California Forests to be Protected

The Los Padres National Forest will benefit from an agreement announced late yesterday between conservationists, the state of California, off-road vehicle users and the U.S. Forest Service to protect more than 600,000 acres of roadless areas in Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, and Kern counties from development. 

"Today's agreement brings us one step closer towards securing the permanent protection of our region's wild places," said Jeff Kuyper, executive director of Los Padres ForestWatch, a Santa Barbara-based conservation organization that participated in the agreement. "It promotes healthy wildlife populations, pristine open spaces, clean water, and outdoor recreation opportunities for our local communities, all of which are facing increasing pressures from urbanization and development."

Continue »

Car Santa & Cars for Heroes

Ten years ago, Terry Franz started Cars for Christmas. Franz owned a used car lot in Kansas City and, as a promotion, he gave away some cars to people who couldn't afford them.

"It's about how you can change somebody's life with something that simple," Franz says.

Today, Franz gets people to donate their used cars. Mechanics volunteer to fix them up and local charities help Terry find deserving recipients. There's no shortage of those: This year alone, his group has given away more than 200 cars.

Continue »