Light pollution has long troubled astronomers, who generally shy away from deep sky observing under full Moon skies. The natural light from a bright Moon floods the sky and hides views of the Milky Way, dim galaxies and nebula, and shooting stars. In recent years, human-made light pollution has dramatically surpassed the interference of even a bright full Moon, and its effects are now noticeable to a great many people outside of the astronomical community. Harsh, bright white LED streetlights, while often more efficient and long-lasting, often create unexpected problems for communities replacing their old street lamps. Some notable concerns are increased glare and light trespass, less restful sleep, and disturbed nocturnal wildlife patterns. There is increasing awareness of just how much light is too much light at night. You don’t need to give in to despair over encroaching light pollution; you can join efforts to measure it, educate others, and even help stop or reduce the effects of light pollution in your community.

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By Nick May
Assistant Director, Southeast Region

Have you seen offers to “unlock” the equity in your home by selling it and then renting it back from the buyer? The ads make these agreements — called sale-leasebacks — sound like a simple and risk-free way to get cash upfront and stay in your home. But the truth is these agreements are far from risk-free.

When you agree to a sale-leaseback, you’re selling your home and becoming a renter. The risks — often hidden in the fine print of complicated contracts — include hefty fees, exorbitant rent, and even eviction from your home if you can’t afford to pay the rent when it goes up. (And it often does.)

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Video series provides fun information about invasive species, beneficial insects, pest management, and more

LANSING – Have you ever thought about bugs and thought “ewwww?” While some insects can cause damage to our natural resources and environment, but there are lots of them that actually help our environment and farming community.

To help provide some fun information and education about bugs and insects, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced the launch of a new “Buggin’ Out” video series which includes expert interviews from entomologists, pest management specialists, veterinarians, and other scientists who love to talk about bugs.

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The Department of Defense has approved a new policy to cover pet travel expenses, like pet shipping or quarantine fees, incurred by Service members during a Permanent Change of Station (PCS). As of January 1, 2024, military Service members going through a PCS within the continental United States can be reimbursed up to $550 for one household pet, either cat or dog, and up to $2,000 for moves to or from a location outside the continental United States to cover costs related to the transportation of a pet.

The Services estimate that this new allowance may be used by an estimated 227,000 Service members. Historically, Service members paid the majority of out-of-pocket expenses to transport pets when assigned to a new duty station. This policy reduces that financial burden while recognizing the important role a pet plays in a military family's household.   more...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the availability of $20 million to deliver broadband technical assistance resources for rural communities, and to support the development and expansion of broadband cooperatives.

USDA is offering the funding under the new Broadband Technical Assistance Program. The program supports technical assistance projects such as conducting feasibility studies, completing network designs and developing broadband financial assistance applications. Funding is also available to help organizations access federal resources, and to conduct data collection and reporting.

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When people talk about your credit, they mean your credit history. Your credit history describes how you use money. For example:

How many credit cards do you have?
How many loans do you have?
Do you pay your bills on time?

Grow good credit. How you handled your money and bills in the past will help lenders decide if they want to do business with you. Your credit history also helps them determine what interest rate to charge you.

If lenders see that you always pay your bills on time and never take on more debt than you can pay back, they’ll generally feel more confident doing business with you.
If they see that you’re late on your payments or owe more on credit cards or loans than you can repay, they might not trust that you will pay them back.

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