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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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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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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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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Spring fling must-haves
(BPT) - Spring provides the perfect opportunity to host a party and show off all of the hard work you’ve put into your lawn and garden. Before your first guest arrives, make sure you have made all the preparations for your blooms to blossom, your garden to grow and your outdoor space to be pest free. There’s nothing li...
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national news
Hofstra student killed by police during break-in

In this photo copied from the 2010 Sleepy Hollow High School yearbook, high school student Andrea Rubello is shown. Police said Rubello, a junior at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., was shot and killed Friday, May 17, 2013, during a break-in near the college campus. (AP Photo/Sleepy Hollow High School)In what police are describing as a crime of opportunity, a wanted man with a criminal history dating nearly 15 years entered a front door that had been left open at a New York home near Hofstra University.


Sun May 19 01:08:09 UTC 2013
$590M-plus Powerball: 1 winning ticket sold in Fla.

A woman prepares to choose her numbers on a lottery ticket Saturday, May 18, 2013, in the Chinatown district in Oakland, Calif. A record Powerball jackpot has climbed to $600 million, and lottery officials speculated the jackpot would continue to soar in the run-up to Saturday’s drawing. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)It's all about the odds, and one single ticket in Florida has beaten them all by matching all the numbers to win the highest Powerball jackpot in history at an estimated $590.5 million, lottery officials said early Sunday.


Sun May 19 00:58:50 UTC 2013
Medical emergency eyed in Va. parade crash

Emergency personnel respond to one of the people hit by a car, at right, during the beginning of the Hikers Parade at the Trail Days festival in Damascus, Va., Saturday, May 18, 2013. Witnesses said the car drove into a crowd at the parade and hurt several people, but the nature of their injuries wasn't immediately known. (AP Photo/Bristol Herald Courier, Earl Neikirk)Witnesses described a frantic scene and close calls after an elderly driver plowed into dozens of hikers marching in a small Virginia mountain town's parade.


Sun May 19 01:19:10 UTC 2013