On the campaign trail President-Elect Barack Obama made a commitment to revitalize the economy with green-collar jobs as part of his overall energy initiative. After he takes office on January 20, the nation will be watching to see which components of his energy initiative actually make it into legislation. And many states will be anxiously [...]

In this world of excess where all of us end up spending money on things we don’t need, and racking up credit card debt to do it, why not think twice about your luxury purchases? I know when I go on a shopping spree, I always feel better about myself if I come to my [...]

Knitting and crocheting have undergone a startling social transformation in the last decade. No longer an outdated craft your grandmother taught you one rainy afternoon, it’s now the new way to express your creative side.
My personal conversion probably had something to do with the fact that my long-time boyfriend’s family switched to handmade Christmas gifts [...]

Energy crisis?
This phrase makes the nightly news every week. The rising costs of nearly everything, including food, gasoline and home energy, has become a slow, insidious flood of its own that shows no signs of receding during the long winter months ahead. Both presidential candidates produce sound bites saying they understand the challenges facing ordinary [...]

You may have caught a special on “green” building on Iowa Public Television or The Home and Garden Channel. Perhaps you’ve driven by a construction site and seen signs proclaiming it a LEED project. But these days people are throwing the word “green” around like the words “low fat” or “heart healthy.” So, what does [...]

Ask anyone from local and national media to the average customer in Orscheln’s, and you’ll hear how Iowa farmers have taken a hard hit this year. Because of heavy spring rains many never had a chance to plant their corn or soybeans. And the subsequent flooding has ruined many crops already in the ground.
However, Iowa [...]