Teddy Bear Land Inc., a small Gardendale-based charity that gives out toys, clothing and food to kids mainly at Christmas, has had it rough in this economy, its founder said.
As one voracious non-native fish bears down on the Great Lakes, notorious mussels are spreading across the West. Frustrated state officials say it’s time for the federal government to play a bigger role in stopping the spread of invasive species.
Utah is not the only state where lawmakers are attempting to address illegal immigration — which is traditionally a federal issue handled by Congress.
The federal-state process for determining the damages to natural resources caused by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and how much BP will be required to pay to restore them is likely to take between seven and 10 years and cost millions of dollars, with BP footing the bill, the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority was told Wednesday.
With the permanent sealing of BP's ruptured oil well expected in the next two weeks, retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen plans to begin discussions today with parish leaders on how and when the thousands of response workers and the vast amount of oil cleanup equipment will be scaled back.
As it has in years past, Virginia Beach ranks high in an annual report that rates the water quality at 200 of America's most popular beaches. Four Virginia Beach testing sites received a rating of four stars out of five from the Natural Resources Defense Council, which released its 2009 report Wednesday. Only beaches in Alabama, California, Minnesota and New Hampshire were ranked higher.
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — Down at the docks, grouper boats are lined up and waiting. Many have been waiting for a while — waiting for the part of the Gulf of Mexico closed by the oil spill to reopen, waiting for the crews and captains to return to fishing.
