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Celebrating successes

Peg Zende admits that she and Mike Ruthem were a little skeptical when they learned about the plans Aaron Dodds, project manager for the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District, had for some adjacent property in Wayne Township. “When Aaron started this project and told us about his dream, we were naysayers,” Zende said. “We weren’t accepting of it, and we were concerned. We wondered what this was going to do to this slice of heaven that we had.” That dream has become the Hellbender Preserve in Wayne Township, which offers a chance to enjoy the natural beauty of ...

Guest column/Railroad merger gives Ohio tools to compete, win

For more than 130 years, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce has championed policies that promote free enterprise, drive economic growth and elevate Ohio’s position in a competitive global marketplace, serving as a trusted advocate for employers and the workforce across the Buckeye State. Today, in an era defined by speed, resilience and innovation, we must pursue forward-looking strategies and transformative partnerships that meet the demands of a rapidly evolving economy and position Ohioans to thrive. The proposed merger between Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific represents a bold ...

Guest column/The United States of excuses and the offended

Peggy and I were blessed to be raised by parents of the Greatest Generation. They were a no-nonsense and hard-working generation where excuses did not exist. When it came to disciplining us, they believed in tough love. They taught us to respect the rights of our fellow man, and they truly lived by the slogan: “Love God, family and country.” Mom and Dad also taught us to enjoy life and not to take ourselves too seriously. If we made a stupid mistake and others laughed, they said laugh with them instead of being offended. Life’s too short to lack a sense of humor. Well, ...

Guest column/Electricity prices are soaring — coal is a key solution

Electricity bills are climbing almost everywhere, and the reasons have little to do with ideology. Three forces are driving prices higher: Massive new utility spending on infrastructure, rising natural gas costs and growing capacity shortages in electricity markets as power demand soars from the AI revolution. In some states, prices have jumped more than 60 percent since 2022. The Trump administration inherited this mess and now has its work cut out for it. The strategy the administration has embraced is built around reinforcing dispatchable power — the generating resources that ...

Guest column/Firefighter recruitment portal offers opportunities

As Ohio’s 39th state fire marshal, I’ve dedicated my career to protecting the safety and well-being of our communities. Today, I’m calling attention to an urgent matter facing our state — one that threatens the foundation of emergency preparedness in Ohio upon which we have come to rely. Across the nation, including right here in Ohio, we’re experiencing an alarming decline in the number of volunteer firefighters. Many people don’t realize that about 70 percent of Ohio’s nearly 1,200 fire departments rely on volunteers. That’s right, the majority of firefighters in ...

The calendar is whispering … ‘pay attention’

Well, I blinked. And already it is the first weekend of November. I’m still wondering where September went. One minute we were having cookouts, cutting grass, swimming, going on picnics. Now, those days have been replaced with brisk mornings, early sunsets and shoppers browsing the aisles for that perfect Christmas gift. That’s the funny thing about time. It doesn’t ask our permission. It doesn’t wait for us to catch up. It just keeps steadily moving. Time just keeps ticking, like those hands on an old kitchen clock. Fast and steady. Never stopping ...