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Non-use of seat belts can be a grave error

Seat belts. For the vast majority of us, putting on a seat belt when entering the car is second nature. But for some, apparently, the act remains optional — and that’s leading to fatal results. In Ohio over the Fourth of July weekend, 10 people died in car crashes, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Of those 10 fatalities, six were not wearing seat belts.  The issue goes deeper. According to the Columbus Dispatch, during the Fourth of July weekend troopers issued 2,286 seat belt and child safety seat violations. How is that possible in 2025? The problem is not isolated ...

Outbreaks of measles continues over summer

Though an outbreak in Ohio appears to have subsided since the spring, outbreaks of measles are still popping up all over the country. The summer break does not seem to have slowed the spread of this dangerous disease. Canada and Mexico are experiencing thousands of cases (and some deaths), too. Most recently, Kentucky has announced its first measles outbreak of the year, with four cases in Fayette and Woodford counties. That brings the total in Kentucky to seven. In the U.S., the total number of confirmed cases this year sits at 1,267 — just shy of the 30-year high. Arizona, Colorado, ...

Much to be done

Son Worshrag and his wife Busy Bee came home for a week’s visit over the July 4th holiday, so of course I put them to work, because there is much to be done. Besides, they offered. They worked with me to hoe the tomatoes and corn in my garden. They picked blueberries, the first picking of the summer. Worsh and I hauled a king-sized bed, and split and hauled two big trailer loads of firewood from the massive white oak that fell across our driveway and utility lines back in May. I’m close to getting that project cleaned up and off my to-do list, with of course much help from our ...

Wildlife species making returns back to Ohio

Since the mid 19th Century, Ohio has been a relatively bear-free state. Humans drove out the black bears 150 or so years ago, and they’ve been considered rare and an endangered species here ever since. That might be changing, however, as researchers are beginning to see black bears naturally expand their range back into our state. Recently, a female black bear was captured and fitted with a GPS collar in Ashtabula County. It will be the first time such study is possible for a female, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. “Researchers using the location information ...

We should all understand why we celebrate July 4th

As Americans celebrate the anniversary of the adoption of our Declaration of Independence, it is important to take a hard look at why such a day is worth celebrating, nearly 250 years later. After all, the date has been a federal holiday only since 1870 — the heart of the Reconstruction Era, when lawmakers saw the value in finding ways in which Americans could be united in their celebration. (Christmas and New Year’s Day become federal holidays that year, too.) But since the beginning, there have been certain truths worth fighting for here — foremost among them that all men are ...

Celebrating the birthday of the finest nation in the world

“The second day of July, 1776 will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.” — John Adams to his wife, written in 1776. Resolution for independence from the British ...