US

Image Credit: stmarksuccallentown.org After its congregation dwindled to just 26 members, St. Mark’s United Church of Christ in Bloomington, Minnesota, made the difficult decision to close, turning its final chapter into an extraordinary act of generosity. According to Minnesota nonprofit Loaves & Fishes, which provides meals to people facing hunger, St. Mark’s distributed about $600,000…

Quote of the day by Bubba Smith (Image: Wikipedia) Some people assume that physical size or obvious strength naturally comes with a short temper. Bubba Smith, the former NFL defensive lineman turned actor, suggested something closer to the opposite. “Well, I’m not a violent person,” he said. “You have to back off. People sometimes will…

One year after Louisiana restored 1,170 acres of wetlands, shrimp, crabs and red drum are returning to the habitat. Louisiana’s coastline is showing early signs of recovery after a major wetland restoration project created 1,170 acres of new marsh habitat in the Barataria Basin. Just one year after construction, species including white and brown shrimp,…

Virginia’s Ragged Island restoration is creating new marsh and oyster habitat while reducing sediment entering Chesapeake Bay. Virginia has completed a major shoreline restoration project on Ragged Island, helping rebuild wetlands and oyster habitat while reducing the amount of sediment and nutrients entering the Chesapeake Bay.The project, funded with $8 million from NOAA Fisheries’ Office…

Quote of the day by Michael J. Fox (AP photo) Humour can genuinely change how a difficult moment actually feels. A stressful situation seems lighter once someone finds a reason to laugh, and a serious problem often becomes easier to approach once it can be seen from another angle. Michael J. Fox, the actor and…

Shell Rock River Watershed District (Image Credit: www.shellrock.org) In 2020, Minnesota approved $1.918 million for the Shell Rock River Watershed Habitat Restoration Program – Phase IX. According to a 2025 final report from the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, the program ultimately protected, restored or enhanced 588 acres of habitat in the Shell Rock River watershed,…

A routine wildlife-removal call in Aledo, Texas, turned into a startling discovery when specialists found more than 20 rattlesnakes living beneath a home. The homeowners had initially sought help with what appeared to be a typical animal-removal problem, but snake wrangler Sheila Taber soon realised the situation was far more serious. As the team worked…

Federal immigration officials have criticised a Suffolk County judge after a Salvadoran national, who was previously deported from the US, was released without bail following his fourth felony drunken-driving conviction.Pablo Aguilar-Alvarez, 36, was found guilty on Friday of felony driving while intoxicated and faces up to seven years in prison at his October 2 sentencing.According…

A remote village on Alaska’s North Slope is facing a growing threat from beneath its feet. In Point Lay, also known as Kali, thawing ice-rich ground is causing the land to sink unevenly, damaging buildings and essential infrastructure. Researchers studying the community have documented widespread ground subsidence and found that large quantities of ice are…

Drift Creek Unit of Siletz Bay National Wildlife (Image Credit: Wikipedia) Oregon’s Siletz Bay is undergoing a major wetland restoration effort this summer, with crews working to bring back natural tidal flows to land that was dramatically altered by more than a century of diking and land conversion. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife…