Thursday, March 28

Month: January 2015

Alleged Marijuana Trafficker Operated From Storage Units
Business

Alleged Marijuana Trafficker Operated From Storage Units

A California man was arrested in North Carolina last week after law enforcement found over 30 pounds of marijuana hidden in self-storage units across the state. Takaaki Ishibashi was arrested on January 16th and is being held on $2 million bond. The ordeal began on January 13th, when agents from the Homeland Security Investigations Task Force intercepted a package en route to a storage unit in Mooresville, North Carolina. The package was addressed to a Nathan Yong, of Dallas, with a return address of Long Beach, California. It contained approximately seven pounds of marijuana sealed inside metal cans. The mailing information was found to be incorrect, and investigators were unable to identify a suspect from the information. An additional 3.5 pounds of marijuana were seized from the storag...
Republican Lawmakers’ Annual Retreat is in Hershey This Year
Business

Republican Lawmakers’ Annual Retreat is in Hershey This Year

Before Republican lawmakers get to work this year, there's just one thing left to do: take a retreat. The annual retreat, which is actually a three-day conference for the purpose of establishing policy agenda and planning for achieving goals in the coming year, will take place in Hershey, PA. Republicans in both the House and the Senate are attending the retreat this year, which hasn't happened in 10 years. The topics on this year's retreat agenda are expected to be the Affordable Care Act, immigration, budget issues, and transportation. The group is staying at the Hershey Lodge, which is one of Hersheypark's official resorts. The resort also boasts three swimming pools and a few full-service restaurants. The resort, which is a couple of hours outside of Washington, D.C., gives lawmakers...
DC-Area Frozen Yogurt Franchisee Files Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
Business

DC-Area Frozen Yogurt Franchisee Files Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

A franchisee of frozen yogurt chain Pinkberry that owns several franchise locations around the Washington, DC area has filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy. According to the Washington Business Journal, Pinkberry Mid-Atlantic LLC listed debts totaling more than $1.2 million, with assets of more than $820,000, in its bankruptcy filing. The franchisee is controlled by Stavros Roberts who, along with attorney John Goetz, filed the Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition on December 26 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Pinkberry Mid-Atlantic currently operates locations in Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Arlington, Fairfax, Tysons Corner, Gainesville and National Harbor. The franchisee's store in Leesburg closed earlier in 2014. Unlike a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which allows ...
The Newest Trend in Teeth Whitening Is More Dangerous Than It Appears
Lifestyle

The Newest Trend in Teeth Whitening Is More Dangerous Than It Appears

The latest cosmetic trend across the country -- and even in countries across the globe -- is to achieve the absolute whitest teeth that a little bit of money, hydrogen peroxide, and some DIY creativity can buy. In fact, Americans alone spend about $1.4 billion annually on teeth whitening products and treatments, which is 300% more than what the country spent on teeth whitening products in 1996. This trend, dubbed "bleachorexia" by dentists today, isn't just becoming extremely expensive; it's actually causing some serious dental problems for countless patients who have become obsessed with whitening their teeth. Similar to other obsessions about one's physical appearance, "bleachorexia" appears to be more of a psychological obsessive disorder, sometimes requiring invention by a dental pr...
High Teen Pregnancy Rates in Some U.S. Counties Present Challenges for State, Local Agencies
Lifestyle

High Teen Pregnancy Rates in Some U.S. Counties Present Challenges for State, Local Agencies

While teen pregnancies are down overall in the United States, hitting record lows since the early 1990s, some areas of the country are experiencing higher teen birth rates than state and national averages. But concerned citizens from schools, teen pregnancy centers, and government agencies are putting their heads together to figure out how to curb the trend -- and support the young women who have already given birth. In Ector County, Texas, where the city of Odessa is the county seat, there are 87.41 teen births per 1,000 -- a number that outpaces those for the state by two-to-one, and for the country by about three-to-one. Officials from school programs and the health department met on Friday, Jan. 9 to discuss potential solutions to the growing problem. The gathering, held in the Mesa ...
Designers Say Feathers Are Becoming a Popular Decorating Trend
Lifestyle

Designers Say Feathers Are Becoming a Popular Decorating Trend

Interior decorating is a field in which both professional designers and homeowners can let their imaginations take flight. By taking cues from classic architecture, couture, art, and more, it is possible to incorporate one's personal style into everything from the furniture to bay window treatments. Recently, however, designers have noticed decorating trends focusing on one thing in particular: feathers. Feathers are known for their natural beauty and wide variety, making them a quirky but appealing home decorating choice. The trend began appearing in fashion and home design in the fall, but is now shaping a number of spring collections as well. “In recent years, we've seen a big resurgence of nature influencing design, feathers definitely being part of it,” Christina McCombs, an interio...
Noting 2013-2014 Winter Losses, Shipping Companies Advocate for More Icebreakers in Great Lakes Region
Business

Noting 2013-2014 Winter Losses, Shipping Companies Advocate for More Icebreakers in Great Lakes Region

The cost of shipping large items may be more affordable than ever before, thanks to plummeting oil and gas prices across the world, but there's another major factor that is stalling the shipping industry in the U.S.: weather. According to recent reports, the Great Lakes -- which provide affordable water transportation options for countless shipping and travel services -- experienced such freezing temperatures during the winter of 2013-2014, that the U.S. shipping industry was forced into a standstill. Overall, experts note, the industry experienced over $705 million worth of economic losses, as well as 4,000 individual jobs lost, due to the frozen lakes. This season, the Lake Carriers' Association (LCA) is working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard to avoid such trouble during the current...
Experts Weigh in on Google’s Self-Driving Car: How Will It Affect Auto Accident Cases and Insurance Policies?
Lifestyle

Experts Weigh in on Google’s Self-Driving Car: How Will It Affect Auto Accident Cases and Insurance Policies?

Watch out, California commuters: Google has received approval to test its "fully functional" self-driving car prototype on Bay Area public roads at the start of 2015. The tiny two-seat vehicle resembles a Smart Car and follows routes according to Google Maps, mainly in suburban office parks and downtown streets. Yet experts are divided on whether or not this innovation will be a good thing in the long run. Ratna Amin, director of transportation policy at San Francisco-based urban advocacy group SPUR, predicts that the cars could mean good things for consumers and city transportation systems alike. "I can imagine these cars starting in closed, campus environments, or cordoned-off test areas with low-speed roads where the risk of collision, injury or death is much lower," Amin said, but ...
Pediatric Pain Clinics Help Children Deal With Chronic Pain
Lifestyle

Pediatric Pain Clinics Help Children Deal With Chronic Pain

One and a half billion people around the world suffer from chronic pain, but an alarming trend is that more and more of them are children. In the United States alone, the number of children who were admitted to a hospital due to chronic pain grew by over 830% in just six years. The good news is that pediatric pain rehabilitation centers, like the one at Boston Children's Hospital, are helping kids find peace with their pain. According to the Boston Globe, there are now more than 30 pediatric pain centers in the United States, which all help children manage pain. They offer treatments and services like acupuncture, biofeedback training, sleep specialists, and exercise facilities. Boston Children's Hospital is the first to offer a day-treatment program. Among children ages seven to 18,...
After a Prosperous 2014, What Lies Ahead for the Senior Living Market?
Business

After a Prosperous 2014, What Lies Ahead for the Senior Living Market?

Senior housing was making headlines in 2014 for all the right reasons. With the retiring Baby Boomer generation flocking en masse to these senior communities, the year saw a market climate that was highly favorable to both buyers and sellers. According to a January 3 Senior Housing News article, interest rates for both assisted and independent senior living communities fell to all-time lows in 2014, which was good news for the owners of these communities. Lower interest rates allowed them to diversify their assets, offering a wider variety of unique living solutions for their residents. On the buyers’ end of the market, rising housing prices gave many seniors a good reason to finally sell their homes and make the transition into a retirement community, according to the Wall Street Journa...