Driving through the Bridgeport area early on Friday evening, I found myself wondering about all the Christmas lights I saw. What do colorful lights have to do with Jesus and the Nativity anyway? I pondered this question as I drove along National Road. I thought that perhaps the lights were ...
My fraternity brother at the University of Michigan was dying from diabetes, having already endured a series of minor amputations. But Art loved music and continued composing songs and singing them while playing a banjo. When the popular quartet, the Brothers Four, came to campus for a ...
Dear Editor, Everybody that voted for President Trump knows by now that the wing dings in Congress have finally succeeded in trying to remove a duly elected president over a single phone call to Ukraine’s President that amounted to nothing. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail ...
Dear Editor, Originally recorded in 1970, the song “Merry Christmas Darling” was a hit. The song, written in the fall of 1970 by Karen Carpenter, her husband Richard, and one Frank Pooler, was released on a 7-inch single that year by A&M records. The song was number one on the ...
This week physical therapy was exciting for me. For the first time since Oct. 27 I actually stood on my own two feet. After lying on my back in bed and sitting on my butt in a wheelchair, it felt good to be vertical again. I needed coaching to get me on my feet for the first time from the ...
Some school officials in our area are considering joining the significant number of others throughout the United States who have authorized staff members to carry firearms while at work. The idea is that armed educators and school service workers can protect students in the event of an ...
Sometimes, we in the Ohio Valley find ourselves understanding children in the back seats of our cars demanding to know, “Are we there yet?” For years, we have been on the road toward construction of an ethane cracker plant in Belmont County. We are not there yet. Last week, on ...
Today is a day that is all about gratitude. Gratitude — the state of being thankful — can be transformative. It can change an ordinary day into a day of thanksgiving. It can make mundane tasks more meaningful. It can transform entire lives. So, as we observe our many Thanksgiving ...
Small actions - and even small people - can make a big difference in the world. A group of local children demonstrated that earlier this month, collecting canned goods and other non-perishable food items in behalf of people they may never meet. At Hills Elementary School, students conducted ...
Last Sunday I was in church and rolled into the communion line on my wheelchair. One of the ushers, Tony a friend, approached to push me. I smiled, waved him off and said, “I’ve got this.” I kept up with the line and easily wheeled back to my place in back. Tony came up after church and ...
Thanksgiving week has arrived, marking the start of the sprint through the holiday season. Many of us will prepare or share in a big, traditional meal on Thursday. Families will gather in front of TV sets to watch parades and football. Then, once the dishes are done and the leftovers are put ...
A bill being promoted by Ohio state Senate President Larry Obhof, R-Medina, is meant to both reduce low-level drug possessions to misdemeanors and increase penalties for drug dealers, though it is not necessarily being touted as a means to help those in the grip of addiction recover their ...
When former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel initiated a program that allowed the state to collect some tax payments via Bitcoin, he touted it a means to help the Buckeye State become a leader in embracing new technologies. And it was exciting to think about Ohio as being ahead of the curve in ...
It’s a well-known adage that “good help is hard to find.” We have heard that from employers of all types in the local area. In a couple of cases, businesses have even cited insufficient staffing as a reason for closing. Many of those seeking new employees complain that candidates ...
It may seem hard to believe, but the rush of the holiday season is right around the corner. In fact, for some people the hustle and bustle already have begun. Following Thanksgiving is an unofficial holiday with the ominous-sounding name “Black Friday.” The moniker is fairly apt, since ...
After surgery on both knees, walking is out for the time being. I spent the last week at rehab learning how to take care of myself from a wheelchair until my legs heal. Things like putting on pants and socks require some training when you are in a wheelchair and can’t bend your knees. I ...
Traffic delays are inevitable these days. All around the Ohio Valley, road crews are scrambling to make repairs. In some cases, they are rushing to complete jobs before cold, wintry weather conditions make progress impossible. In other areas, workers are just getting started on endeavors that ...
The Purple City should be proud of its politicians. We Americans know all too well just how ugly political contests can get. At the national level, we have long endured a great deal of mudslinging, name-calling, finger-pointing and empty promises. Such behavior has sometimes filtered down ...
Everyone knows that November is the time of year to be thankful. What we may not realize, though, is that there are multiple occasions throughout the month when it is appropriate to express our gratitude. Monday will be one of those days. Monday is Veterans Day — a federal holiday ...
When I write one of these articles, I try to look at you, the reader, and decide what I could say or share that would make your life a little better. Last week’s article was a little different. I wrote that article for you but also for me. I needed to listen to some of my own words. I ...