Right now the weather is warm and pleasant, but before you know it, temperatures will cool off and there will be snow on the ground.  Not only is now a good time to check your furnace and seal up the cracks around windows and doors, you should get your car ready for winter as well.  The colder months ahead can really take their toll on your vehicle, especially if you live up north or in ... [full story]

With escalating energy costs and rising prices for home improvement projects, everyone is looking for ways to conserve and cut costs without breaking the bank on the initial investment.  Adding a simple storm door may be the answer.  Storm products will cut heating and cooling costs, and are an economical alternative to total replacement.  Many are eligible for a new tax credit offered this year and next.   Larson Manufacturing, the country's largest maker of storm ... [full story]

It seems like there’s a new headline every day about another stolen laptop, a hacker attack or a lost data tape. And the impact of these incidents is widespread. One organization estimates that over 91 million data records of U.S. residents have been exposed due to security breaches since February 2005. You may have received a notification letter, in which an organization alerts you to the fact that your personal information has been exposed. After ... [full story]

For any woman to fully understand her body, she needs to be aware of the impact that hormones can have on every phase of her development. The brain releases many different hormones which can cause internal and external changes to your body, mood and appearance, particularly during puberty, pregnancy and menopause. While each phase presents itself with unique side effects, there are some that are surprisingly common to all three. Here’s a guide to understanding ... [full story]

It’s probably the most important relationship a child has outside the family and it begins anew every single year. “The connection between a child and a teacher is a big one and it can affect everyone in the family,” says Randy Copas, vice president for residential services with Starr Commonwealth, a non-profit organization serving troubled youth and families headquartered in Michigan. “The time to begin that relationship is long before the first parent/teacher conference.” Copas, ... [full story]

The colorful season of fall is almost upon us. But before we can sit back and enjoy the changing leaves and cooler climate, there are a number of fall fix-up projects that every homeowner should consider in order to prepare for the ensuing months of winter. From weather stripping windows, to sweeping out the chimney, in addition to completing routine maintenance on your home it’s also a good time to take a look inside and ... [full story]

After a heat-- and drought-ridden summer in most areas of the country, it’s not unusual to see plenty of bare and brown spots in the lawn. With fall upon us, now is the ideal time of year to rid lawns of those bare spots by reseeding or planting new grass seed to ensure a full and lush lawn for next year. The first step to reseeding a lawn is to loosen the soil, removing any ... [full story]

It's that time again -– time to make health benefits decisions for the year ahead. If you have health benefits through your employer, this likely means you. When it comes to Open Enrollment, the time typically from October to December when many people have the opportunity to re-evaluate health benefits for the year ahead, where do you even start? A new guide, “Navigating Your Health Benefits For Dummies,” can help. Even if you don’t have ... [full story]

Alongside doctors, surgeons, pathologists, and lab technicians, another team of dedicated hospital personnel makes a big difference in saving people’s lives. Histotechnology professionals play an important part in the diagnosis of illnesses and treatment of patients, and with more medical facilities available around the world, the need for well-trained histologists continues to grow. What is histotechnology? Histologists are responsible for performing complex procedures for processing tissue. They also prepare slides of tissue for examination, and ... [full story]

The City of Bend is launching its new transit system at the end of September. After years of planning, the City of Bend is making the vision of a public transit service into a reality. The city’s new Bend Area Transit (BAT) service will begin passenger routes Wednesday, September 27.  Riders will ride free during BAT’s inaugural week -- September 27 through October 3.An official ribbon cutting ceremony will take place the day before the ... [full story]