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Beware of credit card ‘skimming devices at gas pump

With the holiday travel season at hand, state officials are recommending ways to avoid having unnecessary pain at the pumps. While gas prices are generally down across the U.S., scammers have developed the means to still make filling up a more costly experience down the road. Consumers, drivers and visitors are advised to stay alert for potential credit card “skimming,” where criminals use hidden devices inside fuel pump card readers to steal credit and debit card information, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, or MDARD. “As ...

National Civics Bee open to U.P. students

The National Civics Bee is aimed at encouraging more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. The Michigan Chamber Foundation, along with local chambers, will host community bees statewide in 2025. All Michigan students in sixth, seventh and eighth graders from any public, private, charter or home schools are encouraged to participate. In the first phase, students are required to submit essays by Feb. 4. After a panel of judges review the 750-word essays, the top 20 students from each competition will move on to the next round, a live quiz event in the ...

Attention community: 2024 Cheer Club needs help

Now that we’ve all had our share, or probably more than our share, of turkey and stuffing for Thanksgiving, the holiday season can really get into full swing. As we like to do every year down here at The Mining Journal, spreading cheer becomes a major focus in the weeks after Thanksgiving and leading up to Christmas. The Mining Journal Cheer Club, a partnership between the Journal, the Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul that aims to provide children with toys and other gifts for the holidays, has been going on for the past week. Speaking frankly, this holiday effort needs help ...

For many retailers, holiday shopping is key

Although a a fair number of stores opened Thursday afternoon and Thursday night, today is often considered the official start of the Christmas shopping season. It’s called Black Friday and the phrase traces its roots as far back as the early 1960s. Many sources credit — or blame as the case might be — the Philadelphia area for coining it. It apparently means that point in the retail process when a profit is realized. Whenever it started and whatever it means, Black Friday is the first day of the Christmas shopping season, a time of the year that makes or breaks many retailers ...

Holiday a great time to be thankful for one’s blessings

It’s easy to forget one’s blessings and to forgo giving thanks at this, or any, time of the year. If one looks around, especially in the areas of politics and international relations, the news does seem to be unrelentingly bad, doesn’t it? In no particular order then, political parties that can’t (or won’t) set aside differences for the betterment of the nation; an unemployment rate that remains too high, despite other improvements in the economy, most notably the stock market; continuing turmoil in the Middle East; the NSA spying on everyone; and the list goes on. Yes, ...

When it comes to holiday shopping, think local

Thanksgiving officially kicks off the holiday season, which runs through New Year’s Day. The community will transition from turkeys and autumn colors to Christmas trees and red-and-green color schemes. Of course, the holiday season brings good cheer, goodwill and the willingness to give to those less fortunate. Many people give to local charities to help needy people who don’t have the means to put food on their tables or even buy toys for their kids. Of course, people also are on the lookout for toys, gadgets and other gifts to give to their own families or relatives. Many ...