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Giving thanks

We have just celebrated Thanksgiving and Black Friday. I think my favorite holiday in my adult life has been Thanksgiving. My family, including my brothers, their wives and children, gathered at Mom and Dad’s house, later at my husband’s and my house, and now at my brother and sister-in-law’s home or the home of one of my children. Age has a little something to do with it, but there is the passing down of tradition to younger generations and hoping the traditions will continue when we have passed on. Why my favorite holiday? Because when we gathered for that delicious dinner and ...

Medical conditions can make swallowing difficult

Most people swallow a bite of food or a drink of water without giving it a second thought, but for many, medical conditions can make the physical act of swallowing difficult. These swallowing problems, known medically as dysphagia, affect nearly 14 percent of the population, according to reports. They can affect children with developmental disabilities, but they are more common in older adults. Around a quarter of all people over 80 reportedly suffer from some form of the condition, and it is especially common in those older adults with health conditions that affect muscle strength and ...

Could a winter storm topple our electric grid?

Here’s some unwelcome deja vu. According to the organization that oversees the reliability of America’s power grid, much of the country could face blackouts again this winter. Warnings of winter blackouts are becoming a seasonal fixture. Texas experienced a devastating power outage in February 2021. And a bitter cold snap last Christmas forced utilities to implement rolling blackouts across multiple states. Now, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) fears that a prolonged cold snap could threaten the nation’s natural gas infrastructure and the power plants ...

Ohio Issue 2 gets minimal attention

Backers of state Issue 2 to legalize the adult-use of recreational marijuana have implemented a low-key campaign strategy rather than draw voter attention to the proposal. Opponents to the issue also don’t seem that motivated to get out their message. It’s an unusual strategy, but probably an effective one for supporters with so much attention being paid to the other issue on the ballot — an abortion rights constitutional amendment. Television commercials and, to a lesser extent, radio ads are very common during statewide campaigns in Ohio. It’s typically the largest ...

Vance capitalizing on Trump indictments

Several emails sent by the campaign of U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance seek to capitalize on the indictments of former President Donald Trump, whose endorsement of Vance last year was a significant help in his Senate victory. Vance, R-Cincinnati, has endorsed Trump for president in next year’s election. Vance’s campaign used Trump’s mug shot in a few emails with the line above one on Sept. 28 reading: “PRESIDENT TRUMP COULD BE IN JAIL FOR LIFE.” It adds: “President Trump will Never Surrender and will always fight for secure elections and a free America, even with the entire weight of ...

LaRose lags in raising funds for Senate race

Secretary of State Frank LaRose needed to raise an impressive amount of money in his first filing quarter for the U.S. Senate to show not only that he can compete with the two wealthy Republican candidates in the race but with incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown. But when the financial numbers came out for the third quarter, LaRose reported raising $791,657 from donors while the two other GOP Senate candidates, Bernie Moreno and Matt Dolan, received more. Moreno raised $1,192,655 from donors in the third quarter and Dolan got $1,107,341 from contributors. Also, Moreno and Dolan each gave ...