New music fest planned for Churchill Downs

New music fest planned for Churchill Downs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby, will become a stomping ground for some of the country’s best-known musicians next summer.

The three-day music festival will feature more than 65 bands, including Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, and the Dave Matthews Band.

Officials with Churchill Downs Inc., the parent company of the racetrack, said the festival is called “HullabaLOU” and is set for July 23-25. It will feature classic rock, county, adult contemporary and bluegrass musicians on five stages throughout the sprawling 147-acre facility. It is envisioned to be an annual event.

Restrictions recommended to stem bat disease

ALBANY, N.Y. — Federal wildlife officials hoping to check the spread of a disease killing hibernating bats in Eastern states are recommending steps that states farther west should take if “white-nose syndrome” strikes.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently sent recommendations to state and federal land management agencies in Ohio and several other states outlining precautions for hibernation caves or mines hit by white-nose. They recommend closing affected caves, with a possible exception for researchers. They also recommend research-only access for caves within 75 miles of an affected site.

White-nose is estimated to have killed more than a million bats in nine states since it was first noticed in New York in 2006. The syndrome is named for the sugary smudges of fungus on the noses and wings of affected bats.

Budget carrier pulls out of regional UK airport

LONDON — Low-cost airline easyJet PLC says it is closing its operations at a regional British airport and cutting capacity at its home base of London’s Luton airport by 20 percent.

The airline will cease operations at East Midlands Airport on Jan. 5. The airline operated 10 routes from East Midlands Airport — to Prague, Nice, Venice, Faro, Barcelona, Alicante, Malaga, Ibiza, Palma and Geneva.

Passengers booked to travel after Jan. 5 will be offered either a free transfer to another easyJet flight or a refund.

The 20 percent capacity reduction at Luton means the airline will cease to operate routes to Athens, Cagliari and Vienna, and reduce frequencies on routes including Alicante, Dortmund, Edinburgh, Geneva, Glasgow, Nice and Paris.

Magazine ceases print edition; Web site goes on

NEW YORK — National Geographic Adventure magazine has ceased publication of its print edition.

The magazine’s December-January issue will be its last, though the brand’s Web site will continue.

“Given the current advertising environment and the opportunities we see in emerging digital platforms, we think the time is right to transition the Adventure brand,” John Griffin, president of National Geographic’s magazine group, said in a statement.

The magazine’s ad pages plummeted 44 percent in the first nine months of 2009 compared with the same period in 2008, according to data from the Publishers Information Bureau.

The National Geographic Society, based in Washington, also publishes its flagship magazine, National Geographic, as well as National Geographic Kids and National Geographic Traveler.

Pacific War Museum expands gallery

FREDERICKSBURG, Texas — The National Museum of the Pacific War has expanded its George H.W. Bush Gallery with new multimedia exhibits, testimonials and artifacts about the conflict in Asia during World War II.

In-depth exhibits include a look at the impact and destruction of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Among the artifacts on display is an HA-19, one of five Japanese two-man submarines that took part in the attack.

The opening of the new space was timed to coincide with the 68th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks on Dec. 7. The dedication was attended by the former president for whom the gallery is named.

Bush, who lives in Houston, is a World War II naval aviator who survived being shot down by the Japanese over the Pacific.

About 4,000 people attended the ceremony.

The $15.5 million museum expansion had been planned for about a decade.

For more information, visit www.nimitz-museum.org.

Associated Press