Dyer contractor fixes landscaping for Hobart homeowners

HOBART | A Dyer contractor returned to Hobart this past week to restore a collapsed retaining wall after homeowners filed a complaint.

Man Around the House: TV show host Jason Cameron shares spring yard and house prep tips

Mary Joan Dickerson of Cedar Lake is a big fan of the cable networks HGTV and DIY, treating the shows and programming about do-it-yourself landscaping and household tips like an at-home classroom.

At Home: 10 steps to the perfect sofa

I still remember my shock and dismay when I realized that sofas had to be bought. Somehow I thought sofas just happened. They always simply showed up in homes, hotels, and offices without explanation or fanfare, like feral kittens or bills.

At Home: Fixin' to Sell

Maybe it’s because I was the youngest in my family. Maybe it’s because I’m five-foot-three and have a voice like snow white, but I lash out like a cornered rattlesnake when someone doesn’t take me seriously.

At Home: If you can dress, you can decorate

I know, I know, to many of you the idea of decorating an empty room feels as horrifying as one of those dreams where you're suddenly in public naked. But I'm going to fix that.

At Home: Turn Your Closet into a Boutique Just for You

Quick: Which room in your house needs attention the most? Kitchen? Bathroom? Garage?

At Home: How to sell what where

The author of "Garage Sale Millionaire" had come to Orlando to visit theme parks with his wife and 3-year-old son. I took it as a sign. Divine deliverance.

At Home: Parents’ possessions put past in perspective

Like my mother, the Roman God Janus — for whom January is named — had eyes in the back of his head. In fact, he had an entire face on the back of his head, so he could look backward and forward at once. This feature earned him the distinction of “god of doors.” He ruled comings and goings.

At Home: Resolving to repurpose

This time of year I always feel a little sick to my stomach, and not just because of those midnight romps at the dessert buffet with the bottomless glass of Prosecco. (Do they make a combo antacid headache tablet?)

At Home: A Look Back at Lessons Learned 2012, Part 2

A look back at the lessons the year served up reveals I once again had my share of jams, upheavals and awakenings. I faithfully reported these with what I hope some would call humor served with a dollop of advice on the side.

Debt Dip Spells Housing Gain

Doom and gloom: Olympic wins trump critics

LONDON | For skeptics, the Olympics were deliciously doomed: London's transport network would surely fail, Britain's athletes would flop, rain would prevail and terrorists would strike. But then the sun came out after months of sodden skies, vehicles moved briskly, there were no attacks and …

Replenishing the skills pipeline

Officials from regional construction trade groups want to increase participation in training programs to build the knowledge base for the current and next generation of industry leaders.

Utility department seeks restitution for delay in work

PORTAGE | The Utility Services Board will attempt to collect $7,000 in late fees from a contractor who did not complete a project when promised.

Industrial projects prop up flagging construction

The industrial segment has propped up construction activity in Northwest Indiana and activity isn't expected to slow down this year, contractors and construction advocates said at a construction industry event last week.

Employers bring in more contract employees as hiring slowly climbs

As employers begin to cautiously hire again, a new contingent of the work force is beginning to emerge. The contract, or freelance employee, is becoming more of a rule rather than an exception.

Contractor remembers Amaya as 'odd'

MORRIS, Ill. | Gary Amaya was a disheveled, unhappy man who for years lived in a run-down trailer on the property of a Morris, Ill., hunting lodge where he served as caretaker, a contractor who worked for the business said.