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Save time and money with easy DIY auto maintenance tips
(BPT) - Vehicles are a big investment for families – usually the second highest valued item in a household after the home itself. While the purchase price for cars, trucks and SUVs keeps going up, the cost of maintenance is holding steady or even dropping for most vehicles. Better materials, sophisticated computers and ...
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Naval ROTC pays for college and guarantees a career following graduation
(BPT) - College students interested in the Navy can focus on their academic careers while eliminating much of the financial burden of paying for school. With more than 160 colleges and universities across the United States offering Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) programs, students have many opportunities ...
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Warm-weather entertaining made easy with expert tips and recipes
(BPT) - Warmer temperatures often mean a busier social calendar. So whether you’re planning a meal to enjoy al fresco, or whipping up a sweet treat for a neighborhood block party, it’s a great time of year to experiment in the kitchen. But when you’re trying out a new recipe, do you hesitate when it calls for certain i...
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Stretching your summer entertaining dollars
(BPT) - Warm weather is “special occasion” season. Whatever your event – a wedding, graduation party, family reunion or July 4th fete – summer celebrations have one important thing in common. Everyone wants to get the most bang for their buck. Fortunately, from renting tables and chairs and other needed items, to do-...
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DIY for your IRA: What you should know about self-directing
Ups and downs in the current market and recent corporate and banking scandals have prompted many people to seek ways to have more control over their retirement funds. Self-directed IRAs allow consumers to use their knowledge and expertise to invest in assets beyond stocks, bonds and mutual funds. While self-directed IRA...
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Simple steps to a healthier heart
(BPT) - For millions of Americans, the battle against heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions goes on year round. About 600,000 people die from heart disease in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , making heart disease the leading cause of death for both m...
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Flip-flop fans: Hard, cold facts about your favorite hot weather footwear
(BPT) - It’s easy to understand why we all love flip-flops: They’re cute and comfy, keep your feet cool in warm weather, and are great for showing off that fab pedicure you just got. But no matter how much you adore your flip-flops, they shouldn’t be all-occasion footwear. Sometimes, they can lead to sore feet or even s...
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Father's Day gift ideas to make Dad feel like a king
(BPT) - You need to come up with the perfect Father’s Day gift this year. But combing through the vast array of items on his wish list can be a challenge. Here are some great ideas to make your selection easier - and make any dad feel like the king he truly is. For on-the-go dad Whether he’s hiking in the mountains, h...
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Aging-in-place upgrades that look great and make sense
(BPT) - Do the words “aging in place” and “home improvement” conjure images of institutional-looking grab bars in bathrooms and overhead kitchen lights that could illuminate an airport runway? Many people eschew certain types of home improvements for the same reason others refuse to wear hearing aids – the negative conn...
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Fun tips for fantastic family vacations
(BPT) - Family vacations are always a great time for family bonding and exploring new places. With some careful planning, the trip can be packed full of fun from the minute you lock the front door to the minute you arrive back home, exhausted and ready to share stories of your adventures with friends and family. Travel...
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Tips to navigate the real estate landscape and find the perfect home
(BPT) - For most Americans your home is the biggest ticket item you will ever purchase. It’s no wonder that people can take months, and sometimes even years, to find the perfect home. When you walk into a house that’s on the market, many times the homeowner or real estate agent has “staged” it to ensure that you focus o...
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Take advantage of tax credits to stretch home improvement dollars
(BPT) - Warm weather heralds home improvement season. It’s also the season of high electric bills as air conditioners hum to life in response to rising temperatures across the country. When you’re making summer upgrades to your home, improvements that make your house more livable and attractive are even more rewarding w...
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By David Schwartz PHOENIX (Reuters) - The foreman of an Arizona jury that deadlocked over whether Jodi Arias should be put to death for murdering her ex-boyfriend believes she was mentally abused, but said on Friday that had not been enough to excuse her crime. Arias, a former waitress from California, was found guilty this month of murdering Travis Alexander, whose body was found slumped in the shower of his Phoenix-area home in June 2008. He had been stabbed 27 times, had his throat slashed and been shot in the face. ...
By Joanne von Alroth SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (Reuters) - The Illinois House of Representatives on Friday voted overwhelmingly to allow residents to carry concealed guns, taking the state one step closer to joining all others in allowing some form of carrying guns in public. Illinois is the only state in the nation to ban most people from carrying a concealed gun outside the home. Lawmakers acted on Friday after a federal appeals court in January struck down the ban, saying it violated the right to bear arms enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. ...
By Elaine Porterfield MOUNT VERNON, Washington (Reuters) - A bridge collapse that sent cars and drivers plunging into the frigid Skagit River in Washington state, raising concerns about the safety of the nation's aging infrastructure, was caused when a truck crashed into at least one girder, officials said on Friday. The truck, after the accident, rumbled across the bridge safely before a portion of the structure collapsed, sending two vehicles and a mass of concrete and steel into the river on Thursday evening. Three people had to be rescued, officials said. ...