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A winter’s day walk to the spring

(From a vintage Dec. 28, 1991, Fred Miller column) We have chores at our house, but I like the winter chores at farmhouse better. There is coal and firewood to be brought in from out back of the toolshed, and drinking water to be carried up from the spring. Opening up the old coal grate fireplace in the living room was one of the best things my father did after moving our family back to the farm in the early 1960s. You need the wood to start the coal. Coal is harder to get started and dirtier than wood, but I think my Dad liked it because it can be banked with ashes at night and ...

Second Amendment bill stalls in the Ohio house

Despite opposition from police chiefs and county prosecutors organizations, a bill sponsored by state Rep. Mike Loychik to prohibit local and state law enforcement from enforcing federal firearms laws or regulations looked like it was going to pass the Ohio House this month. That was the consensus a few weeks ago. But things have significantly changed since then, and the bill finds itself in limbo largely because some of Loychik’s fellow Republicans have concerns about it. Called the Second Amendment Preservation Act, the bill was approved Nov. 15 along party lines by the Ohio House ...

Hope found in the season

There are good memories and bad ones near the holidays. Everyone doesn’t welcome the holiday time of year. But maybe it is a good time to evaluate self, to recognize who we are and why we are, and find hope. My mother was an optimist: “Let a smile be your umbrella.” “Every dark cloud has a silver lining.” “Count your blessings instead of your troubles.” “Someday, you will …” Yes, she was an encourager. She inspired hope. One long-ago Christmas the economy was bad. How would we provide Christmas for family? I bought four strings of multi-colored mini-lights and ...

Gadgets to help older adults carry on day-to-day functions

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. ——— Looking for a stocking stuffer for that aging friend or relative? ...

Cause and effect

In school we learn about cause and effect: What we do at one point will have impact at another point down the line. You can look at this in a negative way – choosing to do something you know has high risks, and you will receive your consequences (aka effects) of your actions. Or you can look at things from a positive point of view: What you have done hasn’t worked so you are willing to change your actions by making better choices and staying focused to get yourself to a better place. This can work for anyone, not just those folks who are in recovery. Or perhaps everyone at some ...

Race is on to replace Johnson in Congress

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson’s plan to resign his House seat in February or early March to become Youngstown State University president would open a safe Republican seat for which state Sen. Michael Rulli is seen as an early favorite. Rulli, R-Salem, filed a declaration of candidacy and created a campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission, which allows him to start raising money for the race. Rulli said Thursday he is scheduling a date and time for an official announcement. Dec. 20 is the deadline for candidates to file for the full two-year position on the March 19, 2024, ...