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How are things on the farm?

The best answer I can give is, “busy.” My sister Col. Peggy attends Rotary Club meetings early Tuesday mornings in Weirton. She said her Rotary friends often ask her, “How are things on the farm?” She thought it was worth an answer, and deputized me to deliver that answer, so a week from now I’ll be trying to do so in the space of 20 minutes, which I know, being a former Rotarian myself, is about all the time I’ll get. I sat down to outline my speech and immediately saw problems. If I begin with the Miller family history on this farm, and tell how 3X Great-grandfather ...

Rulli foe’s ballot wins heighten her profile for voters

Jullie Kelley, the lone Republican challenging U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli in the GOP primary for the latter’s congressional seat, has two victories over the incumbent’s campaign in the past few weeks. But wins in front of the Stark County Board of Elections and the Ohio Supreme Court to remain on the ballot is unlikely to translate into success for Kelley during the May 5 Republican primary. It’s understandable that Rulli of Salem, a congressman since winning a special June 2024 election for the 6th District seat, would want to avoid a Republican primary though realistically his ...

Inspired by my time spent in Columbiana

I never thought two days in Columbiana would be so inspirational. The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and Columbiana Area Chamber of Commerce held their first signature event since executing an affiliation agreement this year. It was the 73rd annual Harvey Awards, named for Harvey Samuel Firestone, the prominent American industrialist and the founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. The event was held at The Barn at Firestone Farms. The very place where Mr. Firestone grew up. The very place where Firestone, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford would frequently camp out and discuss ...

A refrigerator tragedy in three acts

The twists and turns in the fates of our refrigerators last week are worthy of a Greek tragedy. So here goes: “Whurl Poole,” a play in three acts. The setting: The royal Miller Dome, palatial home of King Frederick, his wife Queen Honey and several lazy grandsons. Valued in their household is Whurl Poole, a half-human servant demigod with the magical power to cool food, keeping it fresh. Six years ago, new and strong, Whurl Poole had displaced loyal, long-serving Kevin Ator. He still had the cooling magic, but because he was old and shabby the Queen sent him to the ...

Ramaswamy proposes Ohio universities consolidation

Asked about his goal to eliminate the state’s income tax, Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican front-runner for governor, proposed consolidating Ohio’s universities. It was a curious response. Ramaswamy said: “The reason (eliminating the income tax is) possible is that you look at certain areas of excess spending where we can not just cut costs, but improve effectiveness. Look at the number of universities in our state. I love the universities in Ohio. I want us to have the best universities. But we have too many of them. They need to be consolidated. And when you consolidate them, ...

Back to the bricks

Two weeks ago, part of an old brick structure which once housed a five-and-dime store on Wellsville’s Main Street collapsed onto an accountant’s office next door. When I read the news my soul ached with desire. I want those bricks. All of them. Loyal readers of this column know that the 1,500-foot driveway to my house is paved with bricks, nearly all obtained free from local demolition sites; “free” if you don’t count the cost of my time, labor, and gas for the pickup truck. Why shouldn’t Wellsville’s five-and-dime bricks find an honored place in my road amongst those ...