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The views
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News Online
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Life with Levi… Lambie’s
bad luck, By Amanda Rodeheffer-Olson,
Assistant Editor
It happened. The one thing that Mommy and Daddy had been dreading. Levi
puked on Lambie. The most depressing thing was that Mommy was just
getting ready to put Lambie into the Lamb Protection Program and
relocate him/her/it to a safer location (like Mommy and Daddy’s
closet). But alas, Mommy was not quick enough. It all started Friday
evening when Mommy and Levi both started to show symptoms of a cold.
And when I say cold…
read
more.
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Commissioners Corner… Budget
time again, courthouse remodeling almost complete
April has certainly lived up to the phrase, “April showers” this
year. April has continued to hold onto wintery weather, along
with ample amounts of rain for the month. Although, the rain has been
appreciated, it has delayed our farmers from doing work in the
fields. We need a good week for things to dry out, along with
warmer temperatures, for our agri- business people to start their heavy
work for the year…
read
more.
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From the Other Side of the Edge…The “Cry Baby”-in-Chief,
By
Joe Facinoli
So,….he finally lost one. But I guess that 158 to one, just ain’t quite
good enough for our President, now is it? Of the people, by the people,
and for the people,….eh?? Not so fast
there
“Constitution Lips”, that’s only if it’s HIS way, thank you very much.
Yeah, the Prez lost a big one last week, and man, is he ever a poor
loser!! You’d have thought that someone had gone and cut up all his
favorite blue ties, bent all his Calloway golf clubs in half, and made…
read
more.
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GAO
says ‘Thumbs Up’… The
F-35
fighter jet – Protecting American freedom and Ohio jobs
By Harry Prestanski - A recent report by the Government Accountability
Office (GAO), an independent, non-partisan arm of Congress, held good
news for the American servicemen and women tasked with protecting our
freedom in hostile skies. The new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter,
the
most advanced jet fighter the world has ever seen, is on track and
making exceptional progress toward the day when all branches of the
U.S. military can feature this cutting-edge… read
more.
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U.S.
Senator Sherrod Brown…Equal
Pay
for Equal Work
As parents, we all want our daughters to have the same opportunities as
our sons. As a father of two girls, I'm tired of seeing Ohio women lose
$16 billion in income each year because they still don't earn equal pay
for an equal day's work. Ohioans work hard and hard work deserves fair
pay, regardless of gender. Yet, according to a new report from the
National Partnership for Women & Families, Ohio women who are
employed full time are paid just 77… read
more.
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Commentary…An Amazing Night,
By Sharon
Hopper
April 23, 2013–I went to a concert last night presented by the
Tabernacle Christian Center featuring Brad Lazadda. I happened to read
in the paper that this man was going to do a concert and normally I do
not really pay much attention to most of the gospel concerts at
churches. But this one got my attention when the article said that he
had sung in 28 countries, and performed in all 50 states. So I marked
my calendar and told my husband we were going… read
more.
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Broke
Wife, Big City… Spring
Cleaning
for Lazy Dummies, By Aprill Brandon
Guys. Guys. GUYS. Spring officially arrived this week. And not that
manic-depressive spring we've been having that's been
passive-aggressively toying with our emotions because it wasn't hugged
enough as a child by Father Winter. No, I'm talking about happily
hopped up on pills and booze spring. Or at least it has in my neck of
the woods. Sunny, breezy, mid-60's perfect spring. For the first time
in SIX MONTHS I was able to open… read
more.
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Life
with Levi… Stay
little,
By Amanda Rodeheffer-Olson, Assistant Editor
To most, last Tuesday, April 16th was just another day. And
to
me, it really didn’t hold much significance at first glance.
But
once I stopped for a minute and thought about it, it finally hit me.
Last Tuesday, April 16th was exactly one month before Levi’s second
birthday. I know, I’m probably being overly dramatic. But for a new (or
newer) Mommy like me, it was a big deal! Levi has only celebrated one
birthday so far, so it’s not exactly a… read
more.
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State
Representative Jim Buchy… Cutting
Taxes for Ohioans—Long Overdue
In 1983, shortly after I started my first term in the Ohio House of
Representatives, Governor Dick Celeste proposed a biennial budget that
made an income tax hike permanent and increased government
spending. At that time the legislature was made up of a
majority
of Democrats in the House and in the Senate who went along with
Governor Celeste’s tax increase. As a result Ohio’s economy
has
struggled since and many young people have followed a trail… read
more.
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Apparently, big government isn’t
always bad,
By Jim Surber
When some things leave you scratching your head, you can usually learn
from them. One of our nation’s largest continuing debates has been
whether government involvement in business is good or bad. At the risk
of oversimplification, one side professes to limit government’s role
for the benefit of the people, while the other side maintains that the
same objective is accomplished with more government involvement. An
event of the… read
more.
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U.S.
Congressman John Boehner...Carrying
on in the American Spirit
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester)
released the following column: “With the tragedies in Boston and West,
Texas, that took the lives of a number of our fellow Americans, the
week of April 14th was a difficult time for the country. My
heart
goes out to the victims. Thankfully, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports
that no runners or spectators from the Tri-State area were harmed in
Boston. “Meanwhile, in the nation’s capital… read
more.
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From the Other Side of the Edge…The
End of Innocence, By Joe Facinoli
When did the Innocence end? Was it at the finish line in Boston?
September 11, 2001? Earlier? When??? Was there one, single event or
time, when the innocence of this country simply disappeared? Or did it
gradually drift away from us, under the weight of too many gut
wrenching shocks, and mind numbing tragedies, for us to endure? Did it
happen on November 22, 1963? On that sunswept street in Dallas, when
the cheering stopped, ….so suddenly? Or… read
more.
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The
President's Remarks...Preventing
Gun Violence
A few months ago, in response to too many tragedies -- including the
shootings of a United States Congresswoman, Gabby Giffords, who's here
today, and the murder of 20 innocent schoolchildren and their teachers
-- this country took up the cause of protecting more of our people from
gun violence. Families that know unspeakable grief summoned the courage
to petition their elected leaders -- not just to honor the memory of
their children, but to protect… read
more.
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U.S.
Congressman John Boehner… A
Fairer, Simpler Tax Code will Create Jobs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester)
released the following column discussing comprehensive tax reform:
“Every morning, one of the first things I do is check Facebook on my
iPad to see what people are posting. One graphic I noticed recently
shows a woman sitting at a computer asking ‘I wonder if I can claim
Uncle Sam as a dependent on my tax return this year?’ “There’s no
question that Americans continue… read
more.
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Life
with Levi… He
said yes!
By Amanda Rodeheffer-Olson, Assistant Editor
The wait is finally over. Levi said yes! He says it quite often,
too. And not always when he means it. It all started a couple
weeks ago. Everything was no, no, no, no, no. Then, one morning, he
woke up and just started saying yes. No rhyme or reason, just
yes. So finally, when I ask him if he’s hungry, he says yes.
If I
ask him if he wants water or a snack, he says yes. And if I ask him if
he’s ready to go night-night, he still says no. But it’s a step in… read
more.
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Ohio Republican Party...Greetings!
I want to give you a special update about an initiative
underway
at the Ohio Republican Party to expand our grassroots organization
through a new Coalitions Program.From elections for the White House to
Courthouse voters share their specific interests about important issues
that unite us. These key issues drive support for our Republican
candidates. And every election cycle both national and state campaigns
spend precious time and resources hastily recreating grassroots
outreach programs that... read
more. |
State
Representative Jim Buchy...How
the Proposed Budget Changes in the Legislative Process
In my time as a legislator, I have never voted for a budget identical
to the introduced version In the legislature, it is our job to
scrutinize bills and make considerations on the impact they will have
on the lives of Ohioans. Changing those bills is a normal process that
generally is guided by an attempt to gain broad support for
legislation. This is no different for the biennial budget, which can
change as many as six times from the introduced version before becoming
law.… read
more.
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From
the Other Side of the Edge….It’s
John Kennedy’s Fault, By Joe Facinoli
"......Don't let it be forgot, that once there was a
spot,
for one brief shining moment, known
as............Camelot." Who could ever forget it,.....or him?
If
you were alive then,......you will remember.
Always.
Camelot. That smile. That charisma and persona. That accent. That hair.
The sense of humor. Those bright and twinkling eyes. That wit, so
quick, so direct, so on point. Hyannis Port. The "Compound". Touch
football by the Cape. The endless family of… read
more.
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Did God make you?
By
Bob Robinson
It is a little after 2:30 and I’m leaving Greenville Junior High or
South, or 15 minutes later and I’m carefully leaving the high school
amongst what seems like hundreds of cars trying to fit through two
exits from the high school parking lot. Or it could be an hour later
and I’m getting ready to leave Woodland or East. I head to my next
“job” as Secretary for Greenville Eagles 2177. On a full sub day, it is
usually just a quick stop to drop off mail, get… read
more.
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U.S.
Senator Sherrod Brown…Providing
Ohio Workers with a Fair Wage
With too many Ohioans working harder than ever and barely getting by,
it’s well past time to raise the minimum wage in our country. Recently,
I visited four Ohio businesses that are supportive of an increase in
the federal minimum wage. These businesses and their owners know that
treating their employees right isn’t just good for them, it’s good for
business. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards
Act into law 75 years ago. This … read
more.
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Darke County Commissioner Mike Stegall… Hometown Opportunity
On Sunday April 7th, I was invited to the Marion Community Development
Organizations annual meeting held in Maria Stein at the American
Legion. This event was well attended, and two of the Mercer
County Commissioners attended as well. After the
meal was
served, the guest speaker was Jared Ebbing, the Mercer County Economic
Development Director. As a quick aside, I think that Darke and Mercer
County have two of the best Economic… read
more.
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Ohio
Republican Chairman Bob Bennett Update
Greetings! While Democrats in Washington are pushing for a $1-Trillion
tax increase and an unbalanced budget, the March jobs report was
another reminder that the Democrats have no plan for jobs. An analysis
by the Dayton Daily News found that Ohio's personal income rose at one
of the fastest rates in the nation last year. Perhaps this should be
another lesson for Ohio Democrats to stop opposing the Republican
reforms and growth friendly policies that are making Ohio a better
place for families to... read
more. |
Broke Wife, Big City… If
you
give a wife a mouse... By Aprill Brandon
For the past nine years, ever since I rescued my dog Buffy, I've been
in engaged in a never-ending battle with his fur. In fact, I have
suspicions that the fur is now asexually reproducing and has become
self-aware, which has lead to rogue hair armies that are slowly taking
over my house in an Alexander-the-Great-esque manner. But now, the
battle has just been taken to the next level. I'm not quite sure how it
managed it, but somehow… read
more.
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U.S. Senator Rob Portman… Weekly
Column: Our Right to Bear Arms
The United States Senate is likely to take up gun control legislation
later this month in response to the tragic school shooting in Newtown,
Connecticut. Unfortunately, the majority of the proposals
that
have surfaced would do nothing to prevent these types of horrific acts
of violence from happening in the future. They would,
however,
infringe on Second Amendment rights guaranteed by the Constitution. I
am a gun owner and avid hunter. Whether for… read
more.
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U.S. Representative John Boehner...Policies
Making it Harder for Americans to Find Work
WASHINGTON, D.C. – "After a long delay, the White House has announced
that President Obama will finally release his budget on April 10. So
far the preview we’re getting is not good. "With millions of American
families struggling in this weak economy, I had hoped that President
Obama would use this opportunity -- like President Clinton did -- to
work across the aisle and balance the budget. Sadly, media reports
indicate the president’s budget will not… read
more.
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From the Other Side of the Edge…A
Tale of Two Immigrants, By Joe Facinoli
My Grandfather Francesco came through Ellis Island in 1892, with his
three younger brothers, on his way to the “New World” from his beloved
Italy. He never went back, nor ever had a reason to. Having endured the
long and arduous Atlantic crossing, on a less than palatial vessel, he
was then faced with the interminably long lines and endless inspection
stations at this famous Port of Entry. Passing all
the
medical and physical tests, and having all his… read
more.
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State Representative Jim Buchy...Turnpike
Bonding Promises a Bright Future in Ohio
In a state like Ohio, where snow, ice and salt over time cause damage
to roadways, it is especially important that we try to stay on top of
our infrastructure needs. Governor Kasich recently signed into law a
bill that puts in place a plan to fund road projects in Ohio.House Bill
51 lays out Ohio’s transportation budget for the coming two years. A
big part of the bill involves using toll revenues collected from the
Ohio Turnpike to fund future infrastructure projects. The state will
use…
read
more.
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Broke
Wife, Big City… A
writer by any
other name, By Aprill Brandon
When I was in college, I once got into a fight with a boyfriend because
I said if we ever got married, I was keeping my maiden name. To him,
apparently this statement meant I was some sort of scary nutjob
closeted hippie feminist that ate pieces of the Constitution for
breakfast. But my reasoning was much more simple. My decision was
merely motivated by the fact that I'm the last one in my large extended
family that still has my biological…
read
more.
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Life
with Levi… A
not-so-hoppy Easter,
By Amanda Rodeheffer-Olson, Assistant Editor
All of last week, I was envisioning an Easter day filled with family,
laughter and lots of memories to hold on to until next year. But
unfortunately, all I got was a sick husband, a sick baby and a migraine
that just wouldn’t quit. So instead of heading to my Aunt Carolyn’s for
lunch, then my mother-in-law’s for an awesome Easter egg hunt, we all
stayed home in our sick little bubble so as not to infect all of the
healthy people that we love…
read
more.
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Commissioners
Corner… Economy
Kicking Along at
Good Pace
As this is written, Darke County has been officially in Spring for 5
days. Right now, there is 7 inches of snow on the ground, and
still falling! Hopefully, this is old man winter’s last gasp,
and
soon it will warm up and we can all enjoy the outdoors again.
This has not been a particularly hard winter in the County, but I am
sure all of us are ready for a steady dose of sunshine. This month has
been a mix once…
read
more.
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State Representative Jim Buchy...Freedom
to Make Our Own Healthcare Decisions
When President Obama forced government run healthcare through Congress
he started a multiple year process of steadily increasing the size of
government and increasing government spending. In west central Ohio,
there is a consensus that Obamacare is bad for our households and bad
for this country. Over the course of the past two years, I have joined
the fight a number of times to put a fork in President Obama’s plan.
Every step of the way I have maintained…
read
more.
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From the Other Side of the Edge...Arrogance
and Ignorance, Both Make Bad Law, By Joe
Facinoli
Marriage does not need to be defended. It is ingrained within the human
spirit, in our hearts, and deep inside our souls.
Marriage doesn’t need to be justified by law, although every state in
the U.S. has claimed that authority. It doesn’t need religion, either,
even though every organized church will claim it as their God given
“right” to bestow. And every high book of scripture, in every major
faith, carefully lists detailed instructions, requirements, and
rubrics, as to how…
read
more.
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