Banks have given $10.6 billion in relief in national settlement
The nation's largest banks have provided nearly 140,000 homeowners with a total of $10.6 billion in relief under a $25 billion national settlement reached in February, the monitor for the agreement...
View ArticleReligion news in brief
California resolution denouncing anti-Semitism on campuses targets anti-Israel protests
View ArticleWhy you shouldn't pay down your mortgage faster
The impulse to pay off your mortgage more quickly than you need to is understandable, especially these days.
View ArticleKeeping the faith at home: Instilling spirituality in children still matters
We are a nation of believers. Mostly. A Gallup poll last year found that 91 percent of Americans believed in God or some universal spirit. Yet a more recent poll by WIN-Gallup International and...
View ArticleShould you pay off your student loans quickly?
Feeling trapped under a mountain of student loan debt?
View ArticleDiverse teen panel names issues most crucial to youth in 2012: Charlotte-area...
The Charlotte Observer's Young Achievers section gathered a panel of 11 high school students, from a variety of schools and organizations, to identify issues they are most concerned about as the 2012...
View ArticleDiverse students make up the young Achievers teen panel
The Charlotte Observer's Young Achievers section gathered a panel of 11 high school students from Charlotte, N.C., to discuss the issues that are important to them. The participants are:
View ArticleNotable quotables
"Cancer does not discriminate. If this compels even one person to change their mentality toward waiting until the age of 40 for their mammogram, then it will be worth it." - singer Kellie Pickler,...
View ArticleNotable quotables
"Cancer does not discriminate. If this compels even one person to change their mentality toward waiting until the age of 40 for their mammogram, then it will be worth it." - singer Kellie Pickler,...
View ArticleWeb tool allows students to report bullying
There's a new weapon in the battle against school bullies - students can press the send/submit buttons on their smartphones or computers to deliver anonymous reports to school administrators.
View ArticleVideo-game review: 'Rock Band Blitz' isn't on the same frequency as previous...
"FreQuency: and "Amplitude," as far as rhythm games go, are close to perfection. While the included soundtracks weren't always slices of heaven, the track-capturing, fast-moving musical roller coaster...
View ArticleWomen's fashion moves from retro femininity to edgy looks that evoke powerful...
Forget the Gossip Girls, Joan Holloway, Bettie Page and those other retro chicks.
View ArticleHomestyle: Tub O'Towels; 'Birdscaping' book; Rust remover
WHAT'S NEW: DISPOSABLE TOWELS TAKE ON TOUGH JOBS
View ArticleDiggin' In: Alliums provide gardens with color for three seasons
Ever dream of having a garden that's colorful spring through fall?
View ArticleYour Place: Everything you need to know about lightbulbs
Memories of columns past came to mind as I read the Consumer Reports latest CFL-versus-LED lightbulb study, available in complete form in its October issue.
View ArticleFairy gardens can bring magic to your yard
There is a sort of magic that happens in fairy gardens, those miniature landscapes meant to inspire tiny mythical creatures to visit your yard.
View ArticleDecline of a landmark tree stirs emotion
My feelings caught me by surprise when I learned about the declining state of a beech tree that stretches over the stone wall outside Perkins Stone Mansion.
View ArticleReality auctions pique interest for local treasure hunters
Auctioneer Jack Kiko said he really started noticing it this spring.
View ArticleOn Gardening: Plant enough flowers to make a show
In my seminars as I show beautiful flower combinations, I always warn those in attendance that you can't get that look from a jumbo six-pack. The ladies laugh and the gentlemen chuckle somehow thinking...
View ArticleReal estate Q&A: Foreclosure on home jeopardizes rental properties
QUESTION: I own a couple of rental properties out of state in addition to my primary home, which is worth less than I owe. I may have to let it fall into foreclosure, but can the lender get at the...
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