In 2002, this paper published a picture of Alva Busch using a blow dryer to remove decals from his work vehicle. At the time the snapshot was taken, in 2001, Busch was an Illinois State Police crime scene investigator working in the East St. Louis area. Why was he removing the emblems that identified his […]
Community & Lifestyle
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“Hot air”
Untitled Document Seven years before the Wright Brothers’ first flight, Americans were boggled by strange objects in the sky. The phrase “unidentified flying object” hadn’t been invented, so many observers called them “airships.” The Great Airship Wave of 1896-1897, which has spawned books and contemporary UFO studies, started in November 1896 when an airship with […]
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Draining and paving paradise
Untitled Document Development and urban sprawl have caused the loss of millions of acres of wetlands. What is the status of wetlands in North America? Wetlands serve as primary habitat for thousands of wildlife species — from ducks to beavers to insects — and form an important ecosystem link between land and water. They also […]
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That wilting feeling
Untitled Document Drive through town, and you might get confused about the seasons. Under some trees, it looks like fall. Other trees seem to be just getting started on spring. Most sycamores, for example, have lost their mature leaves and are now producing new ones. The cause of this odd phenomenon is anthracnose, a group […]
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Healthy fast food
Untitled Document Where can people who are constantly traveling and on the go find healthy fast food? The latest trend in fast food is healthy and organic, and, luckily for conscious consumers, several chains offering just such fare are taking root in different parts of the U.S. One of the leaders of this small but […]
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Green outdoor clothing
Untitled Document Where can one find the best options for green-friendly outdoor clothing, as well as traditional items without the environmental guilt? Outdoor gear and clothing manufacturers are slowly but surely beginning to work materials crafted from recycled, reused, or otherwise sustainable sources into their products. Synthetics such as polyester and nylon have been the […]
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Summer lovin’
Untitled Document The first summer that Mike Dial went to camp, he spent a lot of time sitting in the administrative office. Plagued by attention-deficit disorder, hyperactivity, and, by his own admission, “a nasty temper,” Mike would become so enraged that staff members still recall the visible manifestations of his fury. “He would get so […]
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Recycle your food waste
Untitled Document We’ve all heard of the three R’s — reduce, reuse, and recycle — but many people have added a fourth R: rot, the recycling of food waste and other organic material through composting or vermicomposting. When these products are allowed to rot into compost, they are cycled back to the earth, thereby keeping […]
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A green wedding
Untitled Document What are some tips for making the festivities greener for those getting married this summer? You know environmental consciousness has really taken hold when couples start to worry about whether their weddings will be green enough — but more and more people who care deeply about the planet view getting married as a […]
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Get it fresh
Untitled Document In the past couple of years we’ve begun hearing such phrases such as “Think local, eat local,” “Buy local, eat healthy,” “Buy fresh, buy local,” “100-mile diet,” “Eat-local challenge,” and “Eat close to home.” Essentially they’re all saying the same thing: It’s good to buy and eat locally grown produce. There are many […]
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Mighty wind
Untitled Document How is wind power faring in the U.S. now? Is more of it coming online and accounting for a larger percentage of the grid? Clean and green wind energy is the new darling of alternative-energy developers, and the U.S. industry has been surging in the past three years, especially as developers take advantage […]
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Your mama
Untitled Document If you are like me, you still haven’t decided what to get your mom for Mother’s Day. By far the most cherished Mother’s Day gifts are ones that young children make at school. They don’t cost much, but time and love go into these cherished gifts. As an adult, how can you make […]
