Area News

By Charles W. Johnson County commissioner, expert angler, and good friend Bill Yancy has been providing linguistic fodder for ‘What’s the Word’ for some time now, and he’s come up with some dooseys. (More on that later.) At a recent commission meeting, much to my delight, Bill came up to me and said, ‘Hey Charlie,…

By Morton Kondracke “What kind of America are we going to leave to our kids?” The question is the biggest cliche in American politics — and the least seriously addressed major issue. Because, in fact, the now-retiring baby boom generation is passing on to its children an America buried in debt, woefully short on savings…

By Thomas Vaughn Thomas Jefferson said, ‘I cannot live without books.’ As a bona fide bibliophile, I’ve often reflected on those words. Actually, I suppose I could live without books, but my life would be more barren. For me, books are fertile fields for cultivating the heart and the mind, even in this ‘brave new…

By Ric Edelman Q: My dad has a will that leaves his estate divided among us four kids. He has a money market account of $80,000, stocks totaling $75,000, and a $375,000 house with no mortgage. Will we have to pay inheritance tax? Is there a better way to arrange his will? A: There is…

NEW YORK (AP) ‘ Wall Street capped a week of big gains with modest moves Friday as investors grappled with surging energy prices that overshadowed news of a surprise increase in home construction. Investors hoping for an economic rebound in the second half of the year and searching for signs that the housing market is…

By Bruce Williams DEAR BRUCE: My wife and I recently bought a home for $500,000. Our insurance agent suggested that we should get a liability policy for twice the value. Is this going to be enough? We are worth a lot more than $1 million and can certainly afford a higher premium. I just want…

WASHINGTON (AP) ‘ Construction of new homes increased by the biggest percentage in more than two years in April, a rare spot of good news amid the worst downturn in housing in more than two decades. Analysts, however, played down the increase, noting that all the strength came from the volatile apartment sector. They said…

WASHINGTON (AP) ‘ Responding to congressional pressure, the Bush administration on Friday said it is suspending oil deliveries into the government’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve for the remainder of the year. The move came days after Congress passed legislation requiring President Bush to temporarily halt shipments into the reserve in hopes of lowering gasoline prices. The…

Consumer Reports The Volkswagen Rabbit topped Consumer Reports’ latest test group of small, affordable, four-door hatchbacks and is now CR’s highest-rated car in the category, surpassing the Mazda3. The car is the successor to the Golf. Hatchbacks, once a popular body style, nearly disappeared from the American automotive landscape a number of years back, according…

Ben Lomand CEO Levoy Knowles and employees welcomed a visit from Congressman Lincoln Davis, who began his visit by discussing broadband services and fiber to the home with Knowles. ‘While other companies are only talking about broadband services, we are able to provide DSL service, to over 99 percent of our customer base,’ said Knowles.…