Homeowners still need to help their trees and lawns make up for a record soil moisture deficit to mitigate damage done by a dry fall and winter.

This week’s wet weather is providing much-needed moisture to parched soils, but it isn’t enough to pull the state out of its moderate to severe drought classification, according to University of Minnesota Extension climatologist Mark Seeley.

Water landscape trees as soon as ground is thawed
Drought conditions can lead to tree decline, pest problems, and permanent damage for young and old trees alike. “Dry soils get colder in the winter and freeze deeper, which can kill roots,” explains Gary Johnson, Extension specialist in urban and community forestry. And dead roots make it hard for trees to take in water.

Even if damage was caused by the dry fall and winter, you can minimize its effects by keeping the soil moist but not saturated. In the metro area, the ground is thawed enough to begin watering now if you haven’t already.

To check if your ground is thawed and assess moisture, push a kabob skewer or other metal rod into the ground. If the skewer can be pushed into the ground 8-10 inches, you can water. If the 8-10 inches is moist, there’s no need to water yet. If the 8-10 inches is dry, watering is critical.

The world today encompasses very real concerns of crime, health risks, natural disasters and terrorism that can disrupt the best planned vacations. Travelers need to be aware of the risks they can face when vacationing to an unfamiliar territory.
 
Whether you are a student going on spring break, a family vacationing together or are traveling strictly for business, there are some items that you should ensure are checked off of your pre-trip list before you depart for your destination.
 
Protect Your Identity
Proof of identity and citizenship are critical while traveling abroad. Your personal safety, and ability to travel, will be at risk if your passport and other identification are lost or stolen. Remember to take a photocopy of your passport and other identification with you on your travels. Keep it in a safe place, in the event something happens to the original.
 
As soon as you know you are going to travel abroad, locate your passport and make sure all of the information is correct. If you were over age 16 when your passport was issued, it is valid for 10 years. If you were age 15 or younger when your passport was issued, your passport is valid for 5 years. If you need to apply for a passport, do so at least three months in advance of your trip to avoid fees associated with expediting the process.

For most of my life, I have heard that Black women are strong.  But, rarely do we talk about what has made us so strong.  Surely the old adage:  “What won’t kill you will make you stronger” has applied to many of our lives.  Unfortunately, many of have not gotten stronger, but have been killed along the way.  While our bodies may not have been killed, our spirits, our hopes, and our dreams have been shattered by what we have experienced.   We have buried our sons and daughters to needless, thoughtless violence.    We Black women have lost husbands, friends, and lovers because of what we have experienced.  We have lost our dignity, received black eyes, experienced infidelity, been riddled with insecurity, displaced by unemployment, and devastated by discrimination.  Yes, we have been challenged in ways that have destabilized and shamed us for generations.

She was desperate to pay a handful of crucial bills, so she went online and researched digital loans.

She read about Internet payday loan companies and how they work – but she found one that seemed better than the others.

“In order to find out if I qualified I had to give them my bank account and social security number like you would for any loan,” she told The Skanner News. “There was my first stupid thing.”

This Oregon resident -- who has requested anonymity because she hasn’t yet told her family that a $400 loan turned into a $1,000 nightmare -- has helped touch off a national effort by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) to regulate the billion-dollar offshore payday lending industry.

Photo Credit: dailychamber.com

As this year’s women’s history month comes to an end, I am reminded of how proud I was to have our history acknowledged every February for Black History Month. My parents made sure I learned everything possible about our Black heritage, the struggles and obstacles we endured and the importance of African Americans on the history of our nation.

In 1987, our government decided that women also deserved to be honored in the same way. So, while February is Black History Month, March has been designated as Women’s History Month. This is a time to focus on and acknowledge the important roles that women take on in today’s world and the contributions they continue to make to history. This year, the theme of Women’s History Month is the empowerment of women through education.

With state and national Republicans emphasizing religious wedge issues, such as health coverage for contraception and separation of church and state, the media have frequently reported on the demographic most aroused by these issues - evangelical voters. But have the media accurately portrayed these evangelical Christians?
 
For many, the answer is a resounding "no."
News reports often leave the impression that all evangelical Christians are white and usually support the most conservative Republican candidates. Totally overlooked is the fact that many African-Americans, Latinos and other people of color are evangelical Christians whose views are rarely cited.
 
With its narrow coverage of this demographic, the media may have an inadvertent impact on the political process. Evangelical Christians are portrayed as the most committed religious believers in America. Does this give the perception that God backs their positions on issues including abortion and same-sex marriage? Does that give an unfair advantage to candidates aligned with issues supposedly receiving divinesupport?