By Kathryn Lopez “My hero Ronald Reagan …” were the very first words of a recent fund-raising pitch e-mail from former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. He went on to not-at-all-subtly quote our 40th president –“The future belongs to the free” — and commented: “This statement captures what so many Americans admired about President…

By William Rusher It is said that if enough monkeys were set to work poking randomly at enough typewriter keys, one of them, on the sheer law of averages, would sooner or later write “Hamlet.” By the same token, if enough Democratic Congressmen try long enough, one or another of them may someday come up…

Duane Sherrill I think most people have heard the old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, that is, unless you are one of the many health care companies who have lost millions in lawsuits over the past few years. First we had River Park Hospital losing a $7.2 million…

By Mark Halcomb I?m glad you haven?t forgotten the dormant oil, but it is now time to Get?r Done! Dormant oil will suffocate insects that can?t crawl out of it. Absolute total coverage is essential for effective control. Insects not covered will not be killed. The oil must cover the insects or their eggs that…

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? An Indiana lawmaker sponsoring a bill that would bar large livestock farms from being built within a mile of schools, cities, towns and nursing homes said there was growing support for the measure across the state. Democratic Rep. Phillip Pflum said Thursday that he hopes the bill, which is strongly opposed by…

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) ? Sunflower farmers hope improved oilseed market conditions for the upcoming growing season will persuade the federal government to keep an insurance program with only a few changes. The Agriculture Department?s Risk Management Agency last year proposed doing away with ?revenue assurance? coverage for sunflowers starting in 2009, as part of an…

Do you have poor garden soil and a rocky site? Many of us do and wonder what type of plant to use. Candytuft is an excellent choice for such conditions. Candytuft has its ?roots? in the Iberian peninsula or Spain as the scientific name indicates. The second part of the name ?sempervirens? means ?always green?…

NASHVILLE ? U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Teresa Lasseter today announced the appointment of Jamie H. Jenkins, Ph.D., to serve as FSA state executive director for Tennessee. ?Jamie Jenkins? strong background in education and agricultural extension will help Tennessee producers optimize their use of resources and promote sustainable agriculture,? said Lasseter.…

Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Dear Annie: For religious reasons, my husband and I waited until we were married to have sex. I’m now convinced my husband is gay and used our marriage as a facade and to have children. He has admitted to sexual dreams about men and has always been more emotionally interested…

Raintree Manor resident Lucille Rains is joined by her family on the occasion of her 87th birthday. Five generations helping her celebrate are, from left, Wendy Stepp and son Dylan Stepp; Geraldine Mathis and Jean Smith.