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Proper cooperation

Editorials

It’s not always easy to watch how the sausage is made when we observe the workings of local government bodies, but one issue has focused Marietta City Council’s attention in a way that shows us what’s possible. Regarding work on the council’s effort to address concerns over injection wells, Councilwoman Erin O’Neill is right: “The past couple of weeks have been a lesson in how local government is supposed to work for the citizens,” she said. “My actions here tonight reflect nothing other than my desire to speak out for my constituents who don’t otherwise have a voice ...

Love your neighbor as yourself

Local Columns

By Mark Wilmoth Two hundred years ago, Walter Scott was given the responsibility of preaching the gospel on the western frontier, which at that time was…eastern Ohio. Scott wanted a simple way to present God’s plan of salvation and have folks remember it. He came up with the five-finger plan of salvation. Scott would go to a school and ask the students if they knew what to do to be saved, and then he would tell them to hold up a hand. Using the fingers on one hand, Scott explained that to be saved, one must (1) hear the gospel, (2) believe the gospel, (3) repent of one’s sins and ...

It’s going to take a lot to be the ‘Silicon Heartland’

Editorials

Data centers have generated plenty of buzz in Ohio, as some economic development officials have touted them as an integral part of our state’s economic future. That may be true, but the Ohio Chamber of Commerce has some words of caution as it releases a new report through its research foundation on the economic impact of those centers. SRC EvalMetrics LLC prepared the report, which took a look at Ohio’s spot in the upper echelon of North American data center markets, but also noted a few challenges. For 2024, the data center industry here “supported more than 95,000 jobs across ...

Horseradish: A root crop that packs some heat

Home and Garden

By J.J. Barrett Hello Mid-Ohio Valley Farmers and Gardeners! October is here, so cool fall weather cannot be far behind. However, warm temperatures will be hanging on into next week, according to the weather forecast. Many backyard gardeners still have tomatoes to harvest. You can only ...

Voters will remember

Editorials

If watching Congress has not been enough to make you wonder whether elected officials worry about doing any real work, or remember who they serve, Ohio lawmakers seem eager to answer with “No, not really.” They missed their first deadline for congressional redistricting, on Sept. 30, according to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal. Despite Buckeye State voters demanding action when they passed a constitutional amendment back in 2018, members of the General Assembly appear to have decided they’d rather not bother to work together to pass a bipartisan map in the allotted time. ...

It’s up to YOU to prevent wildfires

Editorials

Fall fire season has arrived across our region. Don’t let a little rainy weather in September fool you, things are still dry enough to elevate the risk of wildfires. That risk is already higher now that leaves are hitting the ground, and other vegetation is either going dormant and drying out or dying altogether at this time of year. Lower humidity and fall breezes may be pleasant for us, but they, too, add to the risk. All those factors create “a situation where we have an elevated risk of wildfires here in Ohio,” according to the state Division of Forestry’s Aaron ...