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Bridge by Steve Becker for July 21

Assume you’re in six clubs and West leads a heart. If you were a relative beginner, you might estimate your chances of making the slam at 50%. You would reason that there was a 50-50 chance that West was dealt the king of diamonds, in which case finessing dummy’s queen would land the slam half the time. But if you were a more experienced player, you would view your chances much more optimistically; in fact, you might even raise them to about 90%. You’d be aware of other possibilities beyond relying solely on finding West with the king of diamonds. You’d win the heart lead ...

Are Ohio’s fireflies fading?

On warm summer nights in Ohio, few sights feel more familiar than fireflies blinking over lawns, gardens and fields. When those flashes seem fewer than they once were, many residents wonder whether lightning bugs are disappearing. The answer, however, is nuanced. Ohio State University ...

Summer bagworms hide in plain sight

Bill and I stopped to wash the car, when I noticed some junipers full of bagworms. Many mistake them for pine cones, but they’re actually a type of moth (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis) that plagues many conifers, trees and shrubs. Larvae appear in May and June, from the bag where the eggs ...

Valley Grows Calendar

Here are upcoming gardening events through the Ohio State University Extension Office. For more information and a complete list, contact: • OSU Mahoning County Extension Office, 490 S. Broad St., Canfield. 330-533-5538. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. • OSU Trumbull County Extension Office, 520 W. Main St. Suite 1, Cortland. 330-638-6783. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Plant and Pest Clinic You can submit your questions by calling the Mahoning County office at 330-533-5538 or emailing us at ...

DEAR ANNIE: Sister feels drained by always being available

DEAR ANNIE: My younger sister has always been the “fun one” in our family. She breezes in late with a bottle of wine and a funny story, and somehow everyone forgives her before she has even taken off her coat. She forgets birthdays, cancels plans at the last minute and borrows money she never seems to pay back. My parents still smile and say, “That’s just how she is.” I, on the other hand, have become the family’s unpaid manager. I am the one who takes my mother to her doctor’s appointments, makes sure my father’s prescriptions are filled, hosts Thanksgiving and ...

HINTS FROM HELOISE: Beware of knock-off toothbrush

DEAR HELOISE: I recently found out something that I think should be shared with your readers. You printed a letter from a person who had a hint about allowing your electric toothbrush head to spin around for a few seconds after you rinse it so that it’d dry out faster. When I tried it, I noticed that the head I had on my toothbrush didn’t spin around. Turns out, it was a cheap knock-off brand, and little did I know, some of these just vibrate for effect and don’t rotate or do a very good job of cleaning your teeth! So, I went back to the original, name-brand electric toothbrush ...