Briefs for Saturday

TDS Telecommunications is sponsoring a food drive on Saturday to benefit Second Harvest.

The “Food for Fun” drive will be held from 1-4 p.m. at Wonderland, 10515 N. Division St.

The first 75 people to bring a food item will receive a coupon for a free game of miniature golf or laser tag.

Residents will also have an opportunity to enter a drawing for Spokane Chiefs tickets and other items.

TDS will have employees on-site to collect nonperishable food items and answer questions about its fiber network under construction in Spokane.

Mortgage rates fell last week

WASHINGTON – Average long-term mortgage rates in the U.S. fell last week, as the key 30-year rate again retreated below the 3% mark.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Wednesday that the average rate on the benchmark home loan declined to 2.98% from 3.09% last week.

Last year at this time the rate stood at 2.84%.

The rate for a 15-year loan, a popular option for homeowners refinancing their mortgages, fell to 2.27% from 2.35% last week.

Rates remain historically low, though limited inventory and rising prices are leaving many potential homebuyers on the sidelines.

Freddie Mac economists attributed the latest decline in mortgage rates to a recent rally in prices in the Treasury bond market, which saw yields on key Treasurys falling to their lowest level since July.Long-term bond yields generally fall when bond prices rise.

From staff and wire reports