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Green Living
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Home tech: affordable and uncomplicated ideas to add enjoyment to your home
Did you know it's almost the year that Michael J. Fox went "back to the future?" While we don't have hover boards or flying cars, our innovations have changed drastically since 1985, especially when it comes to technology in the home. Now there are many affordable innovations that are simple to use and can add unique ben...
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How to 'green' your home in 48 hours
Our lives are more hectic than ever. With everyday maintenance tasks depleting your free time, you may think it's impossible to fit in bigger home improvement projects. It's time to change your mindset and re-evaluate your home improvement to-do list.
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Go green and save on heating with pellets
We've all been bombarded with the buzzwords: eco-friendly, renewable, green, sustainable - the list goes on. We turn off the lights, recycle and even swing by the local farmers market, but what else can we do? Are there any other practical solutions to help our environment? Maybe some that don't require solar panels or s...
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Great ways to 'green' your holiday season
With trees dressed in fall finery and homes adorned in holiday hues of silver, gold and red, fall and winter are colorful times. This year, why not "green" your holiday by adopting some eco-friendly traditions? From making holiday meals with organic ingredients to wrapping gifts in recycled paper, it's easy to find ways ...
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Become a produce professional: healthy eats from farm to family
Local. That's the buzzword when it comes to healthy eats these days. From the farm to the city, locally grown goods are keeping menus fresh and food lovers satisfied. This trend is on the rise in hot-spot restaurants around the nation and now it's never been easier to make fresh, culinary magic happen in your own home. H...
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Clean Water Act celebrates 40 years of water improvements
The Clean Water Act was established 40 years ago with the goal of protecting waterways and ensuring homes and offices receive clean drinking water. As the legislation marks its 40th anniversary, water officials and water consumers alike are looking back on the accomplishments and planning for new ways to continue water q...
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Green living project: Revamp your kitchen pantry to avoid waste and save money
For a basic green living project with benefits to your wallet and the environment, consider revamping the kitchen pantry. The cupboard is the starting point for most kitchen activity and is more than just a storage space. Develop good buying habits and build a strong foundation and you can avoid the waste of food and mon...
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Tips for a sustainable school year
Many of us are trying to live more sustainable lifestyles by wasting less, recycling more, and purchasing products made with recycled materials. What about our kids at school? Does back-to-school shopping - which doesn't really end when the kids are back to school - offer an opportunity to teach our kids a thing or two a...
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Three ways to give energy savings the green light in your home
"Red means stop, green means go" - we learn that axiom as children. When it comes to home energy costs, however, going green can help homeowners put a stop to runaway utility bills. And maximizing your home's use of natural light - call it "green lighting" - is a great way to boost your home's energy efficiency.
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Driving green for dummies: It's easier and cheaper than you think
Green driving is easier and more important than many people think. It's important because, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, highway vehicles account for 28 percent (1.5 billion tons) of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions each year. The good news is that you don't have to buy a new car or dramatically change y...
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Plumbing primer: The most important system behind your home's drywall
Do you know what's behind the drywall in your home? Typically, when builders construct a house, they conceal electrical wiring, air ducts, insulation, home networking wires and plumbing within the walls. It's important for all those systems to be well-made and high-functioning, but in the case of plumbing it's especially...
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Garden now to refresh your outdoor space for entertaining
This summer gardens and outdoor green spaces often look limp and lifeless due to lots of hot, sunny days and limited precipitation. No need to despair, just a few simple tips can help to rejuvenate any outdoor space well into fall - and be water-wise as well.
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national news

A tornado touches down southwest of Wichita, Kan. near the town of Viola on Sunday, May 19, 2013. The tornado was part of a line of storms that past through the central plains on Sunday. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Travis Heying)By Chris Francescani (Reuters) - A massive storm front swept north through the central United States on Sunday, hammering the region with fist-sized hail, blinding rain and tornadoes, including a half-mile wide twister that struck near Oklahoma City. News reports said at least one person had died. By 9:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, more than two dozen tornadoes had been spotted in parts of Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas and Illinois, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and local news reports. ...


Mon May 20 09:10:23 UTC 2013

Jodi Arias cries as she listens to Steven Alexander, brother of murder victim Travis Alexander, makes his victim impact statement to the jury in PhoenixPHOENIX (Reuters) - Jodi Arias, facing the possible death penalty for the murder of an ex-boyfriend in Arizona, was due back in court on Monday for the final phase of a four-month-long trial. Arias, 32, was found guilty of murdering Travis Alexander, whose body was found slumped in the shower of his Phoenix-area home five years ago. He had been stabbed multiple times, had his throat slashed and been shot in the face. The same jury that convicted Arias of murder, found last week she had acted with extreme cruelty and ruled her eligible for the death penalty. ...


Mon May 20 08:41:03 UTC 2013

A farm sits in the distance near a corn field in RedkeyBy Tom Polansek and Mark Weinraub SHERIDAN, Illinois (Reuters) - With the U.S. spring planting season off to a historically slow start, an increasing number of farmers are counting on powerful tools to catch up: Monster machines that sow 36 rows of corn at once and feature high-tech innovations like computer-guided directional equipment. The technological wizardry from companies like Deere & Co and AGCO Corp is pitted in a frantic race against time, with farmers scrambling to get seeds in the ground because a slow start depresses yields and reduces the size of their harvest. ...


Mon May 20 06:04:59 UTC 2013
Less than a week after a string of tornadoes killed six people in north Texas, a massive storm system that tore through the center of the country on Sunday spawned at least a dozen tornadoes, killed at least one person, injured a dozen others and caused extensive damage from Georgia to Minnesota. A tornado at [...]
Mon May 20 08:28:31 UTC 2013