“The penalties for the individual mandate for 2014 are $95 per adult and $47.50 per child with up to a $285 flat fee for a family or 1 percent of the family income, whichever is higher,” explained University of Missouri Extension specialist Cammie Younger last week at a healthcare education initiative hosted by Mercy St. Francis Hospital. “Most Americans will not pay higher taxes. Those with annual income above $200,000 or $250,000 if married will pay some additional tax. Some families’ taxes will go down because of the premium tax credits.”

In December 2013, the cost of propane was approximately $1.94 per gallon. Prices began to jump this month for residential propane from $2.25 (1/6) to $2.43 (1/20) to nearly $4.00 (1/27), according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Now some local distributors are charging nearly $5.00 a gallon (some users have been told it could go as high as $7.50), requiring Missourians to shell out $2,500 to fill a 500-gallon tank when they are used to allocating $1,000 out of their budget to replenish their propane supply.

There is no better way to lose your winter blahs than by starting seed indoors for spring planting. The time from sowing seed indoors to planting outdoors ranges from four to 14 weeks, depending upon the speed with which the seedlings grow.