Rising property values dim dreams of home ownership

For the average wage-earner in Kootenai County, the dream of owning a home is slipping away. As property values countywide continue to soar, locals looking to buy a house are finding themselves settling for less — or continuing to rent as home prices move further and further out of reach.

Red wine trends

Last week we wrote of recent purchasing trends in white wines, so here is the red wine side of the ledger and just like the trends in white this is unlikely to change your personal buying patterns, but may introduce you to some varietals and appellations you were not previously familiar with.

Ask your audiologist...

What is the difference between getting hearing aid(s) from a warehouse store or a local independent office? (Part one of three parts.)

Boomers benefit from Obamacare

Older Americans are early winners under Obama's health law

World/Nation

• U.S. secretly created 'Cuban Twitter'

House kicks off reform testimony

Legislation would restrict collective bargaining rights

BOISE - Lawmakers in the Idaho House started taking public testimony Tuesday on legislation to eliminate "tenure" for new teachers, restrict collective bargaining and introduce merit pay.

Banking on coffee and doughnuts

Dunkin' gets warm response from new investors

NEW YORK - It's time to make the money.

WELFARE: Some rules needed

A legislator in New York has proposed legislation to prevent the use of food stamps to buy lobster, cigarettes and other expensive items.

Helicoptering?

Empty-nest parents go with kids to college

Afghans protest Taliban in emerging challenge to their rule

Demonstrations a show of defiance after the Taliban fighters violently dispersed a protest Wednesday

Medicare copays for new Alzheimer's drug could reach $11,500

Alzheimer's affects about 6 million Americans, the vast majority old enough to qualify for Medicare

It is more than a moral issue

Even though the real estate market is limping into its continued recovery and foreclosures seem to have subsided a bit, there are still many folks who are finding it increasingly difficult to stay in their homes. Some hang on until foreclosure, others opt for the short sale strategy - agreeing to sell their homes for less than they owe - a sometimes arduous process that requires patience and stamina from both buyer and seller as they wait for the lien holder to make a decision.

Report: Idaho 18th in injury-related deaths

Drug overdoses have become the leading cause of injury-related deaths in 36 states - Idaho is not one of them.

A review of home remedies

DEAR DR. GOTT: In a recent column, you referred to two possible cures for toenail fungus other than menthol salve. One was an over-the-counter product, and the other was a soaking agent. Could you please relate what these two potential cures are?

Now more than ever, vintage matters

It always has, but vintage now really does matter in every purchase you make as a wine consumer. Beyond the quality differences of harvest years there are a number of other factors that affect the aromatics, flavor and your own personal feelings about any particular wine. We have covered the variation of vintages a number of times in this column, and briefly as we approach the release of wines from the troubled 2010 and 2011 years for wines from California and the Northwest we urge caution. Try before you buy domestic wines from these years.

NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE WEEK: Preparing for the spring ‘rush’

At the risk of tempting fate, I’ll knock on wood while declaring this next sentence: Spring is nearly here.

What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?

Like the lives of the people taking them, recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the U.S. health and fitness industries

Choosing a Realtor

Buyers should give careful consideration when choosing an agent to represent them in the buying process. When dealing with the most important investment of your life you want a strong advocate rather than someone who merely shows you houses and encourages you to buy. The agent whose name appears on the advertisement or sign for the property you have an interest in represents the owner or seller of that property so their first obligation is to that person.

Beatles for sale (finally) on iTunes

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Nearly 50 years after the Beatles took television by storm, the Fab Four's songs became available on iTunes on Tuesday, setting the stage for a possible new outbreak of Beatlemania - this one online.

Stricter rules for livestock?

Bill under debate would limit farm antibiotics in Oregon