They say that 60 is the new 50 and 40 is the new 30. I hesitate to write that 30 is the new 20, as I appreciate the intellectual maturity and emotional intelligence I gained during that 10-year window in early adulthood. With the September/October issue, our biggest issue in over a decade, as VERANDA celebrates its 30th anniversary, it’s safe to say that the magazine, too, has earned a certain level of circumspection and discernment, but with an unjaded, spirited vigor that helps us see the best the world has to offer. It’s our hope to bring gravitas and authority to the subject of living well, while still approaching the topic with childlike wonder and bridging the two viewpoints. There’s nothing worse than a blasé, I’ve-seen-it-all editor. An anniversary shouldn’t be about wallowing in the past. A healthy bit of reflection is good for anyone, but the occasion should be about taking stock and focusing on the future and new opportunities that await. This issue features a larger dynamic logo, Oprah’s private rose garden, as well as the very first person to appear on a VERANDA cover (and it’s actually three people: Atlanta homeowner Taylea Fowler and her two adorable twins). Fine jewelry coverage has been a hallmark of the magazine for 20 years, and we expanded it for this issue, featuring 17 pieces of the most beautiful pearl jewels in the marketplace. Click Read More below for more of the story.

The Carpenter Media Group has acquired 10 Southern newspapers and a Georgia printing facility from Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. (CNHI). Terms of the sale were not disclosed. The printing plant is in Valdosta, Georgia. "We are pleased to succeed CNHI in ownership and responsibility for these institutions and the communities they serve," says Todd Carpenter, chair of Carpenter Media. "We will work hard to build on the good foundations they put down in each place."

We're excited to report an important positive development in the Hoosier state. Earlier this week, in response to a Complaint we filed with our TruST partner association NetChoice, the Indiana Department of Revenue acknowledged that it has no authority under current law to enforce its new “economic presence” nexus statute (House Enrolled Act 1129). This litigation challenging the law’s constitutionality is now pending in state Superior Court in Indianapolis. Under the new law, which went into effect on July 1, 2017, retailers with more than $100,000 in Indiana sales or 200 transactions annually with Indiana customers would be required to collect and remit Indiana sales tax. Before the law took effect, in late June Brann & Isaacson filed suit on our behalf alleging that the statute violates the long-standing physical presence “substantial nexus” requirement for state sales taxes under Quill Corp. v. North Dakota. Click Read More below for additional detail.