Columns

It’s extremely painful to watch a governor attack the pillars of diversity, inclusion and equity. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s campaign slogan in which he firmly stands is, “This is where ‘woke’ comes to die.”

Before there was Jimmy Hoffa, before there was even Amelia Earhart, another VIP vanished without a trace. He was a household name to your grandparents, and his disappearance remains New York City’s oldest unsolved missing persons case.

Leaving aside all the sometimes legitimate and sometimes illegitimate responses from defenders of former President Donald Trump following his indictment by a New York grand jury, there is something that would have made all the difference for the 45th president had he focused on it as his top priority, rather than himself.

Suddenly, it seems, people once considered invincible — beyond the law, untouchable, immune — are being held accountable for their actions.

Our latest car repair put a $1,200 dent in our budget. Adding insult to injury, when the husband picked up the car, he opened the door to smell it reeked of cigarette smoke. The console, seats and floors were littered with cigarillo butts, ashes, cracker crumbs and debris.

For 364 days a year, Americans scoff at lies. We don’t want to hear them. We don’t want to say them. We want everyone to be as honest as the day is long.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month. The Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Allen, Auglaize, and Hardin Counties funds vital treatment and prevention services in our local communities. Residents can find help right here, including for alcohol use.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month recognizes the importance of families, people and organizations working together to prevent child abuse and neglect. In 2022, Allen County Children Services investigated more than 900 reports of abuse and neglect.

With the observance of Easter upon us, many people often take this time to enjoy treasured films that commemorate this season such as “The Passion of the Christ” and “Son of God.” “The Ten Commandments,” although it specifically focuses on the Old Testament story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, has traditionally been shown on television during Easter weekend, and I loved watching it as a kid with my mother and grandmother.

While there are many signs as I age that tell me how much time has passed, the one that seems to happen with the greatest frequency is when I hear of the passing of the sports figures that I followed as a child in the late 1950s and early ‘60s.