Dear Heloise: When I wash my paintbrushes after painting, I “shampoo” them with a dish detergent, then “condition” them using a hair conditioner. Afterward, I rinse them really well and let them dry. I’ve been using the same brushes for years. -- Jan Nelson, via email ANOTHER ...

Dear Annie: I have a friend, “Donna,” who lives in another state. We’ve been friends for three years. Due to past trauma of being cheated on, I have trust issues, not just in relationships but friendships as well. I’ve damaged and even lost a few friends because of these issues. Donna ...

The top priority of the Street Department is to maintain the integrity of the street and alley pavements to ensure they are in a safe and usable condition and to ensure proper drainage for storm runoff. As the weather warms and the snow melts the first maintenance activity, we perform is ...

Dear Annie: I am a school secretary. Parents often call in with issues regarding their children. Some are very personal including health, family issues, abuse, neglect, behavior, etc. Many parents go into FULL detail as to what is happening. In these circumstances, I am not the person who can ...

For the past few weeks I’d had high hopes for Monday’s solar eclipse, hopes that I could sit outside and watch things darken in the middle of the day. The forecasts over the weekend led me to be doubtful. Monday was supposed to be mostly cloudy, with a good chance for rain later in the ...

Dear Heloise: For years, I’ve been using various kitchen tools to help me in the kitchen and do jobs that they weren’t originally designed for. I thought I’d share some of these with you and your readers: -- I use a tea strainer filled with herbs and spices to flavor soups and stews. ...