Breaking News

Life

Start children off the way they should go

Local Columns

On March 2, 2010, a 15-year-old Lower Paxton, PA, girl was stopped by police at 1:30 in the morning as she tried to back a stolen car onto an entrance ramp for I-81. When arrested, the girl lied about her age and provided a false identity. Once police sorted out the truth, the girl and the 3 friends with her were charged with auto theft. Commenting on that news story, one blogger wrote, “Come on, kids will be kids. For all you know, the parents are the actual thieves, coaching their kids to take the car.” Another person commented and said, “Ah, they just be kids, man. We all did ...

Proverbs for young people

Local Columns

Humorist Mark Twain didn’t have a high opinion of the American teenager. “Things run along pretty smoothly,” Twain wrote, “until your kid reaches thirteen. That’s the time you need to stick ‘em in a barrel, hammer the lid down nice and tight and then feed ‘em through the knothole. And then, about the time he turns sixteen, plug up the knothole.” Stories about guns in schools and the suicide rate among teens fuels the belief that teenagers are out of control and adults often feel little respect for teens. One man wrote, “The world is passing through troublous times. The ...

Learning the truth and cultivating humility

Local Columns

Success turns some people into jerks. Take, for example, King Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of ancient Babylon. He conquered the Middle East, including Israel and Judah. Nebuchadnezzar was so successful that he believed he should control everyone and everything. Nebuchadnezzar even wanted to dictate how his subjects worshipped. The book of Daniel tells about Nebuchadnezzar erecting an image of gold 90 feet high and 9 feet wide. Nebuchadnezzar brought some of the most important people in his kingdom together, the “movers and shakers” of Babylon, and told them: “As soon as you hear the ...

Backyard Gardener: Invitation for lawn renovation

Home and Garden

Hello Mid-Ohio Valley farmers and gardeners! Summer heat is hanging on in September, but mild temperatures are on the way as summer fades into fall. The fall equinox and the first day of autumn arrive on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 8:04 P.M. EDT in the Northern Hemisphere. Fall means football, watching the leaves turn color and fall off our deciduous trees, and of course another opportunity to garden. Milder temperatures, fewer pests, and fewer diseases make fall a suitable time to plant vegetables. Some plants to consider for your fall garden include arugula, beets, bok choy, ...

Make God happy, don't be a jerk

Local Columns

Tehran’s daily newspaper, Mardomsalari, reported in September 2004 on the trial of a man accused of beating his wife. The court ordered the man to stop beating his wife, but the woman later claimed that she would have been happy with an order limiting the beatings to only one per week. “Beating is a part of his nature,” she said, “and he can’t help it.” The man said, “If I do not beat her, she will not be scared enough to obey me.” What a jerk! Chuck Colson told the story of Marleen, a Christian woman who sought help from her preacher because her husband was abusing her. ...

Backyard Gardener: Lettuce continue fall gardening

Home and Garden

Hello Mid-Ohio Valley farmers and gardeners! Hopefully, cool temperatures are just around the corner as the summer heat hangs on. Remember that fall is a great time to test your soil, a free service here in West Virginia. As backyard gardeners continue the harvest, contact the WVU Extension Office with your canning, freezing, gardening, lawn and turf questions. Most of us need a little more fiber in our diet, and a fresh salad with lettuce from the home garden is just the trick. There are four main types of lettuce: crisp-head (iceberg), loose leaf, butterhead, and Romaine (cos ...