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Parton’s legacy lives on in Ohio Imagination Library

Plenty of the stories shared by those remembering Dolly Parton in the wake of her passing Tuesday revolved not around music, movies or even a theme park, but around books. Because of Parton and her Imagination Library, hundreds of millions of books have been sent out to children and their families. It was a project close to Parton’s heart, and one she expanded outside her beloved Tennessee to Ohio back in 2019. First Lady Fran DeWine had a lot to do with that step for the organization. "Her devotion to children and literacy is unparalleled. Because of Dolly, millions of children ...

Hard work doesn’t mean what it used to for our region

WalletHub recently produced its “Hardest-Working States in America (2026)” report. Readers in West Virginia and Appalachian Ohio are likely thinking “Finally! A report in which our region will not be dead last.” About that … Both the Mountain and Buckeye states fall in the bottom ten, which WalletHub labels “least hardworking.” West Virginia is 42nd, Ohio is 47th – those some residents will be pleased to note that ranks above Michigan, which did, indeed, come in dead last. This study looked at direct work factors, including metrics such as average workweek hours, ...

Ohio absenteeism rules support parents AND students

"Every minute counts,” Heather Dodd, director of pupil services for Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools, told WKYC at the start of the school year. “If your child's late to school, those minutes count. If they have a doctor's appointment, those minutes count. They all count towards chronic absenteeism." Surprised? Ohio law changed this year, and parents will have to be aware that not only are schools keeping a much closer eye on chronic absenteeism (and doing a better job communicating with parents on the matter), but they are also tracking it in hours -- not just days. That means a ...

Cemetery cleanup took team effort

Building a habit of connecting to and helping your community is an important part of what it means to grow and learn during the college years. Football players at Marietta College are getting a good start on that lesson by doing work such as the clean-up at Oak Grove Cemetery last week. Led by Marietta resident Roger Kalter last week, the players and other community volunteers helped to clear out a drainage ditch and clean up a sidewalk, among other tasks. Regarding his team, head coach Tom Hinkle said “They’re not coming to just play football. They’re coming here to learn life ...

Do your research – properly – before voting

Earlier this week, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose urged voters to do their homework ahead of the November general election - not regarding a person, but regarding State Issue 3. Full text, official ballot language, certified explanation and arguments for and against have been made available at OhioSoS.gov, for the measure proposing a constitutional amendment to require voters to present photo identification when voting. “Transparency matters, and Ohio voters deserve to have all of the facts before deciding whether a photo ID requirement for voting should be included in the Ohio ...

For states, fun can be serious business

Most of us are proud of the state where we live for many reasons (and not so proud for others). But we don't usually tend to think of our home territory as “fun” as compared with other places. California, for example, is ranked the most fun state in WalletHub's “Most Fun States in America (2026).” Florida is second. It's hard not to wonder whether a certain mouse has something to do with that. But it turns out Ohio isn't doing too badly for itself, either. According to the report, the Buckeye State is the 15th most fun state in the country -- 16th for entertainment and ...