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Enjoying the dog days

We’ve just completed the first week in August, and that means the end of summer is quickly approaching. In fact, the Dog Days of Summer will reach their end on Friday. That’s the period that runs from July 3 — 20 days before Sirius comes into conjunction with the sun — and Aug. 11 — 20 days afterward. It’s usually the hottest stretch of temperatures we will experience during the year, and while Sirius has no impact at all on weather on our planet, it’s a period that has been noted since the time of the ancient Romans and Greeks. It’s also a time when a lot of ...

Guest column/What does 37 minutes have to do with anything?

The grandchild, prompted to shut off the TV, came over to me. I had just begun work on a crochet project requested by a daughter. It is small. It won’t take long to make it. “Let’s play games, Memaw,” he said. I have taught him pretty well. He has mastered the strategy of winning Mancala. No, I do not let him win. He beats me fair and square. Pickup Sticks, Trouble, Monopoly, he is a formidable opponent. He is sharp. I didn’t want to set my crochet aside, but I did. We retired to the sunporch where he again defeated me soundly at Pickup Sticks. But we never did finish ...

Guest column/Fighting for Weirton mill

Workers at Cleveland-Cliffs’ Weirton tin mill help to anchor the region’s economy. We support local businesses, pay the taxes that keep schools operating and volunteer for the civic groups that keep our communities strong. But all of this is in jeopardy right now because foreign manufacturers are dumping mass quantities of low-price tin sheet in U.S. markets, putting our livelihoods, our mill and the entire domestic tin mill industry at risk. Fortunately, the United Steelworkers and Cleveland-Cliffs are fighting to safeguard our jobs and hold the cheaters accountable. In ...

Guest column/Available, affordable childcare for Ohio’s success

It is time to address one of the most pressing challenges affecting our state’s success: Childcare access and affordability. A thriving economy requires a skilled and dedicated workforce, and to achieve this, we must address the barriers that working parents face in accessing affordable, quality childcare options. The Ohio Chamber’s Blueprint for Ohio’s Economic Future, a comprehensive vision released late last year that analyzes Ohio’s economic outlook and compares it to other states’, identifies six key areas for improvement. One of these six areas for improvement is ...

Memories of preparing to go back to school

Before I became the community editor back in May, I was a reporter and staff writer for the Herald-Star and Weirton Daily Times. This was back in 2005 through 2011. And during this period, I would sometimes write a column for the Toronto Scene. I recall complaining each and every week about the need for a red light on Franklin Street because having to make a turn off of Nebo Drive or Dennis Way was almost impossible. And to this day, it still is. No, I didn’t get the red light. But I digress and have learned to move on. Many of my articles I wrote revolved around my children. I ...

Be careful on that walk

You will find few people who will argue about the benefits of simply taking a walk. And, if you travel through just about any neighborhood during just about any time of the day or evening, you are sure to find area residents out for a stroll and just enjoying being outside. While it can be a great way to get from Point A to Point B, walking can come with its own risks, a reminder that came a little more than a month ago from the Governors Highway Safety Association. Its preliminary report on Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State contains a projection that 7,508 people walking in ...