Twenty accommodations and restaurants in central and eastern N.C. have earned 2009 Four Diamond ratings.
The prestigious designation is awarded each year to AAA qualified hotels and restaurants. Anonymous evaluators make their decision after visiting the properties.
Only 3.4 percent of the 58,000 facilities, lodgings and restaurants evaluated this year throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean received the ranking.
A new report in the Journal of Pediatrics says children who constantly see their parents on their smartphones take notice.
A new report in the Journal of Pediatrics is questioning the effects of parents using smartphones to text, email or surf the web while they're with young kids. It seems harmless, even productive, but the study says otherwise.
"If she doesn't get it and get to watch Mickey, she'll throw a fit," said Rene Schrader of Westwood.
The smartphone struggle takes place so often that Boston researchers decided to study it. They hit local fast food restaurants and found more than 70 percent of parents with their kids used their smartphones.
Parents were least engaged with their children when they typed or swiped on their devices. As expected, the kids didn't take well to that lack of attention.
Some of the kids got so upset with their parents that they even started throwing food at them. And it wasn't that they wanted the attention of their parents, what they wanted was the phone.
"You're teaching your kids that kind of behavior, to not focus your entire attention on someone else in a conversation, that it's OK to multitask," said Dr. Gary Small, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA.
Dr. Small says studies prove you can't text and drive, now the question is: can you text and effectively parent?
"There's some debate - can the brain really multitask?, you know, I think yes it can because I can breathe while I think so those are two different tasks, but I think there's a limit to it," said Dr. Small.
While this study doesn't prove it can impair a person's ability to parent, it does underscore what parents like Schrader already know.
"Keep it away unless you need it. The phone is not more important than your kid; the text message will be there," said Schrader.
Dr. Small points out smartphones aren't completely bad, they can help you get useful parenting information. But nothing can beat eye contact when you're trying to communicate with your child.
The I-45 Gulf Freeway project started back in 2011, and it's broken into two parts. The first party is from Beltway 8 to FM 2351. The second part is from FM 2351 to Bay Area Boulevard.
Texas Department of Transportation Public Information Officer Deidrea George says the Gulf Freeway construction will expand the highway and feeder for commuters.
"We're adding two additional main lanes and one additional frontage lane in each direction," George said.
Now, the highway goes over Dixie Farm Road, and when exiting, drivers can easily turn left or right. There will be no more closures there or at FM 2351. The construction we see at FM 2351, also known as Clear Lake City Boulevard, is the building of additional columns to create more freeway lanes.
We received some questions from viewers that George addressed. First, when will the El Dorado Overpass be shut down?
The plan is similar to 1959. The El Dorado Overpass will be demolished, and we expect total road closures this May.
George said, "All of the intersections will be at grade, and that means that the freeway will go over the intersection."
There's still no start date scheduled for reworking Bay Area Boulevard, but George assured, "With the mall being there and the construction there coming in the future, it will be much easier to go right and left and not worry about going around and over an overpass."
George said, "Third quarter 2016 from Belt 8 to 2351 and third quarter 2017 from 2351 to Bay Area Boulevard."
The silver lining? By the third quarter of 2016, five lanes will open in each direction from FM 2351 to the Belt. When finished, the 10-lane highway and six-lane feeder will improve traffic flow.
Dry cough, almost continuous, hacking; worse, evening and at night; Caused by dry spot in larynx with itching in chest and throat, When lying down, talking or laughing, and during pregnancy
On the internet I act much as I do in real life, quietly observing the world pass before my eyes.I'm Canadian living in São Paulo teaching English.I'm listening to some rock right now having abeer with Rob. I didn't like rock till I met him.God save the Queen.
Sun 8 Dec, 2002 09:12 pm - I'd sic Biggs on you if he wern't coughing up fur balls right now. Plus he's not hungry. (view)
Sun 8 Dec, 2002 09:10 pm - We named him that so that we could call him Biggs since he's tiny. Puff Jacket is just for the initials PJ and because he has a very fluffy fur coat. (view)
Sun 8 Dec, 2002 09:09 pm - Well my last cat found it's way into my dog's mouth so we need another one ASAP. (view)
Sun 8 Dec, 2002 09:03 pm - Biggs favorite meal, I only gave it to him once, the pet store refused to sell me any more rabbits. Stewed [b]Rabbit [/b]Ragu on Pappardelle Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002 1... (view)
Sun 8 Dec, 2002 09:00 pm - Biggs is not a toy! He IS a real dog. His full name is Mr Puff Jacket Biggelsworth (view)
Sun 8 Dec, 2002 08:58 pm - Craven told me to tell you that you are obsessed with that word dlowan. (view)
Sun 8 Dec, 2002 08:56 pm - dlowan, I just to aleviate the stomach ache. The cat didn't go down smoothly. bandylu2, The dog is my toy poodle named Biggs. (view)
Sun 8 Dec, 2002 08:54 pm - I can assure you all that Craven did not get my maple syrup. Not even the day we made pancakes at my girlfriend's house, he forgot to use it. ps He also got all the things for making the... (view)