Month: August 2014

Have you ever come across a landscaping job that seemed to be beyond human ability? Well, maybe you should have hired a goat. Orinda-based company Goats R Us doesn't bother with landscaping equipment. They just supply goats: hungry heards of goats who munch all day on brush, poison oak, weeds and grass. 600 of their goats were recently hired by the Homeowners Association of Deer Flats to get rid of an unwanted greenbelt of foliage. They've been munching on vegetation in the greenbelt for a week now and expect to be there for a couple more. According to the Homeowners Association, they get better results from the goats than from the humans they've hired in the past. While the human gardeners wouldn't go more than five feet past the fence line, the goats are happy to keep on eating ...

A Houston, Mississippi hospital is being forced to close its emergency room due to a lack of funds available to run the 24-hour medical center. The hospital, which serves the rural region of Chicksaaw county and its surrounding areas, will instead open a new medical clinic to fill the gap in available medical services. However, local residents have reported that they are concerned about the limitations of the new clinic's hours, as well as the increased distance to an emergency room. Trace Regional Hospital will close its ER on September 8, 2014 and open a medical clinic with shorter hours to save on operational costs. This new clinic will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, but residents have complained that this leaves the community with no immediate access to medical ca...

Is black market refrigerant a thing? It is now, thanks to demand for a refrigeration chemical which has not been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. The U.S. is currently in the process of phasing out a chemical known as R-22, which was used across the country as a refrigerant for refrigerators and air conditioners for many years. It was only recently that research determined that R-22 destroys the earth's ozone layer, and for this reason it was banned for use by an international treaty. The phaseout, not surprisingly, caused the price of any remaining R-22 to skyrocket, making it expensive to fix the older air conditioners that still require it. Consequently, many unapproved replacements have started to enter the market. These products, given names like "Super Freeze 22...

Dr. Cheryl Karcher, a dermatologist at the Sadick Dermatology office on the Upper East Side of New York City, was arrested Wednesday, July 9th for an alleged oxycodone scam. Karcher is a well-known medical professional who has appeared in a number of newspapers, magazines, and television talk shows to discuss skin care. Her attorney, Chuck Clayman, has announced that his client plans to vigorously prepare for her defense. Investigators stated that Karcher allegedly wrote and filled hundreds of oxycodone prescriptions, using patients' names without their knowledge or permission. She also used the names of former patients and acquaintances. She apparently executed the scam by lying to pharmacists, telling them she was performing a service for her patients. As a result, Karcher is now facing...