(NewsUSA) – As the sun rises in middle America, nature comes to life. Ducks, geese and other birds emerge from a marsh, taking flight into a golden sky, while prairie grasses whisper in the morning breeze and insects begin to hum.

The growing cacophony of honks, quacks, chirps and splashes is music to Jason Black’s ears. As public land manager of the McPherson Valley Wetlands in central Kansas, they are proof that this habitat is thriving.

“This is a special place,” says Black. “I get to watch it grow through the seasons, watch the birds come and go. Everything from our state bird, the meadowlark, to whooping cranes to a number of species of ducks and geese and shorebirds when water conditions and migration are lined up just right.”

These public wetlands were recently improved through a public-private partnership thanks in big part to one of the nation’s largest clean energy infrastructure companies, Williams. The company’s generous contribution allowed Ducks Unlimited to seek matching funds to restore several areas that are critical to waterfowl during spring and fall migrations.      Continue reading →

Stories for Kids with Wholesome Fun, Culture, Imagination and Learning

(NewsUSA) – Amanda Given, an author, speech language pathologist, yogi, mother, mental health advocate and child at heart, has given us a charming story with colorful and playful illustrations that will help any child, young or old, open up and learn to deal with their feelings, all by learning about Balloon Breath.

This obviously is an important topic for children and their parents or guardians. So much has been written about the difficulty of young children to understand and control their emotions, with strategies from learned scholars and therapists on how to cope. Yet sometimes, it’s the simplest of stories to which children can best connect, putting them in a position to learn and grow.

That’s why “BALLOON BREATH” does such an impressive job of helping children open up and deal with their feelings. The book, geared primarily to pre-schoolers in the 2-to-5 age range, is a simple tale in which Lonnie is frustrated with the behavior of his brother, Curly, who has taken his blanket, and dominated the channels on the TV set to his own liking and without consideration of his brother. Lonnie feels like he is going to explode with anger.

Fortunately, his favorite babysitter, Scarlett, comes over and tries to instill happiness into the atmosphere with fun activities, by eating, pretending to be lions, going to the upbeat sunroom — anything to create a cheerful mood. Finally, Scarlett explains what she does when she gets mad: “Sit criss-cross applesauce. Take a DEEP breath in. That’s it. Now exhale all the air out.”   Continue reading →

Young married couple doing their paperwork together, paying bills online. Focus on the guy. Loving young couple using laptop and analyzing their finances. Writing notes.

(NAPSI)—If you’re like many people, you make New Year’s resolutions. Whether you love or hate the tradition, studies show that one of the most popular resolutions is healthier living—followed closely by setting financial goals.

These two resolutions are also interdependent, as 72% of people report experiencing money-related stress at least some of the time. That means financial wellness is proving to be more vital to overall health and happiness than ever.

It’s also a fact that only a small percentage of people who make resolutions actually keep them.

Luckily, Chylon Pappas, vice president of marketing at First Tech Federal Credit Union, has tips and savings tricks to get you started on the path to improving your overall financial health in 2023 and beyond.

1. Make a Plan:Mapping out your financial goals is the first step. This will serve as a guide you can reference and fine-tune.

Investing, saving for retirement, and reviewing spending habits regularly can seem daunting, but there are a few ways to make the process less overwhelming: Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—A uniquely American vision of love and murder, trauma, and healing around 2026, “Even Climate Change Can’t Stop Love and Murder” is the highly anticipated romantic suspense thriller and follow up to last year’s critically acclaimed “Even A Pandemic Can’t Stop Love And Murder” by A.E.S. O’Neill.

The Story

Barely surviving the climatic run-in in “Even A Pandemic Can’t Stop Love and Murder” with Jagger, the golem-like mob killer antagonist, Alby and Ginger—the series’ reluctant protagonists—are being relocated by government agents from New Jersey to Sedona, AZ. A dark episode in Iraq has left Alby permanently in hiding—a threat of death that follows him from the deserts of the Middle East to the deserts of Arizona.

The two cross a country straining at its social seams against climate chaos, insurrectionists, and white supremacists—deadly threats are at every turn as they search to define their love for each other—unaware that Jagger is still alive and after them.

Stuck in Alby’s truck for days, Alby and Ginger slowly get to know each other. Alby is quiet, with a wry sharpness. Ginger, a professional dance instructor, who is both tough and righteous with a hair-trigger temper, feels safe with Alby in ways she doesn’t understand. Their conversations range from deeply emotional to darkly funny and irreverent, reminiscent of the snappy patter used in the 1930s “Thin Man” classics. Continue reading →

 (NAPSI)—Rural small businesses face greater challenges to economic recovery and are less optimistic about the future compared to their non-rural counterparts, according to new survey data from SCORE, mentors to America’s small businesses.

SCORE’s Fall 2022 Megaphone of Main Street: The Small Business Rural/Urban Divide surveyed more than 3,000 entrepreneurs and found that while more than 75% of small businesses surveyed have returned to pre-pandemic levels or better, more than half (53%) of rural entrepreneurs say they feel somewhat or extremely negative about the economy and its impact on their business.

Although customer acquisition remains a challenge for all small businesses,  inflation, the overall economy and cash flow are top concerns. In particular, rural entrepreneurs feel more challenged by inflation and supply chain disruptions. Specifically, rural small business owners are:

• 30.2% more likely than non-rural small business owners to cite inflation as one of their top three business concerns
• When compared to non-rural counterparts, are 32.4% more likely to cite supply chain disruptions.

Diving deeper, rural small businesses say cash flow is constrained by rising costs for utilities, supplies, labor and capital. Rural entrepreneurs are:

• 9.3% more likely than non-rural small businesses to report higher costs of doing business
• 24.5% more likely to report higher vendor prices, when compared to non-rural entrepreneurs.

Compared to their non-rural counterparts, twice as many rural entrepreneurs say there’s a lack of local banks in their area from which to seek financing, further limiting their ability to secure funding.  Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—Ann is a 74-year-old retired principal and grandmother living in Connecticut. Robin is a 58-year-old community health educator and mother of four living in Maryland. On the surface, these women may seem to have little in common, but what brings them together is that for the last 25 years, both have been living with HIV. They have also chosen to step out of the shadows about their journey and help others get past the stigma surrounding HIV.

Ann’s and Robin’s Stories

In 1998, Ann was shocked to receive an HIV diagnosis during a routine medical appointment, ultimately concluding that she may have contracted the virus during a hysterectomy 10 years earlier. After keeping her diagnosis a secret from everyone but some close family and friends for 20 years, Ann decided to open up about living with HIV so she could support others like her.  Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—As you prepare for the busy holiday travel season, you should be aware of an urgent stop-drive warning issued to owners and custodians of certain older model Dodge and Chrysler vehicles who have not replaced their recalled driver-side Takata air bags.

Approximately 276,000 2005-2010 Dodge Magnum station wagons, Dodge Challenger coupes, Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 sedans fall under this warning. FCA US LLC has distributed notices to owners and custodians of these vehicles to immediately stop driving them. Continue reading →