Move over Seattle — Tri-Cities is Northwest’s hottest housing market


Opening of Desert Hills Middle School
House fire in Richland
Final Honors Ride brings unclaimed remains of deceased veterans to final resting place
1:13

The National Association of Realtors ranks the Tri-Cities the 18th hottest residential real estate market in August, based on how quickly homes sell and the number of views listings receive. For buyers in the hottest price range, it takes patience to find the right home and lightning quick responses to make offers ahead of the competition.


NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - After 18 years of service, U.S. Army Sgt. Colleen Starkey rarely left her home. With post traumatic stress disorder, she said the flashing lights, the television and the fire alarm at the elementary school across the street would act as triggers, leaving her haunted with memories and sounds of war.

K9 helps U.S. Army sergeant recover from PTSD


For years, people in the tiny community had gossiped about why the two men didn't look much like their parents.

Canadian government sets up probe of switched at birth case


0:53 Video shows tornado destroying Starbucks in Indiana Pause
1:33 Mud Cubs Fun Run
0:37 Talking with Chiawana High School football player Caleb Weber
1:04 Daisy Dickenson shows pig for first time at Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo
1:32 Opening of Desert Hills Middle School
2:13 They're yours you know? Happy 100th to The National Park Service
3:21 Heartfelt talk with crowd at standoff brings Kansas City police officer to tears
0:54 Young entrepreneurs run lemonade stand to raise money for fair, carnival admission
1:24 Opening of Sage Crest Elementary School
2:05 Jobs of NASCAR: Meet a NASCAR hauler driver and tour the 'storage space on wheels'

Turkish jets strike Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq


Turkey's state-run news agency says Turkish jets have pounded suspected Kurdish rebels targets in a new cross-border raid in northern Iraq.


3:03 The ABCs of Sun Protection Pause
1:42 How does tuberculosis (TB) spread?
2:38 The future of clean energy being innovated at Berkeley Lab
1:31 Tacoma woman discovered running later than most and now will run Boston Marathon
2:25 Former half-marathon world record holder returns to running after lymphoma
1:11 What you should know about seasonal allergies
6:21 Man with dementia hears music from his era and lights up
2:40 Food Allergies: Reducing the Risk
1:40 Dance helps Mississippi boy overcome ADHD
0:31 What is a concussion?

Mold plagues school complex rebuilt after deadly tornado


A southern Indiana school building that was rebuilt after a deadly 2012 tornado is now the focus of parental concerns about mold problems.


Rick Porcello became the majors' first 18-game winner and the first Red Sox pitcher in 70 years to open a season 13-0 in Fenway Park, going seven solid innings in Boston's 9-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

Porcello majors' 1st 18-game winner, Red Sox beat Rays 9-4


2:12 Watch baby polar bear Nora grow up fast Pause
0:22 NASA animates the powerful winter storm headed for the Mid-Atlantic
2:32 Vincent the cat gets very rare prosthetic legs
1:03 Video: How to wash your hands
1:08 'Lucky' Turkey to Receive Presidential Pardon
2:59 The Buzz with Buzz: the Koch brothers, money and politics
0:37 Talking with Chiawana High School football player Caleb Weber
1:04 Daisy Dickenson shows pig for first time at Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo
1:32 Opening of Desert Hills Middle School
2:13 They're yours you know? Happy 100th to The National Park Service

Is the colonel’s secret recipe finally out?


Colonel Harland Sanders’ well-guarded secret for his finger-lickin’ good fried chicken may have been revealed by his nephew. But KFC says not so fast. Try it for yourself.


Opening of Desert Hills Middle School
House fire in Richland
Final Honors Ride brings unclaimed remains of deceased veterans to final resting place
1:13

Fun is the reward at Boy Scouts family mud run


Boy Scouts of America’s Blue Mountain Council put on a family mud run event Aug. 27, 2016, in Columbia Park in Kennewick, Washington. The event, called Mud Cubs Fun, drew about 150 people last year and organizes hoped this year’s event in Columbia Park in Kennewick would draw at least as many.


France's interior minister convened Muslim leaders Monday to discuss a French-style Islam that honors the nation's secular values, a task given new urgency after deep divisions surfaced over burkini bans in 30 French beach towns and after terror attacks that also stigmatized Muslims.

France meets Muslim leaders, experts after burkini row


The Latest: Top Pacific Marine to keep up work with allies


The Latest on the Marine Corps' new commander in the Pacific (all times local):


Kenyan police say they have arrested a medical intern and an associate who are accused of being part of an Islamic State group extremist cell of medics attempting to launch an anthrax attack in the country.

2 arrested in Kenya, accused of IS anthrax attack plot


3:20 Meet the 'Ghostbusters' receptionist Kevin Pause
1:55 Miami scientist and tiger shark expert dives into 2 films for Shark Week
2:46 'Free State of Jones' film trailer
1:03 'Finding Dory' movie clip: Jewel of Morro Bay, California
1:31 'Beauty and the Beast' teaser trailer
2:15 See giant action in the new 'BFG' movie trailer
2:41 'Money Monster' trailer
2:30 'Captain America: Civil War' trailer
2:19 'Finding Dory' movie trailer
2:01 Prince shares how he got past being teased as a child

Jillian Cantor's 'The Hours Count' plus more new paperbacks


'THE HOURS COUNT: A NOVEL' by Jillian Cantor; Riverhead, 368 pages, $16


Donald Trump said rival Hillary Clinton will push regulations and high taxes that will hurt family farmers as he campaigned in Iowa, an agricultural state that remains a presidential election battleground.

Trump warns of regulations, taxes harming family farmers


Police say two trucks belonging to a woman were stolen from a New Mexico rail station within three months of each other.

Police: Woman's 2 trucks stolen from same New Mexico station


The beer ran out in some sections of the Olympic stadium, but most of the 61,247 spectators at Saturday's U.S. college football opener in Sydney between California and Hawaii appeared to be enjoying their American "gridiron" experience.

College football Down Under attracts 61,000 fans at Sydney


The beer ran out in some sections of the Olympic stadium, but most of the 61,247 spectators at Saturday's U.S. college football opener in Sydney between California and Hawaii appeared to be enjoying their American


Louisiana State Police say they're looking into the owners of a bus that hit a firetruck and other vehicles on an elevated stretch of Interstate 10, killing two people and injuring dozens.

Driver in fatal wreck previously cited for no license


Opening of Desert Hills Middle School
House fire in Richland
Final Honors Ride brings unclaimed remains of deceased veterans to final resting place
1:13

Inmate who threatened to ‘chop up’ Tri-City judge sentenced to 7 years


A Benton County jail inmate is sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of threatening to “chop up” a judge presiding in a separate assault case. The sentence will be served at the same time as his sentence in the assault case, which stemmed from a courtroom attack on another defendant on trial for child abuse.


Tri-City students hitting the books again


Desert Hills Middle School in Kennewick, Washington celebrated the first day of school on Aug. 30, 2016, and also the first day in its new building. Kennewick, Richland and Pasco, Washington, school districts welcome students back from summer break on Aug. 30, 2016.


2:17 Dance helps D'Iberville boy overcome ADHD Pause
2:12 Watch baby polar bear Nora grow up fast
0:22 NASA animates the powerful winter storm headed for the Mid-Atlantic
2:32 Vincent the cat gets very rare prosthetic legs
1:03 Video: How to wash your hands
1:08 'Lucky' Turkey to Receive Presidential Pardon
2:59 The Buzz with Buzz: the Koch brothers, money and politics
0:53 Video shows tornado destroying Starbucks in Indiana
1:33 Mud Cubs Fun Run
0:37 Talking with Chiawana High School football player Caleb Weber
1:04 Daisy Dickenson shows pig for first time at Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo

49ers’ Kaepernick explains sitting out anthem in players-only meeting


NFL, football, Colin Kaepernick, protest, race relations, national anthem, quarterback, black, african american, minority


1:21 How to pick the perfect watermelon Pause
1:10 Make this easy butter bean, corn and tomato salad
0:51 Vegan ice cream (so easy, a kid can make it)
1:15 The proper way to cut a mango
6:19 Make your own hummus for July Fourth picnic
0:35 Learn how to make pimiento cheese in 35 seconds
1:43 How to make ice cream in a bag
0:46 Make a Cinco de Mayo margarita
1:06 What you should do (and not do) at the farmers market
0:45 How to make strawberry-rhubarb jam

USA Today readers high on Mid-Columbia wineries


Three Tri-City, Washington state wineries have been tabbed by USA Today readers for having the nation’s best tasting rooms. Fiction, the on-site restaurant at Richland’s J. Bookwalter Winery, Alexandria Nicole Cellars in Prosser and Hedges Family Estate in Benton City made the list by USA Today readers for having the nation’s best tasting rooms.


2:12 Watch baby polar bear Nora grow up fast Pause
0:22 NASA animates the powerful winter storm headed for the Mid-Atlantic
2:32 Vincent the cat gets very rare prosthetic legs
1:03 Video: How to wash your hands
1:08 'Lucky' Turkey to Receive Presidential Pardon
2:59 The Buzz with Buzz: the Koch brothers, money and politics
1:23 First day of school at Desert Hills Middle School
0:34 Car pushed under concrete truck in chain wreck on Highway 240 in Richland
0:32 Panthers coach Ron Rivera caught off guard by military jet flyover
4:50 Seahawks CB Richard Sherman on Colin Kaepernick's stance, society

Man uses sledgehammer to rescue baby from hot car


Police say a man used a sledgehammer to rescue a baby from a hot car at a New Jersey shopping center.


There's a popular thought in college sports that those who run major programs should always be prepared with a list - one tucked deep inside a drawer, a password-protected file or in the recesses of their mind - with the names of the five coaches they would pursue if they ever had to make a change in their program.

How Mark Richt's arrival changed Miami, and how Miami has changed Richt


Brandon Kintzler threw the pitch he wanted, where he wanted it, to Jason Kipnis in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Twins' losing streak hits 11, Indians win 1-0 in 10 innings


2:12 Watch baby polar bear Nora grow up fast Pause
0:22 NASA animates the powerful winter storm headed for the Mid-Atlantic
2:32 Vincent the cat gets very rare prosthetic legs
1:03 Video: How to wash your hands
1:08 'Lucky' Turkey to Receive Presidential Pardon
2:59 The Buzz with Buzz: the Koch brothers, money and politics
0:37 Talking with Chiawana High School football player Caleb Weber
1:04 Daisy Dickenson shows pig for first time at Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo
1:32 Opening of Desert Hills Middle School
2:13 They're yours you know? Happy 100th to The National Park Service

Scams and waste loom after millions were donated to Orlando shooting victims


The crowdfunding sites operate outside traditional charitable circles and often beyond the reach of government regulation. Appeals can be created in minutes by almost anyone and shared around the world.


Aaron Blair has a pretty good sense of what he needs to do to be successful in the majors.

Blair tagged for 3 HRs in return to majors, Braves lose 13-4


3:03 The ABCs of Sun Protection Pause
1:42 How does tuberculosis (TB) spread?
2:38 The future of clean energy being innovated at Berkeley Lab
1:31 Tacoma woman discovered running later than most and now will run Boston Marathon
2:25 Former half-marathon world record holder returns to running after lymphoma
1:11 What you should know about seasonal allergies
6:21 Man with dementia hears music from his era and lights up
2:40 Food Allergies: Reducing the Risk
1:40 Dance helps Mississippi boy overcome ADHD
0:31 What is a concussion?

Clinton proposes plan to address mental health treatment


Hillary Clinton is rolling out a comprehensive plan to address millions of Americans coping with mental illness, pointing to the need to fully integrate mental health services into the nation's health care system.


2:12 Watch baby polar bear Nora grow up fast Pause
0:22 NASA animates the powerful winter storm headed for the Mid-Atlantic
2:32 Vincent the cat gets very rare prosthetic legs
1:03 Video: How to wash your hands
1:08 'Lucky' Turkey to Receive Presidential Pardon
2:59 The Buzz with Buzz: the Koch brothers, money and politics
2:07 Astronomers discover new earth-sized planet
1:46 How fires create their own winds
0:53 Video shows tornado destroying Starbucks in Indiana
1:33 Mud Cubs Fun Run

Why people think they hear gunshots when they don’t


The Los Angeles International Airport was evacuated Sunday following chaos over gunshots, but authorities found no evidence anyone with a gun had even been present. Similar incidents have taken place recently at JFK Airport and at a North Carolina mall.


The number of Germans without jobs dropped slightly in August in seasonally adjusted terms, leaving the unemployment rate in Europe's largest economy unchanged at 6.1 percent.

German labor market strong with unemployment at 6.1 percent


Legends tend to linger in college football even after they are gone. At Penn State, getting out from under Joe Paterno's shadow is more complicated than the typical transition from a coaching giant.

Penn State tries to move forward without abandoning Paterno


Thousands of people have pelted each other with tons of ripe tomatoes, creating a red, mushy mess in the annual "Tomatina" street battle in eastern Spain.

Annual tomato battle leaves Spanish town awash in red pulp


Thousands of people have pelted each other with tons of ripe tomatoes, creating a red, mushy mess in the annual


1:21 How to pick the perfect watermelon Pause
1:10 Make this easy butter bean, corn and tomato salad
0:51 Vegan ice cream (so easy, a kid can make it)
1:15 The proper way to cut a mango
6:19 Make your own hummus for July Fourth picnic
0:35 Learn how to make pimiento cheese in 35 seconds
1:43 How to make ice cream in a bag
0:46 Make a Cinco de Mayo margarita
1:06 What you should do (and not do) at the farmers market
0:45 How to make strawberry-rhubarb jam

Hard work, lucky timing flip pancake shop into Tri-Cities


Ryan Medford and Blake Williams are bringing The Original Pancake House to Kennewick, Washington state. The Original Pancake House, owned by Ryan Medford and Blake Williams, will also open a second location in the Tri-Cities later, but the location is to be determined. Ryan Medford and Blake Williams secured a loan for The Original Pancake House on Sept. 29, 2008, the same day the U.S. House of Representatives rejected an emergency bill to recapitalize banks.


Living marijuana plants went on display Friday at the Oregon State Fair, with organizers saying it's the first state fair in the nation to allow cannabis for public viewing.

Oregon fair generates buzz with 1st legal pot display in US


2:06 Three things Hillary Clinton should do now that she's clinched the nomination Pause
1:00 Donald Trump protesters get rowdy in Fresno
2:57 Meet Merrick Garland, Supreme Court nominee
4:00 Democrats debate issues important to Latino voters, and diplomatic relations with Cuba
0:54 Analysis: Supreme Court And Abortion
1:48 FBI chief, Apple lawyer testify in first encryption hearing
1:22 A Supreme Court without Scalia
1:23 Democratic debate highlights: Who loves Obama more?
1:29 California congressman vapes in hearing to make his point
2:25 Take a leap with Army Golden Knights parachuting team

Trump surrogate Mark Burns tweets cartoon of Hillary Clinton in blackface


Pastor Mark Burns, an African-American Trump advisor who spoke at the Republican National Convention, tweeted a cartoon of Hillary Clinton in blackface Monday. He defended the post Monday afternoon on TV, but later apologized for it


0:37 Talking with Chiawana High School football player Caleb Weber Pause
1:04 Daisy Dickenson shows pig for first time at Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo
1:32 Opening of Desert Hills Middle School
2:13 They're yours you know? Happy 100th to The National Park Service
3:21 Heartfelt talk with crowd at standoff brings Kansas City police officer to tears
0:54 Young entrepreneurs run lemonade stand to raise money for fair, carnival admission
1:24 Opening of Sage Crest Elementary School
2:05 Jobs of NASCAR: Meet a NASCAR hauler driver and tour the 'storage space on wheels'
1:12 Kahlotus resident Mirela Haurdic tells about fire evacuation
1:02 Kahlotus Fire Incident Commander Chris Hutsell


L. Jane Morrow, 88, of Pasco, died Aug. 26 in Pasco.


0:41 Orangutans have fun with bubbles Pause
1:21 How to pick the perfect watermelon
1:10 Make this easy butter bean, corn and tomato salad
0:51 Vegan ice cream (so easy, a kid can make it)
1:28 Police rescue bear trapped in car in Colorado
1:15 The proper way to cut a mango
0:33 Baby goats bring cuteness to Washington zoo
6:19 Make your own hummus for July Fourth picnic
0:46 Kids read to sheltered cats in N.C.
5:18 Freedom for Hoover the tiger after a life spent in circus cage

Newspaper collection a glimpse of America


Mary Cronin, who died in 1982, left behind a collection of old newspapers with big headlines.


Four of the Final Five gymnastics greats from the Rio Olympics wished ailing teammate Gabby Douglas well and got hugs from best female video winner Beyonce on Sunday night at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Four of the Final Five from Rio get hugs from Beyonce


1:33 Mud Cubs Fun Run Pause
0:37 Talking with Chiawana High School football player Caleb Weber
1:04 Daisy Dickenson shows pig for first time at Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo
1:32 Opening of Desert Hills Middle School
2:13 They're yours you know? Happy 100th to The National Park Service
3:21 Heartfelt talk with crowd at standoff brings Kansas City police officer to tears
0:54 Young entrepreneurs run lemonade stand to raise money for fair, carnival admission
1:24 Opening of Sage Crest Elementary School
2:05 Jobs of NASCAR: Meet a NASCAR hauler driver and tour the 'storage space on wheels'
1:12 Kahlotus resident Mirela Haurdic tells about fire evacuation

Gather 4 Him Christian College relocates to Kennewick


Gather 4 Him Christian College opened last week in a new location on West Clearwater Avenue in Kennewick, Washington state. The Christian liberal arts college in Kennewick, Washington, Gather 4 Him is the only college of its kind in the region.


Ethan Finlay and Justin Meram scored and the Columbus Crew beat the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 on Saturday night.

Finlay and Meram score, Crew beat Quakes 2-0


2:25 Take a leap with Army Golden Knights parachuting team Pause
2:08 Fans speak out on Colin Kaepernick's refusal to stand during the national anthem
2:07 Astronomers discover new earth-sized planet
1:46 How fires create their own winds
0:53 Video shows tornado destroying Starbucks in Indiana
1:33 Mud Cubs Fun Run
0:37 Talking with Chiawana High School football player Caleb Weber
1:04 Daisy Dickenson shows pig for first time at Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo
1:32 Opening of Desert Hills Middle School
2:13 They're yours you know? Happy 100th to The National Park Service

Human Rights Watch: Palestinians abuse media, activists


Palestinian authorities are silencing dissent by cracking down on free speech and abusing local journalists and activists critical of their policies, a leading international human rights group said Tuesday.


1:04 Daisy Dickenson shows pig for first time at Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo Pause
1:32 Opening of Desert Hills Middle School
2:13 They're yours you know? Happy 100th to The National Park Service
3:21 Heartfelt talk with crowd at standoff brings Kansas City police officer to tears
0:54 Young entrepreneurs run lemonade stand to raise money for fair, carnival admission
1:24 Opening of Sage Crest Elementary School
2:05 Jobs of NASCAR: Meet a NASCAR hauler driver and tour the 'storage space on wheels'
1:12 Kahlotus resident Mirela Haurdic tells about fire evacuation
1:02 Kahlotus Fire Incident Commander Chris Hutsell
1:00 Family camping tradition at the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo

Horoscopes for Saturday, August 27, 2016


2:17 Dance helps D'Iberville boy overcome ADHD Pause
2:12 Watch baby polar bear Nora grow up fast
0:22 NASA animates the powerful winter storm headed for the Mid-Atlantic
2:32 Vincent the cat gets very rare prosthetic legs
1:03 Video: How to wash your hands
1:08 'Lucky' Turkey to Receive Presidential Pardon
2:59 The Buzz with Buzz: the Koch brothers, money and politics
1:46 How fires create their own winds
0:53 Video shows tornado destroying Starbucks in Indiana
1:33 Mud Cubs Fun Run
0:37 Talking with Chiawana High School football player Caleb Weber

Daughters take early bridal photos with father who has Alzheimer’s - just in case


2:12 Watch baby polar bear Nora grow up fast Pause
0:22 NASA animates the powerful winter storm headed for the Mid-Atlantic
2:32 Vincent the cat gets very rare prosthetic legs
1:03 Video: How to wash your hands
1:08 'Lucky' Turkey to Receive Presidential Pardon
2:59 The Buzz with Buzz: the Koch brothers, money and politics
1:23 First day of school at Desert Hills Middle School
0:34 Car pushed under concrete truck in chain wreck on Highway 240 in Richland
0:32 Panthers coach Ron Rivera caught off guard by military jet flyover
4:50 Seahawks CB Richard Sherman on Colin Kaepernick's stance, society

The Latest: Murphy beats Grayson to face Rubio for Senate


The Latest on Florida's primary (all times local):


Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk is expected to miss the season after reinjuring the Achilles tendon he tore in February, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Friday night.

AP source: Duke QB reinjures Achilles, likely out for season


2:12 Watch baby polar bear Nora grow up fast Pause
0:22 NASA animates the powerful winter storm headed for the Mid-Atlantic
2:32 Vincent the cat gets very rare prosthetic legs
1:03 Video: How to wash your hands
1:08 'Lucky' Turkey to Receive Presidential Pardon
2:59 The Buzz with Buzz: the Koch brothers, money and politics
1:33 Mud Cubs Fun Run
0:37 Talking with Chiawana High School football player Caleb Weber
1:04 Daisy Dickenson shows pig for first time at Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo
1:32 Opening of Desert Hills Middle School

Scams & waste loom as charity millions donated after Orlando


Taliban officials say the extremist group has appointed a new military chief as the insurgents try to gain ground rather than talk peace under a new leadership.

Taliban appoints new military chief as new leader settles in


3:03 The ABCs of Sun Protection Pause
1:42 How does tuberculosis (TB) spread?
2:38 The future of clean energy being innovated at Berkeley Lab
1:31 Tacoma woman discovered running later than most and now will run Boston Marathon
2:25 Former half-marathon world record holder returns to running after lymphoma
1:11 What you should know about seasonal allergies
6:21 Man with dementia hears music from his era and lights up
2:40 Food Allergies: Reducing the Risk
1:40 Dance helps Mississippi boy overcome ADHD
0:31 What is a concussion?

Playing with sports concussion doubles recovery time: Study


Continuing to play despite a concussion doubles recovery time for teen athletes and leads to worse short-term mental function than in those immediately removed from action, a study found.


2:12 Watch baby polar bear Nora grow up fast Pause
0:22 NASA animates the powerful winter storm headed for the Mid-Atlantic
2:32 Vincent the cat gets very rare prosthetic legs
1:03 Video: How to wash your hands
1:08 'Lucky' Turkey to Receive Presidential Pardon
2:59 The Buzz with Buzz: the Koch brothers, money and politics
0:54 Young entrepreneurs run lemonade stand to raise money for fair, carnival admission
1:24 Opening of Sage Crest Elementary School
2:05 Jobs of NASCAR: Meet a NASCAR hauler driver and tour the 'storage space on wheels'
1:12 Kahlotus resident Mirela Haurdic tells about fire evacuation

Ken doll dons tiara, pink dress in California bakery cake


The buttermilk-flavored cake, which features a Ken doll with a white tiara and pink dress, was custom ordered at a Sacramento bakery. While some criticized the cake and the bakery on Facebook, others were very supportive.


Idaho deputy who shot rancher ‘increasingly unstable,’ peer told police


Adams County Sheriff’s Lt. Steve Phillips went to his boss and law enforcement authorities in McCall, Valley County and Ada County to express concern about colleague Brian Wood, one of the deputies who killed Idaho rancher Jack Yantis. Wood called Phillips’ statements “slander” and “lies.”


Mylan launching generic version of EpiPen


Mylan says it will make available a generic version of its EpiPen, as criticism continued to mount over the price of its injectable medicine.


Wins have been hard to come by for Chris Archer this season. Strikeouts have not.

Archer strikes out 10, Rays hit 3 HRs in 10-4 win vs Astros


The Los Angeles Angels may have found the best spot for Jhoulys Chacin — in the bullpen.

Angels' Jhoulys Chacin finds victory over Tigers in relief


2:12 Watch baby polar bear Nora grow up fast Pause
0:22 NASA animates the powerful winter storm headed for the Mid-Atlantic
2:32 Vincent the cat gets very rare prosthetic legs
1:03 Video: How to wash your hands
1:08 'Lucky' Turkey to Receive Presidential Pardon
2:59 The Buzz with Buzz: the Koch brothers, money and politics
1:23 First day of school at Desert Hills Middle School
0:34 Car pushed under concrete truck in chain wreck on Highway 240 in Richland
0:32 Panthers coach Ron Rivera caught off guard by military jet flyover
4:50 Seahawks CB Richard Sherman on Colin Kaepernick's stance, society

Football player sees autistic student sitting alone, joins him for lunch


A Florida State football player’s act of kindness delighted the student’s mom, who posted her thanks on Facebook.


The impeachment fight in Brazil over whether to permanently remove President Dilma Rousseff from office is about more than the charges that she mismanaged the federal budget. The Associated Press explains how it got to this point and how the trial is playing out:

AP Explains: Brazil's president under impeachment trial


Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox got hits in 11 straight at-bats, then fell one short of the major league record when he grounded into a double play Saturday night.

Pedroia gets hits 11 straight at-bats, fall 1 shy of record


Gene Wilder, the frizzy-haired actor who brought his deft comedic touch to such unforgettable roles as the neurotic accountant in "The Producers" and the mad scientist of "Young Frankenstein," has died. He was 83.

Actor Gene Wilder, star of Mel Brooks movies, dies at 83


Gene Wilder, the frizzy-haired actor who brought his deft comedic touch to such unforgettable roles as the neurotic accountant in


1:33 Mud Cubs Fun Run Pause
0:37 Talking with Chiawana High School football player Caleb Weber
1:04 Daisy Dickenson shows pig for first time at Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo
1:32 Opening of Desert Hills Middle School
2:13 They're yours you know? Happy 100th to The National Park Service
3:21 Heartfelt talk with crowd at standoff brings Kansas City police officer to tears
0:54 Young entrepreneurs run lemonade stand to raise money for fair, carnival admission
1:24 Opening of Sage Crest Elementary School
2:05 Jobs of NASCAR: Meet a NASCAR hauler driver and tour the 'storage space on wheels'
1:12 Kahlotus resident Mirela Haurdic tells about fire evacuation


Karl Albert Slatten, 52, of Richland, died Aug. 27 in Kennewick.


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Home > English > Human Rights > We Will Not Allow Darkness to Control Our Lives
Words fall short for expressing my pain and my sorrow. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families who lost their loved ones during the demonstration in Kabul on July 23rd 2016. The horrified mass killing of Hazara people shocked my soul. I was sickened by some Afghan local media round tables and news coverage. I felt so angry to see the ridiculous and inhuman responses of some sick people about the horrified killing. I was in so much rage to see how these stunning, horrific, and graphic killings were largely ignored by Afghan politicians and leaders. It means that the loss of lives and the loss of intellectual people who are the treasure of our country has no meaning and place in their hearts. They do not care for the country and their people. They care only for the existence of their power at the cost of innocent lives.
It was the deadliest targeted mass killing in the history of Afghanistan. Eighty four young people were killed and more than 250 people were injured. All media coverage of the bloody scenes and horrified mass killing shocked the world, but the stone hearts of the Afghan government leaders and politicians were numb to feel any pain. Their eyes did not see anything and their ears could not hear the screams of this tragic loss. I am struggling with what to say and how to express my feelings. As a mother, I feel the pain of those mothers who lost their children. I just want to say you are not alone in your grief, we are with you. Our world is shattered too, and we weep with you. Words cannot describe the pain and sorrow that the Hazara diaspora feels around the world. I had a hard time to look at the pictures of those young people who are now gone from our lives. I just look on their pictures and my tears pour out as I scream out loud that it is not fair! They were too young and full of dreams to have their lives cut so tragically short.
No one can heal the wounded hearts of those families who lost their loved ones. We will never recover what we have lost. It is a big loss for the families and it is a bigger loss for our community. We did not just lose human beings, we lost our intellectual, activists and brave young people who came out to end injustice and the systematic discrimination at the cost of their lives. They were extraordinary and highly educated human beings who were tired of injustice and wanted to end the long political culture of discrimination.
They are heroes. They wanted to give a chance of better lives for the future generations in Afghanistan. They wanted that the dark history would not be repeated. They were tired of the country being locked in the past, they were fighting against that rigid system. They were tired of injustice, and they refused to be silent. As Martin Luther King said “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”. It is true that they could not remain silent in the face of injustice. They were the voices of endurable suffering. They were the first generation who introduced the culture of peaceful demonstration as a tool to build a stronger civil rights movement for Afghan society. They made history in a country where violence and brutality has been the answer to everything.
They were messengers of peace, justice and harmony for all of Afghan society. They were the reflectors of a community awakening in the face of disparities and discrimination. They were a new generation who had sparked new leadership and a new movement to awaken the nation toward a better direction. They were the starters of a new chapter in the history of Afghanistan. A chapter of peace, justice and equality for all beyond the ethnic lines. They stood and advocated peacefully and positively but they were killed in a horrific way because they had no protection. Nobody cared about their precious lives. You all will be missed and you will be remembered as heroes.
It is a difficult time for all Hazara diaspora. It is very painful and personal for me to sit front of my computer and write again about the mass killings of Hazaras. I was first Hazara woman who recorded and documented the five massacres of Hazara by the Taliban. Still we are the target of mass killings, but we are a strong and resilient ethnic. It is not the first time we have seen the evil, as it is repeated with targeted killings. I would like to remind all how resilient an ethnic we are. Abdurrahman wiped out 62% of the Hazara population in Afghanistan and the Taliban massacred Hazaras in a brutal way. We have not just survived from the annihilation and genocide of the Taliban, we have thrived!
During these 15 years of post-Taliban time, the Hazara ethnic has made great improvement and progress despite the constant struggle against the extremist and systematic political discrimination. As Nelson Mandela said “the greatest glory in living lies in not never falling, but in rising every time we fall”. The Hazara ethnic has proved that even though they have seen many evils and fallen many times in the history of Afghanistan, they keep rising and thriving in the face of mass killings and daunting circumstances.
We lost everything during the Taliban darkness era because we were the target of genocidal killing by the Taliban. After visiting the five Hazara massacre sites of the Taliban and interviewing the survivors and seeing the destruction, as a researcher and an author, I felt that this will take a long time for our community to get back to a normal way of life, but I was wrong. They did not just rebuild their community back to normal, they became even stronger than they were. That is a clear message to everyone that no political power can erase, and that they dare not underestimate and ignore us anymore.
The mass protest in Kabul was organized by the Enlightening movement to demand the re-routing of the TUTAP project. They held peaceful demonstrations against changing the route of a multimillion electrical transmission line that was initially planned to pass through Bamyan and other central parts of Afghanistan, that are one of the most deprived areas of the country. Elements within the Afghan government influenced the decision and changed the route from Bamyan to Salang instead. The new Afghan proposed route from Salang was a discriminatory move and politically motivated decision against the Hazara ethnic group.
It is time for all Afghans to come together to stand for peace, solidarity and the end of discrimination. Let’s stand together and prevent politicians from dividing us. We must reject hatred and violence. Our unity and solidarity will give us a better tomorrow. With unity we can change the face of this country for future generations. We should not let ignorance and hatred dominate country. This time is a critical time, we need to unite across ethnic and religious boundaries with all the families of the victims to say no to the systematic discrimination and demand justice for our fallen Heroes.


Words fall short for expressing my pain and my sorrow. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families who lost their loved ones during the (...)


We Will Not Allow Darkness to Control Our Lives


Home > English > Human Rights > The statement of the Bamyan People’s Protest in regard to the 500 KV (...)
“The government is bound to create a progressive society, which attends to the welfare of its citizens, in accordance with the values of social justice, the protection of human dignity, the supporting of human rights, the fulfillment of democratic ideals, and the establishment of national unity. The government must follow a path that gives equality to all ethnic groups and equal development to all parts of the country (Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Constitution; (Article 6)
Dear compatriots! As you are aware, unfortunately the Leadership of the National Government has decided, in contradiction to Afghanistan’s Constitution and the wellness of all its people, to divert the main route (Bamyan-Maidan) of Turkmenistan’s 500 Kilo Volt electricity cable. Even worse than what has been mentioned, they did not pay attention to the legitimate demands of the people of Afghanistan regarding the cable, and still insist on their tyrannical and monopolistic decision. We, the people of Bamyan and the central areas of Afghanistan understand that such a decision is irrational and in contrary of national interests of the country in the following ways:
1- Transferring the electricity cable through the Salang pass, as the new proposal intends, will result in fewer economic benefits in the short and long term.
2- As it means the crossing of several electricity lines already established along the same route, it is contrary to equal development for all provinces.
3- There is a lack of adequate safety and security along the Salang Route; as we all witnessed with the power cut-off in Kabul.
4- It is not compatible with the logic and established practices of development and is not supported by the majority of experts.
5- The majority of people are not satisfied with the transition of the route to Salang and it severely puts the empathy and brotherhood of the country in danger.
According to the above, as well as tens of other reasons, the people of Bamyan realize that the latest decision of National Unity Government Cabinet is unwise, and the obstinacy in insisting to adhere to such decision in light of the above is autocratic and an example of obscurantism. So we state our demands, through this demonstration to which thousands have participated, as follows:
1. We ask the heads of the National Unity Government to respect their responsibility to all citizens, and the principle of equality for all citizens to have equal rights and equal development. Such equal rights are emphasized in the Constitution and correspond with the people’s demands in regard to the electricity cable transfer through Bamyan-Maidan Provinces.
2. We condemn the intractable and disuniting stands of the Government, and alert that the government will be held responsible for any consequences that result from this decision.
3. We want the heads of the National Unity Government to desist with their obstinacy and obscurantism in making such an unjustified decision at the soonest possibility, to bring their one-sided politics to an end, and to seriously review their policy and return the 500 KV electricity to its original rout (Bamyan-Maidan), which also is the preference of national and international experts.
4. We ask the International Organizations, donor countries to the Government of Afghanistan, National and International Human Rights Organizations who have a responsibility to poverty alleviation and sustainable development, to hear the democratic demands voiced by the people and to put pressure on the government, and to not allow the donation funds to be spent in a fashion against development logic because of the personal will of rulers and the monopolist statesmen.
5. The people of Bamyan assure the people of Central Afghanistan and other justice-seekers all over the country and the world that we will stand against such decision until fulfilment of these legitimate demands, and we are ready to pay any required price to achieve this. We also request the noble and aware people of Afghanistan to stand against the intractable and divisive discord of the government and join us in protest.
6. We urge the National Unity Government to bring an end to the current situation, Otherwise, there will continue widespread protests, with millions of people joining. Therefore, their chance to maintain their status as the legitimate leadership will be severely lost or severely curtailed.
7. The protest of the Bamyan people today is one of the primary civil disobedience and justice-seeking steps, but in the event of lack of attention of the government to our justice-seeking demands, we will pursue other options; such as stopping cooperation with the Government, withdrawal of our representatives from the government and closing the Government Offices, as well as other necessary actions.
The People of Bamyan
Translated by Dawood Wassl Hazaristani
Edited by Melissa Skye Chiovenda, PHD Candidate


“The government is bound to create a progressive society, which attends to the welfare of its citizens, in accordance with the values of social (...)


The statement of the Bamyan People’s Protest in regard to the 500 KV (...)


Home > English > Human Rights > Who is afraid of education?
Daykundi is one of the poorest provinces in Afghanistan. This kind of poverty is mainly due to a clear political will of the different governments that are formed in Afghanistan, despite the billions received in these years from the international community. This money has been given to the majority Pashtun areas, or more often has ended up in some corrupt politicians’ pocket. Daykundi was established as a province in 2004. That time this province had only 15 schools, today there are more than 400 schools; divided in primary, middle and high schools. Despite the poverty, the people of Daykundi have always recognized the great value of education and 44% of students are female.
A great number of these schools in Daykundi are formed without any buildings or suitable structures for students, however this doesn’t stop people pursue their education under the tents or in some cases under three shades, because most of Hazaras believe, education is the only way to get to justice, equality and prosperity, therefore, in spite of all problems and challenges caused by lack of funds for schools in Daykundi, the quality of self-supported schools/education in this Hazara inhabited province is measured very high.
For these reasons is not a surprise if the first female mayor of the whole country, Azra Jafari, has been elected in Nili, (the provincial capital of Daykundi. Every year more and more students from Daykundi attend the difficult exam of University Entrance known as (Concour) in Afghanistan, (only this year more than 6000). This fact, (the statistic of a high percentage of participation in Concour exam from Daykundi) has created among many rulers and politicians of the country, the fear that an educated Hazara population might one day threaten the traditional balance of power that is for centuries in the hands of the Pashtun élite. An educated population is difficult to subjugate. Educated people have the great opportunity to take the current dominant élite place, which is composed largely of corrupt men, drug dealers, murderers, and Taliban collaborators. Students, who entered the university this year, will one day have the possibility to create a fair, equal and democratic society for men and women.
A few days ago, on Mujahedin’s Victory Anniversary over the communists, held at the presidential palace in Kabul, a famous and powerful Pashtun tribal leader in Kandahar held an angry speech against what he considers a terrible injustice. Farooq Aazam has argued that "it is not acceptable and we cannot tolerate that in a province like Daykundi more than 6,000 students participated to the university entrance exam, while from the largest and historical Kandahar only 2100 students have taken part in the same exam." Shortly before, Aazam complained about the treatment of Taliban prisoners (which he called "our prisoners"). So it’s not difficult to understand his irritability towards the success of people considered infidel by the Taliban and probably even by himself. Aazam does not understand that in order to discover reasons behind the educational failure of Kandahar, he should do just one thing: look in the mirror. Indeed those who like him promote obscurantism, ethnic and gender discrimination, fanaticism and envy, are the main causes of their own evil and of the destruction of their own society.
Important note: According to the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), as of March 31, 2015, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had spent 769 million USD to support education in Afghanistan. A report by SIGAR accused Afghan officials at the Ministry of Education of embezzling millions of dollars by providing fake school statistics to the donors. According to this report the United States might have paid aid money for schools that did not exist. All this happened when Farooq Wardak was Minister of Education. Wardak is famous also for his opposition to girls’ education.


Daykundi is one of the poorest provinces in Afghanistan. This kind of poverty is mainly due to a clear political will of the different (...)


This week's edition of The Farmersville Times is now available on racks or through the e-Edition at www.etypeservices.com/Farmersville%20TimesID246/default.aspx. ... See MoreSee Less Photo
Want to see First Day of School photos? Pick up a copy of this week's edition of The Farmersville Times or go to www.etypeservices.com/Farmersville%20TimesID246/default.aspx to see the e-Edition. ... See MoreSee Less Photo
The Farmersville Times shared Blue Ridge Elementary's photo. ... See MoreSee Less BRE would like to give a BIG shout out to Mandy Ellingson! Thanks to Mandy and the Texas National Guard's school supply drive, Blue Ridge Elementary received 21 boxes of school supplies today! #BRISDpride #TexasHelpingTexas Photo


Zachary Todd Anderson has been booked in the Crow Wing County Jail Saturday on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping of 5-year-old Alayna Ertl of Watkins, Minnesota. Booking photo/Crow Wing County Jail
WALKER, Minn. — The 25-year-old Coon Rapids, Minn., man arrested in connection with the abduction and death of 5-year-old Alayna Jeanne Ertl was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of kidnapping and theft.
The suspect, Zachary Todd Anderson, made his first court appearance on the criminal charges, all felonies, late Tuesday morning in Cass County District Court in Walker before Judge David Harrington. Harrington set unconditional bond at $2 million.
Anderson is accused of kidnapping Alayna from her Watkins, Minn., home early Saturday.
Meeker County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a report at 10 a.m. Saturday of a missing child. Ertl’s parents told deputies she had been put to bed at 2 a.m. Saturday and at 8 a.m. both the girl and a guest who had spent the night, Anderson, were gone. The parent’s white GMC Sierra truck also was missing with the father’s cellphone inside.
Deputies conducted a neighborhood canvass for Alayna. They also contacted the family’s cell phone provider to try to locate the whereabouts of Anderson. When Alayna was not located during the canvass, the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to request assistance with the investigation. An AMBER Alert was issued at 1:12 p.m. Saturday.
Cass County sheriff’s deputies located the stolen vehicle on property owned by Anderson’s family in rural Cass County. No one was inside the vehicle or a cabin on the property, the BCA stated.
Additional law enforcement responded to the property and Anderson was located at 4:24 p.m. by K-9 officers in a wooded area about a quarter mile from the cabin on the 4900 block of Iroquois Trail Loop Southwest. Anderson did not attempt to flee, he did not have a weapon and did not resist arrest, the BCA stated.
Information provided by the suspect as well as additional investigative efforts led law enforcement to Alayna’s remains in a swampy wooded area a few hundred yards from the cabin. She was pronounced deceased at the scene. A preliminary autopsy from the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s office indicated Alayna’s death was the result of homicidal violence.
The crime is being investigated jointly by the Meeker and Cass County sheriff’s offices and the BCA.

Charges filed against family friend in kidnapping, murder of 5-year-old


0:37 Mobile dairy brings ag life to students Pause
1:07 Dozens escape fire at Merced complex
0:20 Fire burning Merced apartments
1:38 Gustine boy battling cancer gets Disneyland wish
0:41 UC Merced welcomes new class
1:51 Annual Run For The Fallen at Applegate Park in Merced
0:17 House illegally growing weed catches fire
2:59 Top Line Milk Company brings low and slow whole milk to Central Valley
0:46 Merced Bears welcome the new school year
1:58 Third annual BBQ Cook-Off at Club Mercedes

Atwater man jailed after accidentally firing stolen gun


An Atwater man was arrested Wednesday after police said he accidentally fired a gun that had been stolen in a burglary.


New leadership taking charge at Merced area high schools


Merced Union High School District is starting the school year with several new principals and associate principals.


Police: Winton man arrested for DUI; more than four times over limit


A Winton man was arrested and jailed Saturday after police pulled him over and found his blood-alcohol content was four times above the legal limit, police reported.


23-year-old driver suspected in crash that claimed life of Atwater man


A 23-year-old Atwater man is scheduled to be booked into jail after he is treated for his injuries suffered from a suspected DUI crash in Atwater on Wednesday night that left one person dead, police said.


Communities shower police with support after killings


Atwater and Merced residents have shown their appreciation to local law enforcement in the form of sweets and letters of thanks after police killings in Dallas and Baton Rouge this month.


Suspect jailed after trying to hijack bus


A Winton man remains in jail after he allegedly assaulted a bus driver and tried to hijack the bus in Atwater, police said.


Suspect in Atwater TV thefts from Target arrested


A man suspected of stealing televisions from the Atwater Target was arrested in Mariposa and remains in the Merced County jail.


Merced County high school graduation schedule


Merced County high schools are sending off their seniors this week while friends and family witness their graduations.


0:37 Mobile dairy brings ag life to students Pause
1:07 Dozens escape fire at Merced complex
0:20 Fire burning Merced apartments
1:38 Gustine boy battling cancer gets Disneyland wish
0:41 UC Merced welcomes new class
1:51 Annual Run For The Fallen at Applegate Park in Merced
0:17 House illegally growing weed catches fire
2:59 Top Line Milk Company brings low and slow whole milk to Central Valley
0:46 Merced Bears welcome the new school year
1:58 Third annual BBQ Cook-Off at Club Mercedes


Merced County’s Human Services Agency hosted an open house Wednesday evening at its new Castle location, which will serve as a full service facility for northern Merced County.


1:04 California Gov. Brown scolds Fresno County sheriff in voicemail Pause
1:07 Dozens escape fire at Merced complex
0:20 Fire burning Merced apartments
1:38 Gustine boy battling cancer gets Disneyland wish
0:41 UC Merced welcomes new class
1:51 Annual Run For The Fallen at Applegate Park in Merced
0:17 House illegally growing weed catches fire
2:59 Top Line Milk Company brings low and slow whole milk to Central Valley
0:46 Merced Bears welcome the new school year
1:58 Third annual BBQ Cook-Off at Club Mercedes

Man shot while trying to break up fight in Atwater


Atwater police seek the public’s help in finding a suspect who shot a witness point blank who tried to break up a fight, police said.


Merced County supervisor incumbents fall short of challengers


With all the votes counted, Merced County election numbers show challengers ahead of incumbents in races for Board of Supervisors seats in an election year with unusually high turnout.


Atwater police are seeking the public’s help to identify a thief who was recorded in surveillance videos stealing three TVs from Target.


Atwater officer uses baton to arrest ‘combative’ suspect


An Atwater police officer used his baton early Tuesday morning to help his colleague detain a suspect, Atwater police reported.


Atwater man jailed after leading police on high speed chase


Joseph Shane Kinn, 27, remains in Merced County Jail after leading police on a high speed chase Wednesday evening in a stolen car.


DUI, license checkpoint scheduled in Atwater


The California Highway Patrol will conduct a DUI and licensing checkpoint in Atwater on Friday night.


Levi Hill
News-Sun
Nearly one in every 10 Lea County workers is unemployed.
According to numbers from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, Lea’s unemployment rate stands at 9.7 percent (unadjusted). Unadjusted numbers do not include seasonal jobs not yet tallied by the state.
It’s an unemployment rate the likes of which Lea County hasn’t seen since 1999 when the rate climbed as high as 11.1 percent and stayed at or above 10 percent for five months of the year. The average unemployment rate in 1999 was 9.2 percent.
While the state has changed how it computes unemployment, making a comparison of 1999 to today difficult, but a look at recent numbers show how far Lea’s oil and gas industry has fallen in the past year and a half — with the county losing some 22 percent of its oil and gas extractive jobs.
According to the state’s numbers, Lea County reached its largest workforce in 2014 with an estimated 30,544 available workers and some 29,189 of them employed. Since then Lea’s workforce has fallen by 1,566 workers and the number of employed has fallen by 3,026 to just 26,163 employed workers.
Conversely, the number of unemployed workers actively seeking work has more than doubled from 1,355 in 2014 to 2,815 as of June. That figure does not include employable workers not seeking work, so the number of unemployed could be higher.
Whether that is the case is unclear as new and continued unemployment claims data could not be obtained from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions as of press time. However, the state website estimates there are 1,787 jobs openings in Lea County.
However, some of those not seeking work could be in the 1,566 workers that have left the workforce in the past two years.
Lea County has lost some 715 jobs since June 2015 and many of those may be attributed to the shuttering of Baker Hughes and Halliburton, both of which shut down their local shops and moved staff to offices in Texas.
Since 2015, Lea County has lost an estimated 522 oil and gas mining jobs. Based on the most recent numbers which date to last quarter 2015, since 2014 the county’s number of oil and gas mining jobs have fallen from 8,836 to 6,829, a 22 percent drop. The department reports mining jobs declined by 5,900 jobs statewide in June alone.
Staffing companies in Lea County said oilfield jobs have been lost in “waves” since December 2014.
“It was really bad, really bad,” said Bretlye Lucas, manager of Elwood Staffing. “We’ve been losing jobs for about a year and a half. Once (oil) went down in December 2014, by February it was done and they have been laying people off in rounds ever since. This is the lowest of the low I’ve seen the oilfield go in the 15 years I’ve been here.”
Noticeably, Lea has faired worse than neighboring county Eddy, which currently has an unemployment rate of 6.7 percent and which saw its oil and gas jobs decline by only 577 jobs, or 8 percent from 7,275 jobs in 2014 to 6,698 jobs at the end of 2015.
This difference between Lea’s and Eddy’s numbers may be due to Lea’s proximity to Texas, with oil companies moving Lea workers to Texas but keeping offices in Eddy County because of the long commute from the Midland/Odessa area to active fields south of Carlsbad in Eddy County.
One barometer for Lea’s oilfield is the New Mexico Junior College Department of Workforce Solutions, which provides training for oilfield jobs.
Jeff McCool, vice president of Training and Outreach, said demand for the department’s services follows the flow of the oilfield economy.
“We tend to go the way of the economy,” he said. “Our numbers have tended to go down as unemployment has gone up. In order for people to train they have to have money.”
As such, demand for services are down at the department, but not out, according to Steve Sauceda, director of workforce training.
“I would say we are steady,” he said. “If you want to compare to last year, then yes the numbers are down, but we are staying consistent with the CDL training.”
He said the size of most classes have been cut in half in the last year because of the downturn.
The question remains; when will the oilfield turn around? There are rumblings it could be starting even though oil has once again dipped back to $40 a barrel after reaching $50 in late May.
The Permian Basin Petroleum Association reported Friday that Texas added 15 active rigs in the past week and New Mexico added four (its largets gain since July 2015). For the Permian Basin, the rig count was up for the sixth straight week.
Lucas said her staffing company is finally seeing signs of life as well after months of inactivity.
“I am starting to see a slight pickup,” she said. “My pickup has been in the general labor sector — that is not a full-time permanent job — but that is me being able to keep guys busy going here and there. This is the first time I’ve been able to do that in nearly a year and a half. We are seeing a little pick-up in construction and a little in the oilfield. Hopefully, that continues to grow, whether it will or not is unclear. The oilfield will come back, but when?”
Levi Hill can be reached at 391-5438 or by email.
Lea County Unemployment by yearly average
Year Labor Force Employed Unemployed Rate
2011 27,297 25,774 1,523 5.6%
2012 28,403 27,063 1,340 4.7%
2013 29,329 28,013 1,316 4.5%
2014 30,544 29,189 1,355 4.4%
2015 29,428 27,601 1,827 6.2%
June 2016* 28,978 26,163 2,815 9.7%
*June numbers are not a yearly average for 2016
Lea Vs. Eddy oilfield jobs (mining, trucking and warehousing)
2014 2015* Percent change
Lea 10,685 8,519 22 percent
Eddy 8,512 7,881 7 percent


Max Verstappen has laid the blame at Ferrari’s door after a first lap crash involving Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel almost eliminated all three drivers in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.
The 18-year-old, starting from second on the grid, made a poor start but held the inside line going in to La Source, but was squeezed by Raikkonen, who himself was hit by Vettel on the outside.
Max Verstappen
All three sustained damage and needed to pit early in the race, ended their chances of a podium finish.
Verstappen explained: “I didn’t start as well as I wanted but I got up the inside for the first corner then got squeezed by the two Ferraris. In the contact my front wing and the floor got destroyed so then the car was very difficult to drive.
“Kimi kept on squeezing but then Vettel turned in on both of us. He knew he was on the outside and then he turned in where he knew there was two cars. From there, the race was gone.”
In a battle that raged on throughout the race, Raikkonen and Verstappen went wheel-to-wheel on several other occasions, and even clipped a couple of times as Verstappen defended his position from the 2007 world champion.
However, his defence drew criticism from Raikkonen, who believes the teenager’s driving style will lead to a ‘big accident’ if he isn’t careful.
Raikkonen said: “I’m all up for a fair battle and close racing, but I had to back off after Eau Rouge on the straight when I make my move I had to brake not to hit him, because he turns after when I move first time. I think that’s not correct.
“There could have been a big accident,” he said. “I had to brake from full speed and I haven’t had that from any other driver, but it doesn’t seem to matter.”
Verstappen responded in kind though, and felt the Ferraris had cast the first stone in the battle by causing the crash at the first corner.
“It’s ridiculous; it’s good television, though, if somebody’s moaning,” he added.
“Especially after [the clash at] Turn 1, when they do something to you like that, I’m not going give up my position to them that easily afterwards.
“I’m just defending my position and if somebody doesn’t like it it’s his own problem.”
Four-time world champion Vettel however tried to calm the fires between his team-mate and Verstappen, but said Raikkonen wasn’t the only driver to have an issue with the way the Red Bull Racing driver defends his position.
Vettel said: “I get along with Max, I like him, he’s aggressive, and I think that’s a strength of him, but certain movements, especially under braking – which I’ve faced – I don’t think are correct.
“It’s probably something that needs to click and he needs to understand.
“I will try and talk to Max – not now, as he didn’t have a good day, I didn’t have a good day.
“I’m not a fan of penalising people, I think it’s not the way to educate.
“I think there have been a couple of manoeuvres that… the rest of the field is not happy with his behaviour, but the best way is to talk rather than create a fuss in the media.
“We are men, and it’s best to stand in front of each other and talk.”

Verstappen hits back after Ferrari criticism


Visit now for the latest motor sport news - from the Milton Keynes Citizen


Minding your manners, avoiding emotional Facebook rants and knowing what cutlery to use are the modern day signs of class, according to new research.
A study of 2,000 Britons for fashion brand Peter Hahn identified the markers that separate the classy from the hoi polloi and they also include not showing too much cleavage, holding the door for others and speaking more than one language.
So how classy are you? Take our quiz to find out.


Get the latest breaking news from the Milton Keynes Citizen - politics, transport, education, health, environment and more.


Deus Ex has you spoilt for choice.
Mankind Divided and so am I when it comes to reviewing the latest Deus Ex game after its launch last week.
There is so much to rave about in DEMD and I’m still enjoying it now over a week into the game.
But there are a number of elements which do not quite sit right with me.
Let’s start with the positives, though, and there are plenty of them.
There is layer upon layer in this game all expertly crafted together and beautifully designed.
The gameplay stands up to the high standards set by previous Deus Ex games and goes beyond them in many respects.
This is a game that will suit all types of gamers too.
Looking for a quick blast for an hour, you can jump on and get enough done to enjoy the experience, looking for longer, more involved sessions on your console then the gameplay rewards your patience, curiosity and creativity.
You play augmented human Jensen who is essentially the most deadly Power Ranger on the planet. I mean this guy has everything and would even give Superman a run for his money.
There are so many options to negotiate each scenario
And this is where my first problem lies with DEMD.
Sometimes, dare I say it, there are so many options available to you, so many ways to deal with scenarios and enemies and so much in your arsenal, it actually feels a bit ... easy.
‘Ramp up the difficulty setting!’ I hear you cry.
Well yes there’s that but my point is no matter what level you are playing at, Jensen just has too much at his disposal for his enemies to trouble him.
Sometimes, dare I say it, there are so many options available to you, so many ways to deal with scenarios and enemies and so much in your arsenal, it actually feels a bit ... easy. Damien Lucas, gaming columnist
But don’t get me wrong it’s still great fun entering a room littered with foes and walking out past a pile of them without breaking a sweat.
Another thing that doesn’t quite land for me is the Apartheid type references between the humans (naturals) and the augmented race. It is a poor attempt to give the storyline resonance with real life - for example there are posters dotted around saying things like ‘Augmented Lives Matter’ and it just feels a little frivolous.
I’m being hyper critical, though, and Deus Ex will go down as one of the games of the year of that there is no doubt.
Rating: 8.5/10

Console Corner: Deus Ex Mankind Divided review


The choice of leaf-based beverages on offer has mushroomed in recent years, from builder’s tea or nothing, to every flavour from peppermint to rhubarb & ginger.
Now, a third generation of teas is brewing. This will concentrate less on exotic new flavours and more on health benefits as producers look to capitalise on a market that remains huge – with 165 million cups of tea consumed in Britain every day – but faces growing competition from coffee.
Tetley has looked into the tea leaves and predicts we are in for a range of “remedy” teas – enriched with medicines, from painkillers to antibiotics – some of which may even be offered as cures for hangovers and remedies for tiredness, the report suggested.
We can also expect tea to be consumed through an array of alternative “delivery mechanisms” such as tablets, jellies, sprays and sorbets, according to a new report Tetley has done with so-called futurologist consultancy Future Foundation.
“Britain’s love affair with tea is enduring. The way we consume tea has gradually evolved since the 17th century, but now we are entering a period of rapid change,” said Laurent Sagarra, head of product innovation at Tetley.
“The way we consume tea has gradually evolved since the 17th Century, but we are now entering a period of rapid change,” she said.
“We’re constantly innovating, grading, blending and tasting and now’s the time to see what’s next for the iconic British cuppa,” she added.
The proliferation of teas will give High street coffee shops a run for their month, the report suggests, with “tea-total” outlets offering a range of exotic tastes and flavours.
Nick Chiarelli, director of the Future Foundation, said: “Our report predicts that exciting and satisfying new tea formats will develop, and that tea will evolve to deliver personalised health benefits.”

New generation of teas could cure hangovers, report suggests


A pastor and a Rolls-Royce aerospace engineer are among the 12 hopefuls competing to win the 2016 series of The Great British Bake Off.
The amateur bakers, competing to follow in the footsteps of last year’s champion Nadiya Hussain, will again seek the approval of judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.
However the seventh series could be the last on the BBC. Its three-year deal with producers Love Productions expires at the end of this run and ITV is bidding to poach the format.
Ms Berry, 81, hinted at tensions behind the scenes between the new batch of contestants donning their aprons. She said: “They know the standard that it is, which is now pretty high. And I think they were slower to bond this year than they were in the past.”
The bakers include Andrew, 25, originally from Northern Ireland, he now lives in Derby and works as an aerospace engineer for Rolls-Royce. A Cambridge University graduate, Andrew has set his heart on designing a baguette concorde.
The oldest contestant in this year’s lineup will be Lee, a 67-year-old who has worked in various pastoral ministries for the past 30 years – most recently as the pastor of his local church in Bolton. A former builder, he had a complete change of direction in the mid 1980s, when he turned to theology and took up baking.
The youngest baker is Michael, a 20-year-old from London who is studying politics and economics in Durham. He enjoys making “big grand cakes” and making Greek pastries inspired by his Cypriot heritage.
Teaching Assistant, Benjamina, 23, who started baking aged 14 just for fun, recently graduated with a 1st in Economics & lives in south London.
The contestants also include 66-year-old former primary school head teacher Val, and 31-year-old secondary school PE teacher Candice. Mother of two Kate, 37, is a farmer’s daughter from Norfolk, is a qualified nurse and works on an acute respiratory ward. Candice, 31, from Bedfordshire, was taught to bake by her beloved Nan, and strives to emulate her bakes aiming to be “even half the lady she was.”
Hollywood said Nadiya’s success – she is judging a junior version of the series and is presenting a documentary on her culinary inspirations – had raised the bar for this year’s batch.
“Nadiya went to a whole new level, and because of that I think it put the pressure on them more, and I think we felt that in the tents as well,” the judge said. “But actually they came out tops.
They started quite nervously but once they settled down they got into it. Then the baking started to flow and the standard got really really good.”
The Great British Bake Off launches on August 24 on BBC One at 8pm.

Great British Bake Off contestants: Rolls-Royce engineer and pastor join 2016 lineup


Social media can increasingly tell potential burglars information that will make their job much easier.
The culture of posting expensive new purchases, giving out your address and even when you are out of the country and for how long can create an enticing picture for would be burglars. Here are 10 steps you can take to protect yourself and your home during the summer period.
1) Consider taking a vacation from social media while you are on holiday or away for the day. Avoid announcements that you are going to be in another country for the next few weeks and do not check-in on social media at the airport.
2) Share vacation photos after the holiday. The photo could make clear that you are not at home even if you haven’t said where you are.
3) Consider sharing information with friends and not the entire public. At least in the weeks leading to a trip and during it.
4) Do not make details such as address, place of work or previous school public.
5) Put lights on timers during the evenings to give the impression there is someone there. Additionally outside sensors in the garden may deter potential intruders or burglars. In the absence of light, a timer on a TV or Radio could be an effective alternative.
6) Have a relative or a friend collect your mail so there is no build up of evidence to suggest you aren’t home. Don’t leave notes for delivery people suggesting you aren’t in.
7) Consider securing a visible security alarm. When asked burglars suggest the presence of a security system is the biggest deterrent to a potential burglar.
8) Keep any doors or windows, particularly on the ground floor, shut when you are not there. Remember insurance companies will often not pay out if a burglary occurs as a result of an insecure door or window.
9) Don’t forget to secure your garage or shed and if you have any power tools or gardening tools register them for free at http://www.immobilise.com/.
10) If you are going to be away for a period longer than a week it is worth informing the police of the duration of your trip. It may encourage them to actively drive by your home while they are on patrols.
Sources: Hampshire Police and Distinctive Doors

How to avoid making yourself a crime target with your social media posts


Nodding off in the middle of the day may be down to pollution generated by traffic, suggests new research.
The study shows exposure to traffic pollution is a trigger for daytime sleepiness - and may also trigger SNORING.
More than 12,000 adults were included in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) study.
The findings show that people exposed to high levels of pollution had a 65 per cent greater chance of suffering from daytime sleepiness, compared to those who had no exposure.
Traffic noise in the bedroom was also a trigger - with people 46 per cent more likely to feel sleepy in the day if exposed.
And the research also suggests that people are also 29 per cent more likely to be a habitual snorer if they are exposed to traffic noise while they sleep.
Daytime sleepiness affected one in five people involved in the study, while one in four reported habitual snoring.
Ane Johannessen, an epidemiologist at Bergen University in Norway, wrote the study together with Professor Thorarinn Gislason and other Northern European researchers.
She said: “Exposure to traffic should be taken into account when planning treatment for patients with sleep disturbances, because reducing noise and pollution exposure in the bedroom may have a beneficial effect.
“Reducing exposure through relocating the bedroom away from pollution sources or making the bedroom more soundproof to protect against traffic noise, as well as mapping alternative and less polluted outdoor everyday routes may help patients with their sleep disorders.”
The study also showed that men, older subjects, smokers and those with lower education were more likely to report habitual snoring.
They were usually less physically active, with a higher BMI, and more likely to have a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
Women, older people, smokers, and those with lower education were more likely to report daytime sleepiness.
The new research is due to be presented at the European Respiratory Society’s International Congress in London next month.
Professor Jorgen Vestbo, President of ERS and Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Manchester, said: “The question of who snores may be a running joke in some households but for many snoring is a serious issue, with direct links to physical and mental well being and the same is true for daytime sleepiness.
“We want people to think more about the environment around them and the impact it can have - from the way they sleep to the air they breathe.”
To coincide with Congress, the ERS will be holding some free public lung function testing, starting in Trafalgar Square on September 2 and 3.

Sleepiness linked to traffic noise and pollution


Bryony Page may have wowed crowds by becoming the first Brit to win an Olympic medal on a trampoline.
But new research suggests injuries sustained from indoor trampoline parks are an “emerging health concern”.
The warning comes after a study recorded 40 children needed medical treatment at one hospital in the space of just six months after trampoline accidents at an indoor park.
Last week 25-year-old Bryony won a silver medal in Rio, performing twists and turns at a staggering 30ft.
But while many youngsters may wish to emulate her, researchers stress the danger of using indoor trampoline parks, where many kids bounce simultaneously, on beds placed in close proximity to each other.
Researchers reviewed the medical records of Australian children under 17, who sought medical treatment at a children’s emergency care department between July 2014 and January 2015.
The team focussed solely on injuries sustained whilst at a trampoline park.
During a six month period, the team recorded 40 child patients, 55 per cent of which were girls, requiring treatment for their injuries.
The average age of each child patient was 10, but the youngest was just a year old.
Most of the injuries, a third, occurred while the child was on the trampoline.
And a fifth - 18 per cent - of the injuries were caused by a failed landing.
But in eight cases, the injury was the result of several different children of different sizes using the trampoline at the same time.
The research, published in the journal Injury Prevention, revealed over half of the children (52.5%) injured were simply jumping and not attempting any flips or somersaults at the time.
Six children injured themselves by landing awkwardly on something on the trampoline, such as protective padding designed to prevent falls.
Bruising and sprained ankles were the most common injuries, with 55% of the children’s medical records detailing these.
A third fractured elbow and ankle bones.
But for five children, their injuries were more serious and required surgery and a hospital admission.
Author Dr Christopher Mulligan, from The University of New South Wales said: “Most children were injured while involved in simple jumping activities (52.5%).
“However, five children (12.5%) were injured while attempting somersaults or flips.
“Six children were injured when they came into contact with something while on the trampoline.
“This included two children who landed on balls, and four children who landed on, or caught their feet in, the less elastic padding surrounding them or the hard surface floor.
“In terms of the injuries observed, the majority of patients presented with a soft tissue injury or sprain ( 55%) or fractured bone(s) (37.5%).
“One child sustained a lip laceration. One child presented with concussion, and one with chest pain.
“The lower extremity was the most frequent site of injury (67.5%), followed by the upper extremity (15%).
“The most common sprains were of the ankle. The most common fractures were supracondylar fractures of the elbow and fractures of the ankle.
“There was one fracture/dislocation of a cervical vertebra. No patients sustained a loss of consciousness.”
He added children using trampolines at home are more at risk of falling off it as they are raised above the ground or falling through the padding.
But at centres “double bouncing, or multiple users on a single trampoline, carried a significant risk for injury.
“This occurred particularly when small children were jumping with larger peers
or other adults.”
The study was published in the BMJ’ s Injury Prevention.


Six out of ten parents don’t know about a free NHS treatment that protects against decay, a survey has revealed.
The lack of knowledge is putting the dental health of more than seven million children in the UK, according to mydentist, which commissioned the research.
Researchers also found that three in ten parents have a daily struggle to get their kids to brush their teeth, and one in five let their children get away without cleaning their teeth the recommended twice a day.
And five per cent of parents admit they only really clean their children’s teeth a couple of times a week or less.
The research also revealed that one in four parents resort to a gimmicky toothbrush, flavoured toothpaste and threats of teeth falling out to persuade their children to take care of their oral health. While one in ten sing a song, offer treats or use a reward chart to encourage children to brush.
Steve Williams, clinical Director of mydentist, said: “It’s shocking to think that seven million children in the UK are missing out on a simple, preventative treatment which offers protection against decay and strengthens teeth.”
The company has launched a nationwide ‘Kids Club ’intended to provide parents and children with ”essential information you’ll need to look after your child’s smile during their early years.
find out more about the Kids club inititaive at mydentist.co.uk.
“Our aim is to change this and help parents take advantage of the free dental care available on the NHS, including fluoride varnish treatment, which helps prevent decay and should be applied to children’s teeth twice a year from the age of three.”

Parents putting teeth of millions of children ‘at risk’


Matt Adcock reviews David Brent: Life On The Road (15)
“I’m gonna roll you over, and rock you stupid, and leave you there just humming...”
David Brent is back. I never thought I’d write those words but here is the middle-aged master loser – on the big screen as a documentary team follow his dream of a ‘rock tour’ to save him from life as a sanitary products sales rep.
The Office was incredible TV, that made you wince and laugh in equal measure, the likes of which we haven’t fully seen since.
David Brent: Life On The Road picks up the potent unfulfilled dreams of Slough’s favourite office manager and presents the full horror of what happens when Brent cashes in his life savings and pensions to finance a tour for his band Foregone Conclusion. The good news is that this the best Gervais has been in years – capturing the brilliant comedy/pathos at the heart of The Office and delivering big time both in the laughs and the cringe inducing awfulness of Brent’s socially awkward overdrive.
This isn’t for those who are easily offended or just after some gentle humour – Life On The Road is a comedy-tragic-em-up that will rip your heart out even while you’re spitting popcorn.
This older Brent is a lonelier than ever, his hired bandmates won’t socialise with him or even let him on the expensive tour bus he’s shelled out for; he even has to pay them to have an after show drink with him at one point.
The expected adoring crowds don’t exactly turn up and the record company scouts are more interested in the genuinely talented aspiring rapper Dom Johnson (Doc Brown) who Brent has guest rap on some of his songs in an effort to make them both ethically friendly and youthful.
The excellent Tom ‘Love & Friendship’ Bennett is great as Brent’s one Lavichem office pal and Diane ‘Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe’ Morgan has a fun cameo as a PR tasked with the impossible job of making Brent ‘cool’.
Doc Brown, though, steals all his scenes with looks to camera of such sheer uncomfortableness that I’d love to see him get his own spin-off movie.
Life On The Road takes mid-life desperation and blows the door off it in fine comic style.
You’ll laugh, you might even cry but be warned you might also very well hurt yourself due to the unsafe levels of cringe.

Review: Cringeworthy David Brent brings tragedy to comedy


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A man crushed his next door neighbour’s five-year-old son to death as his car pulled onto the shared driveway of their homes.
Aylesbury Crown Court heard on Wednesday that 42-year-old David Cowell was returning home to watch an England football match on TV after going on an errand to the shops when the tragedy happened, crushing the child without seeing him.
Cowell is accused of causing the death of Riley Ferguson by careless driving - a charge he denies.
Riley died from horrific injuries to his head and neck after his next door neighbour’s Vauxhall Insignia car rolled over him, the jury was told.
Neighbour Cowell had invited a friend around to watch an England football match on June 7, 2015, when he left his home for a brief moment on an errand.
The defendant returned home to see another neighbour’s daughter, named Millie, standing near his shared driveway but was unable to spot Riley who was already underneath his car and bleeding heavily from his mouth and nose.
Cowell reversed after hitting what he thought was a bike or a scooter on the driveway, only to find Riley who he had not seen while pulling up outside his home in Milton Keynes.
Riley died from his injuries after being taken to a hospital and a hospice.
The court heard how the summer sun had prompted a number of barbecues in Woodspring Court where the tragedy happened last year.
Alan Blake, prosecuting, said: “The front gardens were very small and Millie and Riley would often play together on and around the driveway. That was something that frustrated the defendant who had spoken to his neighbours about it.
“Relations remained cordial and it was just something that had been mentioned.”
He added: “On June 7, 2015, some of the residents, including this defendant, were planning on having barbecues and David Cowell was planning to watch an England match with his friend.
“The defendant popped out on an errand in his black Vauxhall Insignia car. At around 1.45pm he drove down Tewkesbury Lane before turning left into Woodspring Court.
“While the defendant was out on his errand there were some of the children playing on the shared driveway. 10-year-old Millie started playing outside with Riley. Riley had a ball with him while they chatted and played.
“Young Riley was sitting playing on the driveway about a metre or so from Millie.”
Mr Blake told jurors that Cowell returned to his home at around 1.45pm and was aware of Millie who was stood near a fence at the end of the driveway.
He added: “According to what he told police, David Cowell was aware of Millie but failed to see Riley.
“As he entered the driveway he was aware he ran over something that he thought was a child’s toy or bike. He rolled back a distance and there he saw Riley bleeding heavily from the head.
“He picked him up and carried him to the grass.
“Millie’s mother, Tamara, made the 999 call and Riley’s mother was said to be beside herself with grief and shock.
“Riley suffered severe head and neck injuries and was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford before he was taken to a hospice where he died four days alter from his injuries.
“He had been run over by the nearside front wheel. David Cowell had been aware of children congregating in that area with bikes and toys on the shared driveway.
“He should have been proceeding with maximum care and attention and unfortunately he didn’t.”
Cowell, now of Deacon Crescent, Middleton, Milton Keynes, denies the charge of causing death by careless driving.
The trial continues.

Court: Driver crushed five-year-old to death on his driveway


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House plants can suck dangerous toxic chemicals out of the air - leaving it cleaner to breathe, according to new research.
The study shows certain species act like natural air fresheners - removing harmful chemicals from the air we breathe.
House plants can suck dangerous toxic chemicals out of the air - leaving it cleaner to breathe, according to new research
Research has shown the air in offices and family homes often contains pollutants leading to ‘sick building syndrome’ where people suffer a range of symptoms including headaches, fatigue, difficulties in concentrating and respiratory problems.
It has been estimated to blight the lives of up to three in 10 office workers. A study earlier this year estimates that annually nearly 100,000 people die from the effects of indoor air pollution.
Now new research has found the Scarlet Star (Guzmania lingulata), from South America and a member of the bromeliad family of plants, got rid of more than 80 percent of illness causing compounds.
That performed the best out of five plants tested, although the Dracaena Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans massangeana) soaked up virtually all of a particularly pungent chemical common in nail salons.
House plants can suck dangerous toxic chemicals out of the air - leaving it cleaner to breathe, according to new research
Native throughout tropical Africa, it is grown in many homes and offices within the UK, US and Europe.
Scientists say their findings show picking the right houseplant can clear the air of dangerous pollutants in homes and offices.
Printers and cleaning products give off potentially harmful chemicals known as VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
Dr Vadoud Niri, of the State University of New York, said: “Buildings, whether new or old, can have high levels of VOCs in them, sometimes so high you can smell them.”
House plants can suck dangerous toxic chemicals out of the air - leaving it cleaner to breathe, according to new research
VOCs are compounds like acetone, benzene and formaldehyde that are emitted as gases and can cause short and long term health effects when inhaled. They can come from paints, furniture, copiers and printers, cleaning supplies and even dry cleaned clothes.
Explained Dr Niri: “Inhaling large amounts of VOCs can lead some people to develop sick building syndrome, which reduces productivity and can even cause dizziness, asthma or allergies. We must do something about VOCs in indoor air.”
The most common solution is to install ventilation systems that cycle in air from outside or methods using adsorption, condensation and chemical reactions.
But using plants to remove chemicals from indoor air, known as biofiltration or phytoremediation, is much simpler - and cheaper.
House plants can suck dangerous toxic chemicals out of the air - leaving it cleaner to breathe, according to new research
In addition to carbon dioxide plants can take up gases such as benzene, toluene and other VOCs.
NASA began studying this option in 1984 and found that plants could absorb these airborne compounds via their leaves and roots.
Since then, other studies have looked at how plants phytoremediate specific compounds, such as the cancer causing chemical formaldehyde, in a closed space.
Most of these studies focused on the removal of single VOCs by individual plants from the ambient air.
But Dr Niri wanted to compare the efficiency and the rate of simultaneous removal of several VOCs by various plants.
So his researchers built a sealed chamber containing specific concentrations of several VOCs and monitored the VOC concentrations over several hours with and without a different type of plant in the chamber.
For each plant type, they noted which VOCs the plants took up, how quickly they removed them from the air, and how much was ultimately removed by the end of the experiment.
The researchers tested five common house plants and eight common VOCs, and they found that certain plants were better at absorbing specific compounds.
For example, all five could remove acetone, the pungent chemical abundant at nail salons, but the dracaena plant took up the most, around 94 percent of the chemical.
Dr Niri said: “Based on our results, we can recommend what plants are good for certain types of VOCs and for specific locations.
“To illustrate, the bromeliad plant was very good at removing six out of eight studied VOCs - it was able to take up more than 80 percent of each of those compounds - over the twelve hour sampling period. So it could be a good plant to have sitting around in the household or workplace.”
Dr Niri says the next step in the research is to test these plants’ abilities in a real room, not just a sealed chamber.
He would eventually like to put plants in a nail salon over the course of several months to see whether they can reduce the levels of acetone that workers are exposed to.
The other three plants studied were Jade plant (Crassula argentea), the Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) and the Caribbean Tree Cactus (Consolea falcata.)

VIDEO: House plants can suck dangerous toxic chemicals out of the air


More than half of the UK’s grandparents are planning to look after their grandchildren over the next few weeks, according to a recent survey.
A poll of more than 8,000 over-50s shows that one in eight grandparents will look after grandchildren once a week over the school summer holidays, with a further one in eight will be on childminding duties twice per week.
However, one in twenty grandparents say they will be hosting their grandchildren three days a week while school is out for the summer, according to the research by Saga Car Insurance.
And it’s not just their time that will be donated - one in five say they will spend well over £200 keeping the children occupied. Days out to the beach (77 per cent) and on shopping trips (35 per cent) are the most popular distractions, although some grandparents are even taking their grandchildren on a holiday either in the UK (14 per cent) or abroad (5 per cent).
Grandparents in the North East are the most likely to babysit grandchildren over the school summer holidays, while those in the East Midlands are least likely to.
The Scots are most likely to spend big on their grandkids, with one in four expecting to spend more than £200 during the school holiday period.
Sue Green, Head of Saga Car Insurance, commented: “It looks as though children are in for an action-packed summer which is full of adventure if nan and granddad are in charge over the next couple of weeks. Grandparents really are generous giving up their time and money to help with childcare over the summer holidays and I’m sure they are really looking forward to spending some quality time with their grandchildren.”

Grandparents to the rescue over school summer holidays


Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the classic tale of Holly Golightly so memorably played by Audrey Hepburn in the iconic film, has been given a new lease of life as a stage play with music, starring Georgia May Foote.
Georgia was runner up in last year’s Strictly Come Dancing and her television credits include Coronation Street, This Is England ‘86 and Grange Hill.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is her professional stage debut.
She said: “I am so excited that for my first theatre role I will be playing such an iconic character. I cannot wait to join the cast. It’s a wonderful adaptation of an incredible story and I’m really thrilled to be part of it.”
Based on Truman Capote’s classic novella, the story is set in 1943 New York. Fred, a young writer from Louisiana, meets Holly Golighty, a charming, vivacious and utterly elusive good time girl.
Everyone falls in love with Holly, including Fred. But Fred is poor and Holly’s other suitors include a playboy millionaire and the future president of Brazil. As war rages in Europe, Holly begins to fall in love with Fred - just as her past catches up with her.
The story has been adapted for the stage by award winning playwright Richard Greenberg and contains memorable songs from the era as well as original music by Grant Olding.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is sure to capture the hearts of audiences and sparkle like a diamond in a Tiffany’s window.
The show is on at Milton Keynes Theatre at 7.30pm from Monday September 19 through to Saturday 24 with additional 2.30pm matinees on the Wednesday and Saturday.
Tickets cost from £16.50 and are available online at www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes or call the box office on 0844 871 7652.

Corrie star Georgia May Foote sparkles at Milton Keynes


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The Cola-Cola glass bottle has been voted as the most iconic packaging on the UK’s shelves.
A study of 1,500 Brits exploring the influence of packaging and branding on shopping habits found that one in six people thought the Coca-Cola bottle was the most identifiable in terms of packaging.
Indeed, it was deemed to be just as recognisable without its logo or the product itself.
The research, commissioned by Easyfairs, organisers of Packing Innovations and Luxury Packaging London, found the Toblerone triangular chocolate bar finished as a close runner up, with Marmite’s glass jar rated as third-best-loved product packaging.
Beauty brands, such as the Tiffany Box and the Chanel No.5 Bottle just missed out on the top ten.
Coke’s success has been attributed to its targeting younger audience, with one in five Millennials selecting the bottle as the most recognisable pack product.Pringles’ iconic cylinder tube, fourth on the overall list, was the Millennial’s second favourite.
The study also revealed barcodes as the greatest packaging invention, ahead of more traditional items such as the cardboard box (21 per cent) - although the younger generation, 18-34 years, voted for 3D printing and re-sealable zips as its top two.
Gerry Sherwood, Event Director for the Easyfairs’ Packaging Portfolio, who commissioned the survey, said: “Millennials have officially passed Baby Boomers as the largest generation in history, and are more personally connected to their favourite brands than ever before. It is therefore not surprising to see 3D printing come out top in our poll for this age group.”
Top Ten Most Recognisable Brand’s Packaging
1. Coca-Cola Bottle
2. Toblerone Triangle
3. Marmite Jar
4. Pringles Tube
5. KFC Bucket
6. Heinz Ketchup Bottle
7. Fairy Liquid Bottle
8. Apple’s iPhone Box
9. Walkers Crisp Packet
10. Amazon Box

Coca-Cola bottle ‘most iconic packaging’


Next month sees the release of a new Beatles documentary, directed by Oscar winner Ron Howard.
The Apollo 13, Da Vinci Code and Rush director has been given the blessing of the surviving band members - Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr - and the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison to produce the film looking at the band’s early years.
As well as archive footage from “the touring years” from 1960-66, The Beatles: Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years will feature fresh contributions from McCartney and Starr and never-before-seen clips shot by fans.
To get yourself warmed up for the film’s release test your knowledge of the band’s hits with our fiendishly tricky lyrics quiz.

QUIZ: How well do you know your Beatles lyrics?


Red Bull Racing topped the time sheets as Max Verstappen set the pace ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in free practice at an unusually warm Belgian Grand Prix on Friday.
The 18-year-old grew up just 50 miles from the Spa-Francorchamps circuit and was cheered on by a large Dutch contingent as he set the fastest time with a 1:48.085.
Team-mate Daniel Ricciardo was second, with 1.48.341 ahead of Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg, and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. Championship leader Lewis Hamilton is likely to start towards the back of the grid after taking several engine penalties, and was 13th fastest at the end of the second free practice session.
Earlier in the day, Ricciardo completed an installation lap with the head protection device ‘the halo’ which is earmarked to be introduced to the sport in 2018.

Verstappen tops the timing sheets as Red Bull lead the way in Belgium


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The King of the Fighters is back in full 3D glory and with the biggest roster of combatants ever.
The classic SNK title is out August 26th and is the first main-series game rendered entirely in 3D using 2D backgrounds - like Street Fighter.
KoF XIV should have a good pedigree considering it is being directed by Yasuyuki Oda who has previously worked on Capcom’s Street Fighter IV as well as other titles by SNK.
Developers have introduced the “Rush” system in order to revitalise the series and attract newcomers.
The Hyper Drive system from the last game is no longer present and has been replaced with a new version of “Max Mode” from earlier games in the series.
In Max mode, the player can perform unlimited EX special moves for a short period of time, and the timer changes depending on what position their character is in.
The roster of fighters is the standout stat ahead of launch, though, with 50 ... yes FIFTY ... characters to choose from.
Each will have three types of Supers: the returning “Super Special Moves” and “Neomax Super Special Moves” (the latter of which are only usable in Max mode), and a new type called “Climax Super Special Moves”.
Climax Super Special Moves are the strongest types in the game and will require a total of three power gauges (two with Max mode on). The game also features the “Just Defend” mechanic from Garou: Mark of the Wolves. The HD thrust system now makes the opponent hit the wall and crumple for follow up attacks.
For beginners, there will be the automatic and simple “Rush Combo” while the online lobby has three modes: team VS, single VS, and party VS with up to 12 people able to enter and also spectate.
The roster of fighters is the standout stat ahead of launch, though, with 50 ... yes FIFTY ... characters to choose from. Damien Lucas, gaming columnist
Whether Kof XIV can compete with the likes of the next gen Street Fighter or if it holds enough appeal to UK gamers remains to be seen.
But gameplay footage suggests it is slick, action-packed and should have lots of longevity particularly for those who like to master all fighters.

Console Corner: The King of Fighters lives on


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