Breaking News

Uncategorized

Cost of medicine for IBS even with insurance

DEAR DR. ROACH: After a month of testing from my gastrointestinal doctor, I have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). I have been sick for several months and have lost 12 pounds. (I’m now down to 100 pounds.) I have been prescribed Xifaxan. The cost from my pharmacy is $811. Normally, I never have a co-pay. I checked around, and there is no discount with any other pharmacies. I read many chats about the medicine, and 50% of people in these chats believe that it does not work well and is very hard to digest for the two weeks that you have to take it. I am meeting with ...

Those who can donate to charity should do so

Dear Heloise: I have enjoyed your (and your mother’s) column for decades and currently read it in the Colorado Springs Gazette. I was recently upset by the person who recommended not giving to charities because the money all went to administration costs. This is simply not true. There are thousands of charities in the United States, and many depend on volunteers only. However, there are scammers, and it is easy to check out a charity at CharityNavigator.org. They study each charity’s work and their financial statements, and they rate them according to their impact and efficiency ...

Horoscope

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Your success formula couldn’t be simpler: Stick close to people who live the way you want to live, and you’ll pick up their magic by osmosis. The vibes mesh, the momentum builds, and everyone gets a lift. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). When is confidence too much? When it makes people certain without demanding any evidence — or ignoring evidence to the contrary — of the assertion. It is better to be underconfident than to be certain of something that isn’t true. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Welcome it all — even the stuff you wouldn’t choose. It’s ...

America250PA Scholarship offers $250K awards to Pa. students

LEWISTOWN — As the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in 2026, students in Mifflin and Juniata counties have a new reason to take part in the festivities — and a chance to earn $10,000 toward their college education. America250PA, the state commission leading Pennsylvania’s commemoration of the Semiquincentennial, has launched a scholarship program awarding $250,000 to high school seniors who plan to attend a Pennsylvania college or university in the 2026–2027 academic year. The initiative honors the Commonwealth’s legacy of educational opportunity while ...

Today in History

Today is Monday, Jan. 5, the fifth day of 2026. There are 360 days left in the year. Today in history: On Jan. 5, 1933, construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge; the bridge was completed in May 1937. Also on this date: In 1896, an Austrian newspaper reported the discovery by German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (RENT’-gun) of a new type of radiation that came to be called “X-ray.” In 1925, Democrat Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming took office as America’s first female governor. In 1953, Samuel Beckett’s two-act tragicomedy “Waiting for Godot,” considered a ...

Finding connection in later life

Dear Annie: Now that my husband and I are in our 70s, it feels as if our social world has shrunk to the size of a postage stamp. Friends have moved away to be near their children, others are dealing with health issues, and a few have simply drifted off. We used to host dinners, take short trips and enjoy a lively circle. Now the phone barely rings. Our children are kind but busy, and I don’t want to rely on them for every bit of companionship. Still, the quiet gets to me. I just want something to look forward to besides doctor’s appointments and the nightly news. I’ve tried ...