One for the Books: Documented cases of abuse
- Mary Louise Ruehr. Much of our discourse today is about the Epstein Files and the abuse of minors. I turned to several memoirs to learn the facts from actual victims. Caution: There’s no fiction here.
Opinion
Rooted Ramblings: Sowing seeds indoors and in the garden
- Master Gardener Volunteers. Planting seeds, indoors or outdoors, creates the right environment for dormancy to break and new life to begin. Watching a seed sprout feels like magic. Starting seeds indoors is a rewarding, inexpensive way to grow hundreds of healthy transplants and get a head start on the gardening season.
Round Two: The time I interviewed the legendary Lou Holtz
- Tom Hardesty. When I heard the news earlier this week that Lou Holtz had passed away at the age of 89, my mind immediately drifted back to a spring evening 32 years ago.
Been There, Done That: My 'solid' plan for weight loss
- Laura Nethken. I always have a plan, no matter what we're talking about: yard sale shopping, grocery shopping, paying bills, even losing weight. I want to get into better shape. I'm going to try to do in my 60s what I haven't been able to do my entire life— get rid of these "thunder thighs" as my brothers so aptly named them.
Around Brimfield: Many ways to help feed your neighbors
- Shirley Mars. For over 45 years, the spirit of neighborliness has been alive and well in our community, as residents wholeheartedly lent support to the Brimfield Community Cupboard and created a legacy of caring for our own.
Baker: Cages and keys
- Kathy Baker. My words to you this month were inspired by the following quote, written in the fourteenth century by the great Persian poet and mystic, Hafez: “The small man builds cages for everyone he knows. While the sage, who has to duck her head when the moon is low, keeps dropping keys all night long for the beautiful, rowdy prisoners.”
From the publisher: Fraud is a real problem
- Ben Wolford. At least once a week and sometimes more often than that I receive an email or a call from a reader telling me they need to update their credit card because it was stolen or hacked.
Op-ed: Poverty in plain sight
- Op-Ed Contributor. Talking about poverty is not easy. Not because it is unimportant — not when tens of millions of Americans live in poverty’s vice grip. Talking about it makes us uncomfortable because it forces us to confront hard questions about fairness, responsibility, and whether the systems we have built are working.
Letter to the editor: Don't create a government file on our schoolchildren
- Letter to the editor. Kent’s board of education is considering an issue that should alarm district residents as well as good people across Ohio. Board members are studying whether to oppose a benign-sounding but actually pernicious piece of legislation in Columbus: Ohio House Bill 42.
One for the Books: Retelling Greek legends
- Mary Louise Ruehr. Myths are among the world’s oldest stories, and the Greeks had some fantastic tales. These were usually based on the deeds of the gods, who were often mean and sometimes downright horrible. There are plenty of modern retellings of the stories, and I found these three particularly fun.
Around Randolph: Imagining futures
- Sandy Engle. Last fall, a tragic incident at Waterloo High School left Chastity grief-stricken. She contacted Representative Heidi Workman, who calmly listened to Chastity’s concerns. Now, Heidi and Chastity frequently converse regarding ways to help teens be more resilient and by engaging in service work Chastity has rediscovered joy!
Rooted Ramblings: To prune or not to prune? That is... not the question!
- Master Gardener Volunteers. Many homeowners do not know when or how to prune— so they don’t. Not pruning is a big mistake. We may think it is wrong to remove healthy growth, but just the opposite is true. If you want to minimize disease and insect pressure during the growing season without pesticides, then proper pruning is a must. But what is proper pruning? Let’s explore the when, why, and how of pruning.
Letter to the editor: Remembering Jerry Lewis
- Letter to the editor. Thank you to The Portager (and Kent State Today) for the sad news of Jerry Lewis’s passing. Many in the Kent community knew Jerry as a colleague as well as for his tireless work documenting and preserving a record of the shooting by members of the Ohio National Guard on May 4th, 1970. I also knew him as a friend.
Around Windham: Daylight Saving Time coming soon, and spring events with it
- Nicole Sweet. The Village of Windham is looking for vendors for the farmers' market at the Windham Community Building, from 5 to 7 p.m. every third Thursday, February through April. Local food and craft vendors wanted. Call 330-646-9361 for more information.
Around Edinburg: Don't miss baseball and softball signup
- Cathy Klein. Music Boosters for Southeast Pirates will be holding a Night at the Races fundraiser at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, to be held at the Immaculate Conception Parish at 409 W. Main St., Ravenna.
Ohio Outdoors: Nutty for squirrels
- Julie Watson. Since February is the month when we celebrate Groundhog Day, I thought I’d write my column about squirrels. Now, I know what you’re thinking: Is she off her nut?
Around Garrettsville: Community events finalized for 2026
- Jackie Loreta-Rinearson. The Sip n Shop on Main Street committee is busy preparing for this year’s event, which is set for July 25. The event runs from 2 to 7 p.m.
Senior Life: When to think about assisted living
- Sally Kelly. When is it time to give up living at home alone? A national organization suggests that you look at yourself (or a friend or family member) in terms of these four things which are happening or changing in your life.