Cleveland.com By John Funk, The Plain Dealer Posted May 6th 2013   CLEVELAND, Ohio — State lawmakers looking into changing laws that require Ohio’s electric utilities help customers use less electricity are making a mistake, says the state’s largest manufacturing trade group. The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association is now convinced that the efficiency mandates which lawmakers [...]

DIYLife.com By Amy Priser Posted April 29th 2013   When our friends at Curbed and Design Milk both posted this amazing video of a retractable kitchen island we watched it twice: Once to bask in the coolness of the project and then again to try and figure out how the brilliant Tim Thaler made it [...]

MSN.com By Marilyn Lewis Posted March 17th 2013   It’s time to see what winter’s wind, rain and snow have done to your home and make fixes quickly to head off water-related damage. First, head outside. Outside Spiff up the front entry. One way to stay on top of your home’s maintenance and protect your [...]

Associated Press Posed March 1st 2013   COLUMBUS: Ohio lawmakers and state Attorney General Mike DeWine are promoting legislation to stop the financial exploitation of older Ohioans. The proposals to be discussed Thursday by DeWine and House Rep. Mike Dovilla, a Berea Republican, and Rep. Wes Retherford, a Hamilton Republican, come at a time when [...]

Associated Press By Lis Cornwell Posted February 28th 2013   CINCINNATI: After the warehouse where he worked for nearly three decades closed and he faced the prospect of losing his unemployment benefits, Steve Brannan didn’t know where to turn for legal help. An Army veteran, he had no money for a lawyer. “I didn’t know [...]

BeaconJournal.com By Betty Lin-Fisher, Beacon Journal Business Writer Posted February 1st 2013 (PHOTO: DR ERIC ANTHONY JOHNSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UNIVERSITY PARK ALLIANCE)   Three “urban innovators” will highlight this year’s University Park Alliance Speaker Series. UPA, a nonprofit group working on the redevelopment of 50 city blocks around the University of Akron, sponsors the speaker [...]

Associated Press By Daniel Wagner Posted January 13th 2012 (PHOTO: KEN LEWIS, CEO BANK OF AMERICA)   WASHINGTON — Ten major banks and mortgage companies have agreed to pay $8.5 billion to settle complaints that they wrongfully foreclosed on homeowners who should have been allowed to stay in their homes Federal Regulators say the banks [...]

Associated Press Posted January 7th 2013 (PHOTO: MARK MORRRIS, PRESIDENT & CEO AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER)   COLUMBUS: The utility company American Electric Power wants to make its Ohio customers pick up the $61.8 million tab for repairs from last summer’s severe storms. The utility’s reimbursement request filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio is [...]

Cox Newspapers By Laura Bischoff Posted November 29th 2012 (PHOTO: DAVID ROTHSTEIN, PROJECT DIRECTOR POLICY MATTERS OHIO)   COLUMBUS: Companies that charge up-front fees for working with consumers to settle tens of thousands of dollars in credit-card debt are pushing for a bill in the lame duck legislative session that would allow them to operate [...]

MSN.com By Sally Anderson, MSN Real Estate Posted November 16th 2012   There’s plenty gardeners can do to bring color indoors to offset the dullness of the outdoors in December. And there’s also a lot to do to make sure equipment and plantings get the care they need.   The shortest day of the year [...]