuring 23 on a day when tens of thousands of people pack the streets to watch one of the world’s best known marathons. Pictures from the scene showed blood stains on the ground and several [...]
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Italian prosecutors turn their interest to Costa Concordia’s officers
TransportItalian prosecutors on Monday launched a case to put officers of the Costa Concordia on trial for the accident in which the giant cruise ship ran aground and capsized off the coast of Tuscany last year, killing 32 people. Prosecutors argued at a preliminary hearing that ex-captain Francesco Schettino should be tried on charges including [...]
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Costa accepts $1.3 million fine to avoid criminal charges in Concordia disaster
TransportCosta Cruises, the unit of Carnival Corp that owned and operated the capsized cruise liner Costa Concordia, has accepted a $1.31 million fine to settle potential criminal charges concerning last year’s deadly accident off the coast of Italy, a company spokesman said on Wednesday. Costa Cruises had been under investigation as the employer of the [...]
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Jersey Shore gets ready for the summer after Hurricane Sandy’s devastation
DestinationsAs the spring sun glinted off the Atlantic Ocean at the tiny resort town of Avon-by-the-Sea, a small brown and white dog raced gleefully down the empty beach.”He’s the only one getting anything done,” muttered a scowling hard-hat worker, frustrated over the pace of rebuilding the town’s boardwalk, which was demolished by Superstorm Sandy. The [...]
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New Jersey tourism had record year in 2012 even with Hurricane Sandy
DestinationsTourism demand in New Jersey reached record levels last year despite Hurricane Sandy disrupting the region and declines in the casino industry, according to a new tourism study published by the state on Wednesday. Visitor spending in New Jersey rose nearly 3 percent in 2012 and, along with capital investment and general government funding of [...]
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New Jersey governor wants to promote shore tourism with $25m marketing bill
DestinationsA new $25 million tourism marketing campaign could be coming to the Jersey Shore as part of the state’s recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy. Gov. Chris Christie has proposed devoting $25 million from federal disaster relief funding to promote storm-impacted businesses and shore communities. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which is responsible for [...]
