Chuck Sheperd Koko, the famous gorilla that was taught about a thousand words in American Sign Language, had recently been telling her handlers at her apartment at the Gorilla Foundation in Woodside, Calif., that her mouth hurt. It was only a toothache, but treatment would require her to be anesthetized, and the foundation decided to…

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) Many businesses were shuttered and streets were largely deserted Saturday as tourists and residents fled from this normally bustling island resort town, but some die-hards said they were determined to face the potential wrath of Hurricane Ivan. The deadly storm smashed into Jamaica early Saturday with ferocious waves and wind nearing…

Jim Mullen I recently visited Thomas Jefferson’s famous self-designed mansion Monticello where he could watch through a spyglass as the buildings he designed for the University of Virginia were going up. Guides take about 20 people at a time through the 10 or so large rooms open to the public and tell about his life…

Charles W. Johnson As this year’s fair rolls into town it brings back memories of my youth, which, for some strange reason, seems to be slowly moving further into the past every year. And as it recedes into antiquity, it’s a funny thing how much better that period in my life looks to me now,…

President Bush may have gotten a “bump” in support during the GOP convention, but it’s already dissipated. Once again, he’s tied with Democrat John Kerry. That’s the evidence emerging from daily tracks by the Rasmussen poll. And focus groups in 17 battleground states conducted by Democratic consultant Bob Beckel also suggest that Bush failed to…

Warren County has its own sheriff’s department. The county has an ambulance service. There is a highway department and a dozen convenience centers scattered around the county. Yet when it comes to one operational animal shelter, the county is walking around with its tail between its legs. For close to a month, our local animal…

Although “Teddy Brewster,” played by Stan Turner, thinks he is President Teddy Roosevelt and “Jonathan Brewster,” played by Stuart Fulkerson, is a psychopathic killer, “Mortimer Brewster,” played by Morgan Underwood, doesn’t really become concerned that insanity is running rampant in his family until he discovers that his sweet aunts, played by Connie Butner and Shellene…

Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Dear Annie: I am a middle-aged woman with a recurring problem. My husband’s family likes to get together every so often, which is fine, but they drink and get loud, often insulting me. Several of them can become really obnoxious. They tell me I should drink, too, and loosen up,…