Top 5 Ghost Towns

Hashima Island (also called Gunkanjima) off the coast of Nagasaki Port in Japan.
GUNKANJIMA Japan National Tourism Organizat Virtual Tourist

 
 
Halloween is synonymous with costumes, an abundance of bite-sized candy and adorable photos of children dressed as cartoon characters, superheroes and monstrous creatures. However, the spirit of Halloween can also influence your travels. Rather than focusing on haunted destinations, the members and editors of VirtualTourist.com have compiled a list of those places that have been abruptly abandoned by people, making them spooky and eerie. From an abandoned Greek village in Turkey to a former disaster site in the Ukraine, here are VirtualTourist’s “Top 5 Ghost Towns.”

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My Michigan: Local Screen Writer Returns Home to Promote Debut Film

Left:  Jazmen Darnell Brown is a screenwriter born and raised in Lansing, MI with his mother, Dawn Brown at the screening of his feature film, “The Citizen”.    Courtesy photos
 
By Deborah M. Walker
 
LANSING, MI — For the past five years, Jazmen Darnell Brown a 2003 J.W. Sexton High School graduate had been waiting anxiously for what would be his inauguration into the world of feature film writing. Since 2008, Brown had been working on his project trying perilously to explain his cinema venture to friends and family who were perplexed as to the extent of his work. Brown tried countless times to clarify and the grand scale of his work and now he can finally reveal the result of his endeavor. 

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The Kid’s Doctor: Be truthful when explaining death to a child

By Sue Hubbard, M.D.
 
 The mother had been fortunate that no one in her own immediate family had died, and therefore she’d never really discussed death with her daughter. I could sense that she was dreading the discussion, just as much as some parents dread discussing sexuality with their children. Interestingly, both of these issues are “facts of life.”

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Retire Smart: 401(k) Fee-asco

By Jill Schlesinger
Tribune Media Services
 
 A Yale professor is providing a perfect follow-up to the PBS’ “Frontline” episode “The Retirement Gamble” that aired earlier this year. The program detailed America’s retirement crisis and how the financial services industry feasts on high fees inside of many employer-sponsored plans.

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Interpersonal Edge: Just say no to hiring personality problems

By Dr. Daneen Skube
Tribune Media Services
 
Q. I recently hired a guy who is very smart, but I knew he was really self-absorbed and entitled. I thought his resume and skill set would be worth his demanding attitude. I’m finding that he is pawning projects off on coworkers, lying to me about what he has done, and blaming everyone but himself for problems. What can I do now, and how can I avoid this in the future? 
 

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Aboutthatcar.com: 2013 Mazda CX-9

By Frank S. Washington
 
 
DETROIT, MI – After a week-long test drive of a 2013 Mazda CX-9, a seven passenger crossover utility, it is easy to understand why this three-rowed vehicle became so popular so quickly.

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Will Handwriting Be A Dead Form?

By Rick Garcia
 
Since the early dawn of mankind the origins of communication began with cave paintings.  As civilization and progress had begun, so did the evolution of these pictographs which converted to Cuneiform, Runes, Hieroglyphic and ultimately Alphabetic writing.

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80-Year-Old Grandma Gets US Citizenship

Salvadorian immigrant Carlota Gutiérrez holding her U.S. naturalization certificate.
Courtesy photo

 
By  Elena Shore
Andrea Acosta, Translated
El Pregonero
 
Despite her advanced age and limited English language skills, Salvadoran immigrant Carlota Gutiérrez passed her citizenship test and is a new U.S. citizen.
 
With the help of her kids, the 80-year-old grandmother applied to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for citizenship in January 2012 and four months later, on May 23, she got an appointment for the test and interview in her language.

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News Spotlight: Rabies Still a Concern in Michigan Report animal bites to local health department within 24 hours

 Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) State Veterinarian Dr. James Averill urged Michiganders to adopt practices that help protect their families, pets, and livestock from rabies, one of the deadliest diseases known to man. According to the World Health Organization, rabies is responsible for the deaths of 55,000 people worldwide.  

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News Spotlight: River Trail Robbery

 Lansing Police are asking for help attempting to identify this subject (see attached photo).

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