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Bob Etheridge#x2019;s campaign for governor got off to a bumpy start Monday, when he sought to clarify his positions on two of the thorniest issues of the governor#x2019;s race #x2013; raising the sales tax and a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages and civil unions.

Etheridge, the former Democratic congressman, skirted both issues on Feb. 3, his first day as a candidate, declining to take a stance at a news conference.

But on Monday, Etheridge said he would support Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue#x2019;s proposal to restore a three-quarter-cent sales tax to fund education that the legislature repealed last year.

He also said that while he opposed gay marriages, he would...

The plants and flowers were decorative, not given in memorial. No obituary had been written, no undertaker summoned. Nobody had died.

Yet given the backdrop of recent news coming out of RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co., it was difficult not to wonder about the long-term prospects for the company that made this town.

Taken together, the decision to sell its iconic building downtown the prototype for the Empire State Building in New York layoffs and an overall sales decline seem to draw a picture of a company adrift.

A once-mighty global brand now struggles with a lurching economy in a country whose views on its products have grown increasingly hostile.

Its no wonder, then,...

For folks obsessed with food and dining, its only natural that taking a vacation would follow that passion. If youve ever carefully planned a meal-by-meal tour of Barcelona, you know what were talking about. However, its no longer enough to just head to Rome for pizza or Tokyo for sushi. Go somewhere unexpected on your next holiday.

Have a thing for mussels? Jet off to Prince Edward Island, Canada. Obsessed with tracking your favorite roving food trucks? Grab a Jeep and chase the ones that dot the Puerto Rican island Vieques. Weve rounded up eight of our favorite destinations that are ideal for the food-obsessed. Did we miss your favorite? Let us know in the comments.

Eugene Weston III, right, is seen in 2006 with art dealer Scott Nadeau, who three years earlier bought an Eagle Rock home Weston designed in 1953 for Norman Bilderback, then a director of design at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
(Myung J. Chun, Los Angeles Times / August 10, 2006)

Ive written recently about local places you can go to celebrate
Valentines Day, but I had a couple of readers who were looking for
something tropical. 

Here are a few suggestions: 

La Concha Resort, San Juan, Puerto Rico

For Valentines Day, the AAA Four-Diamond property is spicing
things up with the Discover Romance package, which includes
oceanview accommodations, a bottle of champagne, Godiva chocolates,
breakfast for two and a late checkout. Starting from $289 a night.
www.laconcharesort.com

The Ritz-Carlton Golf amp; Spa Resort, Rose Hall,
Jamaica

Special Occasion Package. Couples enjoy a bottle of champagne
upon arrival,...

Retrouvaille means to rediscover.

And for many years in Calgary, the organization has helped spouses rediscover the love they felt for each other when they were married.

In Calgary, Brian and Lee Weatherill are the new co-ordinators for the successful program.

Basically, its a lifeline for marriages that are on the rocks, says Lee Weatherill. A troubled marriage or one that communication breakdown has occurred, its a really good way to learn how to communicate as a couple again.

According to its website (www. helpourmarriagecalgary.com), Retrouvaille evolved from Marriage Encounter around 1977. Presenters in Marriage Encounter saw a clear need for a program to help...

CARTERVILLE, IL (KFVS) – The Land of Lincoln could soon become the latest state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriages.

That is if Illinois Representative Greg Harris (D) 13th District is able to persuade enough other Illinois legislators to get onboard with his Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, or HB 5170.

Representative Harris introduced the legislation on Wednesday in Springfield. And so far three other legislators have signed on as co-sponsors.

They are Representative Deborah Mell (D) 40th District, Representative Kelley Cassidy (D) 14th District and Representative Ann Williams (D) 11th District.

But, not everyone in the Illinois House...

And this makes sense to him.

Getting a divorce is an expensive and economically risky move, Konczal said.

Now some predict that with the rebound in the economy, married couples will again have the luxury of divorce.

An NPR story showed pent-up demand for divorces were beginning to find an outlet, according to divorce lawyers.

Other than the necessary stability for couples to separate, the economic recovery will finally allow some partners to claim a more valuable share of assets.

If a person receives a business, for example, said Linda Lea Viken, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and the other person receives a house, the value of those...

Sorrento

Citalia has a week-long break just outside this pretty Italian town for £395 per person. Departing on 27 April with easyJet flights from Gatwick to Naples, it includes BB accommodation at the Hotel Girasole, which boasts an outdoor pool, with views towards Mount Vesuvius. (Citalia.com)

Manama: When Fareed Ahmad Hassan first heard about sectarianism as a phenomenon ominously destroying Bahrains social harmony, the newspaper editor sneered at the idea that Bahrainis who have lived with one another peacefully and graciously for generations could drift apart on the basis of sects.

But after speaking with relatives and friends, the Shiite man married for decades with a Sunni woman was convinced the society faced a dilemma.

I was shocked to see that people dealt with one another on the basis on their sects. Gone are years of friendships and matrimonial unions. Many people over the weeks made decisions to continue or end their friendships or even marriages on the merit...