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Partnership creates needed opportunity

Two local education powerhouses are teaming up to provide more options for students. Washington State College of Ohio students will now be able to get a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity by taking classes through West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Innovation and Technology Center. “We know what this will bring to this community,” said WVUP President Torie Jackson. “It brings a lot of excitement, a lot of innovation and a lot of opportunities for new partnerships. We are very thankful for Washington State College of Ohio and what that partnership can mean for ...

Baby Boxes save lives

We don’t hear about them often — because the decision to give up a child is an excruciating one, and does not often result in their use — but another Safe Haven Baby Box HAS been used to legally surrender a baby in Ohio. This one was at the Delhi Township Fire Department, where firefighters responded in less than a minute to deliver care to the infant, according to the Safe Haven organization. Founder Monica Kelsey took to social media to make the announcement, saying “We’ve had another baby surrendered legally in one of our Safe Haven Baby Boxes. This time down in the ...

The value of saving a life

Worried parents often warn their children — of any age — to be wary when they go out to bars and restaurants. Generations of bar patrons have received admonitions from friends and family: “Keep your eye on your drink! Be careful!” Despite those warnings, too many continue to fall victim to drugged drinks each year. According to a report by WTVG, state Sens. Louis Blessing III, R-Colerain Township, and Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, cited data that 1 in 13 college-aged people suspect they have been drugged at some point. They brought up the numbers as part of their introduction of ...

Written by Artificial Intelligence

(This item discusses suicide and self-harm. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988.) Ohio House Bill 524 aims to address a problem few could have imagined a decade or two ago: Artificial intelligence chatbots encouraging people to harm themselves or others. State Rep. Christine Cockley, D-Columbus, is lead sponsor on the bipartisan bill, which would allow for imposing penalties for AI models suggesting harming self or others. It now sits in the House Technology and Innovation Committee. Testimony earlier ...

Keeping Ohio moving in the right direction

It’s not always easy to see the effects of legislation to the good of Ohio citizens. Often the results are subtle or scattered. But a study by Cambridge Mobile Telematics shows that perhaps one 2023 law has made a noticeable difference. When the legislature gave law enforcement the authority to pull over drivers who were using or holding electronic devices in Ohio, there was some grumbling. But most people understood it was for the best. Now, according to a report by WCMH, the study shows Ohio drivers tap on their phones 7.2% less often than the average U.S. driver. That’s good ...

Matthews ‘leaves a lasting mark’ on Marietta

It was something of an understatement when Marietta Mayor Josh Schlicher said that the late Joe Matthews “leaves a lasting mark on Marietta.” Then again, it’s difficult to come up with words to describe just how significant Matthews’ public service has been to the community over the decades. From his choice to serve his country in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1956-58 after graduating high school, to his 24 years with the Marietta Fire Department — as a firefighter and EMT — and terms as mayor from 1992 to 2003 and 2012 to 2019, Matthews truly lived as a public ...