Columnist: ‘Be proud, be grateful and defend it’

October 23, 2022

During his recent speaking appearance at Grove City College, syndicated conservative political columnist Jonah Goldberg began by stating he wasn’t expecting to talk about Donald Trump. That is, until he arrived and realized his lecture was promoted with the title “Conservatism in the Age of Trump.” He didn’t shy away from the topic, but he did limit his comments about the former president. “I’m not a big fan of Trump, Trump’s not a big fan of mine,” he said. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who regularly reads Goldberg’s political columns on Mondays ...

Raise many questions, but do it responsibly

October 16, 2022

I grew up with an unending inquisitiveness that almost certainly drove my teachers, my parents and my big brother crazy. I never blindly accepted things I was taught. Instead, I always questioned how someone had drawn conclusions that were being taught to us. That inquisitiveness led me to pursue a journalism career. We ask questions, we dig for answers, and we don’t always accept what we are told. If a fact is independently verifiable, we do just that. So that’s why sometimes I understand the public’s need for further confirmation on things they hear or read in the ...

How local news helps make America great

October 9, 2022

We ran an editorial early last week lauding the important job that local media plays in society. The piece was written as part of National Newspaper Week. Granted, we realize we aren’t the only industry or special interest to hold its own personal celebration. But while many of those special weeks are intended for fun, I believe National Newspaper Week creates an important opportunity to remind readers about what we provide and the critical information, news and entertainment that readers of local newspapers like this one simply cannot easily receive in one, well-organized ...

Discourse, debate needed to inform voters

October 2, 2022

Ohioans overwhelmingly want candidates for the state’s top political posts to face off in one-on-one debates. I’m one of them. A recent USA TODAY Network Ohio / Suffolk University poll determined about 84 percent of likely Ohio voters said candidates for Ohio governor and U.S. Senate should debate one other. Only 10 percent said these candidates should not debate, according to the new poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. And the strong support for debates spanned across age, gender and political party. I’m disappointed that Gov. Mike ...

Fall brings lots of newspaper events

September 25, 2022

Somehow, summer ended last week, and at my house, we almost immediately started sleeping with the windows open again. And in a little more than two weeks, early voting will begin in the election that we’ve been hearing about and contemplating for more than a year now. Here’s a friendly reminder: If you plan to vote in the upcoming Nov. 8 General Election, you have until Oct. 11 to register. Visit your local elections board office or go to their websites. In my business, September and October bring our usual process of interviewing political candidates who are seeking local ...

Just one more reason not to drive drunk

September 18, 2022

By a 5-to-2 decision, the Ohio Supreme Court this week ruled against an Ohio man and ordered the forfeiture of his $31,000 pickup truck after his third drunken driving conviction. James O’Malley of Medina County had fought to keep his 2014 Chevrolet Silverado after a Medina County Municipal Court judge found him guilty of an OVI arrest on the Fourth of July, 2018. It was O’Malley’s third OVI in 10 years. On Thursday, the high court said the fine and forfeiture, in fact, was not too excessive and did not violate O’Malley’s constitutional right against excessive fines. He ...