Breaking News

Editorials

Shopping more responsibly

Most of us try to shop responsibly, but for some items, we don’t know what we don’t know. For example, how many use coyote urine to keep deer out of gardens? How many think about how the key ingredient is acquired? “People don’t know that when they buy products that they might be endorsing a fur farm, including myself,” Susan Vogt, founder and president of Red Riding Hood Rescue Project in Middletown, Ohio, told WCPO in Cincinnati. Vogt was speaking to the news station after having helped save hundreds of animals from an Ashtabula County fur farm in January. Vogt described ...

A time for heart health

It makes sense that a month that includes Valentine’s Day would also end up designated American Heart Month. February is a great time to start thinking about more than just cards, chocolates and roses. It’s a time to think about ways to keep our hearts healthier. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States — among men AND women. But in many cases, there is plenty we can do to prevent it. NHLBI suggests adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle: understand your own risks, get enough good sleep; eat a ...

Financial aid worth seeking

It would be hard to blame high school seniors and their parents for being uncertain about the financial aid landscape for post-secondary education right now. But it still might come as a surprise to know that now fewer students are applying for available college scholarships. The National College Attainment Network examined the number of completed Free Applications for Federal Student Aid as of June 30 before each academic year, as a percentage of the number of high school seniors in each year. Back in 2018-19 (the high school class of 2018), 54% of seniors completed the FAFSA. For ...

Health intervention in Ohio

With plenty of talk at the federal level recently about demographics, a recent study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington shows us maybe we should be talking just as much about how those demographics affect our ability to live long, healthy lives. The Ohio Capital Journal reports the study showed Native Americans living in Western and Midwestern states have the shortest life expectancy, at 63.4 years. At the other end of the spectrum are Asian Americans nationwide, at 84 years. Whites living in Appalachia and some Southern states, and ...

Resources for veterans

Taking care of our veterans is a priority for Ohioans. But despite our best efforts, there is still a health care coverage cap that leaves thousands of them without the resources they deserve. According to a report by WCPO in Cincinnati, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says there are approximately 29,200 veterans in Ohio — those who served in Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan — who are not registered for health care coverage. The U.S. Census Bureau reports there were more than 602,000 veterans living in the Buckeye State in 2022. With that perspective, it’s ...

Cheers & Jeers

CHEERS to Belmont County Cat Stray Shun and the animal shelter for holding a special event this weekend at the Ohio Valley Mall where people can meet cats and dogs that are available for adoption. JEERS to the ongoing series of waterline breaks that are plaguing communities across the region. From Belmont to Martins Ferry to Weirton, water systems are suffering the effects of winter weather. CHEERS to the workers who turn out at all hours of the day and night to repair those water breaks and keep the water flowing to residents and businesses. JEERS to the fact that house fires are ...