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It’s now end of the road for little diner that could

LIGONIER, Pennsylvania — All that remained of Ruthie’s Diner on Jan. 21 was charred, ice-encased rubble — the aftermath of firefighters’ desperate efforts to extinguish the blaze that ultimately consumed the modest eatery, which for more than 70 years had served locals and the travelers, anglers and hunters heading east along the Lincoln Highway. Several locals pulled into the parking lot and simply stared, at a loss for words as they watched a community mainstay reduced to charred ruins, thin smoke still rising from the ashes. Ruthie’s was the kind of place where everyone ...

Blame higher home costs on intrusive governments

Home prices keep rising. One reason is that today’s houses are bigger. Buyers now want more rooms, washers and dryers and air-conditioning. But even if you adjust for the improvements, houses cost more today. Why? Politicians blame big companies like Blackstone, Invitation Homes and JPMorgan because they’ve been buying thousands of homes. “It’s troubling,” says Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., that homes are bought “not by families who want to live in them, but by speculators who want to use them to generate financial returns.” “It’s shameful,” agrees ...

Orchids & onions

ßORCHID: To organizers and participants in last week’s Polar Plunge in Mosquito Lake for raising about $30,000 for Special Olympics Ohio. About 80 brave souls dove into the frigid waters to get their chill of a lifetime while freezin’ for a reason. The event, one of many statewide, was organized by the Ohio State Moose Association, and Minnie’s Moose Crew led all teams this year by raising nearly $16,000. That team’s No. 1 performance indeed was appropriate in honor of Hermina “Minnie” Wolfe who rose to the stature of queen of the plunge, having participated in it for more ...

Celebrate, observe one full century of Black History Month

2026 has dawned as a momentous red-letter year for American history. As most know by now, the United States already has launched America250, its supersized patriotic bash to commemorate its 250th anniversary as a proud independent nation. What far fewer of us recognize, however, is that another proud cultural phenomenon literally seeped in history will mark its milestone 100th anniversary this weekend on Feb. 1. That observance, of course, is Black History Month. The roots of Black History Month date to 1926, when revered Dr. Carter G. Woodson and his Association for the Study of ...

The wrong narrative

If you follow what presents itself as “reporting” these days ,you have likely heard about a 5-year-old boy in Minneapolis who was used as “bait” to get his father, who had abandoned him, to return so he could be arrested. Some claimed the child had been “kidnapped” by ICE. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) rushed to the cameras to promote the “bait” and “kidnapped” narrative. Hillary Clinton said ICE was using children as “pawns,” and Kamala Harris also repeated the “bait” label. The women on “The View” echoed the same theme. Their talking points were ...

Every aspect of Epstein scandal must be probed

Of course, Bill Clinton should cooperate with any investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking of underage girls. The suggestion that Democrats would shield a former president from questions that might tarnish his legacy speaks ill of Democrats. This concerns a criminal enterprise, not bad-boy behavior. Democrats siding with the pursuit of justice should be commended. Nine of them joined Republicans on the House Oversight Committee in voting to hold Clinton in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify. Committee Chair Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) then gave Clinton two weeks to ...