Online Features
Home Improvement
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Tips and tricks for a bigger-looking bath
Do you wish you had a bigger bathroom? Whether you're hoping to update the guest bath or the master suite, you can create a larger-looking bath without actually expanding your space. With a thorough cleaning and some space-expanding illusions, you'll be relaxed and rejuvenated in your new "bigger" bath in no time.
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The keys to an affordable home automation system
Recent advancements have made the prospect of affordable, advanced home-automation functions much more realistic for the average homeowner.
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When choosing an HVAC system, first consider your space and needs
When you're remodeling your home it seems that there's an endless list of design and decor choices to consider. At the end of the day, your decisions often revolve around helping your home put its best face forward.
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Keep drafts out and dollars in by weatherizing your home
Many homeowners expect their heating costs to rise as cold weather creeps around the corner. Contrary to popular belief, there are ways to keep your energy costs (and your thermostat) low during the winter.
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Boost your home's value: four projects with the most bang for your buck
No matter if the housing market is up or down, you always want to ensure home remodeling projects are wise investments. Luckily, according to Remodeling magazine's Cost vs. Value Report 2011-2012, there are several home improvement projects that will provide significant enjoyment to you now - and could recoup a majority ...
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Winterize your home in a weekend
Preparing for Jack Frost's arrival can send a shiver down any homeowner's spine. A long to-do list for getting your home ready can feel overwhelming, leaving you wondering where you'll find the time and resources. But, with some optimism, easy tips and access to a few rental tools, you can winterize your home in just one...
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Simple solutions for a ship-shape home
Everyone wants an immaculate home, but not everyone wants to spend their free time scrubbing and straightening. The reality revealed in a recent Good Housekeeping magazine study is that the average homeowner spends roughly 19 hours a week cleaning. Wish you could reclaim some of those precious hours? Follow these simple,...
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Homeowner's guide to spider control and spider bites [infographic]
Nobody enjoys seeing bugs in their homes, but none get a bigger reaction than spiders. Spiders are not insects, but arachnids, more closely related to scorpions, ticks, and mites. However creepy they seem, spiders are generally very beneficial since they keep insect populations under control indoors and outdoors. Even so, these creatures are unwelcome indoors and it is not difficult to keep them, and other insects, out of your home. Knowing more about spiders can help ease your fears and ...
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Why a little fall outdoor maintenance can go a long way
After spending the summer enjoying the outdoors, it can be a little bittersweet to get the deck and yard ready for the cooler days ahead. The good news is getting outdoor areas ready for winter doesn't have to be a time-consuming process.
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Winterizing your light sources: Window and skylight tips
Sunshine and summer go together like coconut and pineapple. Yet when winter arrives with shorter days and cooler temperatures, the amount of sun that enters your home can be more important than at any other time of year. It's important to prepare for winter by taking care of the portals that allow natural light into your...
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Simple steps to care for granite, marble and other natural stone
Natural stone is one of the most sought-after upgrades in a home. Providing both versatility and timeless beauty, it's no surprise that granite is the most popular natural stone option. Though very durable, the composition of stone can make it sensitive to damage through daily use. By understanding a few important do's a...
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Making a change - exterior renovations to boost curb appeal
Does your surburban neighborhood consist of mass-produced housing that lacks the originality and architectural appeal of classic styles? Adding personality and curb appeal to your split-level, ranch or colonial may be easier than you think.
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national news

Hagel takes part in a news conference on efforts to eliminate VA claims backlogs, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington(Reuters) - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called sexual assault a "scourge" on Saturday as he addressed graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where a sergeant stands accused of videotaping female cadets in the showers. "Sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military are a profound betrayal - a profound betrayal - of sacred oaths and sacred trusts," Hagel said. "This scourge must be stamped out." His comments came a day after President Barack Obama delivered a similar message to graduates at the U.S. ...


Sat May 25 09:32:33 UTC 2013

Veteran Smith leads members of Grand Army of Republic Post 88, Pittsburgh, and Armbrust Veterans and Civil War Re-enactors, for ceremony at graveside of Guibert, a Union Civil War drummer boy, in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaBy Jeffrey B. Roth PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - Fifty years after the Battle of Gettysburg, the bloodiest of the U.S. Civil War, a survivor of that fight marched 200 miles from Pittsburgh to the site of the battle for a reunion attended by both Union and Confederate veterans. On Sunday, another veteran, Jim Smith, 70, of Hempfield, Pennsylvania, will start out on the same trek as part of the observation of Memorial Day, when Americans honor their war dead. ...


Sat May 25 11:21:58 UTC 2013

Detroit's emergency financial manager Kevyn Orr talks to members of the media about the report he delivered to the State of Michigan about Detroit's finances, in DetroitBy Malia Mattoch McManus HONOLULU (Reuters) - The city of Detroit may be facing a deepening financial crisis but that hasn't stopped four trustees of its public pension funds from spending $22,000 of retirement system funds to attend a conference in Hawaii this week. The trip 4,500 miles west to a four-star resort on the world-famous Waikiki Beach in Honolulu doesn't sit well with the top officials now running Detroit's finances under an emergency order from the state of Michigan. ...


Sat May 25 07:08:06 UTC 2013
From William Ray Fullmer: "My nephew, Sgt. Derek Tillman Roberts, spilled his blood on the sands of Iraq to extend the right to live free to the people of the Middle East. On June 14, 2007, Derek was killed by a roadside bomb in Kirkuk, placed by those too cowardly to face him on the [...]
Fri May 24 13:55:25 UTC 2013