Ohio Statehouse ready for Halloween season tours

Ohio Statehouse ready for Halloween season tours

COLUMBUS

The Ohio Statehouse is preparing for its annual ghostly celebration of state history and legend.

Ticket sales are underway for the Haunted Statehouse tours, featuring staff members and costumed volunteers leading visitors on a family-friendly excursion through the state capital’s dimly lit limestone corridors.

This year’s event includes an updated tour route, new stories and what the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board calls “recently found evidence of paranormal activity” in the building.

Tours take place Fridays and Saturdays during the last two weekends of October. They depart every half hour between 7 and 9 p.m.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children under the age of 12 and must be pre-ordered. The event is considered appropriate for ages 9 and older.

Airline adds flights to ‘top college football markets’

ATLANTA

United Airlines says it’s adding more flights and using bigger planes this fall to carry passengers to college football games across the South and elsewhere in the U.S.

The Chicago-based airline says in a statement that the added seats will bring passengers to “top college football markets.”

United is adding flights to destinations that include the South Carolina cities of Columbia and Greenville; and Knoxville, Tenn. College Station, Texas; South Bend, Ind.; and State College, Pa., among others.

It will also use larger airplanes for destinations such as Birmingham, Ala.; Austin, Texas; and Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport.

United says it’s adding more than 204,000 total seats from September through November. The airline says that’s an average daily increase of 2,200 seats in the college football markets compared to 2017.

Houston Zoo black bears Belle, Willow get expanded exhibit

HOUSTON

North American black bears named Belle and Willow have more room to roam at the Houston Zoo.

The expanded exhibit opened in August and features the bears that arrived in Houston in 2013 after the cubs were founding rummaging for food behind a restaurant in California. Authorities believe the bears were orphaned and could be siblings.

The updated Houston Zoo complex means about 6,000 square feet of room for the black bears – triple the size of the previous site. The bears, at about 300 pounds each, also have three pools, more trees and two caves to enjoy.

Hoover Dam to cut back on tours during renovations

LAS VEGAS

Officials say there will be fewer Hoover Dam tours starting next month as work begins on renovations to the visitor center and guest elevators at the iconic structure.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the dam, announced recently that the construction will begin Oct. 1 and continue for about four months.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the primary visitor center exhibit and other attractions will remain open during the work, but only a limited power-plant tour will be offered during that period.

Leonard C. Schilling, area manager of the Lower Colorado Dams Office, said in a written statement that the tickets for the tour will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Associated Press