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Red Cross has urgent need for ERV volunteer drivers

Our region is no stranger to natural disasters and other emergencies. And, as federal officials tell states more frequently that they are on their own after flooding and catastrophic storms, the assistance we can expect is changing. But while states such as West Virginia, Arkansas and Washington are figuring out how they will fend for themselves, residents know one thing is not changing. The Red Cross will be there to help. The American Red Cross depends on people helping people — mostly volunteers willing to do the work, lend a hand, and be there when someone else is in need. And ...

Ohio needs to be the heart of movement to stem hate

If it seems as though in recent years the atmosphere has become more charged with hate and division — perhaps even to the point of being dangerous — you’re not imagining things. Hate crimes are on the rise. To examine one category, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reports anti-Jewish hate crimes increased by 63% between 2023 and 2024. It seems as though the trend is not letting up. Earlier this month, an Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar in Miamisburg, Ohio, had to shut down for part of a weekend after it was tagged with anti-semitic graffiti, according to a report by ...

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration calls our country’s substance abuse epidemic “a clear and present public health, public safety and national security threat.” No one needs to tell those living in our region that. We see it every day. And most of us wonder whether there is anything we can do about it. There is. Among the ways we can combat the problem is taking advantage of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to remove unneeded medications from our homes, preventing the possibility they might fall into someone else’s hands. The DEA calls it a “measure of ...

Program will serve youth with mental health issues

Ohio’s kids are facing challenges many adults cannot fathom in an age of social media and other online threats; incidents of bullying — not just in person, but via text; families struggling with economic and health challenges (including 45.6 drug overdose deaths per 100,000, in 2022); and an uncertain academic atmosphere in which lawmakers just don’t seem to be able to keep themselves out of educators’ way. It’s an atmosphere that can lead to mental health crises that require more help than what parents or teachers can offer. But Gov. Mike DeWine has announced an expansion of ...

Despite ruling, parents need to monitor kids’ online activities

A U.S. District Court judge’s decision to strike down Ohio’s requirement that children under age 16 must have parental consent to use social media and some gaming apps is being viewed as a victory by trade group NetChoice (which represents TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other companies) and some First Amendment advocates. But it is important to read all of what Judge Algenon Marbley had to say on the matter. Marbley did not say the intent of the law was not commendable. He said it went too far. Marbley said the law ”resides at the intersection of two unquestionable rights: the ...

Earth Day reaches a 55th anniversary

The year 1970 was eventful. Consider some notable happenings: — President Nixon ordered U.S. forces to cross into neutral Cambodia, which widened the Vietnam War. His decision ignited nationwide riots including the Kent State shootings resulting in four dead students and others injured. — A jury found the Chicago Seven defendants not guilty of conspiring to incite a riot from charges stemming from the violence at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The social climate was smoldering. — President Nixon signed the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act into law, banning ...