Mt. Pleasant News

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Firefighters gained an edge in their weeks-long battle against a sprawling wildfire in Southern California on Thursday, thanks to weaker-than-expected winds that have been driving the flames.Firefighters halted the spread of the so-called Thomas fire, the second-largest in the state's recorded history, at 272,200 acres (110,155 hectares) after carving containment lines around 60 percent ...

ALGIERS (Reuters) - A small Christmas market has opened in Algeria's capital, catering to a rising number of Christian African migrants as well as diplomats and locals in the overwhelmingly Muslim country.Around 99 percent of Algeria's population is Sunni Muslim but the number of Christians has been rising due to an influx of migrants from sub-Saharan countries such as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.The market, ...

In observance of Christmas, city offices will be closed Monday, Dec. 25. Garbage collection will be one day later this week.

IOWA CITY ? A relatively low portion of accidents between farm equipment and passenger vehicles involve alcohol. But those that do tend to be more dangerous and deadly, according to a new study out of the University of Iowa.Karisa Harland, UI adjunct assistant professor of emergency medicine, led the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-funded research from the UI's Great Plains Center for ...

The Des Moines County Genealogical Society will meet Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018, at the Burlington Public Library at 7 p.m.The program will be Terry Keith and the Mayflower Society. Any questions contact dmcgs@dmcgs.org or call 319-572-9290. The public is invited to attend. The room will be available at 6 p.m.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico will legalize sales of marijuana-based medicines, foods, drinks, cosmetics and other products early next year, its health regulator said on Wednesday, bringing some forms of cannabis into legal commerce even as the country struggles with the illicit drug trade.Mexico legalized the use of marijuana for medical and scientific needs in June but has maintained a ban on recreational use ...

By Julie Steenhuysen, Reuters CHICAGO - The U.S. government on Tuesday lifted a 2014 temporary ban on funding research involving the flu and other pathogens in which scientists deliberately make them more transmissible or more deadly.The ban covered federal funding for any new so-called ?gain-of-function? experiments that enhance pathogens such as Avian influenza, SARS and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ...

Working with nutritionists might improve drug addicts' odds of recovery, experts believe.Registered dietician nutritionists could help patients at addiction recovery centers think about the ways food affects mental health, eating disorders and cravings, a team of authors argues in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.Nutrition therapy could include cooking classes, mindful eating, and exploratio...

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico - Two of President Donald Trump's Cabinet secretaries visited Puerto Rico on Tuesday to assess its needs after Hurricane Maria's devastation as U.S. lawmakers weighed a massive aid package to help the island and other areas of the country hit by natural disasters.House of Representatives Republican leaders have unveiled an $81 billion aid package to deal with hurricanes and wildfires, the ...

A growing number of children who show up in U.S. emergency rooms can't get the treatment they need at their local hospital and need to be transferred elsewhere for care, a new study suggests.Overall, in California, Florida, Massachusetts and New York - four of the most populous U.S. states - pediatric transfers surged 25 percent: from roughly 64,000 in 2006 to close to 80,000 in 2011, researchers report in ...

CHICAGO/NEW YORK - More U.S. online shoppers plan to give Amazon.com Inc the bulk of their holiday business this year than in previous years, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll, despite costly efforts by traditional retailers to attract customers to their websites.The online poll of 2,644 adults, released on Wednesday, found that 60 percent of online shoppers planned to do most of their holiday buying on ...

WASHINGTON ? Sen. Chuck Grassley has nominated 44 Iowa students to be considered for appointments to the U.S. service academies, including Sierra Howardson, of Danville, and Katherine McAllister, of New London.?These young Iowans who want to enter the academies and serve our country are a remarkable reflection on our state,? Grassley said. ?Their accomplishments, leadership and desire to serve are exceptional, ...