Breaking News

Local Columns

History in the Hills: Recollections of an historian

Some people, it seems, are just born with natural abilities. Some are naturally athletic, some are artistic and some are good at math, among other subjects. I, however, did not get those attributes. What I did get is the ability to learn and retain historical facts. For whatever reason, this comes easy to me, and I find myself being able to remember names, places and dates — you know, all the boring stuff one tends not to remember from their history classes. I am barely able to remember what I did last weekend, but ask me the date of the passage of the U.S. Constitution, and I can ...

Guest column/MWCD: Honoring the past, planning the future

Last year was a landmark year for the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District as we honored our past by celebrating 90 years of providing unparalleled flood prevention, recreation, and conservation benefits to Ohio. As 2024 begins, we will build upon the accomplishments from 2023 and work toward our five-year strategic plan titled, “Honoring our Past, Planning our Future.” I am excited to provide a sample of the achievements of 2023 and initiatives we have planned for the year. One very significant achievement from 2023 was the reduction of the assessment for property owners ...

Evolving auto shows

Auto shows have been around for quite a while, and they remain popular today — but there’s a big question about how much longer that will be the case. That’s one of the takeaways from this year’s Pittsburgh International Auto Show. Anyone who visited the first auto show — which is said to have opened on Nov. 3, 1900, in New York’s Madison Square Garden — certainly would have been familiar with the format of this year’s show. Just like the show from more than 120 years ago, this year’s event featured hundreds of cars from numerous manufacturers in one place. As ...

Guest column/Answers needed about what happened at EGCC

I, like many Jefferson County residents, am appalled with the developments at Eastern Gateway Community College. You may ask yourself how did the college get into this predicament? And, the answer is greed, pure and simple greed. Our little community college which has sat proudly on Sunset Boulevard since 1966 and has educated so many, is crumbling before our eyes — all because some “carpetbaggers” came in, cooked up a scheme to use federal financial aid dollars and let greed consume them and destroy our “Jeff Tech.” The college quadrupled its enrollment during a ...

As his mom, I wish I was able to protect it all

When God decided to make me a mother, I instantly got that instinctive nature and began to protect him. Even before he was born. Even before that first glance at his precious face. I was overcome in that moment when he reached out his tiny, fragile hand and somehow it fit perfectly around my finger. As if it was meant to be. As a mom, I simply knew what to do when he fell down as he began taking his first steps. Being his mom, I knew what to do to protect him from an accident occurring. Cutting his food into small portions so he didn’t choke. Putting up gates so ...

Guest column/Social workers fill a vital need in our society

March is Social Work Month, and as faculty in Ohio University Eastern’s Social Work Program, I and Richard W. Greenlee and professor Tracy A. Pritchard are excited to celebrate the efforts and impact of social workers in our communities and around the world. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Empowering Social Workers.” One way to do this is to increase their salaries. Our nation needs social workers more than ever. The United States is grappling with an opioid addiction crisis that has cut across all regions, races, and economic levels. Homelessness is on the rise, ...