Latest news with #J.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Emergency funds approved for Hurricane Helene cleanup at Thurmond Lake
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — When Hurricane Helene hit the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry, J. Strom Thurmond Lake suffered severe damage. Federal funds have now been allocated to support transportational infrastructure repairs and debris removal. Specific details will be announced once the funding is received and timelines are finalized. The funds allow the Savannah District to address storm-related damage to roads, parking lots, trails and the removal of vegetative debris and hazardous trees and stumps. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Refinery29
a day ago
- Business
- Refinery29
A Week In Georgia On A $85,000 Joint Income
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. Today: an administrative assistant who has an $85,000 joint income and who spends some of her money this week on toilet bowl cleaner. If you'd like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our online form. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we're not able to reply to every email. Occupation: Administrative assistant Industry: Construction Age: 30 Location: Georgia Salary: $31,500 Joint Income/Financial Setup: $85,000. My husband J. and I share everything equally — all paychecks go into the same account and all bills come out of the same account. (To note: I used averages for our salaries, after tax/401k contributions, and not including overtime. So it's like what we bring home on average if we both work 40 hours). Assets: IRA/401(k) accounts: $60,000 (combined); savings account: $5,000; house value: $330,000 Debt: Mortgage: $310,000 Paycheck Amount (Weekly): $1,650 (combined). Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: $1877 (mortgage). Monthly Loan Payments: $0 Private School Tuition: $890 Medical Insurance: $275 Dental Insurance: $95 Home/Auto Insurance: $185 Internet: $105 Power: ~$250 City: ~$70 (water and trash). Phone Bill: $180 Kids' Extracurriculars: $50 Security System & Subscriptions: $75 (SimpliSafe, Netflix, Disney+, two apps on the kids' iPads). Tithe: 10% of our income. Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? Not necessarily. My mom made it clear that she wanted all of us to go to college or even technical school, but there was no major push. I went to a private college for one year (paid for with student loans) and dropped out. I always hated school! Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? There was no education or discussion on finances growing up, sadly. My parents were not good with money. My father was an addict and spent a lot of our money very impulsively. My first and only education on money came from my economics class in high school. What was your first job and why did you get it? I worked as a cashier at a grocery store at 17. I got the job so I could have my own money and buy cute clothes, lol. It was fun though. It was all high school kids in the evenings so we goofed off A LOT — I'm not sure we deserved the $7.25 and hour we made! Did you worry about money growing up? Absolutely. Our phones and lights were shut off from time to time. My parents fought a lot about it so it caused a lot of anxiety and shame. Do you worry about money now? Yes, it is something I think about more often than I should. Our mortgage is more than 25% of our income and that's not ideal for me, but the housing market is just crappy right now and I'm scared of being house poor. Additionally, I would like my savings to be larger. It was $10,000 but car repairs and vet bills hit hard this year, but I am working on building it back up. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? I became financially responsible for myself at 18. I went off to college at 18, met my husband, and we dropped out after a year, got married, then got jobs and moved into an apartment together. From the time I moved out for college, I had no financial assistance from anyone. (It's certainly not a route I would recommend to anyone so young, haha! But we have a happy little life together.) In terms of a safety net, we don't really have anyone who could help if an emergency came up, but we do have savings, and my husband works a lot of overtime, so he could get extra hours if life popped up. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. I got $1,000 when my grandfather passed 10 years ago. Day One: Sunday 7:30 a.m. — Today is beginning a little differently than most Sundays. I wake up much later than normal, but will still make it to the second half of the church service. We went to a theme park yesterday for the kids' (P. and C.) spring break… The pollen count was high and it was super hot, so we all needed some extra rest today to recharge. I realize I have almost no groceries so I set up a grocery pick up for tomorrow morning and I talk my husband, J., into Starbucks — I get a coffee and ham and Swiss croissant and the kids want cake pops with their breakfast. $16.16 11:30 a.m. — After church (10% tithe included in expenses), we run by Ingles for sandwich stuff and a fruit tray I will need tonight for a BBQ. After lunch the kids get an hour of screen time. Meanwhile, I chat with J. while he packs for a week-long trip. $39.58 2:30 p.m. — I spend an hour leading a discussion on a book called You Are a Theologian by Jen Wilkins and JT English. This group of women is so special to me. After, I realize I forgot eggs for the cookies I planned to make, as well as some cash for a love offering being taken up at the BBQ, so I run by the store again on my way home. $5.55 5 p.m. — J. departs for his trip. I made him and the team some chocolate chip cookies for the ride to the airport. I always use Joanna Gaines' recipe and highly recommend — they get loads of compliments! Me and the children head to a going-away BBQ for some of our dear friends. I slip a small gift of $20 into the card where money is being taken up to help them out on their move. It's bittersweet but they have found a bigger farm in another state, so it is a wonderful opportunity for their family. They will be missed though! The adults mingle and the kids play. $20 8 p.m. — We get home late and I take the dog out, help the kids get bathed and ready for bed, and read them a story. After they fall asleep, I get ready for bed and waste a precious hour of my life on YouTube (I've been watching a lot of Financial Audit but Caleb Hammer is too mean sometimes — although I know that's his thing!) and fall asleep past my bedtime. Daily Total: $81.29 Day Two: Monday 7 a.m. — Sleep in! So, on an average day, I wake up at 5 a.m. for my morning routine — but this week is a little different. P. and C. are on spring break so I took PTO this week with the exception of four hours I have to work this afternoon. 9 a.m. — I pull into Ingles for my weekly grocery pick up. I get milk, yogurt, apple sauce, granola bars, apples, blueberries, grapes, chips, crackers, cereal, beef, sausage, cheese, noodles, creamer, pasta sauce, fruit snacks, mini doughnuts, English muffins, string cheese, paper towels, and toilet bowl cleaner ($119.16). I just know I'm forgetting stuff, but that's a problem for later. It's pouring rain and I feel so bad for the young lady putting up my groceries. I think of bringing her a gift card or something next time I come by. While we are out, we also swing by Chick-fil-A for breakfast, just because. I have a biscuit and iced coffee, the kids get minis and hash browns with chocolate milk ($19.83). $138.99 11 a.m. — Arrive at work with P. and C. I take care of emails, phone calls, appointment reminders, and tie up loose ends for my time off. My kids spend their time drawing, typing on a spare computer, playing with puzzles, and I indulge them with a movie on Netflix… They watch Vivo, it's so cute, I catch myself watching several times before getting back to work! We packed sandwiches for lunch. I feel bad for them because my office is so boring. I am easily talked into a 'treat' from the gas station next door (plus a Celsius for me). $12.52 5:30 p.m. — P. had a Little League baseball game scheduled this evening but it was canceled (it's been raining since yesterday), so instead we go to our friends' house for dinner. It's nice to chat and the kids can play for a while as well. My offer to bring a dessert or side is kindly declined, so I make a mental note to host them in the next couple of weeks. We have chicken pasta, salad, and brownies with ice cream. Yum! C. drops one of their plates and it shatters. I feel awful and jokingly offer to bring them one of mine as we have the same set. They assure us it's no big deal. 9 p.m. — After I get the kids in bed, I do my shower and bedtime routine, then do a little scrolling. I find a cute dress on Amazon that sits in my cart. It's one of those cowl neck silk dresses that are popular right now. I tell myself I can wear it at least twice, when I take my grandma to the ballet in May and when J. and I go to Highlands for a 'fancy' dinner in a few weeks, and I already have shoes to go with it. Despite my justifications, it stays in the cart. Perhaps I'll keep watching to see if it goes on sale! Daily Total: $151.51 Day Three: Tuesday 7 a.m. — Our dog L. wakes me up. She misses J. (every dog has a favorite human and I'm not it) and is super weird and restless without him. I miss him too! I have Greek yogurt, granola, and a blueberry English muffin for breakfast. P. has cereal and C. has mini donuts with blueberries 10 a.m. — After some chores and playtime, we get ready to go out (or as Southerners say 'go to town', lol.) I can't control my impulse to buy an iced coffee ($4.27), it's delish, but I feel guilty. It's the last coffee purchase this week because my Nespresso pods are being delivered today! We end up at our favorite place... the library. I am currently reading Dinner For Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz, Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin, and The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak. My kids are bookworms like me, so they pick a few as well. I owe a fine that I take care of ($2.40). On our way out, I grab an info sheet on becoming a 'Friend of the Library' donor to read later. $6.67 12 p.m. — We spend a chunk of time walking around our downtown area. We peruse the antique store (the kids and I take photos of things we like and that we will save our $$ for), pop in the book shop where my SIL works (she brings her baby to work so my kids play with their cousin for a while), then I swing by the local gift store to get ideas for a graduation gift for a sweet girl at church who volunteers in C.'s class! The kids ask for various items as well as lunch out. I hold tight to my original proclamation that we aren't spending money, so we head home. We jam out to the Zombies 3 soundtrack and all is forgotten! 1 p.m. — On our way home, I stop by the store for a couple of things I need for dinner tonight: a rotisserie chicken, chopped salad mix, and sparkling water. Back at home, I make some processed mac and cheese. Mother of the year! $27.03 4 p.m. — We take a walk in our subdivision. P. and C. ride scooters. L. is so weird and territorial so I'm trying to socialize her. We do a couple of laps, which is not half a mile, but feels nice and refreshing. I get an email from P. and C.'s swim instructor for early sign-ups for past students. I stop what I'm doing to snag five class spots on the Google Sheet ($30 each — payment is due June 1). 6 p.m. — I end up keeping my niece for the evening so my SIL can visit her sister at the hospital (she had a baby!). She is soooo sweet and cute. Dinner tonight is chicken Alfredo. All the kids eat really well so I give them a scoop of ice cream and we watch my niece's favorite show, Peppa Pig. Good news: My Nespresso pods were delivered, so no more purchasing coffee this week. Also, my exterminator left his business card on my porch, so that expense will be autodrafted soon… (Getting the outside of your house sprayed is an absolute must for summertime here.) 9:30 p.m. — I do a short workout on YouTube and then I end up scrolling for a bit after my shower and bedtime routine. I look at my cart and the dress again. I determine that I'm being materialistic and I delete it… I have plenty of dresses! I consider other things I should spend money on. We need new towels. I decide I will start buying one a week until we have a new set, so it doesn't feel like such a commitment. I read my Emily Giffin book for a bit, watch YouTube, then go to sleep. Day Four: Wednesday 7 a.m. — Wake up. Food and potty for my doggo; coffee and Bible for me (creature of habit). My kids wake up and request cereal. I have Greek yogurt and a blueberry English muffin. I try a strawberry and white chocolate Nespresso. It's…. weird. I throw a pod in my purse to take to one of my friends, L., for her to try and see what she thinks (she got her Nespresso machine after using mine at Galentine's). 9 a.m. — We have a lowkey morning. I do laundry, unload the dishwasher, and steam mop (my hack is to put a couple of drops of lavender in the mop to make your house smell good, because kids and dogs can be smelly). Then we go to the playground for an hour or so. 12 p.m. — The kids request corndogs for lunch while I have last night's leftovers. Then I play Pokémon battles with P. and Barbies with C. Then I chat with J. I'm unsure of what he is spending on his trip as he is using his credit card. We budgeted around $700 for spending money and food, but honestly I doubt he'll spend that. He is very, very frugal and doesn't spend much money on anything. So when he gets home we will get all of that paid off — we did the credit card debt thing in our young 20s and never, ever again! On another note, J. did say he got us souvenirs, so the kids are excited! 5 p.m. — Squeeze in another walk because it's gonna start raining again tomorrow. We get four good laps. Early dinner because it's church night: I make baked spaghetti (it's one of my favorites, it's so hearty and reheats good, too). 9 p.m. — We get home and get ready for bed. I read with the kids before they go to sleep. C. doesn't read yet so I read a couple of chapters to her and P. will read a couple of chapters to me. However, he finds a booger in his book he checked out at the library so refuses to touch it, lol. We pick something from his shelf. He is my emotional, overthinking child so this is often the time we have our deep, life talks. Daily Total: $0 Day Five: Thursday 7 a.m. — Morning routine. Today is payday. I check online banking to get the exact amounts of income and update the estimated amounts in my budgeting app, I just use Checkbook. Nothing fancy, literally a virtual checkbook but I really like it. I make waffles for P. and C. and have my Greek yogurt and English muffin. 9:45 a.m. — I am doing a thorough deep clean today because my sister, E., is coming to town! She is a teacher in another part of the state and is on spring break as well. She will be staying the night at our house so I want to be a great host. P. is supposed to have a baseball game tonight, but it's raining — again. I'm waiting to hear if it is canceled. Thursdays are gymnastics nights as well. 6:30 p.m. — Game is cancelled again. C. has gymnastics practice anyways. E. gets to town, and we go to my grandmother's house for dinner, some good ol' southern fried food! After dinner, we go back to my house and all play board games for a bit and snack on the brownies I made, as well. 9:40 p.m. — The kids go to sleep and me and E. have a Topo Chico and sneak another brownie while we watch The Great British Bake Off. Eventually we go to sleep. Daily Total: $0 Day Six: Friday 6 a.m. — Our power bill and home/auto insurance are due today so I take care of them while I am getting stuff taken care of before the kids wake up. I switched to this insurance group a year ago to save money and it keeps going up. I make a mental note to shop around. E. slept on the couch, which is comfy, but I wish I had a spare room. I have an unfinished basement and the goal is to finish it, but that's a 10-year goal if I'm being realistic. I make breakfast sliders, Hawaiian rolls, sausage, cheese, and scrambled eggs. These are super popular in our house! E. has to head out early to take her dog to the vet. 11 a.m. — We have leftover baked spaghetti for lunch and then lounge. We end up having a very LAZY day and it's nice! We're always so busy. I also browse cars online; I'm looking at a Toyota RAV4. We made dumb financial decisions early on in our lives and marriage and, thank God, now that we are debt free (less the house), life feels way more relaxed. I do feel pressure knowing my current vehicle is on its way out… We have put over $4,000 in repairs this year. J. wants me to get a new car with a trade in and down payment and aggressively paying off the loan. It's important to have a reliable family vehicle. 5 p.m. — C. has gymnastics recital pictures in her costume. It's adorable with pink, fringe, and sparkles. The photos should be edited and ready to order next week. I'm super excited to see how cute they turn out! (I have this budgeted for this, I plan to order my favorite photo as a digital image.) 7 p.m. — Back home. Dinner tonight is pizza we have in the freezer. Easy peasy! I text some friends and we decide to meet up for glow in the dark bowling in the next town over ($18). Complete the evening with ice cream for P. and C ($4.47). Super fun! $22.47 Daily Total: $22.47 Day Seven: Saturday 7 a.m. — The kids have leftover breakfast sliders and I have an English muffin and apple slices. I clean bathrooms and change sheets today for my chores. 11:30 a.m. — I have a hair appointment today. Drop P. and C. with my mom (they'll have lunch there). I have Girl Lunch: apple and string cheese. My one vain indulgence is to get my hair done every two months. I have very fine, thin hair so I budget for it and it makes me feel more confident! We end up staying at my mom's house for a while before we head back home. $275 5:20 p.m. — We have grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner tonight. I can't believe this is the last night of spring break :( I am going to try to get them in bed a little earlier tonight so Monday morning isn't too rough. We play with L. after dinner and do showers, etc. 8 p.m. — Reading and lights out. I promised them a 'sleepover' while J. was gone and since he'll be home tomorrow, this is the night! Essentially, I just move their mattresses in my room, but they think it's awesome. I plan to read with my book light but end falling asleep while I wait for them to fall asleep. Daily Total: $275 The Breakdown Weekly Total $$ Spent: $563.97 Food & Drink: $248.57 Entertainment: $18 Home & Health: $0.00 Clothes & Beauty $275.00 Transportation $0.00 Other $22.40 Conclusion 'This was a super fun week. I'm so glad I got to take off work for my kids' spring break so we could have us a little staycation! We got to spend time with friends and family and it was good for the soul. I feel like keeping this diary was good for me. I enjoyed seeing exactly what I was doing and spending my money on. I have worked really hard on being more disciplined and less impulsive and I see that coming through here. It makes me proud of how far I've come! My reflection is that I would like to spend less money on groceries and I will look into some hacks for that. I also question my hair appointments and if I can live without the vanity of extensions.'
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Two Okla. properties added to National Register of Historic Places
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma Historical Society and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) a division of the the Oklahoma Historical Society announced on Monday two additional properties to the National Register of Historic Places. According to SHPO, the National Register of Historic Places is the official location for a list of properties that reflect the Oklahoma past. The designation for the following properties in Oklahoma are as follows: McIntosh CountyBaccus House 124331 S. 3981 Rd., Vernon Constructed in 1898 as a railroad office, the Baccus House would later become associated with W.M. Baccus and the politics/government of Vernon, one of the remaining 13 All-Black towns of Oklahoma. W.M. Baccus held several positions in McIntosh County throughout his life. W.M. and his family purchased the home in 1920 and remained there through his retirement in 1953. Mr. Baccus was instrumental in securing funding for a new school in Vernon and assisted in funding repairs and building schools in the All-Black towns of McIntosh County, says SHPO. Tulsa CountyRobert J. LaFortune Tower 1725 Southwest Blvd., Tulsa Quiet weather before more active storm pattern returns According to the SHPO, Robert J. LaFortune Tower, located in Tulsa, reflects a change in policy leading to the conventional method of construction. It was built to help alleviate the shortages in housing for low-income senior citizens and opened in 1975. The Robert J. LaFortune Tower was the third and last senior housing project development constructed by and for the Tulsa Housing Authority. It was the first and only housing project not developed under the traditional turnkey method. McIntosh CountyDozier Mercantile Building 124279 S. 3981 Rd., Vernon Listed in the National Register on June 22, 1984, as The Rock Front (NR #84003152), the National Park Service has accepted updated information that amends the original nomination, that changes the historic name of the property to the Dozier Mercantile Building. ; credits Sim Bow (S.B.) Dozier as the builder; revises the period of significance to 191571, which corresponds to when the building was constructed and the last significant alteration; clarifies the boundary of the nominated property; and updates the Statement of Significance to reflect the historicalaccuracy of the research. The Dozier Mercantile Building is historically significant for Commerce and Ethnic Heritage/Black, says SHPO. For more information on the State Historic Preservation Office and properties click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
14-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Social Studies: Unintended consequences of mandatory voting; debate skills in the workplace
Debatable promotions A study led by an MIT professor found that debate training can improve your chances of attaining leadership positions. In an experiment with a Fortune 100 US company, employees were randomly assigned to either nine weeks of debate training or no debate training. Training took place on Saturdays on Zoom for about two hours, including instruction and then debate practice among participants. Over a year later, employees who had received the training were more likely to have earned a promotion, even controlling for their pretraining management level, tenure, gender, and where they were born. The training increased participants' self-reported assertiveness, which appears to explain the effect on promotions. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up Lu, J. et al., 'Breaking Ceilings: Debate Training Promotes Leadership Emergence by Increasing Assertiveness,' Journal of Applied Psychology (forthcoming). Advertisement When the saints go marching in According to a recent study, towns in Europe that had stronger religious sentiment — as measured by a long tradition of venerating a saint from early Christianity — were significantly more likely to persecute Jews and/or have witch trials at some point between 1100 and 1850. The good news is that towns that venerated a female saint were less likely to have witch trials. Advertisement Khalil, U. & Panza, L., 'Religion and Persecution,' Journal of Economic Growth (March 2025). Does size matter — for countries? There's no consensus among development experts and policymakers about whether economic development is stronger in countries with large or small populations. A key challenge is that population is itself affected by prior development and related factors. To sidestep this to some degree, a new study looked at countries that gained independence between 1946 and 1975. The study found that the smaller of these countries achieved higher levels and rates of economic development in the post-Cold War era. This is attributed to the fact that these countries had to adopt more-open trade policies and larger public sectors after independence. Open trade was needed because a smaller population can't produce as much for itself, while larger public sectors were the result of a smaller population having to allocate a relatively high percentage of its labor force to staff government. In turn, countries dependent on trade favored institutions like property rights and reliable government, while those with larger public sectors promoted political stability. Bin Khalid, M. & Monroe, S., 'The Blessings of Scarcity: The Cold War Origins of Smaller States' Prosperity,' Perspectives on Politics (forthcoming).
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paterson honors entrepreneurs, athletes in Black History Month celebration
PATERSON, N.J. (PIX11) — The City of Paterson recognized homegrown entrepreneurs and athletes at its annual Black History Month celebration. Wednesday's celebration took place in the Charles J. Muth Museum of Hinchliffe Stadium, overlooking one of the only remaining Negro League ballparks in the country. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Monae Clancy, a Paterson native, was among the honorees. Clancy will be a running back with the Jersey Shore Waves, an all-female tackle football team that will play in Hinchliffe Stadium beginning in April. 'When they had the Black History Month at City Hall, I remember walking past it a couple of times, but it actually is there, to be honored, it's amazing,' said Clancy. 'It's just a great feeling to be able to give back in the town that you grew up in.' Rodney Addison, crowned 'Mr. America' was also recognized. 'I always say that it's a disrespect to expect your community to be better than what it is if you don't put the work in and contribute to that,' said Addison, who is also an entrepreneur. 'Here in the City of Paterson, we have our own version of Uber, known as 'Pull Up Rideshare,' where we employ 427 drivers throughout the State of New Jersey,' said Addison. 'Two hundred or so are from Paterson.' More New Jersey News Wednesday's ceremony also honored women's boxing champion Shadasia Green and labor movement leader Brian Jackson. 'I always said that I wanted to be in a room where I can make a difference and I can make a change, and those changes are coming today so it's a great experience,' said Jackson, who is the first African American President of the Passaic County Building & Construction Trades Council. 'That's something I can tell my kids about, and my nieces and nephews, my Paterson recreation kids that I train on the daily,' said Green, who is the World Boxing Organization World Super Middleweight Champion. 'I feel honored. I'm grateful.' The leaders hope to inspire and empower the next generation of Paterson leaders. 'No matter what circumstances are placed in front of you, go, go, keep going, don't stop,' said Clancy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
