Environmental nerds unite! In the past, recycling a plastic bottle has always required an extra step that sometimes-recyclers might not have known about; plastic bottle lids, such as those from pop or juice bottles, couldn't be recycled through traditional single-stream recycling. Rumpke Recycling sent out a press release Tuesday announcing that they'll now accept those lids as long as they're screwed onto the bottle. Lids on plastic bottles haven't been accepted by Rumpke Recycling in the past because the bottles' manufacturers simply hadn't found a use for the plastic. Molly Yeager, Corporate Communication Coordinator for Rumpke Recycling, says they're always searching for manufacturers that work to find new uses for their products post-use. "People have been asking about recycling plastic lids for a long time," says Yeager. "It's going to be really exciting to tell them that they can now." Before, a plastic lid tossed in a recycling bin would have to be manually sorted out and thrown in the trash. Now, manufactures that purchase plastic bottles from Rumpke will be converting the lids into new items, such as paint cans.  Here's what Rumpke says to do with your plastic bottles and lids: To ensure your plastic lids are recycled, follow these easy steps: 1. Empty the bottle. Bottles still containing liquid will not be recycled. 2. If possible, crush the bottle. Crushing the bottle helps remove any air from the container, which serves as a safety precaution when the bottles are baled and also helps bottles travel through the recycling process more efficiently. 3. Screw the lid back on the bottle. Detached lids may not be recovered. Wondering what else you can and can't recycle in your community? Click here.

The Beach Waterpark, a summer hotspot for locals and visitors alike, will not open this summer, according to a press release from Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau.The organization's president and CEO released this statement today:“We are saddened to hear The Beach Waterpark will not be open this summer. Tourism is the largest industry in Warren County and as a significant attraction and major landmark in the County for more than a quarter of a century, The Beach has had a lasting impact on visitor spending which, in turn, fuels jobs and revenue for the County. We realize this was a difficult decision for the park’s management and hope they can reopen in the future.”The Beach's website has not been updated with this information; there is still a job fair listing on the home page, which was supposed to take place March 24-25, along with a 2012 operational schedule.Apparently those looking for summer fun that's a step up from the city pool will need to visit Kings Island's Soak City Waterpark. Kings Island is set to open April 28, with the waterpark opening May 26.The Beach sprawls across 35 acres of land, pumping 2 million gallons of water throughout more than 50 rides and attractions including The Cliff, Kahuna Beach Wavepool, the Lazy Miami River and the Hidden Rapids.

In a long-awaited decision, a federal appeals court today declared that California's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that a lower court judge correctly interpreted the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court precedents when he declared in 2010 that Proposition 8 was a violation of the civil rights of gay and lesbian people.

Read More

The anti-abortion politician who urged Susan G. Komen for the Cure to pull its funding from Planned Parenthood has resigned from the charity.Karen Handel, who was Komen’s vice president of public policy, submitted her resignation letter today, the Associated Press reported. Handel said she stands by her goal of ending grants to Planned Parenthood and is disappointed that Komen leaders reversed the decision after public outcry.

Read More

Despite its founder’s insistence Thursday that reaction had been mostly favorable, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure charity abruptly reversed course today and is restoring funding for Planned Parenthood.The Los Angeles Times reports Nancy G. Brinker, Komen's founder and CEO, said that the breast cancer foundation's decision to halt funding to providers who were under investigation was not done for political reasons and was not meant to penalize Planned Parenthood specifically.

Read More

The Susan. G Komen for the Cure foundation had the clout to monopolize the color pink to enhance their brand; now, it's showing off its political power and coming under serious fire for it.It's only been a few days since Susan G. Komen announced it would no longer be providing grants worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to Planned Parenthood that were mainly used to support lifesaving breast cancer screenings, but the division between the two organizations is sparking serious controversy.

Read More

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County has been selected as one of the Top 10 Children’s Libraries in the United States by a national website.Livability.com chose the main library as No. 10 on its list partially because of its Children's Learning Center, which features child-sized tables and chairs, a saltwater aquarium and multiple rooms for programs, along with a 9,200-square-foot children's garden.

Read More

The big news this morning is President Obama’s State of the Union address, which revealed an assertive, populist side to B-Rock that’s largely been missing during the first three years of his term.Will Obama keep his promises to go after Wall Street excesses and reckless financial firms, or is it mere election year posturing like apparently many of his statements in 2008 were? Only time will tell.

Read More

Last week I blogged about SOPA, or the Stop Online Piracy Act, a bill being proposed in Congress that, if passed, would allow both copyright holders as well as the US Department of Justice to severely restrict access to and advertising on any website accused of facilitating copyright infringement. Needless to say the bill’s sparked a huge controversy on the web. Many sites such as Reddit.com blacked out their services on Jan. 18 in protest, and those against the bill are saying the bill inhibits free speech and will effectively “ruin the Internet” if passed.

Read More

Sensing he needs to make up for lost ground, Mitt Romney went on the offensive in Monday night’s Republican presidential debate in Tampa, Fla., hammering Newt Gingrich as an “influence peddler.” Occasionally appearing at a loss for words, the bombastic ex-Speaker of the House accused Romney of engaging in “trivial politics.”Boys, boys: Settle down or I’m pulling the car over.

Read More