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SOS for Swedish playgrounds. The Swede behind the legendary Greyhound bus.  

  • An average of 42 kids get injured on Swedish playgrounds every day, so people are urged to use a new app to identify problems that can be fixed before more children get hurt.

  • SOS for Swedish playgrounds
    Playgrounds are places for kids to exercise and have fun, but a new study shows that each year more than 15,000 children are severely injured on Swedish playgrounds — that’s an average of 42 reported cases every day.
    The responsibility for a playground’s safety lies with the property owner, but there is no requirement for inspection, says inspector Sven Erik Henriksson, who performs audits of hundreds of playgrounds each year. He most often sees a lack of general maintenance.
    So now daily Dagens Nyheter is stepping in and asking for help. They’ve created a mission for getting data — with assistance from the people who play at parks. Citizens are encouraged to download DN's app "Playground Review" and identify problems or hazards they see at parks they visit so problem can be found and fixed as needed. According to the National Consumer Agency, it’s usually fixed objects which are most often associated with an accident: climbing frames, swings and slides. When 25 percent of cases are head injuries, it's critical to locate the problems and fix them before more accidents happen.

  • In "Busskungen" (The Coach King), journalist Kristin Lundell shares her own observations as she travels by the iconic Greyhound bus across America and unfolds the story of the Swedish man her mother grew up near, the Coach King she heard stories about all her life.

  • The Swede behind the Greyhound
    Martis Jerk (1887–1954) was 18 years old when he emigrated from Dalarna, Sweden in 1905, with just 60 dollars in his pocket. In America he changed his name to Eric Wickman and eventually laid the foundation for the Greyhound bus company, one of the world's most well-known brands (along with Coca-Cola and Kodak). This year marks 100 years since its founding in Hibbing, Minnesota.
    In her new book "Busskungen" (The Coach King), journalist Kristin Lundell, together with photographer Karin Griffin, shares her own observations as she travels by Greyhound across America and unfolds the story of the man her mother grew up near, the Coach King she heard stories about all her life. Wickman's life story is told through the assistance of letters he wrote as a young man, through the building of his business during two world wars and the Great Depression, all the while sending money back to Sweden and paying for the restoration of Våmhus Church.
    "Busskungen" was published earlier this month in Swedish; is not yet available in English.