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He may be small, but he holds my whole heart

A word to the young people out there ... when someone says to you that life is short and you should enjoy every moment because time goes by too fast ... listen. I never believed I could be a grandmother. I knew it was possible. Even plausable. But I didn’t believe it. I still feel as if I am 23. I do not move like I am 23. I do not think like I did when I was 23. I do not look anything like I did when I was 23. But in my mind, when I am just sitting around, not aching or in severe pain, my brain tells me I am around 23. So, it’s hard for me to wrap my head around the ...

Numbers about guns

If it seems to you that there is an ever-growing list of issues that are attracting an awful lot of attention as we get closer to the November presidential election, it’s probably because there are. One that often can be the topic of greatest debate is the issue of guns and how they are regulated. That process has changed dramatically in Ohio during the past two years. Since June 13, 2022, the state has allowed residents to carry a concealed handgun without a permit. And while that has made a big difference in the number of concealed-carry licenses issued during 2023, there ...

Guest column/Working to keep our roads safer

If you drive on Ohio’s highways (or any highway across the United States for that matter), you’ve undoubtedly seen it – the driver next to you looking down at their phone to send a text or check social media. They’re only looking away from the road for a second, right? Not so fast. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2022, more than 3,300 people were killed and nearly 290,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes on U.S. roads involving distracted drivers. With statistics like these all too common, Ohio’s property and casualty insurance ...

There is nothing better than being with family

I realize that I have written some rather depressing columns during the last several weeks. Believe me, it was certainly not my intention. And I apologize if anyone is sick and tired of reading about my weekly problems. I usually just sit down at the computer a few hours before deadline and write. For the most part, I don’t even know what I am going to talk about. I usually don’t even realize what is coming out of the keyboard. My fingers just fly across the keys while my brain is focusing on something else entirely. It’s as if I am reading it for the first time, too, ...

A taxing time of year

It’s likely that some residents of the Tri-State Area will be spending some of their time this weekend finalizing their income tax returns. That’s because Monday is the deadline to file your returns. Federal income tax takes center stage at this time of year, but just about everyone who lives across our region also will be filing state and local returns as well. And, just like how the number of taxes — and the amount — we have to pay has changed over time, the way we pay what we owe to the government has changed, as well. It wasn’t all that long ago that a staple for ...

History in the Hills: There always is a best

Two weeks ago, we returned from visiting my wife’s family in New York City. We had a fabulous time visiting and sightseeing all around the city. We were fortunate to have good weather while we were there, and for the drive to and from. Driving up without stopping is about six-and-a-half hours, but traveling with four children takes significantly longer, with many breaks. And if we are lucky, we can make the trip in eight. Traveling is monotonous sometimes and usually after listening to hours of music, I start to listen to audiobooks. Rummaging through my CD selections, I found an ...