Bruce Williams DEAR BRUCE: My father had bought my son a savings bond for college many years ago. Now it is college time. What is the best way to use these so our taxes won’t be horrible? Any other information you can give us on this subject? — Cindy, via e-mail DEAR CINDY: If the…

From the editors of Consumer Reports Angst over tipping the service providers in your life — the newspaper carrier, your housekeeper, the hairdresser — ratchets up around the holidays. “Most people know to leave a waitress a 15 to 20 percent gratuity,” says Michael Lynn, an associate professor of consumer behavior at Cornell University’s School…

It’s time to get into the holiday spirit and the spirit of giving. With that in mind, here are some quotes: “Try to give away what you want yourself.” – Lois McMaster Bujold “If you want to see what children can do, you must stop giving them things.”– Norman Douglas “We make a living by…

From the Jeff Foxworthy school of humor, here’s a handy holiday tip. If the back of your pickup also serves as your mailbox post ? you might be a redneck.

Business Roundup By The Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — The U.S. dollar slid to a new low Wednesday against the euro, which rose to an all-time high of $1.3179 in late New York trading, breaking a day-old record as jittery markets kept up pressure on the U.S. currency. The recent rally has taken the euro…

James Clark Rita York was last year’s winner of a Chevy Cavalier given away by Three Star Mall. This year, the mall will be giving away another Chevy Cavalier on Dec. 21. It’s the third straight year the mall has given away a car for Christmas. The weather outside is frightful, but you’ll always find…

Beth Furbush Now that the holiday shopping season has officially started, the Better Business Bureau reminds consumers who plan to write checks to remember the new Check 21 law that went into effect in October. No more float! The Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, also known as Check 21, shortens the float time…

Bates Hill community resident and Warren County native Stanley Todd, 48, died Nov. 26 at his home. A former Oster employee, a farmer and a member of Ivy Bluff Church of Christ, he was preceded in death by his mother, Edith Sullens Todd; maternal grandparents, John and Myrtle Sullens; and paternal grandparents, Wiley and Mabel…

McMinnville resident and White County native Robert Murlis Wright, 78, died Nov. 26 at his home after an extended illness. A retired employee of Avalon Dairies, a White County farmer, a member of the First Baptist Church, and a singer for 20 years with the Galileans and the Peacemakers, he was the son of the…

Morrison resident and McMinnville native Marcia Marlene Adams, 40, died Nov. 23 in Ashburn, Ga. A cosmetologist, she was the daughter of Jannie Belle Smartt Myers and the late Thomas Luther Myers Jr., and was preceded in death by her husband, Carlton Lavoy Adams; maternal grandparents, John and Sarah Elizabeth Smartt; paternal grandparents, Thomas Luther…