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Keeping everyone safe should be goal

Every once in a while, politicians will float the question of whether drivers should have to retake their tests as a requirement for license renewal after a certain age. With age comes the possibility of reduced vision, perhaps hearing loss, reduced reflexes and other changes we all laugh about as a fact of life until someone mentions them in the context of affecting a person’s ability to drive safely. Then pride kicks in. Well, pride and a little stubbornness as most of us bristle at the idea of the government telling us it’s possible we are less able to do something we’ve ...

Be proactive in cancer fight

Pink is a prevalent color around our communities this time of year — it serves as a reminder that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime, according to medical experts, and the most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender — being a woman — and growing older. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, with the exception of skin cancers, and accounts for 30 percent of all new female cancers each year. Only lung cancer kills ...

Follansbee offering early start on season

A look at the calendar might show us that Christmas is still more than two months away, but that won’t keep Follansbee Municipal Park from coming alive with the spirit of the holiday season this weekend. And it’s all thanks to the annual Christmas in the Park festival. Scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, the park will be adorned with Christmas lights and other holiday decorations, and Christmas music from various eras will fill the air. There will be dozens of vendors and numerous drawings. Hood’s Pharmacy will be offering flu ...

Domestic violence numbers troubling

A recent Ohio Domestic Violence Network report included some horrifying data that should make every Buckeye State resident want to get to the root of a deadly trend. The network has seen a 37 percent increase in domestic violence deaths in the state during the past year. According to a report by WSYX-TV in Columbus, 157 were killed in 108 domestic violence cases in the state between July 1, 2024, and June 30. Lisa DeGeeter, a spokeswoman for ODVN, told the station the increased number of cases to go through this year was stunning, as was “how much more violent and brutal the ...

Ohio takes good step with crypto

A couple of weeks ago, Ohio moved one step closer to being able to accept cryptocurrency as payment for state fees and services. The news was greeted with congratulations from officials including Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. “Ohio has always been a state of pioneers and innovators,” LaRose said. “I want to commend Treasurer (Robert) Sprague, Auditor (Keith) Faber and Attorney General (Dave) Yost for taking this bold step to position us at the forefront of the emerging digital economy. There’s a reason why we now rank among the top five states in the nation to do ...

Fall fire season requires caution

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 Kloss. ...