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History in the Hills: Merry Christmas

I can’t believe that Christmas is right around the corner. These past few months have just raced by. It seems that as I get older, time moves even faster. Probably it has to do with having an active family. My son is in basketball and my daughter just finished dancing in the Nutcracker ballet through her studio. Each one of those activities requires a large time commitment. I don’t know how my wife manages to get everything done that needs to be completed before the holidays in addition to taking care of the kids and navigating these extra activities. From baking cookies, ...

Some holiday numbers

Christmas might still be 10 days away, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to be thinking about what the new year might bring. That includes how we will bid farewell to an eventful 2024 and welcome what we hope will be a great 2025. When it comes to the best places to celebrate New Year’s Eve, it’s good to know that our region ranks among the top 10. According to WalletHub, Pittsburgh is the ninth-rated city to be when the clock hits midnight on Dec. 31. That’s what the Washington, D.C.-based personal financial website has determined after crunching all of the data that ...

Guest column/Miscalculations can sometimes mislead us

I am writing this as a reply to the guest editorial by William Welker, “Education vs. profession majors and lifetime earnings.” As noted in the title of my reply, has made a few errors. I hope to offer a clarification to your readers. Please note, I am not related to the author. I am a professor of economics and hold a doctorate from Kent State University, and I teach at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. For the sake of brevity, I will not replicate the calculations that bring up the conclusion: He says classroom educators are the lowest paid professionals. He goes on ...

Guest column/Our very own ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the state, Corrupt politicians were filling their plates. Their stockings were hung in the state house with care, In hopes that lobbying money would find its way there. Republicans had gerrymandered state districts once again, Ignoring the wishes of Ohio’s citizens. Free and fair elections would not happen here, And lots of other rights might soon disappear. People are suffering all over the land, Desperately seeking a helping hand. As I sat at my computer, I pondered what lies ahead, Wondering why ...

A column specifically meant for our mothers

Today is my mother’s birthday. Now, to all of you who may be reading this sentence, that probably doesn’t mean a thing. But to me, those five words mean everything. Most of us know the importance of having a mom. They are the ones who brought us into this world. They are usually the ones who fed us whenever we cried, changed us because we could not do the job ourselves and rocked us to sleep, singing quiet whispers in our ear. They are the reason we are here, the reason we made it through all of those nights when we were sick, the times we had colic or chickenpox, ...

Sharing holiday spirit

If you don’t think 10 years can make a big difference, all you have to do is to take a look at downtown Steubenville. There have been a lot of changes in the past decade, and many of them have been driven by the excitement generated around the Steubenville Nutcracker Village and Christmas at the Fort. Both events helped to launch the holiday season the week of Thanksgiving, and both make this time of year a little brighter. “Tonight is a super-exciting event,” Mark Nelson explained while trying to get warm inside the Nutcracker Village Welcome Center on Fourth Street ...