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Visiting Angels discuss holiday blues

Editor’s Note: The following column was originally published Dec. 13, 2019. Thanks to breakthroughs in medicine and nutrition in recent years, we are living longer than ever before. But this increase in life expectancy also brings an increase in the number of diseases, injuries and impairments that affect older adults. With this in mind, we at the local Visiting Angels office in Salem have created this series of articles to keep our older population and their families informed and to offer some practical advice for meeting the challenges faced by seniors and those who care for them. ...

Close local races prove every single vote counts

The adage that every vote counts was quite evident in this recent election. A Sebring charter amendment and a Farmington fire and emergency medical service levy that were winning by a single vote each, according to unofficial totals from the Nov. 4 election, ended up losing by just one vote when provisional ballots were counted. Also, fewer than eight votes separated winners from losers in five races in Trumbull County communities. In one of those races, a candidate won by one vote. “Your vote counts in these races; it sure does,” said Stephanie Penrose, director of the Trumbull ...

Social gatherings during holidays pose greater risk to aging adults

Editor’s Note: The following column was originally published Dec. 12, 2020. Thanks to breakthroughs in medicine and nutrition in recent years, we are living longer than ever before. But this increase in life expectancy also brings an increase in the number of diseases, injuries and impairments that affect older adults. With this in mind, we at the local Visiting Angels office in Salem have created this series of articles to keep our older population and their families informed and to offer some practical advice for meeting the challenges faced by seniors and those who care for ...

Veterans should not be hungry or food insecure

According to U.S. government data and recent policy studies, nearly 25% of America’s veterans live either below the federal poverty level or paycheck to paycheck, with little margin for unexpected expenses. To get by, many adopt emergency-level budgets. But even the harshest austerity measures may not be enough. Life at the bottom still costs money. Mortgages and rent must be paid. Vehicles are needed to reach work or medical appointments. So, what can be cut? Too often, it’s food—eating less or sacrificing nutrition. Tragically, many veterans and their families face this choice ...

Tim Ryan could wield big impact on governor’s race

Though Democrat Tim Ryan has not pulled the trigger on a gubernatorial bid, all signs point to the former 20-year Mahoning Valley congressman running for the seat. The announcement could come this week or Ryan could wait until early December. Feb. 4, 2026, is the filing deadline for the May 5 primary. During a recent text exchange, Dennis Willard, Ryan’s spokesman, wrote: “He has not made a decision. He has asked his team to prepare to launch a campaign.” In my response to asking if Ryan is getting close to a decision, Willard wrote: “The fact that he has asked us to prepare ...

Mahoning County is pawn in Ohio redistricting game

With Ohio Republicans carving up the state to produce a congressional map that favors its party 12-3 — and Democrats agreeing to it — Mahoning County played a key role as a pawn in the game. The county will be split starting with the 2026 election with the most egregious work done to Austintown, which ended being one of only 11 of Ohio’s 1,300-plus townships to be divided. The constitutional amendment that created this process was designed to reduce the number of ways congressional districts could be gerrymandered. But you would be hard-pressed to see that from the map approved ...