Online Features
Lawn & Garden
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Sure-grow guidance for first-time gardeners
(BPT) - Each year, thousands of first-timers will join the millions of seasoned gardeners who already know the satisfaction of picking a perfect tomato at its peak, serving up salads from greens just grown right outside the back door, or harvesting home-grown peppers and specialty herbs never even seen at the grocery st...
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Repairing a damaged mailbox starts with setting the post
There are about 52 million curbside mailboxes in the United States, according to the United States Postal Service. Unfortunately, many of these mailboxes face damage caused by inclement weather, inattentive drivers or other unexpected incidents that can make mail delivery more challenging. While it is unrealistic to thi...
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Five budget-friendly outdoor living space solutions
(BPT) - As summer approaches, you’re probably dreaming of a luxurious outdoor retreat ideal for al fresco lunches, cookouts with friends or lazy afternoons spent sunbathing. While you also may be wondering if this project fits within your budget, it is possible to construct a completely customized outdoor oasis without ...
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Garden detective: Clues to determine and deter unwanted animals in your yard and garden
(BPT) - Holmes and Watson, Riggs and Murtaugh, Starsky and Hutch – when it comes to sleuthing out just what critter is munching on your spring garden, you may feel like your partnership with Mother Nature is as contentious as any that ever graced the big, or small screen. After all, how are you supposed to fight the “cr...
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Help your landscape defeat the heat and thrive this season
(BPT) - Most of us have heard the rhyme “April showers bring May flowers." While April has traditionally been a rainy period, giving way to the start of spring growth and colors, this coming season also could bring stifling heat that scorches landscapes or results in on-going water shortages. After more than two-thirds ...
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Making the perfect outdoor living space in your backyard
(BPT) - As the weather begins to warm and the daylight hours get longer, your yard can quickly become the most important “room” of your home. However, you aren’t alone if your backyard looks outdated and lackluster. Weather conditions can be tough on outdoor areas, but with a few simple updates, you can create the perfe...
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Lawn care 101: Dig into spring with tips for a lush lawn
(BPT) - Having a well-kept lawn not only will keep you in your neighbors’ good graces, it also adds value to your home. Lawn care doesn’t need to be complicated, but sometimes it just needs to be done. Whether you’re a new homeowner or just looking for smarter ways to mow, seed or weed, the experts at The Home Depot ...
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Deck DIY: Five tips to upgrade your outdoor living space for summer
(BPT) - From grilling and dining to simply relaxing, your home’s deck is frequently the center of family life during warm weather months. That’s why there’s no better time to give your outdoor living space the upgrade it deserves. Whether you’re building a dream deck from scratch – or sprucing up an existing space – he...
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Warmer weather home updates that are easy on your wallet
(BPT) - As the weather turns warmer, most of us are experiencing cabin fever, anxious to escape to the outdoors. But has the harsh winter weather put a damper on your outdoor spaces? Don’t fret. You can easily spruce up your exteriors with a few easy and inexpensive home improvement projects. Here are a few fast fixes t...
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Green gardening tools and techniques that really work
Americans have embraced recycling and are enthusiastic about cleaner energy sources. Yet when it comes to caring for their outdoor environment, many people still use less earth-friendly tools and techniques. So what’s standing in the way of Americans going green in their gardens and landscapes? One answer may be the co...
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Set yourself up for the perfect season of outdoor entertaining
(BPT) - As temperatures warm, many of us can’t wait to get outside and rediscover the joys of our outdoor spaces. One of the best ways to ensure the enjoyment of your space all season long is with some spring cleaning and upkeep of your yard and outdoor living spaces. There are a few spring cleaning projects that benef...
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Tips for creating a greener outdoor living space
(BPT) - Outdoor living spaces remain a popular home improvement, but while you’re planning your patio or prepping your planting beds do you consider the impact these improvements might have on the environment? Creating a great outdoor space can be even more satisfying when you take steps to make your project as “green” ...
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national news

A plug is seen coming from the Chevrolet Volt electric car during the North American International Auto Show in DetroitBy Bernie Woodall and Karen Pierog DETROIT (Reuters) - Bond restructurings, negotiated settlements with bondholders and bond insurers, and tough talk with unionized workers are on the agenda as Detroit's emergency financial manager tries to meet a self-imposed, six-week deadline to decide whether the city can get through its financial crisis without a bankruptcy filing. Kevyn Orr, a former bankruptcy lawyer, in his first report to the state of Michigan since Governor Rick Snyder appointed him, laid out last week a bracing picture of steps he may need to take to address the city's troubles. ...


Sun May 19 15:52:49 UTC 2013

The winning Powerball number is shown after being drawn at the Florida Lottery studio in TallahasseeBy Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - A single winning ticket for a record Powerball lottery jackpot worth $590.5 million was sold in Florida, organizers said late on Saturday, but there was no immediate word about who won one of the largest jackpots in U.S. history. The winning numbers from Saturday night's drawing were: 10, 13, 14, 22 and 52, with a Powerball number of 11. The odds of winning were put at 1 in 175 million. The winning ticket was sold at a Publix supermarket in Zephyrhills, a suburb of Tampa, according to the Florida Lottery. ...


Sun May 19 11:23:19 UTC 2013
By Anna Hiatt NEW YORK (Reuters) - Greenwich Village, the birthplace of the U.S. gay rights movement, remained in shock on Sunday over the shooting death of a gay man by a gunman who police said uttered anti-gay slurs before targeting the victim. Mark Carson, 32, was shot dead in Greenwich Village around midnight on Friday in what police are calling a hate crime. Others say it could be a backlash against the recent advance of gay marriage laws across the United States. ...
Sun May 19 17:07:28 UTC 2013
A series of 16 violent tornadoes ransacked north Texas this week, killing six people and flattening entire neighborhoods. Seven people who were reported missing early Friday morning have now been accounted for, but the storms aren't over yet. Severe thunderstorms are expected late Friday in Alabama and Mississippi, and the Plains and the Midwest face [...]
Fri May 17 19:53:22 UTC 2013