SLK Named As Germany's Most Beautiful Car

Posted By: Kris Nielsen & Valerie Jennings

The SLK was named Germany’s most beautiful car this week on the BenzInsider.com. Khral Prado, who wrote the post, said that this was no surprise, but rather an affirmation for Mercedes-Benz’s long list of achievements. 

According to the post, Mercedes-Benz is one of the most awarded premium vehicle manufacturers ever. The company’s latest in its long list of achievements is the awarding of AUTO BILD magazine’s Design Award to the Mercedes-Benz SLK. Following the tire tracks of the E-Class back in 2009 and the SLS AMG last year, the SLK makes the company proud by bagging the prize for 2011.

Read article: http://www.benzinsider.com/2011/05/slk-named-as-germany%E2%80%99s-most-beautiful-car/

Kansas City Hit By Tornadoes Empowers Community Support

By: Valerie Jennings and Kris Nielsen

I was horrified by the tornados that swept across the Kansas City metro yesterday.  However, the Joplin, Mo. disaster is still by far the most devastating and families need our strong support. 

I would advise everyone to contact the local police and fire departments in Joplin to find out exactly what the community needs, but there have been multiple news stories listing the organizations that are assisting with the relief effort. 

Here is a recent blog post from Mashable.com that highlights a few groups that you may want to reach out to and assist with resources and support.

4 Ways To Help Missouri’s Tornado Victims

By Zachary Sniderman

A tornado touched down Sunday in Joplin, Missouri, killing 89 people. The latest tornado to hit the South has raised the death toll to more than 400 people in recent months after a series of devastating twisters.

The May 22 tornado ripped a six-mile path across the southwestern part of Missouri. It was estimated to be a half-mile across when it hit Joplin, Slate reported.

If you can’t get on the ground to help in person, social media offers ways to help those most in need. You can also check out Mashable‘s original post for ways you can help victims of other recent tornadoes. Below we’ve collected some quick ways you can support those in Missouri.

§  Relief Spark is a non-profit focused on remodeling schools, but in the wake of the tornado, it has turned its Twitter feed into a valuable resource of information. Sample tweets direct first responders to meeting places and to posting what shelters have just opened their doors.

§  A bunch of Facebook Pages have sprouted up to help residents find loved ones and join in the recovery process, including the Joplin, MO Tornado Recovery Page and a Joplin, MO Survivors’ Page.

§  You can search for Missouri-based Red Cross shelter centers or check out how the Red Cross is helping disaster victims across the American South. You can also donate to support their efforts.

§  OzarksFirst.com, a local community and new site, has also put together a tremendous resource with help hotlines, phone numbers and web pages for volunteers and victims. It provides emergency numbers, the state senator’s office number and special hotlines for nurses and doctors looking to lend a hand. Help pages include the State Emergency Management Agency, Show-Me Response, a Facebook Page for the local hospital, which was badly damaged in the twister, and even a page for locating and reuniting with lost pets.

There are, of course, hundreds more ways to help tornado victims through monetary and supply donations or simply monitoring the help and lost person’s pages to assist in finding matches. Let us know in the comments how you plan on helping and any other good resources to get aid to Joplin.

Read the rest of the article: http://mashable.com/2011/05/23/missouri-tornado/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29