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Guest column/Break out the purple to mark Elder Abuse Month

I received a phone call from an elderly man I know. We hadn’t spoken in some time, since the day he found my home by accident and stopped to visit. During the weekend, he needed a friendly ear willing to listen for a little while, and I was willing to give him some of my time. He was concerned about the treatment of elderly persons, something he thought I wouldn’t know anything about. His kids are about the same age as my brothers and me. I am a member of the DAHS Class of 1971. He may have a 15-year head start but I am learning as we go now. My mother told me this day would come, ...

Numbers to think about

No matter what side of the aisle you find yourself on, it seems like there are an unlimited number of topics that can lead to spirited conversation. That includes guns. Which makes the annual concealed carry report issued by Ohio Attorney General David Yost interesting. The state underwent a big change in its laws in the past year, one which makes the numbers contained in the document issued on March 1 look different than they have in the past several years. About that change: Since June 13, Ohioans who are qualified to do so have had the right to carry a concealed handgun ...

Guest column/A warning about social media and young people

I used to make sure my bed was beside the nightlight that was plugged into the wood trim that bordered the wall of the bedroom. The downside was that that particular spot was in line of the hallway and our parents’ bedroom door, so I also had to listen for our parents to come up the stairs sometime between the weather report about 11:20 p.m. and when Johnny Carson began his monologue about 11:30 p.m. My bedtime was 9 p.m. until I finally convinced Mom to let me stay up to watch “The Carol Burnett Show” at 10 p.m. on Mondays. We didn’t have cell phones back then. We didn’t ...

Guest column/Could the EPA help to break America’s power grid?

As policymakers in Washington like to point out, America is undergoing an energy transition. But as Washington embarks on a major national shift toward renewable energy, there’s a serious question — can we manage this wide-scale transformation without losing the security and reliability of our existing power grid? The answer — according to the nation’s grid reliability experts — is that we’re on the verge of catastrophe. But instead of smart policies to address this looming crisis, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has actually issued a blitz of new rules that ...

Guest column/Computer science education must start early to develop workforce

We all want Ohio to be the best it can be. To make our state the most enjoyable place in which to live, we must first focus on its economy and, as a result, its workforce. When the Ohio Chamber of Commerce surveys our members on their greatest day-to-day challenges, the overwhelming answer, no matter the industry or economic sector, is workforce. We need skilled, properly educated workers who are prepared not only for the jobs of today, but also for the jobs of tomorrow. The Blueprint for Ohio’s Economic Future, a comprehensive vision released by the Ohio Chamber in November, ...

The relationship with the flag and my grandfather

Every time there’s a holiday in which we honor our nation’s flag, I think of my grandfather, Cal Carnahan. I don’t know why my mind always turns to him. Perhaps it’s because every Sunday when my family gathered around the dinner table after church, he would begin by saying, “Did I ever tell you about the time I was in the Navy?” Always the same stories, done intentionally. He was an amazing story teller. If only I could remember those stories.  He joined at 17. Served for four years, four months, four days. He made it seem as if being in the Navy during World War II was ...