Editor’s note: The following is a continuation of an excerpt from “The Hall County Gangster: Raymond Ballew” by John R. Ballew.

Here’s a sobering statistic: 72% of retirees say one of their biggest fears is becoming a burden on their families, according to a study by Edward Jones and the consulting firm Age Wave. If you are near retirement, how can you prepare yourself to become financially free, so you won’t have to depend on grown children or other family members? Here are a few suggestions to consider: Keep adding to retirement savings.

Do you have a favorite outdoor water faucet? If it’s one from your childhood, it’s probably imbued with memories of summertime fun. My current favorite is the one that mostly doesn’t freeze in w i n t e r .

Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from “The Hall County Gangster: Raymond Ballew” by John R. Ballew.

The following is a story about a man born and raised in Quail, who joined the Army prior to World War II. Pfc. G.D. Ashton was stationed in the Philippines when it fell to Japan in 1942. After spending a grueling two and a half years as a prisoner of war (POW), Ashton was loaded onto a “Hell Ship” destined for Japan. However, in one of the many tragedies of the war, the ship he was on was sunk by an American submarine,killing him and 667 other prisoners.

The Memphis Compress was based on the motto,“We have nothing to sell but service.” For 84 years, the Allen family supported Memphis and Hall County in every way possible. From buy ing the grand champion pig at the stock show to building the Allen Field House, the Allens always advocated for what was best for our community.

I had a psychology professor in graduate school back in the 1970s that was generally considered to be eccentric or quirky. I enjoyed his class, but my fellow students and I had to be “on our toes” at all times.

Dear Editor, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a unique organization made up of unique individuals. CASA also uses trained dogs extensively in their program.

If you’ve been thinking about life insurance, especially if you have family, loved ones, or anyone who depends on you financially, you might be curious about the different kinds of policies available. Which type is right for you? Es sentially, you can look at two main categories of life insurance: term and permanent.

You might not have thought much about beneficiary designations — but they can play a big role in your estate planning. When you purchase insurance policies and open investment accounts, such as your IRA, you’ll be asked to name a beneficiary, and, in some cases, more than one.