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Graduates about to be dealing with the real world

Columns

the time, I didn’t realize how good college life was. Engineering classes were challenging with exams and projects but nothing like the real world. Stress and responsibility were low. I only had me to worry about. I had no bills to pay. My work-study job payed for entertainment and running my motorcycle. My only worry was a date for weekends. Parties at our apartment were routine. I had lots of friends. We went to WVU football and basketball games for free. Life was good but not sustainable. I had friends who chose to stay in college and get an advanced degree. For me it was time ...

Remember why we are free

Editorials

It’s the end of a school year; perhaps it is the opening weekend for swimming pools; it’s a three-day break — an excuse to travel, grill out, invite a few friends over and relax. It is Memorial Day weekend. And on Monday, in the midst of all that summer celebration, we must remember “to observe Memorial Day by praying, according to (our) individual religious faith, for permanent peace,” as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reminds us. It’s not much to ask from those of us who will be able to enjoy the results of the sacrifice by those who were willing to give ...

Cheers & Jeers

Editorials

CHEERS to Bridgeport leaders for supporting a business owner’s efforts to bring a hemp fest to the village. During a council meeting Tuesday, they urged him to coordinate the affair with police officials to ensure safety. JEERS to news that former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Thoughts and prayers for him and his family. CHEERS to the St. Clairsville STEAM team for advancing to the global finals of the Destination Imagination competition. The team is competing in Missouri over the next few days. JEERS to an ongoing conflict ...

Congratulations, grads

Editorials

Young men and women up and down the Ohio Valley are preparing to take their final steps as high school students in the coming days. Many are taking their final examinations, clearing out their lockers, seeing their teachers, and many of their classmates, for the final time. They have their caps and gowns and are preparing to walk across the stage to receive their diploma. The ceremony is but a relatively brief moment in their lives, but an important one nonetheless, because of what it signifies. To those high school seniors, this is a milestone moment in your lives. You are ...

Ohio ranks low in personal finance

Editorials

Across the country, families are struggling to keep their heads above water with varying degrees of success. WalletHub took a look at “Cities Paying Off the Most Household Debt” in a recent report. In the report listing 182 cities, Ohio had three in the bottom ten (Akron at 174, Toledo at 179 and Cleveland at 181). Columbus landed at 152, Cincinnati at 146 — and that’s the highest placement for Ohio on the list. For most of the country, according to WalletHub, there was a $73 billion inflation-adjusted decline in household debt in the first quarter of 2025. Overall, there ...

Making Ohio shine for guests

Editorials

As we approach the unofficial start to summer, state officials hosted an event last week to celebrate Ohio Tourism Day. Hundreds of exhibitors and attendees gathered in Columbus as a kind of pep rally to kick off the season. “The experiences you’ll have in the Heart of it All are unmatched—and so is their impact,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. “Whether you’re paddling through Hocking Hills, watching the sun dip below Lake Erie, or sitting down to a five-star dinner in Over-The-Rhine, you’re a part of something much bigger. Tourism brings serious dollars into Ohio and breathes ...