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Strategies for helping seniors safely age in place

Aging in place — remaining in one’s own home as one grows older—is a priority for many seniors. It offers familiarity, comfort, and the independence of staying in a prized environment. However, ensuring safety, wellness, and practicality requires thoughtful planning and alterations. Below are essential strategies to support seniors in safely aging in place while maintaining a high quality of life. Make Home Modifications for Accessibility and Safety Adapting a home to meet the evolving needs of an aging loved one is imperative. Certain modifications include: — Installing ...

Report: Ohio among worst states for women’s equality

Just a few days ago was the 105th anniversary of women being granted the right to vote in this country. Ohio was among the first states to ratify the 19th Amendment, twelve days after the U.S. Senate passed the amendment and set off the ratification process. Today, the Buckeye State isn’t faring so well in terms of equality for women, as WalletHub’s “Best and Worst States for Women’s Equality in 2025” ranks Ohio 41st. “Ensuring women’s equality requires more than simply giving men and women the same fundamental rights,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “States also ...

Best of luck to all of our local sports programs

Ready or not, here it comes. Another school year has arrived. Yes, already! Classrooms are open or are poised to open soon. Fall sports have started. Doesn’t it seem many of the non-football fall sports begin earlier and earlier each year? Remember when all schools did not start activities until after Labor Day? Now it is only the schools with students involved in the Canfield Fair — like West Branch and United Local — that start after the holiday. Our area teams kick the 2025 football season off this tonight with Leetonia at Vanlue and East Palestine at Shadyside. And, yes, ...

Don’t let scammers take your money

Across the country, scammers continue to find success — particularly with older residents and their families — with a seemingly endless supply of techniques for separating people from their hard-earned money. Among the latest efforts is a scam in which a person receives a phone call, email or text that says they need to pay a fine, but that they should do so with Bitcoin, a gift card or other virtual currency. And yes, the wording is confusing and aggressive enough that people continue to fall for these scams in droves. In Ohio alone, between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, ...

Phone sharing a bad idea

My wife’s cellphone went on the blink Monday. She skipped the first three stages of grief, went straight to depression and stayed there. “I can’t believe how bad I feel,” she said, “like I’m lost and alone on an island.” Feeling sorry for her, I uttered the five dumbest words ever said. “You can share my phone.” “No. You need your phone,” Honey replied. “No I don’t. Nobody ever calls me.” I made her keep my phone and I went down to work in the garden. Twenty minutes later she drove down in her car. “Tim called but I didn’t know how to ...

Politicians again dragging feet on a significant issue

Give them a hot-button topic that doesn’t actually affect the lives of ordinary people and politicians will waste no time hopping on and digging in. But when the issue is something of great significance to the rest of us — individuals and their employers — they drag their feet. That is the case with permitting reform. Last time it got any serious traction in Washington, D.C., former U.S. Sen. Joe Machin was leading the charge on the Energy Permitting Reform Act. Now, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is bringing lawmakers’ attention back to the matter in the hope that ...