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Editorial

Forget all the politics and help the families in need

“As stated in our lapse of appropriation correspondence dated October 1, 2025, SNAP has funding available for benefits and operations through the month of October,” reads a letter dated Oct. 10 from Ronald Ward, acting associate administrator of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to regional and state agency SNAP directors. “However, if the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation.” We know that last year there were approximately 1.4 ...

Take advantage of Drug Take-Back Day

This Saturday provides a wonderful opportunity to get rid of not-needed prescriptions. You know, the ones we all seem to have in the back our bathroom cabinet. According to a release, Oct. 25 has been designated as National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), it will be held in communities across America, including Columbiana County, to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Locally, area residents will have an opportunity to drop off their unused, unwanted or expired medications on Saturday from 10 a.m. ...

Altered U.S flag in background during video call troublesome

One can understand why U.S. Rep. Dave Taylor, R-2nd Dist. (southwestern Ohio, near Cincinnati), would want to distance himself from the appearance of an altered U.S. flag that appeared in the background — tacked onto a bulletin board behind a staffer — during a video call last week. But he has gone from describing the appearance of a flag that had a swastika tied into the red lines of the traditional U.S. flag as “vandalism,” to saying this is actually part of an effort in which he claims “numerous Republican offices” were “targeted” by a person who was allegedly handing ...

Kitten, animal shelter surprises

Things often don’t turn out as one expects. Which kitten in a litter is best, for example. Who’s going to run the Hancock County Animal Shelter, for another. Of the three kittens my wife Honey fostered, the one we least expected to keep was the one we nicknamed “Leo the Load” because he seemed such a slug. When the Hancock County Commission announced it would entertain proposals for an outside vendor to operate the animal shelter, I was sure the fix was in for a dreadful sequel, a movie titled “The Return of The Foundation.” To my surprise The Foundation didn’t apply ...

Hibernating bats need all the help they can get

Most Ohio residents are used to thinking about seasonal changes in the rules such as burn bans or parking in such a way that the snow plow can get through. Perhaps less familiar is Ohio’s fall bat exclusion restriction period — from Oct. 15 through March 31. No, it has nothing to do with baseball’s off-season. This is a requirement that residents obtain permits before removing or relocating bats from homes or buildings. When white-nose syndrome (a cave fungus) showed up several years ago, Ohio started protecting bats, especially during their overwintering period. Despite that ...

The effects of Sundown Syndrome on older adults

Editor’s Note: The following column was originally published Jan. 24, 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 them. ...