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Broke Wife, Big City… Everything is cold and dead and stupid and I hate it, By Aprill Brandon
I’ve been sitting in this coffee shop for exactly 46 minutes now. And
yes, I see you over there, Annoying Hovering Couple with that dual
stink eye you’ve been giving me for the last 17 of these 46 minutes in
the hopes I might feel pressured to hurry up and finish my business
here so you can have my table. But the joke is on you. Because I can’t
think of any...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… I’ll sit in the sinkhole tonight, honey,
By Aprill Brandon
You want to know what true love is? Volunteering to sit in the couch
sinkhole after a long day of work and raising kids so your equally
tired partner can sit on “the good side” while you watch Netflix. Wait,
what? Oh, is that just in our house? You guys don’t all have a couch
sinkhole? Well, in that case, let me explain to all you fancy folk with
your houses full of...
read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! What You Can Do to Improve Your
Mental Health
1/8/2018 - With the start of each new year, people commonly vow to
improve their physical health, including diet, nutrition and exercise.
While this is a vital measure to take, it is equally important to
resolve to improve one’s mental and emotional heath as well. A healthy
mind is fundamental to a person’s overall well-being, regardless of
age. Our... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Kid(not)napped, By Aprill
Brandon
Funny title, huh? Ha-ha! HA-HA-HA! Oh yeah, LAUGH IT UP, CHUCKLES. My
entire life is ruined but I’m glad YOU find it so hilarious. Oh man.
Wow. Sorry, you guys. That was uncalled for. It’s just, I’m exhausted,
you know? From all the not sleeping my oldest is doing. I knew this day
would come. I mean, he’s almost 4-years-old. He napped longer than a
lot of... read
more.
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Start Talking... Know! Family Support for Prevention
1/4/2018 -- Research Institute has identified 40 developmental assets
for adolescents; a specific set of skills, experiences, relationships
and behaviors that help young people flourish and mature into
successful and contributing adults. Studies of more than five million
children of all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds consistently
show that the more developmental assets... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Back off, fellas, I’m taken,
By Aprill Brandon
I am a crappy wife. I mean, I’d hate being married to me. I’m a remote
hog and an unabashed blanket stealer and I have to let you know in
great detail EVERY SINGLE FEELING I AM FEELING AT THE EXACT MOMENT I AM
FEELING IT. And then there’s my temper. My lethargic attitude regarding
shaving. My severe allergy to replacing toilet paper...
read
more.
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Without
an Anchor, By Kate Burch
I read this morning a headline about the cratering sales of “organic”
milk. At first, I thought it a positive sign that perhaps people
had begun to wake up to the fact that paying a premium for so-called
organic foods is a waste of money and comparable to buying a purse with
a designer logo so that one may be perceived as somehow special or
superior to others... read
more.
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Cogitating
about 2018, By Bob Robinson
When I was young and stupid I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I
grew up. I thought I wanted to be a bomber pilot like my dad, but I
didn’t play with planes. Or bombs. When I was in junior high I spent my
time publishing a monthly community newspaper that I charged a penny an
issue for. It even included miniature photos that I pasted in place to
go with... read
more.
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Commissioner Mike Stegall… A New Year, New Beginnings, and Broken
Resolutions
2017 is about to expire, and as most of us do, we look back on the past
year. We look back hopefully so we do not make the same mistakes
we made, and to remember what we did well that will help in the
future. Overall, I think things went very well in 2017, and I
have no complaints as to what transpired, nor do I have many
regrets. This was certainly a year of change and...
read
more.
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Commissioners’ Corner… Merry Christmas
2 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from
Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing
was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to
be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from
Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of
David... read
more.
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Christmas
Fun, By Susan Olling
I’ve been trying to ignore the news. So, let’s take a couple
of leisurely drives to enjoy some Christmas cheer. A
twenty-two-year old tradition in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania occurs on the
second Friday in December: the Tuba Carol Fest in front of the
Gettysburg Hotel. Despite the name, all low bass horns are found
in this choir We first attended several years ago...
read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! New Year, New Rules – Cell Phone
Agreement
12/12/2017 -- The New Year is always a good time to hit the reset
button and establish any new rules you may need. When it comes to our
kids and their phones, this may especially apply as we learn the
potential connection between smartphone use and depressed and suicidal
teens. Social media can be accessed through a variety of digital
devices, but the smartphone is the tool tweens...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Stop. You’re missing Christmas.,
By Aprill Brandon
I can’t believe Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is right around the
corner. Seems like it was only Halloween yesterday. Oh, but how I love
this time of year. Everything is just better, just shinier, this time
of year. Cozied up in pajamas under a blanket, drinking a mug of
something hot, watching holiday specials. Happy sigh. It all begins
now. Although... read
more.
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Ramblings of an Old Man… They say I’m a celebrity, By
Bob Robinson
The next time you hear someone say “The Golden Years,” you have my
permission to knock their blocks off! Well… not literally. Just tell
them: “You wait. You’ll get there, too!” I have to take naps whenever I
can, especially on the weekends. I have this buzzing in my ears that
drives me nuts at times. My hearing is pretty much relegated to
artificial enhance... read
more.
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Start Talking!... Know! Social Media is Bringing Our Teens
Down
12/4/2017 -- According to data released by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, there was a 33 percent increase in the number
of teens experiencing depression, a 23 percent rise in teen suicide
attempts, and a 31 percent surge in the number of teens who died by
suicide in the five years between 2010 to 2015. The National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline Foundation says suicide...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… The Great Grilled Cheese Meltdown of 2017,
By Aprill Brandon
Maybe it was because my husband has been swamped with work lately. Or
maybe it was because we couldn’t find a babysitter so I could join him
at a company Christmas party for a few glorious kid-free hours. Or
hell, maybe because it was Tuesday...I think it was Tuesday...but
really it doesn’t matter if it WAS Tuesday because the demands of
motherhood... read
more.
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First
Friday Good for Business, By Ethan Coppess, Edison State
Communications student
First Friday is a day for people with small business in Greenville that
don’t have a store front or a good place to advertise their business.
They line up along Broadway from the former AAA to Montage Café. They
line up and advertise what they have to give. There can be plenty of
stuff, from a small soccer stand all the way to a small petting zoo.
Amy... read
more.
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Prairie
Days, Days for Remembering, By Ethan Coppess, Edison State
Communications student
Prairie Day in Greenville, has had an amazing turnout and it is only
growing. This is an amazing event for kids of all ages and their
parents and grandparents. It is a day for kids to come and see how
people used to live back in the late 1700’s. Prairie Days provides
plenty of activities and fun games for kids to play to keep them
interested. They have a... read
more.
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Commissioner’s Corner… A Year to be Thankful For
November has come and gone for 2017. This was a very good November
weather wise, for most of the month it felt like early October. Now
that Thanksgiving is over, the next 30 days starts the big Holiday
season for retailers, manufacturers, and for most people. We hope the
weather continues to co-operate! November is the month when we start... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! How To Reduce Holiday Stress
11/28/2017 -- The holidays are meant to be a joy-filled season of
gathering with friends and relatives, enjoying festive lights and
music, exchanging goodies and giving generously. However, when time and
money are stretched, relationships are strained and expectations are
not met, what is meant to be a time of celebration may become a time of
overwhelming stress, leading many to turn to unhealthy...
read
more.
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Inside Higher Education... Net Neutrality Rollback Concerns Colleges,
By Lindsay McKenzie
The creation of internet fast lanes could come at a high cost to higher
education, experts on technology and learning warn. -- November 29,
2017 -- Last week the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission
published his plan to dismantle Obama-era regulations protecting "net
neutrality" -- the idea that all web content should be treated equally
by internet service providers. Under the FCC proposal...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… There’s always tomorrow, By
Aprill Brandon
I have never wanted to star in a reality TV show. I have happily
hate-watched enough of them to ever wish that kind of scrutiny on
myself. Imagine my surprise, then, when I had kids and suddenly
realized I was one. Every day of my life now is pretty much the kids
binge-watching their favorite reality show, “Keeping Up With Momma’s
Sanity.” Followed by the spin... read
more.
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A
Call to Reform Undergraduate Education, By Colleen
Flaherty
November 30, 2017 - Major study by American Academy of Arts and
Sciences seeks change in curriculum and assessment, commitment to
funding public higher education, new ideas about the faculty role, and
more. American Academy of Arts and Sciences. What was once a challenge
of quantity in American undergraduate education is increasingly a
challenge of... read
more.
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Tips
to Being a Successful Student, By Carl Brown, GHS
Assistant Principal
Over the years I have occasion to have conversations with friends that
are parents (many of them educators themselves) discussing what makes a
child a successful student. Throughout those conversations we
have had, I believe we have identified a few key factors that make
students successful. We were able to look back at our study... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Stupider things, By Aprill
Brandon
Here is the thing they never tell you about being a parent (or at least
not in an official pamphlet form): Once you get to a certain point,
past the “oh god, I just really need both of us to survive this” stage,
you will spend the majority of your parenting time arguing. Arguing
about very stupid things. For example, say you buy your small child a
sprinkled donut. Because... read
more.
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Start
Talking – Drug Prevention Resources for Schools
The number of reported drug-related incidents in school and drug use by
school-aged kids has risen sharply this school year. We encourage
you to take some proactive steps to help curb any drug activity that
may be occurring at your school. The Start Talking! initiative
was created to assist parents, educators, and community members in
talking to students... read
more.
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NPR… Hey, New Teachers, It's OK To Cry In Your
Car, Meg Anderson
Like many first-year teachers, Luisana Regidor has a lot on her mind.
There are lesson plans to write and papers to grade as well as a dozen
other things: evaluations, observations, fundraisers, class trips. It's
overwhelming. "Last Wednesday, I left here and I got in my car and I
just cried," says Regidor, who teaches U.S. history at Schurz High... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! To Keep It Safe this Holiday Season –
Adults and Alcohol
11/16/2017 - The holiday season is upon us, which means more adults
will consume alcoholic drinks and in higher quantities. This time of
year also puts more people on the roads, as they travel to see family
and friends, near and far. It makes sense, then, that this season
becomes one of the most dangerous times of the year for alcohol-related
accidents and... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… What I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving,
By Aprill Brandon
I don’t know about you guys but, for me, this has been one doozy of a
year. Trying to juggle two small children and marriage and jobs and
deadlines and ever-rising bills and the tattered remains of my social
life, all while being chronically sleep deprived and all while the
outside world appears to be crumbling around us, has taken its toll.
I’m tired, ya’ll. And... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! What’s Hidden in Plain Sight – Part II
11/7/2017 - This Know! Tip reveals some of the tools and tactics teens
may use to hide drug use. If you suspect your child is using drugs, you
should contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662- HELP (4357). Hidden in
Plain Sight is a substance misuse awareness program for parents and
other... read
more.
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Diminishing
Returns, By Kate Burch
I have lived in the same medium-size rust-belt city almost all of my
life, and I have been amazed to observe, over the last couple of
decades, the growth of the physical structures of the area’s two
universities. Along with the remarkable enlargement of these
facilities has been an increase in amenities and improved
esthetics. And this has happened concurrently...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… How to get your kids to eat Thanksgiving
dinner, By Aprill Brandon
I have mentioned many times in this particular column of mine that I
love Thanksgiving. The holiday that asks nothing of you besides
gluttony and drunkenness. I don’t even mind that I’m now the one in
charge of the cooking, because in the end it all leads to the gluttony
and drunkenness. Plus, I found a recipe for deep-fried stuffing balls
that has... read
more.
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“Jesus
Wept” By Will McCabe
I believe those are the two most powerful words in the entire Bible.
Yes, that’s a big claim, but that’s because of the context and what
those words mean. See, when we look at John 11:35, the shortest verse
in the Bible, we sometimes overlook what it means for Jesus to weep.
First, let’s look back to the beginning of John 11. We learn about a
man named Lazarus who... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! The Big Sibling Effect!
10/30/2017 - There is a unique and special connection between siblings
that cannot be denied nor duplicated. They are both tormentors and
protectors; a source of teasing one moment, the greatest ally the next.
Siblings are also likely to be one and other’s longest-lasting
relationship. Four out of five Americans get to experience the growing
years with a... read
more.
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Commissioner’s Corner… The Holiday Season has begun
October seems to be the official start of the Holiday season, with
Halloween being the first big event of the fall season. October is also
the month that traditionally we try to manipulate time once again by
turning our clocks back. This year we turn them back in the first
weekend of November. This month in the Commissioner’s office we have
done a lot of tidying up of some Grant paperwork...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… No, YOU go gentle into that good night,
By Aprill Brandon
So, I’ve been thinking a lot about death lately. Oh, sorry. That might
be a bit too heavy of a sentence right off the bat. This is meant to be
a “humor” column, after all. Let me start over. Good morning! How are
you? I’m fantastic. My toddler had a meltdown inside a store and I
dropped a meatball on my baby’s face. But Starbucks is now selling
their... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! What’s Hidden in Plain Sight – Part I
10/23/2017 - This Know! Tip reveals some of the tools and tactics teens
may use to hide drug use. If you suspect your child is using drugs,
contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
National Helpline at 1-800-662- HELP (4357). Would you know if your
child was experimenting with or using drugs? Would...
read
more.
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Jesus
wasn’t Nice, By Will McCabe
Do you remember hearing from your parents to be nice if you wanted
gifts from Santa? How he discerns between those who are naughty and
nice? As a result, we are impressed early on with the notion that we
are supposed to be nice. But what if I told you that’s not Biblical?
Yeah, what if I told you that nowhere in the Bible are we asked to be
nice to one another? There... read
more.
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Are
We Having Fun Yet? By Kate Burch
In the early days of the flood of stories about Harvey Weinstein’s
sexual predation we read that fashion designer Donna Karan, an old
friend of the Weinsteins defended him, suggesting that some of the
young women he targeted might have been “asking for it” by dressing and
behaving seductively. She quickly was harassed and shamed into
apologizing for her remarks by accusations that she...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… It’s the season of the sick,
By Aprill Brandon
It’s almost Halloween, guys! The candy! The costumes! The cocktails!
And most importantly, the release of season two of “Stranger Things”!
Truly, it’s the best time of the year. Ahem... If you’re single.
But if you happen to be a parent, October really does live up to its
reputation as the scariest month (and not just because your kids won’t
let you binge... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! To Foster Empathy for Bullying
Prevention
10/18/2017 - In a previous tip, Know! The End of Bullying Begins With
YOU, we learned that in 2016, more than one in five students reported
being bullied. Regardless of what position a child is in - a target,
bully, or bystander – they are at an increased risk for a variety of
mental health and behavioral problems, including substance abuse. In
addition to positive... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! The End of Bullying Begins With YOU
October is Bullying Prevention Month - 10/11/2017 - Wondering why we
hear so much about bullying? Because there’s way too much of it going
on and it’s a huge problem for everyone involved. Students report
getting bullied most often because of looks, body shape, race and
sexual orientation. While every child is at risk for being the target... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… This is my face, By Aprill
Brandon
My son has spent approximately 1,277 days on this Earth. My daughter,
roughly 455. Counting the ones I took today, I have exactly 18 billion
photos of them. Oops. Sorry. 18 billion and one. They just did the
cutest thing, you guys. And they look amazing in every single one of
these photos, even including the newborn “Benjamin Button” ones. (No,
YOU’RE bias... read
more.
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As
the NFL Turns, By Susan Olling
I’ve been trying to ignore the continuing soap opera involving
NFL players, the NFL Commissioner, and the knee thing. However,
this drama seems to be everywhere. Since it’s been hard to
ignore, here are my two cents. It seems that somewhere in the mists of
time, the playing of Mr. Key’s little ditty, along with standing
while it’s played, became customary... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! How Your Parenting Style Measures Up
for Success
10/4/2017 - In a previous parent tip, Know! – What Kind of Parent Are
You? we broke down the four basic parenting styles. Based on the
descriptions, you were hopefully able to determine your overall
parenting style. Now is your chance to see how your parenting style
measures up for your child’s success. To review, the four basic
parenting... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Becoming human again, By
Aprill Brandon
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a married woman in
possession of a few children must be in want of a life. It took me 23
minutes to come up with that line. I regret nothing. My amazing
literary pun skills aside, I’m not kidding about that truth. Because we
do. Oh, how we do. We want (and need) a full life. Not that we moms
don’t live for our kids... read
more.
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Commissioner’s Corner… Medicaid funding to hurt counties statewide
The fall season has officially appeared. Although one wouldn’t have
known it the last week or so of September with temperatures in the
80’s. Now at the end things are more back to normal weather wise. It is
now starting to look and feel like fall with the temperatures, and
farmers starting to harvest beans and some corn. Sad to say, but it
won’t be long till winter rears its ugly head. This month... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Why does Hollywood keep breaking my heart?
By Aprill Brandon
I don’t remember the first time it happened. I’m sure I was young
though. Youth is the time when idol worship is at its peak. But I do
know that since then it has happened on a fairly regular basis and yet
I never grow any wiser. No matter how many times they rip my heart out
of my chest and stomp on it and then run over its tattered remains with
their super... read
more.
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Support
the MVCTC Levy, Jim Buchy
The Miami Valley Career Technology Center services 27 local school
districts across a nine county area. For almost 50 years
thousands of students have been educated there and are successful,
productive workers in the Miami Valley and beyond. There is a great
need for physical updates and infrastructure need for the
buildings. On November 7, the voters of the Miami Valley... read
more.
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Know!
To create an after school prevention plan
9/20/2017 -- Heading back to school is a time of transition, especially
for students entering middle or high school or students attending a new
school. Studies show that times of transition increase a child’s risk
for substance use. For some students it is the stress of having to
navigate through a new school building and seeing so many new faces;
for others it is the new or increased peer pressure to fit in and
belong... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… The difference between raising boys and
girls, By Aprill Brandon
Here’s a fun fact you might not know: Strangers love talking to
parents. I mean, LOVE it. Every time I leave my house with my kids, we
are bombarded by strangers who ask all kinds of totally appropriate
questions, like, “Are those gingers!? Carol, look, she’s got two
gingers!” and “How did YOU end up with redheads? You don’t have red
hair. Tell me your family’s... read
more.
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Toddler
Next Door, By Susan Olling
If every day’s a new adventure when you’re a toddler, according to Mr.
History, our little neighbor has been having quite a few
adventures. Oliver’s tall for his age: two-and-one-half but wears
clothing for four-year-olds. When he first started to make intelligible
sounds, Oliver learned to say “fork”. Well, he meant an eating
utensil. However, the “r” sound was missing...
read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! What Kind of a Parent Are You?
9/11/2017 - Did you know that depending on your parenting style, you
are likely increasing or decreasing your child’s odds for drinking,
smoking and using other drugs? In fact, your parenting style affects
everything from your child’s social skills and self-esteem to their
school performance and overall decision-making. A family’s parenting... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… (Kid)-free at last, (kid)-free at last,
By Aprill Brandon
Hey, do you guys remember what it was like before you had kids? Like,
what you used to do on a typical pre-spawn Saturday? What it felt like
to have a million hours stretched out in front of you where you could
do anything you wanted? And, most importantly, if candy tasted better
eaten out in the open instead of while huddled in a corner of a
locked... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! Social anxiety increases substance
abuse risk
9/6/2017 - Many adults are known to drink alcohol at social functions
to “loosen up” and feel more comfortable interacting with others. Well,
guess what? Many of our teens are doing the exact same thing. It is
often referred to as “liquid courage” because, after a few drinks, a
person may no longer feel afraid to get out there and dance, to ask out
a love... read
more.
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St. Marys School… Easing into the School Year,
By Kathy Ayette
Hard to believe that summer vacation is now just a pleasant memory and
we are already in our third week of school. I should add
the third loooong week of school. We eased into the year with two
four-day weeks. Normally I complain about four-day weeks.
Yes, I can hear your gasps. The reason I really don’t like
four-day weeks is that most of the programs...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Putting a bird on brunch, By
Aprill Brandon
You know how people are afraid of turning a street corner and suddenly
realizing they are in the “bad” part of town? Or walking into a bar and
seeing that’s it’s filled with bikers and ruffians? Well, I have the
opposite fear. My fear is walking into a new place and realizing with
horror that it’s fancy. That they don’t have bartenders, they have
“mixologists.” That the... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! The Middle School Challenges and
Changes
8/28/2017 - The first day of middle school has come and gone. While
your child’s initial fears of navigating the hallways, using the
combination lock and finding someone to sit with at lunch may be
officially behind her, it doesn’t mean she’s got a peaceful, easy
feeling about the rest of her middle school experience. And as a
parent, you must know... read
more.
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Football,
By Susan Olling
It’s that time of year again. Yes, when normally sane-looking
people have to make a pilgrimage to the nearest television or stadium
to watch a football game. Why? During a hotel stay recently, last
year’s Buckeye Nut U. vs. Ann Arbor Tech game was being repeated.
This Buckeye Nut U. alumna, who went to most of the home games during
her time at The... read
more.
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Bucket
Lists, By Bob Robinson
Several years ago – actually many more than I’d like to remember – a
young lady I mentored while editor at The Advocate, and her Ball State
roommate – met my wife, Susan, and me at the Great Darke County Fair.
She and her roommate had a “bucket list” – ten things they were going
to eat before the night was over. I don’t remember everything on the
list, but it was pretty extensive... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Oh, how time flies when you’re super annoyed,
By Aprill Brandon
I remember it like it was yesterday. But really it was this morning. I
think. It’s hard telling. When you’re the parent of small children,
roughly one thousand things happen between now and 30 minutes ago. Most
of them involving bodily fluids. So, time is fluid, to say the least.
(Shut up, I’m writing this on two hours sleep). Awful puns aside, the
other day I was... read
more.
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Commissioners’ Corner… More on MCO, CORSA and MARCS
August is gone and with it the official end of summer. That means
schools are back in session, High School football is in full swing,
swimming pools will be closing soon, and the weather will slowly get
cooler and less humid. It is hard to believe that this year is 2/3rds
gone already! This month is always a little slower than the others
because... read
more.
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Start Talking… Know! Transition Increases Risk
8/21/2017 - While there is much excitement about the start of a new
school year, there may be much apprehension and anxiety as well. This
may be especially so for youth entering their first year of middle or
high school, and for adolescents of any age transitioning to a new
school (because of a move or several other reasons). The thought of
unfamiliar... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… A funny thing happened on the way to New
Hampshire,
By Aprill Brandon - Family vacations are a funny thing. Essentially all
you are doing is taking a group of people who are together all the time
and plopping them down… Hi! Um...hi… Where was I? Oh yes, and plopping
them down into a new location. But this simple act of geography change
can… Hello! Uh...hello? That was weird. Anyway, as I was saying, this
simple act of taking you... read
more.
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Prioritizing
Education As the New School Year Begins
It’s hard to believe, but another school term has begun. With summer
winding down and more school buses on the streets, students all across
Ohio are entering the classroom again or beginning a new chapter in
their educational journey. College students and those in vocational or
tech schools are also gearing up for a new school year. As state
legislators, one... read
more.
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The
Great Darke County Fair… Nothing else holds a candle, By
Bob Robinson
Rain or shine, excited or tired, happy or grumpy… we see it all at the
annual Great Darke County Fair. What I find so fascinating about this
annual 9-day event, is the bringing together and hard work of so many
diverse populations. Happy, grumpy or otherwise. There are local
vendors and those who travel the county fair circuits, offering
everything from... read
more.
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The Drug Epidemic… This Could Work! By Kate Burch
Probably no one above the age of ten is unaware that we are in the
midst of a “heroin epidemic.” That is actually a misnomer, as
heroin is no longer the most dangerous drug of abuse. Fentanyl, a
highly potent opioid, and the drug that killed the performer Prince, is
now the most circulated and most abused addictive drug. Its
derivative, carfentanil, is... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! The Trending Online Suicide Game:
Blue Whale Challenge
8/9/2017 -- There’s yet another online trend catching the attention of
tweens and teens around the world. It’s called the Blue Whale
Challenge. But unlike some of the fun, harmless challenges we’ve seen
in the past, the Blue Whale Challenge poses dire consequences. To win
this game is to take one’s own life. This social media game that is
being accessed through Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… It’s time we had the talk, By
Aprill Brandon
Hey. Hi. How are you doing? Busy? Yeah, me too. But if you have a
minute, could you come over here? *pats couch* Oh, you’d rather stay
there? Sure, no problem. We can just do this right here in the kitchen
then. Look, I know this won’t be easy. But it’s time. We’ve put this
off for long enough. I know, I know. I’ve been dreading it too.
But...sigh... We... read
more.
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The
legacy we leave to our kids, By Bob Robinson
Remember Art Linkletter’s “Kids Say the Darndest Things”? I thought the
comments were hilarious… or maybe it was just the looks Linkletter
panned for the camera. Don’t know… I just know I laughed a lot. The
show has been gone for decades; it’s been replaced by Internet
offerings from dozens of different sources. I checked some of them out.
Hmm… With only a few... read
more.
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Microsoft’s
Plan to Expand Broadband Would Benefit Rural Americans,
Alden Abbott - August 07, 2017 - The growth of “broadband” (or high
speed) internet access has bestowed enormous benefits on the American
economy. Roughly 300 million Americans have access to
broadband—increasingly on mobile devices—which enables them to buy and
sell goods and services; carry out business transactions; connect with
clients, friends, and relatives; and obtain...
read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! Body Image Matters
8/1/2017 - Summer is a season of sleeveless tops, shorts and bathing
suits, so what better time than now to talk with youth about their body
image. Body Image is the way individuals think and feel about their own
body, as well as how they perceive others to think and feel about their
appearance. Heavily influenced by family, friends and media, one’s... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… What My Kids Did On My Summer Vacation,
By Aprill Brandon
Hey! Hi! How are you?! We are Aprill’s kids! And we want to tell you
all about what we did on our summer vacation. This summer was great! We
did so many fun things! And we did all those fun things for roughly an
hour and 15 minutes before having dual marathon meltdowns! Mommy said
this was because when we get overstimulated we turn into evil swamp... read
more.
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Darke County Commissioners… Perspective: Dispatch/9-1-1 Emergency
Services
In the last few months, there has been a tremendous amount of
misleading information concerning the proposal and the operation of the
dispatch/9-1-1 emergency service that was discussed between the County
and the City. During this time, there have been many opinions formed
based upon half information, tidbits of fact, and emotions... read
more.
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