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Approach of Columbiana County Fair prompts memories of those past

Sometime in the late 1830s or 1840s, an agricultural “fair was held on the site of a woolen mill on East Washington Street in Lisbon across the street from the R. Thomas & Sons plant. It was a small beginning to what would become a major annual event. It wasn’t until 1846 that a meeting ...

When trauma is also grief

Recognizing that June is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month, we are challenged to look at PTSD not only as a clinical disorder, but as a form of traumatic grief. It is the body, mind, and spirit carrying profound losses that have not yet found a safe place to be fully mourned. After a traumatic event, individuals certainly grieve the person or people who died, but they also grieve their own sense of safety, trust, identity, innocence, faith, or the future they once thought they would have. This reframing matters deeply. Too often in our society, symptoms are treated ...

Understanding depression: Why a sinking boat needs more than a strong sailor

The Sinking Boat Analogy To understand what Depression might feel like, imagine taking a boat out on a lake. The boat can coast along the water and get where it needs to go easily. When the wind picks up and the waves become higher, it makes the ride a little bumpy and may slow you down, but you can still get to where you need to go. This is like the stress of normal life. Some turbulent times, and some smooth sailing, but you still make it back to shore. For someone with depression, it’s like having a hole in the bottom of the boat. The hole may be small at first, so you may not ...

Walking can be dangerous

Wherever you are, and no matter what time of day it is, if you look around, it’s likely you will see someone out for a walk. Take a trip through any neighborhood, and it’s a sure bet you will come across someone who’s enjoying being outside. Some people like to walk in the evening, some in the morning and some hearty souls like to be out in the heat of the day. It’s a great way to get some exercise and to interact with your friends and neighbors, things that we all too often forget should be important parts of our lives. But while it’s hard to underestimate the benefits ...

Don’t count on any fast move of Mahoning elections board

For the past two years, Mahoning County Board of Elections officials have vocally complained about the conditions at its offices at Oakhill Renaissance Place. There’s been a lot of talk. There’s even been singing as board Chairman David Betras performed in front of the county commissioners. Could action finally be forthcoming? That’s difficult to determine, but things have progressed more in the last six weeks than they have at any other time during the past two years. All involved parties agree on one thing: Getting the board of elections and other county offices out of ...

Staying safe in a connected world: A parent’s guide to digital wellness and protecting youth beyond the screen

Most of us grew up hearing the conventional wisdom that “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Although it was never actually true, it is even less true today. Modern youth not only deal with harmful words from people they know in the real world; they often find themselves “ganged up on” by peers, strangers, and anonymous online communities through what is commonly referred to as cyberbullying. As we highlight the importance of digital safety and youth wellness this April, it is vital to recognize that the digital world is more than just a social ...