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It’s not over yet

Local Columns

Viewpoint By Hillary Royster In November 2025, I became a member of Washington County for Safe Drinking Water (WCFSDW). Before joining the group I had never been involved locally but felt motivated after educating myself on the risks to our drinking water. I am just your typical working class Ohioan. I am 33, have student loans, two cats and like to crochet and garden. I am proud to be a member of WCFSDW. Fellow members are your friends and neighbors, across all political spectrums all united on one issue — ensuring clean water for Washington County. We truly believe ensuring ...

Kidnapped!

Local Columns

Early Marietta By David Baker “How could I have been so stupid!” John Gardner growled to himself as disbelief then fear gripped him. He was led away with a noose around his neck by several Indians and a white man. In September of 1789, John Gardner and Jervis Cutler were helping each ...

God never intended for everyone to do what they see fit

Life

By Mark Wilmoth Five hundred years before Christ, the city of Athens, Greece, birthed the world’s first known democracy. Though only male citizens could vote (women and slaves were excluded), the idea that people might determine their own laws and rule themselves was attractive, considered a great step up from the despotic rule of kings. Even the arbitrary rule of kings, however, proved better than having no rules at all. Judges 17:6 (NIV) describes conditions in Israel before Saul was anointed as Israel’s first king: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw ...

Get out of your comfort zone

Local Columns

Viewpoint Greg Kozera Friday evening in Istanbul, Turkey. The Shale Crescent USA Team was part of a U.S. Commercial Services Roadshow to Turkey promoting U.S. investment. The week was invigorating but tiring. We traveled to Koceali and Ankara by bus. Then an early Friday morning flight from Ankara back to Istanbul where we had a scheduled meeting with a Turkish company who makes unique packaging products. They are serious about entering the U.S. market and manufacturing some of their products in the USA. At their company dining room, we had an incredible lunch of American hamburgers, ...

Rosenthal captured the decisive moment of a generation

Local Columns

The Way I See It By Art Smith If you are a photographer, you always strive to capture the decisive moment. The one moment at an event that captures the essence of the story, wrapping up for all time that one sliver of time that tells the whole story. Still photography has a way of doing ...

Impressions of Turkey

Features

The Shale Crescent USA Team is part of a U.S. Commercial Services Roadshow to Turkey. Lynnda and I, along with SCUSA President Nathan Lord, arrived in Istanbul last Sunday. We were in three Turkish cities for Roadshow events, meeting with companies interested in investing in the USA. Most Turks guess the actual number of people in Istanbul, the nation’s largest city, to be in excess of 20 million people and still growing. Homes and businesses take up almost every available space. Not much green space. There are buildings as far as the eye can see. Not high rise steel like in Tokyo ...