Online Features
Lawn & Garden
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Easy solutions to backyard problems so gardeners can focus on fun
(BPT) - For time-stretched gardeners who prefer to enjoy their backyards rather than work in them, several new products make outdoor living easier. Each offers a thoughtful solution to a common outdoor living problem, providing time-saving help to gardeners, gadget geeks and all who love to focus on fun outdoors.  * ...
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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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national news
Search for Okla. survivors winding down

Danielle Stephan holds boyfriend Thomas Layton as they pause between salvaging through the remains of a family member's home one day after a tornado devastated the town Moore, OklahomaOfficials are confident they've accounted for everyone caught in the twister.


Wed May 22 05:27:27 UTC 2013
College costs could go up, thanks to Washington

Jeffrey Canas, of Union City, holds up a sign at Rutgers University's football stadium in Piscataway, N.J., Sunday, May 19, 2013, during graduation ceremonies. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)For a talented, creative few, there’s David Letterman. For most, there’s a labyrinth of paperwork, hard decisions and painful sacrifices that could have dramatic repercussions on their financial health decades from now. Paying for college in America is hard. And a fight may be brewing in Washington that could leave college grads paying more—maybe a [...]


Wed May 22 03:47:12 UTC 2013
Immigration bill heads to full Senate

FILE - In this May 20, 2013 file photo, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., left, confers with Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., center, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., as the Senate Judiciary Committee assembled to work on a landmark immigration bill to secure the border and offer citizenship to millions, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Leading senators working on immigration legislation reached a compromise Tuesday on the details of an expanded high-tech visa program, officials said as the Senate Judiciary Committee neared completion of its work on the measure. At the same time, several officials said the White House has made it known to Leahy that it would prefer postponing a showdown over the rights of same sex spouses until a vote in the full Senate. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — A far-reaching bill to remake the nation's immigration system is headed to the full Senate, where tough battles are brewing on gay marriage, border security and other contentious issues, with the outcome impossible to predict.


Wed May 22 01:28:18 UTC 2013