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Upward Mobility Act would help families

Working families who are supported by federal benefits can sometimes find themselves in a difficult spot when a potential promotion or raise at work is not cause for celebration, but sparks worries about falling off the benefits cliff. Those receiving federal public assistance can see a complete loss of federal resources after even a small increase in income. But the Upward Mobility Act, introduced by U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, is meant to change that. Better still, it would help streamline some of the bureaucracy that feeds off such programs. It would create a five-year pilot ...

Veterinary sedative joins drug epidemic

It is breathtaking to watch the manner in which the substance abuse epidemic in our region continues to evolve. Just last month, officials in Gallia County in southern Ohio, warned a growing danger has reared its head — Xylazine. The powerful veterinary sedative, which is, of course, not intended for human use at all, has been found in the region; sometimes mixed with fentanyl and other opioids. Of course, it would not be foolish to believe that such drugs are out in our own readership areas and not limited to southern Ohio. A wider area — or “turf” — coverage the better for ...

Sometimes it’s more than a common cold

It is the season during which many of us simply accept that we will get the common cold or come down with the flu, but failure to do all we can to prevent such viruses can be dangerous. In some cases, it can be deadly. Last week, Ohio reported its first pediatric flu death of the season — a teenager under 18 in Greene County, according to state health officials. In fact, each year there are between one and seven pediatric flu deaths in the state. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nationwide 6,300 to 52,000 people died from the flu annually between 2010 ...

Gov. DeWine’s statement on anti-fraud measures for public-funded childcare

To avoid Ohio’s publicly-funded childcare system from becoming an absolute disaster like Minnesota, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issued a statement. We laud his leadership in doing so. The waste of tens of millions of taxpayer-dollars was — and who knows? — still likely going on in Minnesota is pathetic and all involved including the fraudsters and those in public service who neglected oversight should be fully prosecuted. Right, go ahead and chuckle now. The governor’s statement reads: “People are rightfully concerned about what is happening with state-funded childcare facilities ...

What can we do to make what we want to happen?

“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.” — Rainer Maria Rilke, German poet “Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘It will be happier.’” — Alfred Lord Tennyson, British poet As we wrap up one year and look hopefully ahead to the next, most in our region are looking forward to the possibility of peace, prosperity, success … all the good things that are possible when the blank slate of an entire year stretches out before us. Sure, we take some accountability by assigning resolutions to ourselves — improvement ...

Annual New Year’s don’t drink and drive message

The message is one we feel obliged to repeat this time each year. There are some people across our country, across our state and across our own area who will awaken today with a brand new year in the offing helped along with a drink or more. There will be so much promise and anticipation for 2026. These folks will celebrate and share good times tonight with family and friends as midnight beckons the fleeting hands of 2025’s clock. They will sing — or slur — along to “Auld Lang Syne.” Even if they don’t know all of the words. Which, actually, most of us couldn’t recite ...