On Sept. 3, 2009, my husband and I were living our everyday lives when we received a phone call that our son had taken his life. What happens to the mind and body is inexplicable. There are no words in the English language to describe it. Because suicide is a taboo word, the surviving family ...

For decades, the U.S. administrations had mumbled about welcoming China’s “Peaceful Rise.” What, in fact, the previous administrations really meant was that Washington did not know how to stop Beijing from becoming a great power, great enough to challenge America’s global ...

Marietta residents and those who live in our lovely, historic city are being asked to give the administration more tax money. Perhaps it would be wise to examine some of the ways the city could raise needed income or save money rather than asking those on minimum wage salaries, fixed incomes ...

Trade talks between Washington and Beijing, aimed at defusing escalating tensions between the world’s No. 1 and No. 2 economies, are at risk amid latest threat from President Trump of additional tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports. The Chinese government has vowed to hit back and made ...

Don’t believe Sherrod Brown when he says he’s for Ohio workers. He’s not. Senator Brown’s votes on tax cuts and immigration prove that, despite his rhetoric, he only cares about workers to the extent that it will enhance his reelection prospects. Brown often claims that he supports ...

In a world of one click giving and mobile app philanthropy, is United Way even relevant? For decades, United Ways across the country have stood tall on the accomplishment of being the nonprofit that topped the list for most money raised. Year after year, United Ways have collected billions of ...

Recovery from addiction is often a scary and unimaginable future for addicted people. To contemplate living a life free of alcohol or drugs is as unimaginable as going to Mars. It seems like an unobtainable goal, though one that is often thought about, known to be the right thing to do, and ...

With the abrupt cancelation of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s upcoming trip to Pyongyang, the Trump administration’s North Korea policy seems to be taking a sharp turn, a turn that some North Korea watchers see as a “truly bad sign.” Secretary Pompeo announced on Aug. 23 that ...

We, in the Mid-Ohio Valley, have experienced a relatively moderate summer — no extended heat waves or severe storms. Such is not the case in other parts of our country and in other parts of the world. Even before our summer officially started, a serious heat wave gripped the country in the ...

To symbolize the growing ties between the two giant neighbors, Chinese President Xi Jinping met his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tsingtao. The Xi-Putin meeting on June 10 marked the 25th meeting between the two leaders ...

Even with the amenities of modern technology, nothing can replace the feeling of opening a book and turning that first page. An investment in literacy can nurture a love of reading that positively impacts a student’s academic and professional career for decades. Through agency funds, donor ...

The summer months are going fast and school is about to start, which means Trauma Informed Schools will soon be here. Made possible by funding from the Washington County Behavioral Health Board, this initiative is a partnership among all six public school districts in Washington County, Ohio ...

I have been honored to teach climate science in the public schools the past two years. My experience with students is that most generally believe that climate change is a natural process which has been occurring throughout earth history. Surveys of adults indicate that they overwhelmingly ...

United Ways understand that a healthy community is a strong first step towards a thriving and strong community. Being healthy makes it easier to concentrate in school and be successful at work. We believe that providing access to quality health services and health insurance; creating healthy ...

Thirty-five years have now passed since OPEC imposed an embargo on the export of oil to the United States. Officially, that embargo, which began on Oct. 17, 1973, ended five months later. Since the embargo, OPEC has continued using its influence to manage oil prices. Despite surging U.S. oil ...

Some clarity from the Washington County Board of Commissioners pertaining to the relocation of certain county offices: Much confusion has been created by the circulation of inaccurate information regarding the move by the Washington County Veterans Services from Pike Street to Putnam ...

People often ask us when the “down time” comes at our United Way. They typically speculate that summer is a time of quiet in our office; they think that we are in post campaign mode and must finally have a chance to catch up a bit. Most are surprised to learn that really isn’t the ...

In 1985, the first year the U.S.-China trade balance was reported, the U.S. trade deficit with China was an insignificant sum of $600 million. The trade deficit with China reached its highest level last year,rose to $375.2 billion in 2017; and the cumulative U.S. trade deficit with China since ...

Our community has complex issues. Issues that cannot be solved by one individual organization, but can be addressed by a collective joining of organizations working together to achieve a common goal. Complex issues require complex solutions. As one of United Way’s strategic values, ...

The Marietta Community Foundation’s first grant cycle awarded 18 grants to area nonprofit initiatives that ranged from beautification efforts to emergency discretionary funds for domestic violence survivors. As the Foundation receives more applications each cycle, they see the diversity of ...