They’re sure to sell out soon
Zhu Zhu pets — fuzzy, battery-operated hamsters on wheels that sell for less than $10 in most places — may be the hottest toy this Christmas season. But it appears the toys will be hard, if not impossible, to find.

Meatless Mondays hit the spot
Dietary experts have long preached that children should be taught healthy eating habits early on. Baltimore City schools have hit on an approach that would work well in school systems throughout Maryland.

We’re not by ourselves in this
The cities of Cumberland and Frostburg are hardly alone when it comes to municipalities battling financial problems in the aftermath of the recession.

Is the Legislative Forest dead?
You can’t see the forest because of the trees.

Want help? Tell us more
While C3I investigators continue to maintain that the public may be able to help police solve the murder of Rose Marie Leyh, so few details about the crime have been released that it is difficult for the community to understand what kind of information may be helpful.

Want to know? Find out here
It may not be as appealing and as easy to use as Google, but a new free Web service called WolframAlpha may be worth your time for a look-see.

Byrd among Pig Book ‘Oinkers’
Citizens Against Government Waste issued its Pig Book last week, detailing what it perceives as wasteful tax dollar spending in Washington.

Byrd among Pig Book ‘Oinkers’
Citizens Against Government Waste issued its Pig Book last week, detailing what it perceives as wasteful tax dollar spending in Washington.

Downtown needs a restroom
While last weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration in downtown Cumberland was a success, it still served as a reminder that a public restroom in the Baltimore Street area is still badly needed.

Cleanup, fix-up will be early
The Day of Caring and Sharing in Cumberland and Frostburg will be held several months early this year.

Old favorites coming soon
Two popular Times-News features — the Who We Are section and an eight-part Regional Update series — will be appearing soon.

We can track state's spending
Calling it a move toward “transparency and accountability,” Gov. Martin O’Malley last week unveiled a new Web site allowing Marylanders to search for any state agency and see how much money it spent with different vendors.

Here’s how to connect, for free
Google has come up with a new 411 service that is free, fast and easy to use.

Maryland to stay true blue
It has been 20 years since a Republican candidate for president has won in the state of Maryland.

You can still register to vote
There is still time to register to vote in next month’s historic presidential election. In Maryland, voter registration is open until Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 9 p.m.

Almanac: ‘Numb’s the word’
One of the first almanac predictions for the 2008-09 winter comes from the Old Farmers Almanac, Lewiston, Maine.

We’re going around the world
The front page of the newspaper you are holding may have already been viewed by someone in Scotland, or Japan, or India — thanks to the technology of The Newseum.

‘Readers’ Choice’ is coming
Readers’ Choice, one of the biggest projects of the year for the Times-News, will appear in our June 30, 2008 edition.

Were city’s streets ever worse?
Arguably, Cumberland’s streets have never been in poorer shape.

Farm subsidies abound in area
Farm subsidies continue to be a big expenditure for American taxpayers, with about $13 billion in subsidies expected to be paid out this year, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.

Two hate groups exist in area
Last week’s reports of racism at Fort Hill High School prompted us to check with the Southern Poverty Law Center to see if there are any documented findings of hate groups in the area.

Hunt on for judge’s successor
Maryland’s judiciary system has begun advertising for applicants to succeed J. Frederick Sharer on the Court of Special Appeals

School board must share blame
If a buyout of Allegany County school superintendent Bill AuMiller’s contract takes place — and it certainly appears likely — the county school board will hardly have clean hands in what went wrong.

Let’s have a national primary
Unless you are one of those political junkies who just can’t get enough exposure to campaigns, voter polls and electioneering, these caucuses and primary elections can get awfully tiresome. So why not cut to the chase and come up with a single national primary election day?

Commandments displays thrive
While Swanton resident Jeff Davis is still pushing the Allegany County commissioners to move the Ten Commandments from outside the county courthouse, a growing number of communities in Georgia are displaying the commandments in their government buildings.
The most recent are Barrow County and Dougherty County. Within the last 10 days, the two counties have decided to install the Ten Commandments as part of a historic document display.

Look for 31 storms this winter
If the winter of 2007-08 is “average,” then Western Maryland can expect to see 31 winter storm events, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration.

Black Friday may be too late
How much will you be spending on Christmas gifts this year?

Beyond eight days, it’s a guess
How much can we trust weather forecasts? Well, we’ve got an answer, thanks to a report from The American Meteorological Society.

School football tabs to kick off next week
Are you ready for some football? Local high school, football, that is.