BUSINESS The Meadville Tribune

Thursday, January 6, 2022 A7

Treasure hunters sue for records on FBI’s Civil War gold dig
ASSOCIATED PRESS way to the U.S. Mint in Phil- gation. Then, after the Justice
Treasure hunters who be- adelphia. The duo focused on Department ordered a more
lieve they found a huge cache a spot where they say their thorough review, the FBI
of fabled Civil War-era gold instruments detected a large said its records were exempt
in Pennsylvania are now on metallic mass. from public disclosure. Final-
the prowl for something as After meeting with the trea- ly, in the wake of the treasure
elusive as the buried booty sure hunters in early 2018, the hunters’ appeal, the FBI said
itself: government records of FBI brought in a contractor it had located 2,400 pages of
the FBI’s excavation. with more sophisticated in- records and 17 video files that
Finders Keepers filed a fed- struments. The contractor de- it could potentially turn over
eral lawsuit against the Justice tected an underground mass — but that it would take years
Department over its failure to that weighed up to nine tons to do so.
produce documents on the and had the density of gold, Finders Keepers asked the
FBI’s search for the legend- according to an FBI affidavit Justice Department for expe-
ary gold, which took place unsealed last year at the re- dited processing, which can
nearly four years ago at a re- quest of news organizations, be granted in cases where
mote woodland site in north- including The Associated there is widespread media
western Pennsylvania. Press. interest involving questions
The FBI has since dragged The Paradas accompanied about the government’s integ-
its feet on the treasure hunt- the FBI to the site in Dent’s rity. The Justice Department
ers’ Freedom of Information Run, about 135 miles north- denied the request — and,
Act request for records, their east of Pittsburgh, but say as of last month, had yet to
lawyer said Wednesday. they were confined to their assign the FOIA request to a
“There’s been a pattern of Associated Press car while the FBI excavated. staffer for processing, accord-
behavior by the FBI that’s Dennis Parada and his son Kem stand at the site of the FBI’s dig for Civil War-era gold in Dents Run The FBI has long insisted ing to the lawsuit.
been very troubling,” said in 2018. the March 2018 dig came up “From the outset, it seems
Anne Weismann, who rep- empty, but the agency has con- as if the FBI is doing every-
resents Finders Keepers. She Justice Department seeking records. years looking for what, ac- sistently stymied the Paradas’ thing it can to avoid answer-
questioned whether the agen- comment on the suit, which Finders Keepers’ owners, cording to legend, was an efforts to obtain information. ing the question of whether
cy is “acting in good faith.” asks a judge to order the FBI the father-son duo of Dennis 1863 shipment of Union gold The FBI initially claimed it they actually found gold,”
A message was sent to the to immediately turn over the and Kem Parada, had spent that was lost or stolen on its had no files about the investi- Weismann said.

Grammys postpone ceremony, citing omicron variant risks

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The the books. The Recording Academy were postponed due to coronavirus “We look forward to celebrat- and shifted to an online format.
Grammy Awards were postponed said it made the decision to postpone concerns. The show was moved from ing Music’s Biggest Night on a fu- The multitalented Jon Batiste is
Wednesday weeks before the the ceremony “after careful consid- late January to mid-March and held ture date, which will be announced the leading nominee for this year’s
planned Los Angeles ceremony over eration and analysis with city and with a spare audience made up of most- soon,” the academy statement said. honors, grabbing 11 nods in a vari-
what organizers called “too many state officials, health and safety ex- ly nominees and their guests in and Finding that date could be com- ety of genres including R&B, jazz,
risks” from the omicron variant, perts, the artist community and our around the Los Angeles Convention plicated, with two professional bas- American roots music, classical and
signaling what could be the start of many partners. Center, next door to its usual home, the ketball teams and a hockey team music video.
another year of pandemic upheaval “Given the uncertainty surround- arena then known as Staples Center. occupying the arena. The Recording The Grammys’ move could be
for awards season. ing the omicron variant, holding the It was a big night for Beyoncé Academy made no mention of a pos- the beginning of another round of
The attempt at a back-to-normal show on January 31st simply con- and Taylor Swift, but the live per- sible venue change in its statement. award-show rescheduling after an-
show had been scheduled for Jan. tains too many risks,” the academy formances that set the Grammys The move was announced around other winter coronavirus surge, with
31 at the newly renamed Crypto. said in a statement. apart from other awards shows were the same time the Sundance Film the Screen Actors Guild Awards
com Arena with a live audience and Last year, like most major awards set separately with no significant Festival canceled its in-person pro- planned for February and the Acad-
performances, but no new date is on shows in early 2021, the Grammys crowds, many of them pre-taped. gramming set to begin on Jan. 20 emy Awards for March.

Top financial resolutions and how to make them stick

Every year, you make a You could schedule regular Here’s some incentive for ditional individual retirement is michelle.singletary@
promise to yourself to get transfers from your checking you. Workers who become account, which allows you to washpost.com. Follow her on
out of debt or finally build a account into a savings ac- 401(k) millionaires do so in invest pretax income toward Twitter (@SingletaryM) or
decent emergency fund. count at the same institution. part because they contribute investments that grow tax-de- Facebook (facebook.com/Mi-
Or maybe you’ve resolved The point is to make paying at least 15 percent to their ferred. You can also set up a chelleSingletary). Comments
to spend less or save more for yourself feel like a bill that workplace plan, a percentage Roth IRA. You fund it with and questions are welcome,
retirement. needs to be paid every time recommended by Fidelity after-tax money, but your but due to the volume of mail,
You set a goal. MICHELLE you get a paycheck. Investments. This might withdrawals are tax-free. personal responses may not
Then life gets in the way, SINGLETARY • How do I stick to a include a combination of be possible. Please also note
and your financial resolution spending plan?: In response what they’re putting in and a Readers can write to comments or questions may
is derailed. You feel like a to a column about budgeting, matching contribution from Michelle Singletary c/o The be used in a future column,
failure, so you stop even try- found most effective in a reader once wrote, “My their employer. Washington Post, 1301 K with the writer’s name, un-
ing. And it’s only March. tackling debt is to list what financial motto has always Even if you don’t have a St., N.W., Washington, D.C. less a specific request to do
The problem isn’t that you you owe, starting with the been: I save where I can so I 401(k), you can set up a tra- 20071. Her email address otherwise is indicated.
didn’t have enough will- smallest balance. I call this can spend where I want.”
power. You probably didn’t strategy the “debt dash.” I’m all about telling
have a plan, which starts with In addition to your regular yourself the truth. Budgeting
payment, take any extra

Temporary
knowing where you stand. better or controlling your
According to Bankrate, the funds and apply them to spending starts with really
top 2022 financial goals for the principal of the smallest being honest with yourself.
U.S. adults are paying down debt. Once you’ve knocked Yes, you are eating out more
debt, building an emergen- off the top debt, take all that than you think. No, sales
cy fund, budgeting better,
boosting retirement savings
and investing more money.
Here’s advice on how to stick
money and move on to the
next one on your list, and so
on. If two debts are about the
same amount, the one with
don’t save you money, be-
cause you’re still spending.
Just to get an idea of how
much you spend, track your
Closure of
to your goals:
• Where should I start in
creating a plan to pay down
my debt?: Say your debt
the higher interest rate should spending for a month. Get a
come first.
The logical-mathematical
method might suggest you
little notebook and capture
all the money going out —
yes, even where you spent
Vernon Lab
amount aloud. go after debt with the highest that $20 you took out of the
One of the first things I do interest rate first. But there’s ATM. So much of our spend-

Effective
when helping folks strug- more to debt reduction than ing is unconscious. Where
gling with this resolution is logic. You have to factor in you see waste, redirect that
to get them to say out loud human behavior. money to other goals, such
how much debt they think I’ve found that when peo- as building your emergency
ple are able to reduce the list fund or paying off debt.
they have. Nearly everyone
balks at this request, because
they don’t know the total or
they are embarrassed. It’s not
of debts quickly because they
are attacking the ones with
By the way, I don’t have a
recommendation for a cool
the lowest balance, they stick budgeting app. They help, of
to this resolution. They also
December 1, 2021
enough to write it down. Say- course. But it’s not the tool
speed up their debt reduction, that makes the difference. It’s
ing the number out loud does
and this, in turn, results in your motivation to do better
something to folks. It leaves
less interest paid overall. that matters. An expensive
an impression of the urgency It’s all about the momen- exercise bike is just a clothes
to pay down the debt.
Next, make sure you are
certain of everything you
tum in this method. hanger unless you have
• What’s the best way to resolved to get in shape. To receive outpatient testing
save for a financial emer- • How can I save more
owe. Pull your credit reports
from all three credit bu-
reaus — Equifax, Experian
gency?: When trying to build for retirement?: Again,
an emergency fund, it’s best
to set it and forget it.
here’s where automation can please go to the
work in your favor. The first
and TransUnion. The bureaus
have set up a centralized
website at annualcreditreport.
Set it up so that there’s
a direct deposit from your
paycheck to a bank account
of the year is a good time
to look at your retirement
savings percentage. What
Terrace Street Lab.
com so you can order your for your emergency funds. I percentage of your income
free annual reports in one suggest it be a different finan- did you allocate to invest for
place. You can also call (877)
322-8228.
cial institution from the one
where you keep the account
retirement in your 401(k) or
similar workplace plan?
747 Terrace Street, Meadville
Federal law gives you to pay your bills. The sepa- If you’re a new employee,
the right to a free copy of ration usually results in less your employer may have
your credit report every
12 months. Because of the
pandemic, the bureaus are
temptation to transfer funds started you at 3 percent. For
into the household account to 2022, pick up the pace and
make up for overspending. perhaps move that percent-
Monday - Friday
allowing everyone in the
United States to get a free
credit report each week
If your employer doesn’t age up to 5 percent. At the
allow split deposits or you’re very least, if you can, put
self-employed, you’ll have to in enough money to take
6:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
through April 20. set up a system to make the advantage of any matching
Finally, the method I’ve automatic deposits yourself. contributions.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. - NOON
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:('1(6'$<·6STOCKS PPG Inds ............................................... 173.03 29(57+(&2817(5
2)/2&$/,17(5(67 PP&L Resources ..................................... 30.05 Representative inter-dealer quotations from
Apple Inc. ............................................... 174.92 Rite Aid..................................................... 14.70 1$6'DW7XHVGD\·VFORVH3ULFHVGRQRWLQFOXGH
Amer. Eagle Outfitters ............................. 24.54 Rockwell Automation............................. 337.50 retail markup, markdown or commission.
AFLAC ..................................................... 60.08 Sherwin Williams ................................... 336.41
AIG ........................................................... 58.19 Steris Corp. ............................................ 238.88
ATT........................................................... 26.21 0878$/)81'6
Abercrombie & Fitch................................ 33.18
Best Buy................................................. 103.01 Trinity........................................................ 30.98 Affiliated ................................................... 18.63
BankNY/Mellon........................................ 60.21 Textron ..................................................... 76.31 Amcap...................................................... 44.82
Cisco Systems......................................... 60.28 Exxon Mobil ............................................. 66.74 Bond Fund of Amer. ................................ 13.28
WaltDisney............................................. 155.30 Verizon ..................................................... 54.01 Delaware Value Fund.............................. 21.58
First Energy ............................................. 40.79 Gold................................................... $1,823.21 Europacific Growth .................................. 64.48
Fifth Third Bank ....................................... 46.43 Silver ........................................................ 21.02 Growth Fund Amer. ................................. 74.15
FNB Corp................................................. 12.86 Investment Co. of Amer. .......................... 52.00
Hershey.................................................. 197.06 '2:-21(6 New Perspective ..................................... 66.71
Minn Mining ........................................... 179.54 &/26,1*
National Fuel Gas.................................... 64.64 $9(5$*(6 Scudder Dreman High Return ................ 55.92
Norfolk Southern ....................................... 294.63 Industrials................... 36,407.30 down 392.35 Smallcap World ....................................... 79.31
Northwest Bancorp.................................. 14.35 Transportation............ 16,344.57 down 235.02 Wash. Mutual........................................... 60.78
PepsiCo ................................................. 173.82 Utilities.................................. 969.22 down 0.51
PNC........................................................ 212.36 Total volume............................... 1,084,250,000 3ULFHVIURP-DQQH\0RQWJRPHU\6FRWW//&