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The kids really are going to be all right

It’s the perfect time of year to stop by farmer’s markets to supplement your weekly (or, at least in my case, it seems almost daily) trips to the grocery store. It’s no wonder so many of us feel better in the summer: It’s not just all the sunshine and fresh air, it’s also the chance to eat garden-fresh heirloom tomatoes and a couple of peaches for dinner just because. (I have no regrets on that meal.) The other day, I was cutting up some cucumbers and little green onions to be tossed with a little dressing and eaten a bit at a time throughout the week, and if I closed my ...

The future my daughter lost and how we get it back

2025 is … the year the government of the United States turned its back on science. … the year I became a dad. … the future my daughter should have seems to be more of a dream now. I am not going to lie down and let this future slip away from her, nor should you let it slip away from your kids or grandkids. We deserve clean air, clean water, clean energy, and public lands that are preserved along with a clean environment. It is time to speak up and take action. Here are a few ways to start. ¯ Downloading the Climate Action Now app. Take action: i.e. read an article, sign a ...

Check in with your local VFD

Volunteer fire departments across the Buckeye State are experiencing reduced staffing levels at the same time they are receiving an increased number of calls. Of course, most of those who are working in those departments also have full-time jobs; and for many, those jobs are also jobs of service. That’s why the State Fire Marshal Division and Ohio Department of Transportation took a moment Tuesday to recognize the more than 70 ODOT employees who also serve as volunteer firefighters or emergency medical technicians. The event focused on employees in ODOT Districts 5, 9, 10 and 11 in ...

Roll up your sleeves for the Red Cross

Disasters near and far have deepened the desire in many to help — to somehow do something amid all this suffering and struggle. In many of the hardest hit places, the American Red Cross is helping — and if we can’t be involved in those direct efforts, we can certainly do something to help that organization fulfill its mission. Part of that mission is, of course, keeping hospital shelves stocked with blood and blood products. The need for that never ceases. At the moment, the organization is asking especially for those with type O to donate blood, though all types are ...

Buckle up and save lives

Seat belts. For the vast majority of us, putting on a seat belt when entering the car is second nature. But for some, unfortunately, the act remains optional — and that’s leading to fatal results. In Ohio over the Fourth of July weekend, 10 people died in car crashes, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Of those 10 fatalities, six were not wearing seat belts. The issue goes deeper. According to the Columbus Dispatch, during the Fourth of July weekend troopers issued 2,286 seat belt and child safety seat violations. How is that possible in 2025? The problem is ...

Consider what you can do

Organizers of the Miracle League of the Mid-Ohio Valley are aiming for some lofty goals, both for their organization and the communities it serves. With the determination to demonstrate baseball is for everyone, the league put on a second demonstration game over the weekend in Parkersburg’s City Park. Facilities at the park worked well enough for a single game, but the league has ambitions for a full season’s worth of games on its own fully accessible field. “The Miracle League is a barrier-free baseball league for individuals with disabilities,” said Amber Stover, one of the ...