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A talk with the kittens

Local Columns

“Kittens, sit down, please, and pay attention. We need to have a little talk.” “I know what it’s about,” said Alex, the smart one. “You don’t know what it’s about and don’t interrupt. Now, kittens . . .” “Yes I do. It’s about why Uncle Felix isn’t allowed inside the house anymore.” Alex stared at me in that annoying know-it-all way of his. “Well, yes, but only partly. It’s about all three of you kittens, and Uncle Felix and Aint Snit, too. You are nearly all grown up now, and growing up means Mother and I expect you to be responsible and not do bad ...

Making healthy lifestyle choices to avoid strokes

Editorial

Editor’s Note: The following column was original published May, 9, 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 Salem Visiting Angels office 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. ...

What is hypertension and how can seniors manage their blood pressure?

Editorial

February was American Heart Month, a time to raise awareness about heart health and the risks associated with hypertension. Also known as high blood pressure, hypertension affects millions of older adults and significantly increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious health conditions. The good news is that hypertension can be managed with lifestyle changes and proper care. Here’s what seniors need to know about hypertension and strategies for keeping blood pressure under control. Understanding Hypertension Blood pressure measures the force of blood pushing against ...

DeWine missed opportunities to address key issues in Ohio

Local Columns

During his final State of the State address this week, Gov. Mike DeWine declined to discuss in detail — and not at all in some cases — the main issues that are important to Ohioans today: property taxes, the electric grid, rising utility costs and the economy. But that came as little surprise as DeWine, who is serving his eighth and final year as governor, has a different agenda than his fellow Republicans, who control the state House and Senate. DeWine took an active role in property tax reform after vetoing four items in the state budget dealing with it last year. After some ...

Affordable housing remains a challenge for many Ohioans

Editorial

Affordable housing remains a challenge for Ohioans — and that challenge only grows as rent puts a greater strain on an increasing number of households. According to the 2026 Gap Report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, there are 422,098 extremely low-income renters in the state, and 73% of those report spending more than half their income on rent. That is an increase from 66% only five years ago. “For people at the bottom of the pay scale, rent is gobbling up most of their paychecks. But this report shows the rent ...

DeWine’s final address, rightly so, focused on educating youth

Editorial

In his final State of the State address, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was right to spend so much time on education — particularly reading. If we aren’t giving our children the best start possible, it’s hard to see how public officials are going to be able to get much else right. They’ll just be playing catch-up. But there are bright spots on that horizon. DeWine’s persistence regarding the Science of Reading may be helping our youngest readers improve their reading performance. The governor and his team at the Department of Education and Workforce must be seeing evidence that has ...