By Duane Sherrill Make no mistake, there?s more negotiating going on in the jury room than in the sales room of a used car lot, except in the case of juries, it?s not the price of a car but the price of a person?s life. Since the talk of the town will be on the…

By Steve C. Stubblefield USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Teresa Lasseter unveiled a new 500,000 acre Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) practice to improve habitat for high-priority wildlife species throughout the United States. ?The State Areas for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative is a locally led, results-oriented effort to address high-value wildlife habitat restoration and Cooperative…

By Mark Halcomb Leyland cypress?s botanical name has been changed from x Cupressocyparis leylandii to x Cuprocyparis leylandii and Nootka cypress?s name has been changed from Chamaecyparis nootkatensis to Xanthocyparis nootkatensis. These changes occurred after a new species of conifer was discovered in Vietnam, giving rise to a new genus. Golden Vietnamese cypress or Xanthocyparis…

By J. Dale Beaty One sure sign of spring is activity around the Farmer?s Market Shed in downtown McMinnville. The market starts the 2007 season this Saturday morning. There will be an abundance of bedding plants, ornamental plants and even some spring greens and onions available Saturday as many of the vendors have been working…

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) ? Philip Morris USA said Friday that it has made its full annual payment of $3.5 billion to the states under the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement. The amount includes about $400 million the Richmond-based tobacco company disputes owing. The company said it will try to get that money back through negotiations or…

SPRING HILL, Tenn. (AP) ? General Motors Corp. launched the Saturn brand at its plant in the tiny Tennessee town of Spring Hill nearly 17 years ago. Designed to compete with low-cost Japanese imports, Saturn prided itself on its no-haggle approach to selling cars and initially developed a cult following, which included carnival-like “homecoming” celebrations…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? An ethanol-fueled boom in prices will prompt American farmers to plant the most corn since the year the Allies invaded Normandy, but surging demand could mean consumers still may pay more for everything from chicken to cough syrup. Farmers are expected to plant 90.5 million acres of corn, according to…

By Dave Ramsey Dear Dave, In an attempt to improve my credit I recently bought a new car which I financed at 17.9 percent for 72 months. If I make the minimum payment of $468 a month, I?ll end up paying about $13,000 in interest alone. Is there a formula I can use to avoid…

By James Clark There was a steady stream of customers visiting McMinnville MegaMarket on Saturday morning. The flea market, located in the old Powermatic building, is sure to attract more vendors in the coming weeks. How do you begin the last Business Pulse column you?re ever going to write? I?ve thought of dozens of ways,…

Baby Girl Jennifer Abigail Kilgore arrived Feb. 27 at River Park Hospital weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces. She is the daughter of Kasey Kilgore and Jamey McKnight of Altamont. She is joined by sister, Haleigh McKnight, 9, and Jordan Hackworth, 4. She is the granddaughter of Larry Kilgore of Decherd, Tim and Terri Tate of…