|
The views expressed on this page
are soley
those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the views
of County
News Online
|
U.S.
Senator Sherrod Brown… Protecting
Consumers from the Dangers of Powdered Caffeine
In May, Dennis and Kate Stiner faced a tragedy that no parent should
have to endure. Their son Logan – a student athlete at Keystone High
School in LaGrange, who planned on attending the University of Toledo
this fall – died from ingesting too much powdered caffeine three days
before his high school graduation. Since then, the Stiners have become
courageous advocates for consumer safety so that no other…
read
more.
|
|
State Representative Jim
Buchy… Ohio
Legislature Backs
Innovative Program to Help Local Governments
- A few years ago Ohio’s economy was on a downward spiral, our credit
rating was downgraded and our state was in a fiscal mess.
When
Governor Kasich took office we balanced the budget which required
making up for an $8 billion dollar budget hole; and we did it without
raising taxes. Making difficult decisions was necessary at
this
time. As the economy went down…
read
more.
|
Broke Wife, Big City… Oh
my gourd, she murdered a pumpkin,
By Aprill Brandon
I was 33 when I murdered and mutilated the dead body of my first
pumpkin. I know. I know. How did I ever manage to make it this far in
my life without committing veggiecide? I mean, ripping out the slimy
entrails of innocent gourds is practically a rite of passage in this
country. Even kindergartners are handed a knife and told to stab a
pumpkin in the face. Well, it’s a long story, kids. One that I’m
probably going…
read
more.
|
The White House... An
Ebola update from an NIH medical expert
Dr. Anthony Fauci, infectious disease chief at the National Institutes
of Health (NIH), recently sat down to share an update on Ebola. He
spoke about the measures the Administration is taking to respond to
Ebola cases at home, while containing the epidemic at its source in
West Africa. Speaking from his office at the NIH headquarters in
Bethesda, MD, Dr. Fauci stressed that Ebola is not an easily…
read
more.
|
Ohio
Republican Party… Greetings!
Update from
Chairman Matt Borges
9 Days until Election Day! Our team is working hard to get our
Republican leaders elected. On Saturday we had over 620 volunteers
reaching out to voters across every one of our 88 counties. Over 30,000
doors were knocked and more than 31,820 phone calls were made. That's a
solid start to our final Get Out the Vote push. Thank you to everyone
that participated. The next nine days we must work even…
read
more.
|
State Representative Jim
Buchy… Review
of the Law
Enforcement Study Committee
As I travel west central Ohio, I continue to hear concerns about the
growing drug problem in our region—and how it is affecting the entire
state. I have always been in favor of fighting drugs because
they
tear our families apart and cripple the workforce. That is why I
traveled the state this summer to learn more about this problem and the
obstacles that slow law enforcement’s ability to respond…
read
more.
|
State Representative
Richard Adams… Battling
Breast
Cancer and Raising Awareness
I hope this October, you’ve been able to join with others across the
nation to honor, remember and reflect on the brave individuals who have
battled, and are currently battling, breast cancer. First established
in 1985, the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign seeks to
generate attention for the disease and raise funds for research on its
prevention, treatment, and…
read
more.
|
U.S. Representative
Boehner… Solving
Our Spending
Problem is the Key to Saving Medicare
This time of year, many seniors in our area have questions about
Medicare, as Medicare Open Enrollment is from now until December
7. That’s why my office stands ready to assist any
constituents
who may have questions about the Medicare Open Enrollment period or are
experiencing issues with receiving benefits. For more
information
about services available to seniors in Ohio’s Eighth Congressional
District…
read
more.
|
Darke County Senior Scribe… It’s that time
of year… again! By Lois Wilson
Once again Senior Scribe Poet Laureate Lois Wilson is on top of the
season with her insightful look at the important events of the day.
This time it’s politics. Wilson offers two poems, each addressing a
different look at the ludicrous antics of the political process. First
there’s the eternal Pelosi, who is often remembered (not so fondly) for
her famous statement: “We’ll know what’s in the bill when we pass it.”
Then there’s the winsome…
read
more.
|
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown… Ending
Veterans' Homelessness in Ohio
In gratitude for their courage and sacrifice for our nation, my office
helps U.S. veterans access their medical and disability benefits and
the overdue or replacement medals that they have earned for their
military service. At a ceremony at the Hamilton County Courthouse in
Cincinnati last week – where I had the honor of presenting a Vietnam
War veteran with seven medals…
read
more.
|
Excesses,
new and old, in political campaigns,
By Jim Surber
Recent bantering in online comments about the huge amounts spent in
modern Presidential campaigns got me to thinking. Is our spending on
this unprecedented? I decided to do a little research, to learn how our
ancestors dealt with this event, and was surprised at what I found. In
the early years of the republic, gentlemen would be asked by other
elite leaders to "stand" for political office, and the candidate's
commonly-acknowledged…
read
more.
|
Broke
Wife, Big City… Do
your ears hang low? By
Aprill Brandon
When I was a kid, I had a penpal. Even better, it was a FOREIGN penpal.
Every day after school, I'd run to the mailbox, quivering with
anticipation, to see whether Penelope's letter had arrived from exotic
Canada (where they put gravy on their French fries ... GRAVY). In fact,
there were days I was so excited, I'd sit outside and actually wait for
the mailman to come. Unfortunately, as I grew older, my enthusiasm…
read
more.
|
Ohio
Republican Party… Greetings!
Matt Borges
Editor’s Note: Borges recently attended the Darke County Republican Pig
Roast. 16 days until Election Day! There is no time to let
up.
The Democratic turnout the vote machine is in full swing and we must
surpass them. Ohio's unemployment rate fell to 5.6% in September, down
from 7.4% this time last year. It was only four short years ago that
unemployment was skyrocketing and Ohio's future was on unsteady…
read
more.
|
|
From
the Other Side of the Edge…. Political Witch Doctors, …doing
the Ebola
“Heap Good Medicine” Dance,
By Joe Facinoli - No disrespect to Native American medical
“practitioners”, of a time long ago, but even those guys would have a
better chance at curing Ebola, and tending for those inflicted with it,
than what we’ve got going for us, …today. With a full spiritual
commitment to their purposeful rituals and dances, and their artfully
crafted, songful cadences of hypnotic…
read
more.
|
|
State
Representative Jim Buchy… Continued Interest in Reducing
Nutrient
Loading in Ohio Waterways
- Lake Erie covers almost 10,000 square miles and serves as a source of
pride for the State of Ohio. Acting as the north coast of
Ohio,
this lake is a natural landmark known throughout North America and
beyond. Keeping the water in the lake potable and healthy is
an
important task that all Ohioans should be a part of. Lake Erie is a
major source of tourism in the…
read
more.
|
|
U.S.
Representative John Boehner… Travel Ban Should Be Considered
by
President as Ebola Crisis Worsens
- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- “Our hearts go out to the health care workers who
have contracted the Ebola virus here in the United States, as well as
those who have been impacted by it around the globe. We pray
for
their speedy recovery, and we pray for those who are helping to treat
and care for these individuals, including our medical experts and
military personnel who…
read
more.
|
Little
Pictures, By Mona Lease
Hi, all!! Ok readers - Hands up - how many of you remember hearing not
to borrow trouble - it will come soon enough on its own? I think
trouble is here. I think we are trying to treat a "symptom" and the
disease (if you will) goes unchecked. Remember our local school board
wanting to pass a new levy a few years ago now? It failed the first two
or three times. Now it's passed. Remember the president of the school
board resigning and telling…
read
more.
|
|
U.S.
Senator Sherrod Brown… Enforcing
Trade Laws to Boost Exports and
Support Ohio Businesses
-- When I travel across Ohio, I hear from business owners who have
successfully expanded their companies, created jobs, and sold their
products in foreign markets. In 2013, Ohio exports totaled a
record-breaking $50.8 billion. To quantify that, every $1 billion in
exports supports nearly 5,000 domestic jobs. And in Ohio, more than one
quarter of our state's manufacturing jobs rely on exports. Last week, I
joined…
read
more.
|
Broke
Wife, Big City… Mommies
don’t get sick days,
By Aprill Brandon
I regret a lot of things. The fringe vest I wore for my seventh grade
school photo. That time I asked for a “pixie haircut” and instead spent
half of my junior year in college walking around with a mullet. Pretty
much all of 2004. I even regret things I haven’t done yet, like when I
finally finish this six pound burrito sitting right beside me. I’m
going to eat it all. I know this. I’m going to hate myself for eating
it all. I know this. And yet…
read
more.
|
U.S.
Senator Sherrod Brown… Preventing
the Spread of Ebola in the
United States
Over the last few weeks, we have heard a lot about the Ebola virus. The
stories from Africa are heartbreaking – countries with limited
resources are fighting to contain the disease and in many cases it is
spreading faster than it can be controlled. In Liberia, Ebola cases are
doubling every 15-20 days, with a million cases possible in western
Africa by the end of the year if the current trends continue…
read
more.
|
|
From
the Other Side of the Edge…. Ebola: Just more of the
Politics of
NonSense,
By Joe Facinoli - It’s always about the “Spin” today. First,
last, and always, …it’s about how something can be “Spun”, to best
political advantage. No matter who gets hurt, nor how many people might
be negatively affected, …even if thousands of those people (or more)
eventually die. It’s always about how the individuals charged with
running things, the governments they belong…
read
more.
|
State
Representative Jim Buchy… Sound Money Management of Public
Dollars
When I was sworn in as a State Representative the first time around, I
made it clear to my constituents that sound money management would be a
focus of my time in the legislature. Today, I continue to
work
for better handling of public moneys because taxpayers worked hard to
earn that money. In west central Ohio, we have some of the best locally
elected officials and they are good stewards…
read
more.
|
The
White House… One
American's perspective
I watched the President speak about the economy earlier today -- maybe
you did, too. He talked about how, even though we've rebounded from
recession faster than almost every other advanced nation, we've still
got a lot of work to do when it comes to rebuilding the middle class.
It's easy to hear that and ask yourself, "What does the President mean
when he talks about…
read
more.
|
Ohio Republican Party… Portman
works for Senate control
Today is the last day to register to vote in Ohio and early voting
starts tomorrow! As we fight to keep Ohio's comeback going, I
wanted to make sure you knew about Senator Portman's efforts, not only
in Ohio, but to take back the United States Senate.
Republicans
have our best chance in a long time to take back the Senate and begin
implementing reforms like we've seen in…
read
more.
|
U.S.
Representative John Boehner… Steps at the VA are Just the
Beginning
Hearing directly from veterans in our own region on the veterans’
benefit claims backlog is what led to my pressing the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) for answers and accountability years
ago.
Our veterans deserve nothing less. What we eventually uncovered were
full-blown systemic problems at the VA. I know I’m not alone in how
outraged I was by the horror stories, and we’re not going to let up
until the issues at the VA are finally resolved…
read
more.
|
U.S.
Senator Sherrod Brown… Investing
in Ohio Manufacturing and
Innovation
In Ohio, and across the United States, manufacturing is helping to lead
our economic recovery. Manufacturing has a larger multiplier effect
than any other industry. For every $1.00 spent in manufacturing,
another $1.48 is added to the economy. Ohio manufacturers are some of
the most competitive in the world and workers are innovating right on
the shop floor. To make manufacturing's recovery permanent, we must
support American…
read
more.
|
The
White House… I
may never get to stand on the podium
It was New Year's Eve in 2009 when my helmet saved my life. Training
for the Winter Olympics in Utah, I was at the top of competitive
snowboarding when I suffered a life-threatening traumatic brain injury
that I'm still recovering from to this day. And while I can never
snowboard competitively again, I hope to be a voice for the millions of
Americans who grapple with diseases of the brain. Until my injury, I
didn't spend too much time…
read
more.
|
|
From
the Other Side of the Edge….. but We’re all Going to Die from
Ebola,
…anyway,
By Joe Facinoli - We have, very clearly in my estimation, lost our path
as a nation, and a society. The proof of
that, is all
around us, …in abundance. We should be celebrating life, in and about
this glorious country, and our wondrous good fortune, at having been
born in the midst of all the amazing opportunities it presents. Instead
of being drawn into all the fretful, sickening, and deceitful situations…
read
more.
|
Commissioners
Corner... Summer’s
over… enjoy the fall weather and
events
As the month of September comes to a close, we are reminded that colder
weather is just around the corner. This has certainly been a nice cool
spring and summer, and if the Farmer’s Almanac is correct, we are in
for a cold, snowy winter. But for now, let’s enjoy the fall
colors, the cooler weather, all the High School sports…
read
more.
|
State
Senator Bill Beagle… Changing
the Face of Manufacturing in Ohio
If someone asked you to name a career that was innovative and
challenging, in a precise and highly advanced field, what industry
comes to mind? If you answered manufacturing, you’d be right. October
is the third annual “Ohio Manufacturing Month” and October 3 is
“National Manufacturing Day,” and here in the Miami Valley we take this
opportunity to celebrate those working in this growing industry. The
days of dark and dirty manufacturing jobs…
read
more.
|
Representative
Jim Buchy… Shelby
County: A Place Filled with
Opportunity
West central Ohio is the best place in the world to live, work and rear
a family. I am fortunate that our local papers print
Statehouse
Updates, but often we forget to talk about how great our local
communities are. For the past few months I have periodically
focused a column on the unique characteristics that make each county in
western Ohio the best place to live, work and rear a family…
read
more.
|
To
see Archives
for
the Previous
Month's Opinion...
click
here
|
