Background on the author

J.V. Hilliard was raised as a highlander in the foothills of a once-great mountain chain. His father toiled away in industries of honest labor and instilled in him a work ethic that would shape his destiny. His mother, a local healer, cared for his elders and his warrior uncle, who helped to raise him during his formative years.

Hilliard’s earliest education took place in his warrior uncle’s tower, where he learned his first words. HIs uncle helped him to learn the basics of life—and, most importantly, creative writing.

Hilliard’s training and education readied him to lift a quill that would scribe the tale of the realm of Warminster, filled with brave knights, harrowing adventure and legendary struggles.

A bestselling author, Hilliard lives in the city of silver cups, hypocycloids and golden triangles with his wife, a ranger of the diamond. They built their castle not far into the countryside, guarded by his own two dogs Thor and MacLeod.

Synopsis of ‘The Last Keeper’

The book deals with a young boy’s prophetic visions. The synopsis is: Blind at birth, Daemus Alaric is blessed with the gift of prophetic Sight. Now, as a Keeper of the Forbidden, he must use his powers of the Sight to foil the plans of a fallen Keeper, Graytorris the Mad.

It also features an elven Princess with a horrifying secret. Princess Addilyn Elspeth travels from Eldwal, the magically hidden home of the Vermilion elves, to begin her life as a diplomat to the human capital of Castleshire. During her journey, she stumbles upon a mystical creature foretelling ill tidings.

Daemus’ recurring nightmare vision threatens to catapult him into a terrifying struggle that will leave the fate of the Keepers—and the realm—hanging in the balance.

Daemus and Princess Addilyn must set out to face the menace that threatens their very existence.

Q & A interview

Can you tell us what inspired you to write the story “The Last Keeper”?

The series, “The Warminster Saga,” was inspired by my many years of playing “Dungeons & Dragons.” Once my uncle introduced me to it, I was hooked, and eventually, I started creating my own campaigns. A lot of the character’s storylines in the novels are based on gameplay.

However, the arch villain was based on a recurring set of nightmares I had as a late teen and into my early twenties. The dream would take me to a bank of fog and to the edge of a placid lake where he’d appear.

It was vivid and horrific enough to scare me, so I used it in the story to bring some shadow to my epic fantasy.

‘The Last Keeper’ is the first book in The Warminster Series. What made you decide to write a series rather than one book? What has the process of writing a series been like for you?

I’ve always been a planner/plotter as a storyteller, so a series seemed to be the right path to take instead of a stand-alone book. And of course, many of the most successful epic fantasy novels are series. It’s expected by the readership.

In the end, there are enough characters with complex backstories that warranted a series, and I am planning on some stand-alone original stories for the more popular ones between my first and second sagas.

The characters in ‘The Last Keeper’ are fascinating. How do you go about developing and breathing life into your characters? Are any of them particularly close to your heart?

Thank you. I like to get inside their heads and write from their point-of-view. In particular, Ritter and Addilyn are close to my heart. They’re the two characters I’ve found myself drawn to more than any of the others.

The story of Ritter (one of my old Dungeons & Dragons characters) and Addilyn came from an epic campaign we completed a few years ago.

Adopting it into a storyline and seeing it through to its end was both rewarding and helped to memorialize a favorite tale we helped to create via gameplay.

What was one of the challenges you faced while writing ‘The Last Keeper,’ and how did you overcome them? And what was one of your successes?

The greatest challenge was finding time to write. I own several businesses that keep me busy most of every day, so I really had to carve out time to focus on writing. Covid came and my world, like many others, ground to a halt. The silver lining was that downtime became my time to write.

In that same vein, my greatest success was completing it, which is something I’ve been trying to do for years.

In today’s digital age, technology has transformed the way we consume and share stories. How has this shift influenced your approach to writing and connecting with your readers?

Social media has been a fantastic way to connect with my readers because they can be all over the world, and they can get in touch with me in an instant. Their feedback means so much and it’s always great to hear from them.

When you finish a new book what is your favorite way to celebrate?

I don’t get a lot of free time to celebrate, but I always spend extra time with my wife and dogs. I make sure they know how important they are to me.

On a lighter note, I always personalize a book and send it to all of my Dungeons & Dragons players, as if it were not for them, the books would not be possible. I even send them to friends and players I haven’t seen in years.

I think that’s a great way to keep the stories of their characters alive while keeping in touch with friends no matter where life takes us.

“The Last Keeper” is available on Amazon by clicking here.

The post JV Hilliard talks about his book ‘The Last Keeper’ appeared first on Digital Journal.

In the UK, the divorce rate has been rising and it is estimated at around 42 percent of all marriages end in legal separation

Which age groups and which areas are most at risk of their marriage ending in divorce? Is it young couples that have rushed into their union? Or are older partners growing tired of their marriages?

The Census 2021 (released March 2023) breaks down which regions of the country have the highest rates of divorce, as well as the age groups those people belong to.

The family law specialists at Beecham Peacock have broken down the data by age groups and by region to assess which demographic sections of society are most likely to be listed as ‘divorced or formerly in a civil partnership’.  The output of the analysis has been provided to Digital Journal.

Birmingham

Accounting for five of the Census 2021’s top 20 demographics, Birmingham is one of the U.K.’s leading hotspots for divorce. Birmingham has been one of the U.K.’s cities with the highest rate of divorce for at least a decade, having also topped the 2013 list of the most common locations to file for divorce.

As per the Census 2021, there were 9,325 people aged 55–59 living in Birmingham that registered their marital status as ‘divorced or formerly in a civil partnership’ – the largest demographic in the country.

A similar demographic accounts for the city occupying the second place on this list – there were 8,555 people aged 50–54 living in Birmingham also listed under this denomination. The data highlights that people living in Birmingham born between 1962 and 1971 are most likely to have separated. The population in the U.K.’s second largest city also accounts for positions three and five in the top 20 most-divorced demographics, with the 45–49, 60–64 and 65–69 age brackets also appearing in the top 20.

Across all age groups, the percentage of registered divorcees in Birmingham is 7.25 percent.

Cornwall

Cornwall was the location that appeared second-most frequently in the top 20 most-divorced demographics. The U.K.’s most-southerly county, Cornwall featured in five of the top 50 entries for the most-divorced demographics in the Census 2021.

Cornwall had 8,105 people aged 55-59 listed as divorced, the fifth-most in the country. There were also 7,585 people aged 60–64 listed as divorced, as well as 7,080 people aged 50–54. Older Cornish residents also made up a sizable section of the area’s divorced population. Of the divorced population, those aged 65–69 and 70–74 were registered as divorced 6,625 and 6,280 times respectively.

Across the entire location of Cornwall, there are 53,550 people registered as divorced, out of a total recorded population of 477,420 – indicating 11 percent of residents are divorced.

Leeds

Appearing fourth on the list of most-divorced demographics from the Census 2021 is 55–59-year-olds living in Leeds. At the time of the census, Leeds was home to 8,310 people in this age bracket who fell into the ‘divorced or formerly in a civil partnership’ bracket.

Other age groups from Leeds appeared in the Census’ top 20: those aged 50–54, 60–64, and 65–69. Interestingly, across each of the top three cities that appear in the top 20, those aged between 50–70 remain the most likely to be divorced.

53,600 people in Leeds reported that they were divorced, and over 658,000 people are registered as Leeds residents, indicating that 8.13% of the population consider themselves divorced in Leeds.

The highest divorce rates

Despite having the highest numbers of divorcees, Birmingham, Cornwall and Leeds do not necessarily have the highest divorce rate when adjusted for their population. Norwich, in fact, has the UK’s highest divorce rate at 12.8 percent.

Hastings and Blackpool round out the top three places with the highest divorce rates, each with 12.1%. Interestingly, there don’t seem to be any regional trends to the divorce rates – there’s a lot of fluctuation between locations across the North and South.

Lauren Laverick, Solicitor at Beecham Peacock, explains in a message to Digital Journal: “Divorce is an increasingly common occurrence across the world, thanks in part to the growing prominence of ‘no-fault’ divorce legislation and thanks in part to the growing self-agency of women around the world. Like marriage, divorce is an event that should be seriously thought out and considered – but if you’ve made your mind up, choosing a reliable divorce solicitor can help guide you through the process and make your life easier.”

The post Revealed: The UK cities with the most divorcées appeared first on Digital Journal.

Background on the author

Atkinson is an international criminal and securities lawyer, who has lived and worked the last six years in Hong Kong. He spent his childhood reading stories about pirates, kings, and treasure in his grandmother’s home in Nova Scotia and became obsessed with the legend of Prester John.

A bestselling author, Atkinson now lives with his wife and three children in The Beaches in Toronto.

Book description

Peter Robertson’s grandfather is trying to unravel one of the greatest mysteries of the Middle Ages when he disappears during an archaeological expedition in Ethiopia. His disappearance sets off a series of events stretching deep into the past and rippling forward to the modern day.

Fast forward 20 years and Peter finds himself in an army veteran rehabilitation center with his team. They are all struggling to recover from serious injuries and to make sense of their new circumstances when an old friend of Peter’s grandfather contacts him about a mysterious map found in his grandfather’s belongings. It may help solve the mystery of his grandfather’s disappearance and that of the long-lost treasure of Prester John, a mythical King from the Middle Ages.

It is loosely based on the true legend of Prester John. “Into the Kingdom” is an adventure tale beginning in the superstitious Age of Discovery and ending in modern-day Ethiopia. At its core, “Into the Kingdom,” demonstrates that real heroism is rooted in humanity and the acceptance of oneself.

Q & A interview

What inspired you to write ‘Into the Kingdom,’ a story that combines historical mystery with modern-day adventure?

I’ve had two themes in my head for a novel for quite some time. One was the legend of Prester John which has fascinated me since I was a young boy. The second was the nature of heroism. Its always bothered me that my kid’s understanding of heroism deals with Marvel characters who are all good looking, have rock-hard abs, and are full of confidence.

I wanted to write something about real heroism, and the best example I had was our veterans who come back wounded and have to assimilate back into a society that cares little or has any idea what they did in Afghanistan or why. I feel they are discarded after giving so much and this has always bothered me.

I think its quite heroic how they can carry on, knowing they have sacrificed so much for a society that cares so little.

I wanted to give them a very difficult, almost unachievable goal, and have them try to solve it. I wanted to show the reader that their goal was to reestablish their self-worth, and the discovery of the treasure was secondary.

I thought by including an ancient mystery it allowed me to insert a degree of mysticism that would help these young man overcome such traumatic injuries.

The use of interstitials to illustrate the past, allowed me to drive the story forward and bring the history alive and avoid the overwhelming use of narrative which I thought would be boring.

‘Into the Kingdom’ is described as being loosely based on the legend of Prester John. What aspects of this legend and the man behind the legend intrigued you the most and led you to incorporate it into your story?

The legend of Prester John has intrigued me since I was nine years old when I read about it in a work of fiction. In later years when I further looked into the mystery it was amazing to many that very few people I knew had ever heard about it.

I wondered why I never heard about it in school, when we learned about The Age of Discovery, given that the quest for Prester John was one of the main drivers of Portuguese exploration during this time.

It was interesting to me that this fraud continued for centuries, and if you look at old maps from that time period, you can see unexplored lands labelled, “the Lands of Prester John”.

The legend was also intriguing because it smacked of desperation. After a number of failed crusades the Christian leaders were desperate to avoid defeat at the hands of the Muslim’s and were grasping at the lifeline that the Prester John Legend held out to them.

The fraudulent letter from Prester John suggested he was in possession of some very fantastic items (a fountain of youth and a river of emeralds) also demonstrates a high level of belief in superstition at the time which I thought would make interesting reading.

Lastly, the physical terrain in Ethiopia has similarities to Afghanistan (dry, arid, mountainous in parts) which I tried to use to draw parallels to my heroes, as they were now, as compared to when they were in Afghanistan.

Your protagonist, Peter Robertson is a very compelling yet complex character. What are some of your keys to crafting such intriguing characters? If you could meet one of the characters in this book in real life, who would it be and why?

When I was crafting the character Peter Robertson I was trying to create a reliable narrator, that was guilt ridden and had suffered the loss of his arm, but still had the internal fortitude to keep moving forward for his men and for himself.

I was trying to move away from the well worn trope of the super-confident warrior who through his iron will inspires confidence in his troop. Instead, I wanted him to lead them out of necessity for their survival.

I wanted him to be insecure and looking to them to help him -help them. I was trying to create a character that was introspective and open to the mystical experiences he was about to be immersed into.

For the other characters (soldiers) I wanted to show them going into the war not just for altruistic reasons, but really because no other alternatives presented themselves.

I purposely stayed away from conflict among themselves because I thought that would better convey their sense of isolation from society and their lack of feeling valued. They cling to one another out of desperation and their unique situational trauma.

If there was one character I would like to meet personally it would be Nuru. I like her sense of how important the history of the Kingdom of Ethiopia is, and how she draws parallels between the soldier’s need to heal and the stories from the kingdom.

While she is a ’Seer’ she still has vulnerability and little ego. She also has the ability to evoke romance and wonder in situations others see as bleak. In her eyes, everything can be seen as ‘wonderful and terrible’ and life’s journey will play itself out no matter how we react.

Of course, she would think that because we do good and act with compassion the gods will respond in kind. I would love to sit around a campfire with her and listen to one of her stories.

What do you hope readers will take away from the book, both in terms of entertainment and deeper themes?

In terms of entertainment I hope I managed to capture some of the amazing historical and physical detail of Ethiopia.

Unfortunately, Ethiopia is now still in the tailwinds of terrible civil war, but to me it seemed like such a magical place, populated by a proud people.

I hope the historical and physical descriptions in the novel conveyed the sheer majesty of that country.

Most of all, I hope the novel gave a strong sense of humanity and gave the reader a newfound respect for the those men and woman who sacrificed everything for us and continue to do so. I hope I captured a better meaning of heroism.

What is it like for you to be an author in the digital age?

As for a writer in the digital age, I’m still learning a lot. I love the way the younger generation had found new ways to tell and sell our stories.

What is your favorite drink or way to celebrate when you finish a new book?

Since this is the first book I have finished I only have one example to draw on. I went to Nova Scotia and ate lobster and drank copious amounts of red wine. I must say I do that a lot.

“Into The Kingdom” is available on Amazon by clicking here.

The post Tom Atkinson talks about his book ‘Into the Kingdom’ appeared first on Digital Journal.

Annual inflation hit 3% in June 2023 and has risen slightly since, to about 3.7% in August. That’s still well below the heights of 2022, when prices rose 9% from the prior year. But the latest rate is nearly double the Fed’s ultimate goal of 2% inflation.

The past couple of years saw record inflation in the wake of a tight labor market, gas and energy price increases resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war and production cuts, and the long-lasting COVID-19-spurred supply chain delays.

Areas with rapidly growing populations and heightened demand for housing—like Florida and Phoenix—have maintained inflation rates well above national levels. In these areas, inflation is a far cry from pre-COVID levels and Fed target rates.

Meanwhile, inflation in Urban Alaska has nearly met the Fed target. Food costs actually fell in Alaska, and housing costs saw more moderate increases than the national average. Prices in metros such as Minneapolis, Hawaii, and Washington D.C., also increased less than overall national urban prices. Minneapolis, in particular, attributes its success in lower inflation to residential construction, which has eased housing price pressures.

High inflation has limited people’s spending. And even with recent lower inflation rates, overall prices have remained high, shifting spending habits.

Tier One Outsourcing used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to identify the metropolitan areas where prices inflated the most from the first half of 2022 to the first half of 2023 and compared those rates to overall U.S. urban inflation during that span, which was 4.9%. Inflation is measured as the 12-month change in the consumer price index, which measures price changes of goods across U.S. urban areas. The analysis considered all 23 metros with BLS data available.

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#23. Urban Alaska

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 2.2%
— 2.7 percentage points below the national city average

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#22. Minneapolis

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 3.2%
— 1.7 percentage points below the national city average

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#21. Urban Hawaii

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 3.4%
— 1.5 percentage points below the national city average

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#20. Washington DC

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 3.5%
— 1.4 percentage points below the national city average

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#19. Houston

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 3.8%
— 1.1 percentage points below the national city average

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#18. Los Angeles

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 4.0%
— 0.9 percentage points below the national city average

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#17. Chicago

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 4.1%
— 0.8 percentage points below the national city average

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#15. San Francisco (tie)

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 4.4%
— 0.5 percentage points below the national city average

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#15. New York (tie)

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 4.4%
— 0.5 percentage points below the national city average

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#14. St. Louis

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 4.6%
— 0.3 percentage points below the national city average

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#13. Boston

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 4.7%
— 0.2 percentage points below the national city average

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#11. Riverside-San Bernardino, CA (tie)

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 5.0%
— 0.1 percentage points above the national city average

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#11. Baltimore (tie)

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 5.0%
— 0.1 percentage points above the national city average

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#10. Philadelphia

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 5.1%
— 0.2 percentage points above the national city average

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#9. San Diego

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 5.5%
— 0.6 percentage points above the national city average

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#8. Denver

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 5.6%
— 0.7 percentage points above the national city average

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#7. Dallas

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 5.7%
— 0.8 percentage points above the national city average

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#6. Atlanta

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 6.1%
— 1.2 percentage points above the national city average

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#5. Detroit

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 6.4%
— 1.5 percentage points above the national city average

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#4. Seattle

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 6.8%
— 1.9 percentage points above the national city average

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#3. Phoenix

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 7.3%
— 2.4 percentage points above the national city average

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#2. Tampa, FL

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 7.7%
— 2.8 percentage points above the national city average

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#1. Miami

– Annual inflation, H1 2023: 8.5%
— 3.6 percentage points above the national city average

Data reporting by Paxtyn Merten. Story editing by Jeff Inglis. Copy editing by Paris Close.

This story originally appeared on Tier One Outsourcing and was produced and
distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

The post Prices are rising fastest in these US metros appeared first on Digital Journal.

Workspaces that are dirty, unorganised, lacking in natural light and using outdated equipment can cause employees to feel intense symptoms of sickness, including nausea, headaches, eye strain, dry skin and others that have now been officially recognised by the UK health service as a result of a poor working environment.

But with hybrid working becoming more common, what does sick building syndrome mean for home workers? How can we craft our own home office spaces to combat sick building syndrome? Can hybrid working cause our homes to make us sick? These questions are responded to by an expert.

Causes of sick building syndrome

Research into sick building syndrome has found that there are multiple inadequacies in office environments which can bring about symptoms. These are:

Poor ventilation

Poor air quality is one of the most common causes of sick building syndrome, triggering allergies, headaches, poor concentration and fatigue. A study in 2021 by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found a link between poor office air quality and cognitive ability – meaning poor ventilation can harm both your health and productivity.

Poor lighting

Natural light in an office is the most sought-after feature by employees. It’s not just an aesthetic benefit, however – 84 percent of workers exposed to natural light have reported a reduction in eyestrain and headaches.

Irregular temperatures

The National Institute of Health indicates that sick building syndrome symptoms increase with the temperature when there is no humidity. A rising temperature can aggravate some specific symptoms, such as sensations of skin, eye and throat dryness.

Poor organisation

The NHS notes the link between poor organisation and cleanliness as another contributing factor. Messy desks and workspaces can allow for a material build-up of dust, triggering allergies, and a mental build-up of stress, triggering anxiety.

Preventing sick building syndrome in your home office

According to government statistics, 44 percent of UK workers are now hybrid working – with Microsoft reporting that 56 percent of workers feel happier since making the transition away from office-based working.

The largely positive response to hybrid working suggests a large percentage of the workforce want to continue home working for the foreseeable future. This makes sick building prevention increasingly important – the last thing hybrid workers will want is for their home to become a place of illness.

In terms of measures that can be taken, Kevin Brown, Managing Director and aluminium windows expert at The Heritage Window Company has explained to Digital Journal about the best options for home workers.

Update your home office

A home office should look different to everyone and should be tailored to your specific needs. If you suffer from various aches and strains, there are lots of tools available to reduce tension:

• Neck pain – consider an elevated platform for your monitor. This will improve posture and reduce strain on the neck.
• Back pain – ergonomic office chairs reduce strain on the back for long periods of sitting.
• Wrist pain – wrist rests for keyboards reduce tension whilst typing.
• Eye strain – update your monitor to one with a higher refresh rate (commonly listed as ‘Hz’). The higher the refresh rate, the more smoothly images will transition on your screen, helping to reduce headaches. It can also be useful to turn on the ‘night light’ in your computer’s display settings to enable a blue light filter. This will lower eye strain and can improve your sleep pattern.

Invest in natural lighting

Fitting high-quality windows into your home office can boost your quality of life at work. A higher intake of natural light reduces headaches and eye strain, as well as making us more productive.

Brown explains: “Thinner window frames and more natural light brings us closer to nature – allowing us to bring the outside into our workspace. Feeling closer to nature dramatically increases our mood, which in turn affects our well-being and productivity.”

Greater access to natural light can also treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which causes fatigue, depression and social withdrawal. SAD affects around two million people in the UK, making larger windows a key player in boosting serotonin levels throughout the darker months.

Choose an appropriate workspace

85 percent of those currently working from home want to continue hybrid working for the rest of their careers – so choosing an appropriate room for your home office is important.

Whether you have lots of space or very little, it’s vital that you do not design an office in your bedroom. Your bedroom should only be associated with rest and sleep. The visual stimulant of a workspace in your bedroom can trigger stress and anxiety, harming your quality of sleep and blurring the lines between work and relaxation.

Instead, you should consider choosing a spare room with south-facing windows to design your office. Brown explains, “South-facing windows are great for solar control. They let in light all day long, as well as being less heat and glare-prone than east and west-facing windows.”

Furthermore, Brown adds: “This is great for the immune system and for access to the energy-boosting properties of natural light – as well as keeping your home office at a regulated temperature in the winter.”

It is also wise to invest in an air purifier for your chosen space, according to Brown. These vary in price and size depending on the size of your chosen room, but most decent purifiers start at around £50 ($75) for a small-medium sized room. Air purifiers help eliminate allergens from the air, as well as reducing dust build-up. This should, says Brown, help keep your air quality and workspace clean.

Brown also recommends avoid placing your desk and monitor against a wall that does not have windows directly behind it. Instead, leave space behind your monitor for natural light to fill. Dark space behind monitors can cause eye strain due to sharp contrast, in turn causing headaches with prolonged use.

The post Sick building syndrome: Is your home office making you ill? appeared first on Digital Journal.

For people in the age ranges most likely to have school-age children, it’s even more important: 22% of buyers ages 24 to 32, 30% of buyers ages 33 to 42, and 23% of buyers ages 43 to 57 consider school quality an important factor, the survey found.

The exact premium a house in a good school district can command is unclear. Data from a decade-old 2013 Redfin analysis found that buyers in neighborhoods with top-ranked schools paid $50 more per square foot than buyers of similar homes in neighborhoods with average-ranked schools. An analysis that same year from Curbed Los Angeles found homes in top-notch public school districts in LA were 79% more expensive than similar homes in average districts.

It stands to reason that access to good public schools is extremely valuable. The average annual tuition for a private school is $12,167 per student, according to the Education Data Initiative. So paying even tens of thousands of dollars more for a house with top-notch public education can be similar in total costs to buying a cheaper house in a lesser district while paying for private education.

Stacker used data from Niche to look at the 25 cities with the best school districts in the United States. To identify the leading cities, Niche used their individual public schools ranking data, weighted based on their student populations. The overall Niche grade is also included, which scores the city more generally as a place to live.

Of the top 25 districts in the U.S., 11 are in California, five are in Texas, and two are in Virginia. Seven states each have one of the top districts: Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Washington.

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#25. Roseville, California

– Population: 145,687
– Public school grade: A
– Overall Niche grade: A-

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#24. Round Rock, Texas

– Population: 117,735
– Public school grade: A
– Overall Niche grade: A

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#23. Temecula, California

– Population: 109,376
– Public school grade: A
– Overall Niche grade: B+

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#22. Virginia Beach, Virginia

– Population: 457,658
– Public school grade: A
– Overall Niche grade: A

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#21. Columbia, Maryland

– Population: 105,086
– Public school grade: A
– Overall Niche grade: A+

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#20. San Diego

– Population: 1,385,398
– Public school grade: A
– Overall Niche grade: A

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#19. Santa Clara, California

– Population: 127,922
– Public school grade: A
– Overall Niche grade: A+

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#18. Richardson, Texas

– Population: 115,904
– Public school grade: A
– Overall Niche grade: A+

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#17. Cambridge, Massachusetts

– Population: 116,892
– Public school grade: A
– Overall Niche grade: A+

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#16. Boulder, Colorado

– Population: 104,930
– Public school grade: A
– Overall Niche grade: A

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#15. Sunnyvale, California

– Population: 155,550
– Public school grade: A
– Overall Niche grade: A+

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#14. College Station, Texas

– Population: 116,276
– Public school grade: A+
– Overall Niche grade: A

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#13. Burbank, California

– Population: 107,364
– Public school grade: A+
– Overall Niche grade: A

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#12. Torrance, California

– Population: 147,156
– Public school grade: A+
– Overall Niche grade: A

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#11. Arlington, Virginia

– Population: 235,764
– Public school grade: A+
– Overall Niche grade: A+

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#10. Berkeley, California

– Population: 119,607
– Public school grade: A+
– Overall Niche grade: A+

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#9. Overland Park, Kansas

– Population: 195,249
– Public school grade: A+
– Overall Niche grade: A+

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#8. Plano, Texas

– Population: 282,181
– Public school grade: A+
– Overall Niche grade: A+

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#7. Thousand Oaks, California

– Population: 127,274
– Public school grade: A+
– Overall Niche grade: A

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#6. The Woodlands, Texas

– Population: 115,716
– Public school grade: A+
– Overall Niche grade: A+

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#5. Carlsbad, California

– Population: 114,858
– Public school grade: A+
– Overall Niche grade: A

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#4. Irvine, California

– Population: 297,868
– Public school grade: A+
– Overall Niche grade: A+

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#3. Bellevue, Washington

– Population: 149,365
– Public school grade: A+
– Overall Niche grade: A+

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#2. Ann Arbor, Michigan

– Population: 122,731
– Public school grade: A+
– Overall Niche grade: A+

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#1. Naperville, Illinois

– Population: 149,013
– Public school grade: A+
– Overall Niche grade: A+

Data reporting by Emma Rubin. Story editing by Ashleigh Graf. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Photo selection by Michael Flocker.

The post Public schooling is best in these US cities appeared first on Digital Journal.

Plus, any major is better than no major—a bachelor’s degree in any field yields nearly $1.2 million more in a lifetime over no college education at all. Often, a degree is just the first step in a career that evolves and grows into unimaginable places. Regardless, choosing a major involves carefully balancing career interests with the prospects of the field and awareness of potential financial challenges.

Using PayScale’s 2021-22 College Salary Report, Stacker researched the 50 college majors that earn the least money. This report surveyed 3.5 million college graduates and 82,735 bachelor’s degrees ranked by mid-career median salary, what a person earns after working in the field for over 10 years. These earnings include the base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime, and other forms of cash earnings. Ties are broken by early career salary levels.

Stock compensation was not included when considering the annual salary of each college major, but can be a significant portion of pay for specific executive and high-tech jobs. Further, a wage for the noted college major does not include the cash value of retirement benefits or the amount of other noncash benefits, including health care and other ancillary benefits. PayScale’s salaries do not directly reflect those of the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. For most of the majors, BLS data shows higher salaries, even though the level of education required is the same.

Viktor Gladkov // Shutterstock

#49. Ceramics (tie)

– Early-career pay: $42,200
– Mid-career pay: $58,300

Students looking to major in ceramics will learn about the science behind materials, plus sculpture and drawing skills. Courses in personal style development, wheel-throwing techniques, firing and kiln operation, oxidation, ceramic murals, mixed media, and slips and glazes are usually required to graduate. Many with a degree in ceramics become professional potters, teachers, artists, or sculptors.

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#49. Parks and recreation management (tie)

– Early-career pay: $42,700
– Mid-career pay: $58,300

Parks and recreation workers typically work for the government, which means they may see fewer pay raises than other workers. In August 2023, President Joe Biden authorized a 5.2% pay raise for federal workers, the largest since 1981.

Hotaik Sung // Shutterstock

#47. Pastoral ministry (tie)

– Early-career pay: $38,700
– Mid-career pay: $58,000

Pastoral ministers help people in spiritual distress and lead religious organizations and communities. But people don’t pay for spiritual counsel—other than donations or tithes—and therefore, there are no typical ways to drive up earnings.

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#47. Vocal performance (tie)

– Early-career pay: $42,600
– Mid-career pay: $58,000

While some vocal performance majors may go on to perform sold-out arenas, many end up working in less lucrative careers. These include positions at churches, such as worship pastors and directors of music ministry, which come with decidedly lower salaries.

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#45. Bible studies and theology (tie)

– Early-career pay: $40,000
– Mid-career pay: $57,500

All jobs depend on having clients, and this includes religious jobs. Bible studies and theology professionals face challenging headwinds in the United States in this respect. About 1 in 5 Americans, a record-high share, report themselves as having no formal religious identity.

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#45. Art teacher education (tie)

– Early-career pay: $40,300
– Mid-career pay: $57,500

Art teacher education majors most often go on to help nurture the next generation of creative minds, often at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Those who pursue this course of study may also find career opportunities in museums or as textbook illustrators.

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#44. Forensic accounting

– Early-career pay: $48,300
– Mid-career pay: $57,200

Forensic accountants are integral in solving crimes like insurance fraud or money laundering by carefully tracing and examining the flow of finances. Advanced degrees and CPA certification can increase employment opportunities for forensic accounting majors.

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#42. Legal assistant studies (tie)

– Early-career pay: $38,100
– Mid-career pay: $57,100

Legal assistants may hope to become lawyers, who typically earn significantly higher salaries. However, without a law degree, legal assistants are only legally allowed to perform certain tasks, which caps the value of their services.

Photographee.eu // Shutterstock

#42. Communication sciences and disorders (tie)

– Early-career pay: $43,300
– Mid-career pay: $57,100

Communications sciences and disorders specialists address an array of issues that technology may be rendered less reliant on therapy. For example, cochlear implants are covered by most insurance plans, and while there are some ongoing costs for maintenance, they reduce the need for hearing therapy because the technology helps patients hear.

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#41. Special education

– Early-career pay: $41,300
– Mid-career pay: $57,000

There are several special education career paths to take after majoring in the subject, aside from teaching. The prospect of becoming a residential manager, preschool director, or direct support professional is why some choose the undergraduate major, and then get their master’s degree. Workers who assist disabled people are in high demand both because more students need help and because more teachers are leaving the profession.

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#40. Conservation biology

– Early-career pay: $42,800
– Mid-career pay: $56,900

Conservation biologists play a critical role in preserving species and ecosystems. Many important roles in the field are with government agencies or nonprofit organizations, meaning they may not have great earning potential, despite the hard work, which often involves long hours and physical labor.

Photographee.eu // Shutterstock

#39. Family studies

– Early-career pay: $39,200
– Mid-career pay: $56,800

Family studies professionals help tutor, develop, and supervise children. Some competition they face in commanding high salaries? Teenage babysitters, whom parents may feel more comfortable paying lower wages.

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#37. Christian ministry (tie)

– Early-career pay: $38,100
– Mid-career pay: $56,400

Christianity has been on the decline in the United States for years. This means fewer Americans are attending church or giving to their churches, which means fewer resources to support the salaries of Christian ministry workers.

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

#37. Speech and hearing (tie)

– Early-career pay: $43,300
– Mid-career pay: $56,400

Speech and hearing professionals’ salaries suffer from improved technology. Hearing aids have become increasingly sophisticated, reducing the need for administrative assistance after purchase.

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#36. Health and human services

– Early-career pay: $43,500
– Mid-career pay: $56,300

Health and human services encompass a vast array of jobs. On the higher end of the pay scale, these include jobs such as public health directors. But many other jobs in health and human services typically have lower pay rates, such as social workers and correctional officers.

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#35. Musical theatre

– Early-career pay: $43,500
– Mid-career pay: $56,100

Musical theatre’s mix of acting, music, and dance attracts people with multiple talents. Careers in film, television, and stage performance are highly sought after and limited, however, meaning many graduates go on to work as teachers or in non-performance production roles. Still, the discipline is gaining popularity, with 6% more degrees awarded in 2021 than in 2020.

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#34. History teacher education

– Early-career pay: $47,700
– Mid-career pay: $55,600

Majoring in history teacher education likely means most graduates will teach the subject in elementary, secondary, or postsecondary schools. Being a history teacher, like other instruction degrees, typically requires those who major in the subject to become state-certified after student teaching. History teachers may work with special education teachers to make learning more accessible for students with learning difficulties and can work with debate teams, for example, because of their knowledge of current events.

Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock

#33. Developmental psychology

– Early-career pay: $38,200
– Mid-career pay: $55,000

Developmental psychologists study how people change throughout their lifetime from various perspectives, including biologically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively. Advanced degrees, licensure, internships, and certifications can mean the accrual of significant debt before a person can even begin working and practicing in the field.

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#32. Therapeutic recreation

– Early-career pay: $39,500
– Mid-career pay: $54,900

Therapeutic recreation specialists work with patients to improve the minds, bodies, and spirits of those with diseases or disabilities. This demographic may be less likely to have resources to pay therapists significant sums, which may play a role in driving down salaries.

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#29. Social work (tie)

– Early-career pay: $38,600
– Mid-career pay: $54,600

Although social work jobs may not have the highest starting salaries, job prospects for social workers are actually quite positive. As health care spending continues to increase, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that social work jobs will continue to enjoy a rise in demand for workers.

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#29. Applied behavioral science (tie)

– Early-career pay: $40,500
– Mid-career pay: $54,600

Applied behavioral science is essentially the study of why people behave in certain ways. If it sounds broad, that’s because it is. Graduates often pursue career opportunities in the fields of human resources, human services, and consumer science, among others.

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#29. Community and human services (tie)

– Early-career pay: $42,400
– Mid-career pay: $54,600

Community and human services workers endeavor to improve the lives of their communities and the individuals who work in them. And even though salaries are not as high as those from other majors, the BLS has noted that job growth in this field is projected to remain high in the next decade.

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#28. Office administration

– Early-career pay: $38,700
– Mid-career pay: $54,500

Graduating with a major in office administration opens doors to many career paths, including medical office manager, staff specialist, executive assistant, management secretary, and purchasing consultant. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics details other career opportunities that do not require a degree but have comparable and higher annual salaries for those who major in the field. Among those occupations are police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers, who make $46,900 annually, and administrative assistants, who annually make $44,080.

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#26. Ministry (tie)

– Early-career pay: $36,700
– Mid-career pay: $54,300

Ministry graduates prepare to be clergy members at religious organizations and institutions. Some students may pursue seminary school upon completion of a ministry degree or may pursue a specialization like working with youth. But church attendance is falling as the number of Americans with no religious affiliation continues to rise.

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#26. Family and community services (tie)

– Early-career pay: $42,200
– Mid-career pay: $54,300

Family and community services careers often involve helping people with little capital or power, including the impoverished and disabled citizens accessing social services. Because these services are offered free of charge, there is a limited capital base with which to reward workers.

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#25. Youth ministry

– Early-career pay: $37,400
– Mid-career pay: $54,200

Youth ministers work with children and teens to coordinate related activities at a church or religious organization. Churches typically operate as nonprofits, and therefore the salaries of their workers, including youth ministers, cannot respond to the wider market and offer higher salaries.

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

#24. Elementary education

– Early-career pay: $40,000
– Mid-career pay: $53,800

Majoring in elementary education means teaching and instructing young students. Majors in the program must choose a specific subject to study, such as math, history, science, or English. Some who major in the subject consider careers as guidance counselors, juvenile correction officers, long-term substitute teachers, online instructors, preschool teachers, or adjunct professors.

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#23. Voice and opera

– Early-career pay: $34,500
– Mid-career pay: $53,300

Voice and opera students preparing to perform professionally after graduation must learn theatrical techniques and stage repertory through courses such as diction, foreign languages, music theory, and humanities. While receiving private instruction during the undergraduate curriculum, students also perform in choral ensembles. Students who choose not to sing opera after studying the major can easily transition into other careers, including teaching art, drama, music, or becoming a musical director or composer.

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#21. Christian education (tie)

– Early-career pay: $38,700
– Mid-career pay: $53,200

A degree in Christian education prepares students to work in ministry and service in practicing and spreading the Christian worldview. Graduates often go on to work in churches, religious organizations, or other educational settings. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 58% of those who major in philosophy or religious disciplines go on to earn their master’s degrees.

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#21. Conflict resolution (tie)

– Early-career pay: $44,400
– Mid-career pay: $53,200

Whether on an international scale or between two individuals, where there is conflict, there is a need for conflict resolution. Conflict resolution specialists and mediators often require advanced degrees and many years of experience to be established in the field.

hryshai olena // Shutterstock

#19. Baking and pastry arts (tie)

– Early-career pay: $37,500
– Mid-career pay: $53,000

These days, it seems everyone is a food blogger. This means that more people than ever are likely to be trying their hands at baking and pastry-making at home, reducing the need for specialized bakers.

fizkes // Shutterstock

#19. Human services management (tie)

– Early-career pay: $45,600
– Mid-career pay: $53,000

Human services management jobs are a specific role for those interested in helping or managing others in social work or related fields. Although the average salary is not extremely high, these positions pay more than nonsupervisory roles in the same field. Some of these roles require additional licensing.

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#18. Hospitality and culinary arts

– Early-career pay: $38,800
– Mid-career pay: $52,900

Some career choices for holders of a hospitality and culinary arts degree include restaurant manager, food service director, chef, caterer, and food safety specialist, among others. But the hospitality industry, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, is notoriously understaffed, underpaid, and undervalued.

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#17. Human services

– Early-career pay: $38,700
– Mid-career pay: $52,500

Although careers in human services vary widely, their common denominator is that they help people who are likely unable to help themselves. As such, these jobs, which include family court advocates and crisis support workers, serve a population with limited resources that may be unable to compensate them highly.

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#16. Counseling

– Early-career pay: $39,900
– Mid-career pay: $51,700

Counselors are in high demand, but many of the people who need their help aren’t able to pay well, and dealing with insurance companies for reimbursement is challenging at best.

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#15. Recreational therapy

– Early-career pay: $38,400
– Mid-career pay: $51,600

Recreational therapists help many Americans, especially older adults, deal with disabilities, injuries, and illnesses—typically via arts and crafts, aquatics, games, and other activities. Although the pay is not high, these professions are projected to increase in demand as an aging generation of Americans looks to the future.

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#14. Child development

– Early-career pay: $37,400
– Mid-career pay: $51,400

Childcare workers have an average hourly wage of just $13.71. Some advocacy groups and politicians have advocated paying these workers more to meet growing demands for a $15 minimum child care wage.

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#13. Educational psychology

– Early-career pay: $36,900
– Mid-career pay: $51,200

Educational psychologists study how people learn, which can inform various teaching methods, classroom strategies, and ideally, improve academic outcomes. But as many schools struggle with shrinking budgets, professionals in this field are either unaffordable or underpaid and are often expected to work beyond a reasonable capacity.

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#12. Middle school education

– Early-career pay: $41,200
– Mid-career pay: $50,800

After majoring in middle school education, graduates teach students in grades five through nine. Preparing to teach that specific age group entails taking undergraduate courses in various subjects, including English, science, mathematics, and social studies.

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#11. Mental health counseling

– Early-career pay: $36,100
– Mid-career pay: $50,000

Becoming a licensed mental health counselor requires time, study, and practice—years of it. Professionals can focus on working with specific populations, like children, military veterans, or people with addiction. And there is no shortage of need for these services. More than 156 million people in the U.S. live in areas with documented mental health care professional shortages.

Iam_Anupong // Shutterstock

#10. Early childhood and elementary education

– Early-career pay: $38,000
– Mid-career pay: $48,400

Students who major in early childhood and elementary education prepare to teach in both preschool and after-school programs, as well as kindergarten through sixth grade. Graduates must usually become certified to instruct students in whatever state they choose for work. With further schooling, some graduates of the major go on to become administrators, such as principals, superintendents, directors of curriculum, and college deans.

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#9. Equine studies

– Early-career pay: $35,700
– Mid-career pay: $47,100

An equine studies major prepares you for just about any career pertaining to horse training, breeding, or showing. While the equine world is often equated with wealth, workers in this field are among the lowest paid on this list. For those working with horses competing in major races and events, the purse earnings divided among winning team members can be very lucrative.

Photographee.eu // Shutterstock

#8. Addiction studies

– Early-career pay: $38,000
– Mid-career pay: $47,000

Addiction studies majors can typically expect to work as addiction counselors or drug or alcohol treatment specialists. There is a large pay range for those who work in the field, with salaries dependent largely on the level of education attained, geographic location, and the type of setting in which treatment is performed.

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#7. Child and family studies

– Early-career pay: $36,400
– Mid-career pay: $46,500

Childcare is one of the lowest-paying professions in the United States. One reason may be that many teenagers and other younger adults will work as babysitters and tutors to make side money, which makes it more difficult for professionals to demand higher wages.

Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock

#6. Rehabilitation counseling

– Early-career pay: $39,200
– Mid-career pay: $46,400

Rehabilitation counselors typically work to serve people living with disabilities. These services can range from mental health to physical health to practical life-skills training and can be performed everywhere, from detention centers to unemployment offices. Recipients typically do not pay for such services, and as such, the salaries of rehabilitation counselors are limited by the budgets of the government or nonprofit agencies that employ them.

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#5. Outdoor education

– Early-career pay: $37,400
– Mid-career pay: $46,300

Outdoor education professionals help people enjoy the great outdoors. However perfect they may be for the outdoors enthusiast, some of these jobs are run by the government, which means they are capped within a certain pay bracket.

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#4. Early childhood education

– Early-career pay: $36,100
– Mid-career pay: $45,400

A child’s cognitive, emotional, and language development occurs in the first five years of life, making early childhood education critical in an adolescent’s academic career. However, it is one of the lowest-paying majors on the list, indicating that those who enter the field are likely more concerned about the community than salary.

fizkes // Shutterstock

#3. Mental health

– Early-career pay: $36,900
– Mid-career pay: $45,000

Mental health is a field that encompasses many different settings. Some mental health specialists may work in assisted living facilities, helping residents with dementia, while others may work with working professionals stressed and depressed about their jobs. Those working in private practice theoretically have no salary caps, while those working in institutions may be more constrained by salary caps.

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#2. Medical assisting

– Early-career pay: $36,000
– Mid-career pay: $44,800

Medical assisting wages may be low partly because it’s a job that requires fewer qualifications than other health care jobs and because of high turnover.

Martinez Studio // Shutterstock

#1. Metalsmithing

– Early-career pay: $40,000
– Mid-career pay: $40,300

Many workers with degrees in metalsmithing find work as jewelers. Those working in the retail trade tend to make the most, but it’s still not very much.

Additional writing by Colleen Kilday. Story editing by Jeff Inglis. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Ania Antecka.

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Comprehensive national abortion statistics are hard to come by in the United States because data is split between medical facilities and organizations that provide abortion pills by mail.

But a recent study indicates a sharp rise in abortions in states that neighbor those which have moved to ban the procedure following the landmark court decision last summer.

The study, published by the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research and advocacy group, earlier this month suggests “that significant numbers of residents of states with abortion bans are traveling to neighboring states for abortion care.”

In June 2022, the conservative-dominated Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which had enshrined a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion. Conservative-leaning states celebrated the reversal and proceeded to ban or severely restrict the procedure, while liberal states moved to protect it.

– Striking increase –

The findings in the Guttmacher study are striking.

New Mexico recorded a 220 percent increase in abortions in 2023 compared to 2020. The southwestern state borders Texas and Oklahoma, which have enacted abortion bans.

The midwestern state of Illinois, whose neighbors Indiana and Missouri have banned the procedure, saw a 69 percent increase in abortions, while in Colorado, surrounded by conservative Wyoming, Utah, Kansas and Nebraska, the figure jumped 89 percent.

The National Abortion Federation has documented the same trend.

“In the last year, we’ve seen more people than ever traveling to access care,” Veronica Jones, the group’s chief operating officer, said in June.

The federation says that from July 2022 to May 2023 it helped finance nearly 1,000 plane, train and bus trips for those seeking abortion care — an increase of 235 percent compared to the same period the previous year.

When travel is not possible, some women turn to abortion pills.

Requests by Americans for abortion pills from outside the United States have surged since Roe was struck down, according to a study published in the scientific journal JAMA at the end of 2022.

Abortion pills criss-cross state lines domestically as well.

Several liberal states, including New York and Massachusetts, have adopted so-called shield laws meant to protect health professionals dispensing the pills from being prosecuted and extradited to states where abortion is prohibited.

New York adopted its shield legislation in June this year. Over the next month, Aid Access, a reproductive rights initiative, said it sent abortion pills to 3,500 patients living in states that ban abortion. Since then, the numbers have doubled and continue to increase, according to Linda Prine, a New York based doctor involved with the initiative.

– Added financial burden –

Isaac Maddow-Zimet, a data scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, said that a number of underlying factors could be at play, noting that abortion counts have been rising in many states since 2019.

One is that Texas, with a population of 30 million people, began adopting abortion restrictions even before Roe was struck down. Another possible explanation behind the growth in abortion numbers is that the procedure has become more accessible in rural states.

However, “the scale of the increase is such that we are fairly sure that that’s being driven by increased travel from the states” where abortion is banned or restricted, Maddow-Zimet told AFP.

At the same time, he and other experts insist that the ability to receive professional abortion care out of state still carries with it a number of additional costs for women, such as taking time off work, organizing childcare and paying for travel and accommodation.

“It represents pretty significant logistical and financial burdens for them,” Maddow-Zimet said.

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Nestled in one of the best places to retire, on the East Side of the classic city of Athens, Georgia, is Taggart Atlantic’s first facility. Whispering Pines is a sanctuary for the elderly and disabled. Envisioned as living proof of concept by Crawford K. McDonald, this senior living campus stands as a testament to the exceptional dedication and the transformative power of compassion and commitment.

“While I was in the real estate industry, I did a lot of work building low-income housing projects, the Section Eight properties, and also first time homes for people that couldn’t qualify through banks. Over the years, I saw many elderly people who lived in inadequate homes with nobody to take care of them, and when I learned what long term care really costs, I came to understand that this would not fit in most people’s budgets” McDonald reflects.

This observation sparked a flame in his heart, leading him to embark on an unexpected journey: to give up the lucrative role of a real estate developer and commit himself to building better lives and better futures.

The goal was simple yet ambitious: affordable healthcare for everyone on the East coast. With an immediate goal of 5,000 affordable beds, McDonald envisions a haven where quality care, something that usually comes with a hefty price tag, was accessible and affordable. As he puts it, “Our mission from day one was to deliver the best quality at a price in the reach of the average American” in a time where the mean cost of a nursing home in the United States exceeds 100k, they are able to bring substitute services in at less than half that.

But creating such a haven was no easy feat. McDonald faced numerous challenges, including zoning regulations and a plethora of other legal obstacles. However, he did not succumb to the weight of these setbacks, as he did not have to go through them alone. His wife, Dr. Shujuan Tao McDonald, co-owner of Whispering Pines, was able to use the bottom line thinking skills she had learned from the scientific community.

As Pfizer’s youngest Senior Scientist with a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from University of Georgia and post-doctoral studies at Columbia University, Dr. Shujuan’s, or SJ’s, as she’s affectionately known, expertise and understanding of healthcare regulations were instrumental in navigating the legal obstacles that came their way. 

“I was incredibly fortunate to have my wife, my partner, and my guiding star by my side. Whispering Pines wasn’t just my dream. It’s our shared commitment, and I couldn’t have asked for a better co-pilot in this mission and business,” he shares.

Today, the Whispering Pines campus accommodates 50 residents who can finally spend their retirement in peace and joy. McDonald hopes to increase to over 5,000 in the next five years as he plans to open several facilities across Georgia.

Besides medical professionals who care for residents’ health, the facility offers a variety of activities designed to enhance residents’ well-being and keep them engaged. From music therapy to puzzle games and nature walks, Whispering Pines residents have everything they need to spend enjoyable rests of their lives.

But what sets Whispering Pines apart is not just its scale or affordability. It’s the heart behind it with staff like Director Amy Williams, the facility is becoming a reflection of McDonald’s vision of providing the elderly elderly dignified, safe, and respectful care. “Abuse and negligence are common issues in our nation, and we aim to address those concerns, as are short sided priorities, 2/3 of people in this country will need some form of long term care, how many can come up with an extra $9,000 a month?” he says. 

A former real estate developer, Crawford K. McDonald’s journey to becoming a caretaker is both inspiring and moving. His commitment to affordable, quality care for the elderly has led him to create a haven where residents live and thrive.

More than just a tale of entrepreneurship, it’s a story of compassion, dedication, and a relentless drive to make a difference. Most importantly, it is a story that serves as a reminder that service to others can indeed transform lives – both for those being served and those who choose to serve.

As Taggart Atlantic continues to grow, McDonald’s vision remains clear. He plans to further attract dedicated staff and compassionate caregivers who would share and spread his mission: the mission of exceptional dedication, compassion, and commitment to those who need and deserve it.

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One of the most recognizable stories of the last couple of decades, if not more, is that of antiquated systems trying to play catch up with advancements in technology. While it’s inevitable that, in some cases, the slowness of designs and all the red tape might actually help protect consumers, there’s plenty of time when the same red tape is keeping them from getting what they need at the price they can afford.

Mobility aids can be a great example. On the one hand, there are newer, advanced models that offer unparalleled convenience. On the other hand, there’s Medicare, which, under its Part B category, provides coverage for wheelchairs — if they’re approved. And that red tape is the reason why many people are deciding to try alternative suppliers for their mobility aids.

“We’re in Costco. The Home Shopping Network that just picked us up, QVC, just asked us to come on board. Walmart.com is also just picking us up. Of course, we’re on Amazon,” says Dan Guthrie of Miracle Mobility. “We’re all e-commerce. Now, we sell to the mom-and-pop distributors brick-and-mortar here and there. And, of course, we have a store here in Clearwater as well.”

Guthrie started Miracle Mobility in 2018 after spending four years in the medical equipment industry. Prior to that, he had decades of experience in consumer goods and sales. Guthrie built the company on industry-leading customer service and consumer-minded policies — but he doesn’t work with Medicare.

When people decide to get their mobility aids through Medicare, there are some hoops they need to jump through. First of all, there needs to be a medical necessity as determined by a doctor, which is reasonable. So, every journey to getting a mobility aid starts with a visit to a doctor, where they’ll evaluate the patient’s mobility needs. Based on that evaluation, the patient receives a prescription. They’re also supposed to provide supporting documentation.

Having a prescription and providing the documentation doesn’t mean that a patient will get a mobility aid. They might be outright denied based on a gap in the documentation or because they are deemed not to need it. It’s also possible that the specific model the patient applied for isn’t available because Medicare covers only purchases from Medicare-approved suppliers. And even then, the more basic models might be the ones that get approved more quickly.

For all of those reasons and many more, people are increasingly looking elsewhere for the mobility solutions they actually need.

“Miracle Mobility specializes in innovative mobility devices, specifically focusing on foldable electric mobility solutions,” explains Guthrie. “Unlike traditional scooters that are heavy, bulky, and inconvenient for indoor use, our foldable product offers the convenience of collapsing to the size of a suitcase in just one second, similar to a baby stroller.”

The variety the company offers means that anyone can find something that fits their needs, from extra light models to those outfitted with extra padding to provide comfort in cases of prolonged use. The manufacturer of these chairs, Guthrie points out, is registered with the FDA, and the company offers both warranty and spare parts. And while business is good, Guthrie only sees it going up.

“The baby boomer generation, with approximately 80 million individuals, is a significant population group,” he says. The oldest baby boomers are reaching 77 years old, and studies indicate that one in three of them will require a mobility aid within the next three years.” Those of them who can’t deal with Medicare for their mobility solutions know where else to look.

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