Every August when I was a kid, the stores in our town rolled their wares out onto the sidewalks and declared a sale for the Dog Days of Summer. Now that people are littering their lawns and porches with pumpkins, spiderwebs and skeletons, what do we call October — the (Black) Cat Days of ...

I’ve just completed another orbit around the sun and I’m getting well practiced at it. I’ve passed “go” more than 5 ½ dozen times so far. I did not get to collect $200, but on one of my previous trips I earned a Medicare card. It’s not quite the same as a get-out-of-jail-free ...

Why is it that no matter where I stood in the kitchen, that I was without fail right in front of the drawer Terry needed to open? Is that what marriage is about? I’ve been wondering about that and other great conundrums of life. Why? Because all that is required to be in a philosophical ...

When it was time to go, Uncle Ron waved and said, “See you in the funny papers.” Or if I told Uncle Tom, “See you later,” he’d reply, “Not if I see you first.” But if he did see me first, he’d call out, “Here comes trouble.” If we dropped in at a neighbor’s farm, ...

The children of Larry and Darla Slater are announcing their parents’ 50th anniversary. Larry Slater and the former Darla McMahon were married Aug. 2, 1975, in Leavittsburg. They have three children, Mandy (Brent) Boggs, Billy (Valerie) McMahon and Nicole (Dominic) Chiarella; and nine ...

Dennis and Carol Singley of Austintown are celebrating their 55th anniversary on June 7, 2025. Denny and the former Carol Harmon were married June 7, 1970, in Fowler. They have one son, Nathan, at home. After graduating from Warren Harding High School in 1963, Denny served his country for ...

John and Erin Stanik of Minerva and Ernest and Jean Savopoulos of Warren are announcing the engagement and upcoming marriage of their children, Dr. Jessica J. Stanik and Dr. John W. Savopoulos. The bride-elect is also the daughter of the late Connie Stanik. Dr. Stanik, a dentist, graduated ...

The families of Brandon D. Good Sr. and Jessica L. Valsi are announcing the couple’s engagement and approaching marriage. Jessica L. Valsi of Niles is the daughter of Robert S. Valsi of Niles and Charlotte Richards of Struthers. Parents of the groom-elect are Marcia J. Good and Ron D. Good, ...

Yesterday, the warm scents of apples, cinnamon and nutmeg were wafting from my kitchen. While the temperatures outside may not yet feel like fall, transparent apples are ready, and that means it’s time to can apple pie filling. If you’ve read my column for a while, I’ve written about ...

One of the loveliest spring-blooming trees on our property is the serviceberry, Amelanchier x grandiflora. It is a cultivar called “Autumn Brilliance,” a name that hints at its beauty in another season. Ours is a hybrid of the native serviceberries Downy and Allegheny, which would make it ...

We were looking for a quick escape from the winter chill when a friend and I decided to make the trip to the Cleveland Botanical Garden to check out its annual orchid show. “Love In Bloom” is the theme this year, and what a gorgeous feast of flowers for the winter-weary — 3,000 blooms ...

Here are upcoming gardening events through the Ohio State University Trumbull County Extension Office. Contact the extension office, 520 W. Main St., Suite 1, Cortland, at 330-638-6783. For a complete list of events, visit https://trumbull.osu.edu/. Learn About Growing Degree Days What: ...

I am going to write a daily diary for today, Sept. 22. First of all, Happy 6th Birthday to grandson Curtis. I left him a voicemail wishing him a happy birthday. I can already see him when his parents let him listen to it. Friday night was our monthly “Family night” at Ervin and Susan’s ...

DEAR HELOISE: I’m a retired senior citizen who became a widower about five years ago. It didn’t take me long to realize that I was a complete novice around the house, especially in the kitchen. Then I recalled that my wife often mentioned hints from your column, and this led to my becoming ...

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DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a generally healthy 73-year-old man. I recently had blood work done and was incidentally noted to have high liver tests (ALT and AST). My doctor ordered a sonogram, which said that my liver was “diffusely echogenic, consistent with fatty infiltration.” I used to have ...

As the air cools and the leaves turn, we find ourselves at the starting line of the holiday season. For me, Halloween is the kick-off, ushering us into a stretch of months filled with traditions, gatherings and the kind of memories that warm our hearts long after the tree is taken down and the ...

This week has been one of the hardest for me to put words together. Usually, I sit down to write whatever is sitting at the top of my mind. That’s my rhythm — it keeps things honest and real. But what’s been on my mind lately isn’t easy. In fact, I don’t even like it. Still, I believe ...

We’re nearing that season — you know the one. The sniffles start, cough drops appear in every bag and pocket, tissues are tucked in coat sleeves like contraband, and someone is inevitably knocked down by whatever bug is making the rounds. Cold and flu season has a way of humbling all of ...

Have you ever noticed that once you surpass the age of 35, there’s this unspoken rule that you’re no longer allowed to dance the way you used to in your teens and twenties? It’s as if somewhere along the way, society decided that grown-ups should trade in their carefree moves for small, ...

Comedian Bert Kreischer returns to the Covelli Centre on March 8, 2026. The bare-chested comedian sold out the Youngstown arena in 2022 on his The Bertie Boy Relapse Tour. Kreischer’s sixth Netflix special, “Lucky” in 2025, was one of the streaming service’s most-watched shows the ...

YOUNGSTOWN — John Mayer is a man of many guitars and many genres. There’s the sensitive singer-songwriter, the guy who’s had more than 20 adult contemporary hits. There’s the blues guitar wizard who attracts fellow musicians more likely to be wearing T-shirts repping their favorite ...

YOUNGSTOWN — John Mayer is a man of many guitars and many genres. There’s the sensitive singer-songwriter, the guy who’s had more than 20 adult contemporary hits. There’s the blues guitar wizard who attracts fellow musicians more likely to be wearing T-shirts repping their favorite ...

YOUNGSTOWN — Perfect weather greeted the first of two YLIVE concerts this weekend at Wean Park. The sun was shining and temperatures were still in the 70s as concertgoers entered the park Friday for a lineup featuring John Mayer, Charles Kelley from the band Lady A and regional act The ...