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Doing right by Ohio farmers

Appalachian Ohio has been brutally affected by drought this year. Not just any drought, but “exceptional drought” for Belmont, Harrison, Guernsey, Noble and parts of some surrounding counties. Much of that region is represented by state Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport, and he’s co-sponsored an effort to try to help farmers struggling to get by. Along with state House Finance Committee Chairman Rep. Jay Edwards, R-Nelsonville, Jones is pitching a $10 million appropriation to the Ohio Department of Agriculture. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, that would nearly double ...

Time to be better human beings

Now that the dust has settled, responsible adults have a duty to look back on what we witnessed during college football’s rivalry week and understand it was all part of a larger and very disturbing trend we MUST reverse. The Atlantic Coast Conference fined four of its schools — North Carolina State, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech for in-game scuffles. But those didn’t top what happened after the Michigan Wolverines beat the Ohio State Buckeyes and violence broke out midfield to the degree that pepper spray was employed, one police officer suffered a head injury and ...

A smooth election

Earlier this month, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose certified the official results of the Nov. 5 general election. In doing so, he noted voter turnout was the second-highest on record in Ohio (the 2020 general election was the highest). With voter participation at 71.7% and more than 5.8 million ballots cast, there was a lot to keep track of — and to get right. But LaRose said the consensus among bipartisan elections officials was that this had been the smoothest in the state’s history. “More people are paying attention to the process of administering elections, and ...

Never forget Pearl Harbor

Eighty-three years ago, on Dec. 7, 1941, U.S. military bases in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, were assaulted in what has been termed a “sneak attack” by Japan. It surely was that, as Japanese planes filled the skies and attacked our stationed ships. Since then, we Americans have observed Dec. 7 of each year as Pearl Harbor Day for several reasons. We continue to mourn the 2,403 Americans who died in the attack — and the millions of others, both civilian and military, who perished during World War II. We remind ourselves how grateful we should be for those in the military, both then and ...

Cheers & Jeers

CHEERS to all the businesses and organizations that are going the extra mile to provide a merry Christmas to our less fortunate neighbors. From toys to meals, they are meeting many needs. JEERS to reports that companion animals are being discarded on roadsides and in remote locations. Cats and dogs need human help this time of year. CHEERS to the many holiday parades and activities that are being held in local communities around the region. Such events bring people together and create holiday cheer. JEERS to the bitterly cold conditions that have dominated weather patterns for the ...

A season for safety

As the holiday season gets into full swing, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is stepping up its focus on keeping us safe. Throughout the holiday season, the patrol plans to be highly visible and is “committed to removing dangerous and impaired drivers, keeping Ohioans and our visitors safe.” As Gov. Mike DeWine put it, there is never an excuse for driving impaired. Just because we are entering a season featuring plenty of celebration does not mean we throw our responsibilities to the wind. According to the OSHP, since 2019 there have been more than 72,000 impaired driving-related ...