Is your aging parent safe at home?

March 1, 2026

Dear Savvy Senior, After watching the coverage of the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case, I’m worried about my own elderly mother who lives alone in another state. I want to make sure she’s safe without being intrusive. Are there simple, affordable ways to check in on her from afar? — Concerned Son Dear Concerned, You’re not alone. High-profile cases like this often heighten fears, especially for adult children whose parents live alone and may be vulnerable. The good news is there are several free or low-cost ways to stay connected and gain peace of mind without infringing on ...

The ‘new majority’ student: Why older adults are pursuing career growth or personal interests

February 28, 2026

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Interested in starting a business, learning about artificial intelligence or exploring a new hobby? There’s a class for that. Millions of U.S. adults enroll in credit and non-credit college courses to earn professional certificates, learn new skills or to pursue ...

Avoid ‘ick’ factor when choosing a nursing home

February 28, 2026

NEW YORK — Sometimes it’s a fall that brings a broken hip and a loss of mobility. Or memory problems that bubble into danger. Or the death of the partner who was relied upon for care. The need to move to a nursing home, assisted living facility or another type of care setting often comes ...

Women suffer heart attacks, too

February 28, 2026

Lori Sepich smoked for years and sometimes skipped taking her blood pressure medicine. But she never thought she’d have a heart attack. The possibility “just wasn’t registering with me,” said the 64-year-old from Memphis, Tennessee, who suffered two of them 13 years ...

Taking shape

February 28, 2026

Construction of a new Rutter’s is going on at U.S. Business 220 and the Interstate 99 exit north of Bedford. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Kingsolver returns with first novel since ‘Copperhead’

February 28, 2026

NEW YORK — For her first novel since the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Demon Copperhead,” Barbara Kingsolver is taking on a subject she rarely discussed in public while growing up in a small Kentucky town: classical music. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced Thursday that “Partita” will be published Oct. 6. (Faber will release the book two days later in the UK). Like “Demon Copperhead,” “The Poisonwood Bible” and other Kingsolver novels, it’s centered on a rural community. But in “Partita,” the main character is a married woman and onetime ...