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Another reason to donate blood

As the American Red Cross continues to get creative in enticing donors to give blood, its newest promotion may be the perfect fit for those willing to roll up their sleeves between now and June 9. Lovers of the video game Tetris may be willing to attend a blood drive during the next couple of weeks to receive not only a special Tetris Plus Red Cross T-shirt, but to get a chance at a trip for two to New York to meet Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov. “As summer gets closer, the American Red Cross asks donors to come in to give blood now to help keep the blood supply as stable as ...

Take a moment and remember

This weekend has become what is considered to be the start of the summer vacation season. The kids are out of or about to get out of school. The days are getting longer. The grills are out in full force. But this weekend in general, and Monday in particular, also must be a time to pause and consider those freedoms we enjoy as Americans — the things we too often take for granted, like living in a place where we can travel as we choose, read the newspapers and publications we want to, watch the movies and television shows that we prefer and enjoy picnics and good weather as ...

Boyles ready to represent region

Do you have any idea what the words “psammophile,” “moorhen”, “Murraya,” “odylic,” “cernuous,” “palama,” “pendeloque,” “aiguillette,” “bougainvillea,” “auslaut” and “erysipelas” have in common? They are the winning words in the Scripps National Spelling Bee going back to 2019, when officials declared an eight-way tie for first place. And while it is not possible to predict the word this year’s champion will be asked to spell, it’s a safe bet that all of the words that will be part of the 96th national bee will present a challenge to ...

Safety comes first whenever you ride

Memorial Day, which marks the unofficial start of summer, is just a few days away. And, with the sunny skies and warmer temperatures that the Tri-State Area is finally experiencing, it’s anticipated there will be an increase in traffic this coming weekend and during the weeks ahead. Unfortunately, more vehicles on our roads mean there will be greater chances for accidents. That’s why it’s important for all motorists to be careful, especially when they are riding or sharing the road with motorcyclists. While that message always is important, it gets special attention each May, ...

Progress against a deadly problem

First, the good news: According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of fatal overdoses in the U.S. decreased last year — down 3 percent from 2022. Now, the not so great news: That’s still 107,500 people who died at the hands of a decades-long substance abuse epidemic; and those same CDC researchers say the last time there was such a decrease, the number of fatal overdoses increased dramatically in the following year. Further, Brandon Marshall, a Brown University researcher who studies overdose trends, offered some less-than-comforting reasons for ...

Let’s get ballot problem fixed

If Ohio lawmakers’ aim was to once again embarrass the state on the national stage and to prove the dangers of intentionally failing to address gerrymandering, mission accomplished. Let the back-slapping begin. In what can only be described as either a fit of petulance or an admission they do not believe their presumptive presidential nominee can win without a few dirty tricks, state senators and representatives derailed what should have been a simple fix to get Joe Biden on the November ballot. Recall, state law requires presidential candidates to be certified for placement on ...