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Brenda J. Linert

Gavel rampage, lack of decorum get national spotlight

We chalked up one more national black eye last week, this one thanks to our increasingly infamous Trumbull County commissioners. In a light-hearted story, I normally would describe as a “fun read” about out-of-control gaveling at public meetings, The Wall Street Journal (yes, that’s correct) last week carried the story “Unruly Times Spark Ruckus of Gaveling.” The story weaved through examples of incivility occurring with seemingly increased frequency in local government. The article by WSJ reporter Jacob Gershman started out enjoyably with a tale about a ...

New way to follow local HS, college football

The sun will set tonight at 7:52 p.m. Last Tuesday, in fact, was the last time the sun will set after 8 p.m. until sometime next spring. Many of us are starting to sleep with the windows open at night, and I recently began donning a hoodie for my nightly walks with my beagle, Max. Pumpkin spice lattes are available. Gone are the days of strawberry picking photos on these news pages. In fact, it’s only a matter of weeks until we are publishing photos of pumpkin patches. Soon we will be raking fallen leaves and then moving the snow blower from the back of the shed to the ...

We will keep swinging at the curveballs

In my newsroom, we take whatever pitch is thrown at us each day and we swing at it. Whether we connect with a bunt single or a home run, it’s always our goal to report accurately and balanced. Unfortunately, in the starkly divided society in which we now live, our readers — and even our sources — don’t always see it that way. As a result, we often are thrown curve- balls. I suspect politicians do that hoping to shield themselves from realities we will report. It’s no secret the news media has been challenged in covering state Rep. Mike Loychik, R-Bazetta. Some of those ...

Difficulty that comes with ‘selling memories’

My husband, the self-proclaimed minimalist, is a pro at finding things in the shed or the basement or the garage or even my home’s mud room closet to toss out. Problem is, those things usually belong to me or our kids — but rarely to him. When I suggested earlier this spring that we ...

Don’t believe everything on social media

Been dizzy lately? Some naysayers and social media surfers might argue there’s good reason for that. You see, the Earth is spinning faster, and the days are getting shorter. Multiple reports from reputable media outlets quoting legitimate news sources indicate that, indeed, the Earth is spinning faster. On June 29, in fact, the Earth recorded its shortest day ever — a full 1.59 millisecond less than the average day. A millisecond is one-thousandth of a second. For comparison, normal length of a day on Earth is 86,400 seconds. However, since 2016, Earth’s rotation has ...

Newspapering as I can only imagine

With the assistance of a clattering contraption rarely still found, a small-town Colorado newspaper, the Saguache Crescent, produces its weekly publication for its handful of readers. The newspaper has been in business since 1867, but has been using its current method of typesetting — the Linotype — since 1921. That’s when the machine and also its current printing press were purchased by the Coombs family, who still operates the tiny operation. In fact, Dean Coombs, 70, remains there today as the publication’s publisher, editor and, well, the only employee. Apparently, the ...