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Life

Spring scenes from around the valley

Living

T-L Photo/JENNIFER COMPSTON-STROUGH ABOVE, A pair of horses enjoy warm spring temperatures on Thursday at Honor and Glory Farm, located along Belmont-Warnock Road. Below, a robin peeks beneath a pine tree as it searches for some food on a Belmont lawn.

Local native takes to the stage in D.C.

Living

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ohio Valley native Ava Wilson is performing as the lead in “Once” for the second time at American University. The daughter of Wilson Furniture owner/operators Jason and Leah Wilson, Ava grew up locally and in Columbiana and is a 2021 Columbiana High School graduate. ...

American Pickers to film in Ohio

Living

THE AMERICAN Pickers are excited to return to Ohio! They plan to film episodes of The History Channel hit television series throughout the Buckeye State in April. “American Pickers” is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique “picking” onThe History Channel. The hit show follows skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories behind them. As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, the Pickers are on a mission ...

From marketing to design, brands adopt AI tools despite risk

Life

Even if you haven’t tried artificial intelligence tools that can write essays and poems or conjure new images on command, chances are the companies that make your household products are already starting to do so. Mattel has put the AI image generator DALL-E to work by having it come up with ideas for new Hot Wheels toy cars. Used vehicle seller CarMax is summarizing thousands of customer reviews with the same “generative” AI technology that powers the popular chatbot ChatGPT. Meanwhile, Snapchat is bringing a chatbot to its messaging service. And the grocery delivery company ...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The first meeting of the new board of Walt Disney World’s government — overhauled by sweeping legislation signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as punishment for Disney publicly challenging Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill — dealt with the rote affairs any other municipal government would handle: calls for better firefighter equipment, lessons on public records requests and bond ratings. But the five board members appointed by DeSantis hinted Wednesday at future controversial actions they may take, including prohibiting COVID-19 restrictions at Disney World and recommending the elimination of two cities that were created after the Florida Legislature in 1967 approved the theme park resort’s self-governance. The board also approved hiring the same law firm that advised the governor’s office in making changes to the governing district to help interpret the new legislation. For the most part, the new board members listened in a hotel ballroom outside Disney World as members of the public and workers from the district’s departments explained what they do. Martin Garcia, the board’s new chair, said the major distinction between the old board controlled by Disney and the new one appointed by DeSantis will be a broader constituency encompassing more than just a single company, instead also representing workers and residents of surrounding communities. “You didn’t elect us, but the people of Florida elected a governor who appointed us,” Garcia said. “I see there will be much broader representation.” The other new board members for what has been rechristened the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District included Bridget Ziegler, a conservative school board member and wife of the Florida Republican party chairman Christian Ziegler; Brian Aungst Jr., an attorney and son of a former two-term Republican mayor of Clearwater; Mike Sasso, an attorney; and Ron Peri, head of The Gathering USA ministry. They replaced a board that had been controlled by Disney during the previous 55 years that the government operated as the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The new name will require a new logo to replace the old one that’s on 123 vehicles, 300 trash cans and 1,000 manhole covers, district administrator John Classe told board members. The takeover of the Disney district by DeSantis and the Florida Legislature began last year when the entertainment giant, facing intense pressure, publicly opposed “Don’t Say Gay,” which bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, as well as lessons deemed not age-appropriate. DeSantis moved quickly to penalize the company, directing lawmakers in the GOP-dominated Legislature to dissolve Disney’s self-governing district during a special legislative session, beginning a closely watched restructuring process. In taking on Disney, DeSantis furthered his reputation as a culture warrior willing to battle perceived political enemies and wield the power of state government to accomplish political goals, a strategy that is expected to continue ahead of his potential White House run. After the meeting, Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences & Products, said in a statement that he was hopeful the new board would continue to maintain “the highest standards” for the resort’s infrastructure, set by its predecessor, and support ongoing growth at the resort. During public comments at Wednesday’s meeting, the leader of the union for the district’s firefighters, which had clashed with the previous board, welcomed the new members, calling the new board “a fresh start.” Jon Shirey urged the new board to devote resources to purchasing new fire trucks, improving pay and increasing staff, saying the 32 firefighters who are on duty each day is just two more than it was in 1989. “It’s safe to say that Disney has grown exponentially,” Shirey said.

Life

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Upon entering the Philadelphia Flower Show space at the Pennsylvania Convention Center last week, I was entranced by a forest of stunning orchids suspended from the ceiling above the color-changing entrance garden. The display, titled “FLORASTRUCK,” greeted visitors ...

Time to spring forward

Engagements

WASHINGTON (AP) — Standard time comes to an end in most parts of the United States this weekend. You’ll lose an hour of sleep for one night but gain more daylight in the evening in the months ahead. The transition to daylight saving time is official at 2 a.m. local time Sunday across ...