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The mountain states of America hold within them some of the fastest growing towns in the country. Dreamy mountain towns like Leavenworth in Washington, Alpine in Wyoming, and Elizabeth in Colorado have always been among the top places for those who love the outdoors. Now, more and more folks are planning to go and never turn back. The cost of living, moving closer family, and seeking a slower pace of life are top reasons people move to the more rural parts of the country. From idyllic mountain towns to high-desert hubs, we’ve narrowed down the ten outdoorsy towns with the...

It’s a big score for the north shore. Nearly a dozen affluent Nassau County enclaves on the Gold Coast, or just a few miles south, made a newly released list of the best places in the US to raise a family. Kensington, a neighborhood on Manhasset Bay near the Queens border, placed second in the nation out of 18,084 towns in Niche’s 2025 rankings. The small but elite section of Great Neck — it has a population under 1,500 — trailed only the Philadelphia suburb of Chesterbrook and earned top marks for its overall safety and high-performing public schools.

MCDOWELL COUNTY, N.C. – At least three wildfires have ignited near North Carolina towns that were devastated by Hurricane Helene. As of Thursday morning, the Crooked Creek Fire in McDowell County has burned an estimated 250 acres and is now 55% contained. Emergency crews said they made significant progress overnight as winds diminished and relative humidity increased, leading to lower fire activity. The evacuation order for the affected areas has been lifted, allowing residents to safely return to their homes. Emergency personnel will remain on-site throughout the day to monitor the situation and ensure further containment of the fire. There...

Between its barbecue, country music, national parks, and distilleries, Tennessee has some of the most defining traditions and characteristics in the country. While Nashville and Memphis are great places to experience Tennessee’s distinctiveness, some of the most intriguing traditions are found well outside city limits. Looking to discover a side of Tennessee like never before? These seven towns will definitely surprise you!

Michigan is home to over 11,000 inland lakes, not to mention its iconic border with four of the Great Lakes. This makes it one of the most scenic states in the U.S., and such an environment is particularly conducive to relaxation and wellness. Numerous small towns capitalize on this serene backdrop by offering spas, quiet community atmospheres, and stunning natural vistas.

While many seniors flock to sunny retirement destinations like Florida for their warm weather and sandy beaches, not everyone finds this appealing or within reach. For those who prefer the charm of the Northern United States—whether for its four distinct seasons, proximity to family, or appreciation of its diverse natural beauty—this region boasts some of the finest small towns for seniors in the country.

The cost of living is up, prompting a growing number of Americans to flee big cities and opt for small-town life instead. A tiny, tight-knit community might seem like heaven to those who want a slower pace of life, but that doesn’t mean that smaller towns are sleepy, cultural wastelands. Many towns across the country offer the same top-notch amenities found in larger cities—they just come with a more laid-back, know-your-neighbors vibe at an affordable price tag.

(NEXSTAR) – While violent crime has dropped to pre-pandemic levels nationwide, the FBI announced, changes weren’t the same across the board. The crime rates remained elevated in dozens of cities around the country. Personal finance site MoneyGeek used the FBI crime data to look at crime rates in 302 large cities and 1,010 small cities and towns around the country. They looked at both violent crime and property crime, and used research by the University of Miami and the University of Colorado Denver to determine the cost of crime in each area. After crunching the numbers, the large city with...

Americans are flocking to the coasts faster than ever before. And with much of the nation's priciest properties already concentrated near shorelines, this puts more people and buildings at risk from the kind of extreme storms and flooding linked to climate change. But for many communities across the U.S. the toll is likely to go far beyond physical damage. Rising sea levels could have a knock-on effect, making certain areas unlivable long before they're uninhabitable, effectively creating zombie towns, according to a new analysis from nonprofit environmental group Climate Central that looks at the financial impact of sea-level rise over...

Five towns in Vermont opted to extend their mask mandates another month, nearly two years after the start of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic. The Vermont legislature wrapped up 2021 by passing a measure allowing local governments to impose their own mask requirements. Republican Gov. Phil Scott emphatically approved the measure, pitching it as a way to avoid issuing a statewide mask mandate. In a November letter to members of the legislature, Scott said the legislation had to be “limited to facial covering requirements indoors within a municipality’s jurisdiction (except schools, which shall remain governed by the policies set forth by...

Hi Freeps! I need your help! Over ten years ago, I asked for some good locations in Washington State to live and you all came through and helped my family find a good place to live! Now I'm here asking you all again. My husband and I are needing to either move to South Carolina or Texas. We just need to find a good location, not too close to any city, more rural area with good schools and hopefully more conservatives. In Texas, we would like to live near either Dallas -Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock or Midland. We just want...

Police said they were dealing with fires in Gothenburg, Malmo and Helsingborg Around 60 vehicles were reportedly vandalised with stones thrown at police Emergency services were tackling the fires with no reports yet of any injuries Dozens of cars were set alight and stones thrown at police as gangs of masked youths went rampaging across Sweden on Monday evening.

One of the great debates in American politics and economics in 2018 is likely to be how to help the country's forgotten towns, the former coal-mining and manufacturing hubs with quaint Main Streets that haven't changed much since the 1950s and '60s. Many of these places turned out heavily to vote for Donald Trump. He talks often about wanting to help them, but it's unclear how he can. Traditional economics says people living in these struggling towns should just move. Many of the United States' urban centers (and surrounding suburbs) are booming. If jobs are plentiful in Denver (unemployment rate:...

Call it Pennsylvania’s highway robbery. A pot of money from a huge increase in fuel taxes and motorist fees under a 2013 law designed to shore up Pennsylvania’s highways and bridges is not so huge anymore, as a growing amount is getting diverted to the Pennsylvania State Police. Now, alarmed transportation planners, construction firms and engineers are looking at 12-year Department of Transportation projections that show a fattening state police budget consuming more dollars for construction projects. Lawmakers are taking notice, too.

America Loves Catholicism: As Seen in Place Names Everywhere By: Msgr. Charles PopeThe video below boasts, “America loves Italy” and features a Fiat car driving through American towns with Italian names.If that is the case then America loves Catholicism even more, since thousands of towns and places are named for Catholic saints, themes, and objects. Consider the following:In California: San Diego, San Miguel, San Francisco, San Bernadino, San Clemente, San Luis Obispo, San Jose, San Rafael, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Los Angeles (aka Nuestra Senora de los Angeles de la Porciuncula), Santa Cruz, Santa Clarita, Sacramento, San...

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Maybe 15 terms in Congress is enough. In at least one case, we now have proof that it’s more than enough. California Rep. Darrell Issa finally confirmed today what has been generally known for a long while: Even as Democrats were promised to get to the bottom of the scandal surrounding sup-prime mortgage loans, a least one top Democrat was working hard to cover-up the names of Democrats who got favors from Countrywide Financial Corp. Countrywide was the biggest abuser of sub-prime mortgages and was one of the main culprits in the housing collapse that eventually infected the rest of...

According to Judicial Watch, Rep. Edolphous Towns (D-NY) has introduced the Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2011. That bill would do with Obama’s presidential records what Obama has already done to his personal and collegiate records: Seal them up. In an obvious effort to protect President Barack Obama, a group of congressional Democrats has introduced legislation to create an official process that will allow the commander-in-chief to keep presidential records secret after he leaves office. Ironically, Obama revoked a similar George W. Bush order in one of his first official acts as president. In 2001 Bush penned an executive order...

The hottest market in the hottest economy in the world is Chinese real estate. The big question is how vulnerable is this market to a crash. One red flag is the vast number of vacant homes spread through China, by some estimates up to 64 million vacant homes. We've tracked down satellite photos of these unnerving places, based on a report from Forensic Asia Limited. They call it a clear sign of a bubble: "There’s city after city full of empty streets and vast government buildings, some in the most inhospitable locations. Click here to see the ghost towns

The letter that Ralph Groves, director of the U.S. Census Bureau, recently sent to the American people reflects what America has become under the welfare state. Here is what the letter states in part: "Your response is important. Results from the 2010 Census will be used to help each community get its fair share of government funds for highways, schools, health facilities, and many other programs you and your neighbors need. Without a complete, accurate census, your community may not receive its fair share." In that one paragraph lies the plunderbund society in all it majestic glory. Everyone is supposed...