Tuesday, March 19

Month: January 2015

Tall Metal Fences Cause Controversy in San Diego School District
Local

Tall Metal Fences Cause Controversy in San Diego School District

When the residents of San Diego take their children to school in the morning, some feel as though they are driving up to a prison. According to U-T San Diego, the San Diego Unified School District has been constructing chain-linked and metal fences around its schools and facilities for months. The impetus behind the construction occurred nearly two years ago immediately following the shooting in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in which 20 children and six staff members were killed. Concerned parents, staff members, and school board lobbied the school district to implement stronger security measures to prevent something like that happening in San Diego. Still, the new security measures are not without its detractors. "I hate the way it looks, like a cage or somet...
Unreliable Childcare Holds South Korean Women Back
Business

Unreliable Childcare Holds South Korean Women Back

Childcare is a necessary but expensive service for many working parents in the United States, who often assume 90% of daycare costs. However, as difficult as finding a reputable and affordable care provider can be, growing trends like corporate childcare are slowly making this process easier for many. This fact stands in sharp contrast to countries like South Korea, where a shortage of dependable childcare is forcing many women to give up their careers. Like many countries, South Korea is a patriarchal society, where most executive positions are held by men and stay-at-home moms are idealized. But this northeast Asian nation is also the fastest-aging developed country in the world, with the working-age population expected to begin declining next year. With this possibility on the horizon,...
Five Frozen, Family-Friendly Activities Across Vermont That Will Get You Outdoors
Local

Five Frozen, Family-Friendly Activities Across Vermont That Will Get You Outdoors

It's estimated that during the last few decades, the amount of time kids spend playing outdoors has decreased by as much as 90%. Throughout the winter months, the amount of outdoor play time children have is likely reduced even more, while the time they spend in front of a TV or computer screen goes up. Surprisingly, it can be easier than you might think for you and your family to combat the winter woes. And by encouraging your kids to get outside, they might discover that they love the snow more than they think! So this winter, strap on your snow boots and step out into the cold to enjoy these great family-friendly wintertime activities taking place all across Vermont: Try out Vermont's world-class ice fishing On Saturday, Jan. 31, ice-fishing a-fish-ionados will be able to legally ic...
San Diego Urgent Care Center Closes Temporarily After Possible Measles Case
Local

San Diego Urgent Care Center Closes Temporarily After Possible Measles Case

Urgent care centers are an important resource for many Americans, providing affordable and convenient medical care for a variety of non-life-threatening conditions. However, doctors often remind patients that in the event of a serious injury or illness, they should instead seek help at a hospital emergency room. The importance of this warning was recently illustrated in San Diego, when a patient with a suspected case of the measles mistakenly sought treatment at an urgent care clinic. On Monday, January 19. the Sharp Rees-Stealy Rancho Bernardo Urgent Care clinic tweeted that it was closed due to a suspected case of measles. All other departments at the location remained open. According to a clinic spokesperson, the unidentified patient came into the urgent care center before 10:30, seek...
Study Shows Marketers Spending More Time and Money on Social Media
Business

Study Shows Marketers Spending More Time and Money on Social Media

Today, the average small- or medium-sized business likely has a number of questions about how to promote itself on and offline. These questions might include "what is SEO marketing?" or "how can I use the internet to succeed in the real world?" Increasingly, companies who are asking these questions are finding answers in social media: several recent reports suggest that social media marketing will increase significantly over the next four years. After surveying more than 5,000 marketers, the cloud computing company Salesforce found that 70% of their respondents planned to boost their social media spending in 2015. Meanwhile, Forrester Research, an independent research company, predicted that social media marketing will hit $9.7 billion in the United States this year, eventually reaching $...
Baton Rouge Man Proposes to Fiance at the Louisiana Marathon Finish Line
Lifestyle

Baton Rouge Man Proposes to Fiance at the Louisiana Marathon Finish Line

In a time where many people run away from marriage, one Baton Rouge resident did the exact opposite. He, quite literally, ran towards it. Ben Randow, 41, proposed to his fiance at the Louisiana Half Marathon in Baton Rouge on January 18th. Randow, a chef, lagged behind his girlfriend, Davina Witte, as they were both approaching the finish line. Witte, 39, noticed that Randow was fidgeting with his running belt. "We were holding hands, and he stopped short," she said. The couple has run many races together, and always make a habit of holding hands as they're about to finish a race. Randow usually finishes the race before her, so he goes back to Witte's position and crosses the finish line with her, hand-in-hand. This time, however, Randow went one step further -- as it were. After the t...
Houston Sees Greatest Number of Master-Planned Homes Sold in 2014
Business

Houston Sees Greatest Number of Master-Planned Homes Sold in 2014

Houston, Texas, has topped a nationwide list of cities with the most master-planned home sales in 2014, with a total of seven of the state's communities making the cut. Yet the top seller overall was Florida, with over 2,600 sales in one community alone. John Burns Real Estate Consulting, based in Irving, California, releases a list each year of the 20 top-selling master-planned communities in the United States. Last year, around 13,200 of these types of homes were sold throughout the country. The top developer went to Houston-based Johnson Development Corp., which is behind three of the top sellers: Riverstone, Woodforest and Cross Creek Ranch. Fourteen other developers besides Johnson Development made the list. However, sales in Florida also ranked high. The Villages, developed by Vil...
Companies Draw Criticism After Using “Je Suis Charlie” in Their Marketing Campaigns
Business

Companies Draw Criticism After Using “Je Suis Charlie” in Their Marketing Campaigns

If you run your own business, hiring an SEO company or online marketing firm to help direct your internet advertising campaigns likely seems like an obvious choice. These agencies are experts in search engine optimization, enabling them to help companies like yours improve their Google rankings and attract new customers with compelling content. But how would you feel about this choice if you knew that your SEO company was using a country's tragic event to help brand your business? In the past, this controversial strategy has used events like the bombing of the Boston Marathon in 2013 or the Ebola epidemic to sell products and draw attention. Now, a number of businesses have reportedly begun using the Charlie Hebdo terror attacks in France for commercial gain. But does the Charlie Hebdo mov...
Florida Teen Won’t Be Charged After Posing as a Doctor for an Entire Month
Business

Florida Teen Won’t Be Charged After Posing as a Doctor for an Entire Month

A Florida teen will not face charges after posing as a doctor in a hospital -- for an entire month. According to CBS Miami, the 17-year-old pretended to be an anesthesiologist at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach. According to the incident report, the teen wore a white coat with the St. Mary's logo on it and a stethoscope around his neck. What's really alarming about the incident is that is points to a weakness in hospital security -- and to the potential for dangerous consequences for patients and the hospital. If the teen had caused any injuries, there may have been the potential for a medical malpractice lawsuit -- the median damage award of which is $600,000. "If there are no damages it is hard to say that there is actual negligence," says an Attorney from Tapella &...
The Newest Trend in Patio Construction: the Patio Planter
Lifestyle

The Newest Trend in Patio Construction: the Patio Planter

Home-grown vegetables are never a bad thing -- but for many American homeowners who live in urban areas, starting up a garden hasn't really been a feasible option. Until now. Recently, more and more homeowners have been taking advantage of the patio planter -- a raised container filled with soil that can produce a bountiful harvest of veggies year-round and is never more than a few steps away from the kitchen. According to a December 9 Mother Nature Network article, raised patio planters can either be pre-bought, or you can make one yourself. Their elevated surface makes gardening easier for people with back or joint problems, who would otherwise have trouble bending down. Patio planters allow homeowners to extend their gardening season. Because the planter's soil warms up fast...