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News Online
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Crazy About Jesus, By Will McCabe
One day a student asked me in one of my high school classes, “Will, do
you live in your own little world?” She meant this as an insult, but
was surprised when I responded with, “yeah, and it’s a lot better than
the world here.” I immediately turned to one of my friends and started
talking as if nothing happened. Needless to say, that particular
student and I were not friends... read
more.
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Small Business Growth Puts Ohio on the Map for Doing Business
Every time we enter our corner coffee shop, purchase produce from our
local farmers market, or dine at our favorite hometown restaurant, it
becomes clear that small businesses are the backbone of our
communities. The growth of this sector stimulates our economy and
provides for individuals and families across the state. In 2017, Chief
Executive magazine announced... read
more.
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The
Fix Will Not Be Easy, By Kate Burch
No surprise that the people who want to take our stuff and control our
lives are at it with a vengeance in the wake of the St. Valentine’s Day
massacre in Florida. The demands range from better background
checks and restricting gun purchases to those age 21 and older (not
necessarily a bad idea, in my view, except for those with military
service or other legitimate and trained familiarity with weapons)... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… I’m telling my mom on you, By
Aprill Brandon
I like to think I’m a mature person. Mature-ish at the very least.
Especially since I became a mother. Because when the world hands you a
screaming, leaking lump of fragile human clay and expects you to keep
it alive for 18 years, you grow up a bit in spite of yourself. I can
now even say the word Uranus without giggling. Usually. But let me tell
you, the first... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! What’s Trending – the Laundry Pod
Challenge
2/6/2018 - If you are raising teenagers, you have no doubt heard of
some of the ridiculous internet challenges that exist among this age
group. While some of these new age “dares” are silly and harmless, many
more are dangerous and even deadly. One such dare currently trending is
called the ‘Tide Pod Challenge.’ It has nothing to do with... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Everyone deserves one thousand birthday hats,
By Aprill Brandon
Here’s an interesting question you’ve probably never been asked before:
Did you know it was possible to be bad at celebrating? Me neither. And
then I had kids. My children are awful at celebrating. Just terrible.
Holidays, birthdays, anniversaries. They’re hopeless. They’re even bad
at those faux holidays like National Talk Like A Pirate Day (you should
hear... read
more.
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Know!
To Educate and Rx-Proof Students
1/31/2018 - Aside from prescription drug abuse being illegal, it is
highly dangerous. Yet one in four high school students will use a
prescription medication for non-medical reasons at least once before
graduating. Youth say prescription drugs are easier to access than a
six-pack of beer. So where are students getting these prescription
meds? 64 percent of youth... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… To Whom It May Concern (yes, you),
By Aprill Brandon
I didn’t want it to have to come to this. No one ever does. Love means
never having to hire a lawyer. Or at least it should. But, alas, here
we are. It is indeed regrettable but unfortunately necessary at this
point. And so, it is with a heavy heart that I must inform you, dear
children, that you are in violation of our prenatal agreement.
Actually, you’ve both been in... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Everything is cold and dead and stupid and
I hate it, By Aprill Brandon
I’ve been sitting in this coffee shop for exactly 46 minutes now. And
yes, I see you over there, Annoying Hovering Couple with that dual
stink eye you’ve been giving me for the last 17 of these 46 minutes in
the hopes I might feel pressured to hurry up and finish my business
here so you can have my table. But the joke is on you. Because I can’t
think of any... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… I’ll sit in the sinkhole tonight, honey,
By Aprill Brandon
You want to know what true love is? Volunteering to sit in the couch
sinkhole after a long day of work and raising kids so your equally
tired partner can sit on “the good side” while you watch Netflix. Wait,
what? Oh, is that just in our house? You guys don’t all have a couch
sinkhole? Well, in that case, let me explain to all you fancy folk with
your houses full of... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! What You Can Do to Improve Your
Mental Health
1/8/2018 - With the start of each new year, people commonly vow to
improve their physical health, including diet, nutrition and exercise.
While this is a vital measure to take, it is equally important to
resolve to improve one’s mental and emotional heath as well. A healthy
mind is fundamental to a person’s overall well-being, regardless of
age. Our... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Kid(not)napped, By Aprill
Brandon
Funny title, huh? Ha-ha! HA-HA-HA! Oh yeah, LAUGH IT UP, CHUCKLES. My
entire life is ruined but I’m glad YOU find it so hilarious. Oh man.
Wow. Sorry, you guys. That was uncalled for. It’s just, I’m exhausted,
you know? From all the not sleeping my oldest is doing. I knew this day
would come. I mean, he’s almost 4-years-old. He napped longer than a
lot of... read
more.
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Start Talking... Know! Family Support for Prevention
1/4/2018 -- Research Institute has identified 40 developmental assets
for adolescents; a specific set of skills, experiences, relationships
and behaviors that help young people flourish and mature into
successful and contributing adults. Studies of more than five million
children of all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds consistently
show that the more developmental assets... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Back off, fellas, I’m taken,
By Aprill Brandon
I am a crappy wife. I mean, I’d hate being married to me. I’m a remote
hog and an unabashed blanket stealer and I have to let you know in
great detail EVERY SINGLE FEELING I AM FEELING AT THE EXACT MOMENT I AM
FEELING IT. And then there’s my temper. My lethargic attitude regarding
shaving. My severe allergy to replacing toilet paper...
read
more.
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Without
an Anchor, By Kate Burch
I read this morning a headline about the cratering sales of “organic”
milk. At first, I thought it a positive sign that perhaps people
had begun to wake up to the fact that paying a premium for so-called
organic foods is a waste of money and comparable to buying a purse with
a designer logo so that one may be perceived as somehow special or
superior to others... read
more.
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Cogitating
about 2018, By Bob Robinson
When I was young and stupid I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I
grew up. I thought I wanted to be a bomber pilot like my dad, but I
didn’t play with planes. Or bombs. When I was in junior high I spent my
time publishing a monthly community newspaper that I charged a penny an
issue for. It even included miniature photos that I pasted in place to
go with... read
more.
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Commissioner Mike Stegall… A New Year, New Beginnings, and Broken
Resolutions
2017 is about to expire, and as most of us do, we look back on the past
year. We look back hopefully so we do not make the same mistakes
we made, and to remember what we did well that will help in the
future. Overall, I think things went very well in 2017, and I
have no complaints as to what transpired, nor do I have many
regrets. This was certainly a year of change and...
read
more.
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Commissioners’ Corner… Merry Christmas
2 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from
Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing
was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to
be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from
Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of
David... read
more.
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Christmas
Fun, By Susan Olling
I’ve been trying to ignore the news. So, let’s take a couple
of leisurely drives to enjoy some Christmas cheer. A
twenty-two-year old tradition in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania occurs on the
second Friday in December: the Tuba Carol Fest in front of the
Gettysburg Hotel. Despite the name, all low bass horns are found
in this choir We first attended several years ago...
read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! New Year, New Rules – Cell Phone
Agreement
12/12/2017 -- The New Year is always a good time to hit the reset
button and establish any new rules you may need. When it comes to our
kids and their phones, this may especially apply as we learn the
potential connection between smartphone use and depressed and suicidal
teens. Social media can be accessed through a variety of digital
devices, but the smartphone is the tool tweens...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Stop. You’re missing Christmas.,
By Aprill Brandon
I can’t believe Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is right around the
corner. Seems like it was only Halloween yesterday. Oh, but how I love
this time of year. Everything is just better, just shinier, this time
of year. Cozied up in pajamas under a blanket, drinking a mug of
something hot, watching holiday specials. Happy sigh. It all begins
now. Although... read
more.
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Ramblings of an Old Man… They say I’m a celebrity, By
Bob Robinson
The next time you hear someone say “The Golden Years,” you have my
permission to knock their blocks off! Well… not literally. Just tell
them: “You wait. You’ll get there, too!” I have to take naps whenever I
can, especially on the weekends. I have this buzzing in my ears that
drives me nuts at times. My hearing is pretty much relegated to
artificial enhance... read
more.
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Start Talking!... Know! Social Media is Bringing Our Teens
Down
12/4/2017 -- According to data released by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, there was a 33 percent increase in the number
of teens experiencing depression, a 23 percent rise in teen suicide
attempts, and a 31 percent surge in the number of teens who died by
suicide in the five years between 2010 to 2015. The National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline Foundation says suicide...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… The Great Grilled Cheese Meltdown of 2017,
By Aprill Brandon
Maybe it was because my husband has been swamped with work lately. Or
maybe it was because we couldn’t find a babysitter so I could join him
at a company Christmas party for a few glorious kid-free hours. Or
hell, maybe because it was Tuesday...I think it was Tuesday...but
really it doesn’t matter if it WAS Tuesday because the demands of
motherhood... read
more.
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First
Friday Good for Business, By Ethan Coppess, Edison State
Communications student
First Friday is a day for people with small business in Greenville that
don’t have a store front or a good place to advertise their business.
They line up along Broadway from the former AAA to Montage Café. They
line up and advertise what they have to give. There can be plenty of
stuff, from a small soccer stand all the way to a small petting zoo.
Amy... read
more.
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Prairie
Days, Days for Remembering, By Ethan Coppess, Edison State
Communications student
Prairie Day in Greenville, has had an amazing turnout and it is only
growing. This is an amazing event for kids of all ages and their
parents and grandparents. It is a day for kids to come and see how
people used to live back in the late 1700’s. Prairie Days provides
plenty of activities and fun games for kids to play to keep them
interested. They have a... read
more.
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Commissioner’s Corner… A Year to be Thankful For
November has come and gone for 2017. This was a very good November
weather wise, for most of the month it felt like early October. Now
that Thanksgiving is over, the next 30 days starts the big Holiday
season for retailers, manufacturers, and for most people. We hope the
weather continues to co-operate! November is the month when we start... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! How To Reduce Holiday Stress
11/28/2017 -- The holidays are meant to be a joy-filled season of
gathering with friends and relatives, enjoying festive lights and
music, exchanging goodies and giving generously. However, when time and
money are stretched, relationships are strained and expectations are
not met, what is meant to be a time of celebration may become a time of
overwhelming stress, leading many to turn to unhealthy...
read
more.
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Inside Higher Education... Net Neutrality Rollback Concerns Colleges,
By Lindsay McKenzie
The creation of internet fast lanes could come at a high cost to higher
education, experts on technology and learning warn. -- November 29,
2017 -- Last week the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission
published his plan to dismantle Obama-era regulations protecting "net
neutrality" -- the idea that all web content should be treated equally
by internet service providers. Under the FCC proposal...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… There’s always tomorrow, By
Aprill Brandon
I have never wanted to star in a reality TV show. I have happily
hate-watched enough of them to ever wish that kind of scrutiny on
myself. Imagine my surprise, then, when I had kids and suddenly
realized I was one. Every day of my life now is pretty much the kids
binge-watching their favorite reality show, “Keeping Up With Momma’s
Sanity.” Followed by the spin... read
more.
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A
Call to Reform Undergraduate Education, By Colleen
Flaherty
November 30, 2017 - Major study by American Academy of Arts and
Sciences seeks change in curriculum and assessment, commitment to
funding public higher education, new ideas about the faculty role, and
more. American Academy of Arts and Sciences. What was once a challenge
of quantity in American undergraduate education is increasingly a
challenge of... read
more.
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Tips
to Being a Successful Student, By Carl Brown, GHS
Assistant Principal
Over the years I have occasion to have conversations with friends that
are parents (many of them educators themselves) discussing what makes a
child a successful student. Throughout those conversations we
have had, I believe we have identified a few key factors that make
students successful. We were able to look back at our study... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Stupider things, By Aprill
Brandon
Here is the thing they never tell you about being a parent (or at least
not in an official pamphlet form): Once you get to a certain point,
past the “oh god, I just really need both of us to survive this” stage,
you will spend the majority of your parenting time arguing. Arguing
about very stupid things. For example, say you buy your small child a
sprinkled donut. Because... read
more.
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Start
Talking – Drug Prevention Resources for Schools
The number of reported drug-related incidents in school and drug use by
school-aged kids has risen sharply this school year. We encourage
you to take some proactive steps to help curb any drug activity that
may be occurring at your school. The Start Talking! initiative
was created to assist parents, educators, and community members in
talking to students... read
more.
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NPR… Hey, New Teachers, It's OK To Cry In Your
Car, Meg Anderson
Like many first-year teachers, Luisana Regidor has a lot on her mind.
There are lesson plans to write and papers to grade as well as a dozen
other things: evaluations, observations, fundraisers, class trips. It's
overwhelming. "Last Wednesday, I left here and I got in my car and I
just cried," says Regidor, who teaches U.S. history at Schurz High... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! To Keep It Safe this Holiday Season –
Adults and Alcohol
11/16/2017 - The holiday season is upon us, which means more adults
will consume alcoholic drinks and in higher quantities. This time of
year also puts more people on the roads, as they travel to see family
and friends, near and far. It makes sense, then, that this season
becomes one of the most dangerous times of the year for alcohol-related
accidents and... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… What I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving,
By Aprill Brandon
I don’t know about you guys but, for me, this has been one doozy of a
year. Trying to juggle two small children and marriage and jobs and
deadlines and ever-rising bills and the tattered remains of my social
life, all while being chronically sleep deprived and all while the
outside world appears to be crumbling around us, has taken its toll.
I’m tired, ya’ll. And... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! What’s Hidden in Plain Sight – Part II
11/7/2017 - This Know! Tip reveals some of the tools and tactics teens
may use to hide drug use. If you suspect your child is using drugs, you
should contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662- HELP (4357). Hidden in
Plain Sight is a substance misuse awareness program for parents and
other... read
more.
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Diminishing
Returns, By Kate Burch
I have lived in the same medium-size rust-belt city almost all of my
life, and I have been amazed to observe, over the last couple of
decades, the growth of the physical structures of the area’s two
universities. Along with the remarkable enlargement of these
facilities has been an increase in amenities and improved
esthetics. And this has happened concurrently...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… How to get your kids to eat Thanksgiving
dinner, By Aprill Brandon
I have mentioned many times in this particular column of mine that I
love Thanksgiving. The holiday that asks nothing of you besides
gluttony and drunkenness. I don’t even mind that I’m now the one in
charge of the cooking, because in the end it all leads to the gluttony
and drunkenness. Plus, I found a recipe for deep-fried stuffing balls
that has... read
more.
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“Jesus
Wept” By Will McCabe
I believe those are the two most powerful words in the entire Bible.
Yes, that’s a big claim, but that’s because of the context and what
those words mean. See, when we look at John 11:35, the shortest verse
in the Bible, we sometimes overlook what it means for Jesus to weep.
First, let’s look back to the beginning of John 11. We learn about a
man named Lazarus who... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! The Big Sibling Effect!
10/30/2017 - There is a unique and special connection between siblings
that cannot be denied nor duplicated. They are both tormentors and
protectors; a source of teasing one moment, the greatest ally the next.
Siblings are also likely to be one and other’s longest-lasting
relationship. Four out of five Americans get to experience the growing
years with a... read
more.
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Commissioner’s Corner… The Holiday Season has begun
October seems to be the official start of the Holiday season, with
Halloween being the first big event of the fall season. October is also
the month that traditionally we try to manipulate time once again by
turning our clocks back. This year we turn them back in the first
weekend of November. This month in the Commissioner’s office we have
done a lot of tidying up of some Grant paperwork...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… No, YOU go gentle into that good night,
By Aprill Brandon
So, I’ve been thinking a lot about death lately. Oh, sorry. That might
be a bit too heavy of a sentence right off the bat. This is meant to be
a “humor” column, after all. Let me start over. Good morning! How are
you? I’m fantastic. My toddler had a meltdown inside a store and I
dropped a meatball on my baby’s face. But Starbucks is now selling
their... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! What’s Hidden in Plain Sight – Part I
10/23/2017 - This Know! Tip reveals some of the tools and tactics teens
may use to hide drug use. If you suspect your child is using drugs,
contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
National Helpline at 1-800-662- HELP (4357). Would you know if your
child was experimenting with or using drugs? Would...
read
more.
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Jesus
wasn’t Nice, By Will McCabe
Do you remember hearing from your parents to be nice if you wanted
gifts from Santa? How he discerns between those who are naughty and
nice? As a result, we are impressed early on with the notion that we
are supposed to be nice. But what if I told you that’s not Biblical?
Yeah, what if I told you that nowhere in the Bible are we asked to be
nice to one another? There... read
more.
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Are
We Having Fun Yet? By Kate Burch
In the early days of the flood of stories about Harvey Weinstein’s
sexual predation we read that fashion designer Donna Karan, an old
friend of the Weinsteins defended him, suggesting that some of the
young women he targeted might have been “asking for it” by dressing and
behaving seductively. She quickly was harassed and shamed into
apologizing for her remarks by accusations that she...
read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… It’s the season of the sick,
By Aprill Brandon
It’s almost Halloween, guys! The candy! The costumes! The cocktails!
And most importantly, the release of season two of “Stranger Things”!
Truly, it’s the best time of the year. Ahem... If you’re single.
But if you happen to be a parent, October really does live up to its
reputation as the scariest month (and not just because your kids won’t
let you binge... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! To Foster Empathy for Bullying
Prevention
10/18/2017 - In a previous tip, Know! The End of Bullying Begins With
YOU, we learned that in 2016, more than one in five students reported
being bullied. Regardless of what position a child is in - a target,
bully, or bystander – they are at an increased risk for a variety of
mental health and behavioral problems, including substance abuse. In
addition to positive... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! The End of Bullying Begins With YOU
October is Bullying Prevention Month - 10/11/2017 - Wondering why we
hear so much about bullying? Because there’s way too much of it going
on and it’s a huge problem for everyone involved. Students report
getting bullied most often because of looks, body shape, race and
sexual orientation. While every child is at risk for being the target... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… This is my face, By Aprill
Brandon
My son has spent approximately 1,277 days on this Earth. My daughter,
roughly 455. Counting the ones I took today, I have exactly 18 billion
photos of them. Oops. Sorry. 18 billion and one. They just did the
cutest thing, you guys. And they look amazing in every single one of
these photos, even including the newborn “Benjamin Button” ones. (No,
YOU’RE bias... read
more.
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As
the NFL Turns, By Susan Olling
I’ve been trying to ignore the continuing soap opera involving
NFL players, the NFL Commissioner, and the knee thing. However,
this drama seems to be everywhere. Since it’s been hard to
ignore, here are my two cents. It seems that somewhere in the mists of
time, the playing of Mr. Key’s little ditty, along with standing
while it’s played, became customary... read
more.
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Start Talking! Know! How Your Parenting Style Measures Up
for Success
10/4/2017 - In a previous parent tip, Know! – What Kind of Parent Are
You? we broke down the four basic parenting styles. Based on the
descriptions, you were hopefully able to determine your overall
parenting style. Now is your chance to see how your parenting style
measures up for your child’s success. To review, the four basic
parenting... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Becoming human again, By
Aprill Brandon
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a married woman in
possession of a few children must be in want of a life. It took me 23
minutes to come up with that line. I regret nothing. My amazing
literary pun skills aside, I’m not kidding about that truth. Because we
do. Oh, how we do. We want (and need) a full life. Not that we moms
don’t live for our kids... read
more.
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Commissioner’s Corner… Medicaid funding to hurt counties statewide
The fall season has officially appeared. Although one wouldn’t have
known it the last week or so of September with temperatures in the
80’s. Now at the end things are more back to normal weather wise. It is
now starting to look and feel like fall with the temperatures, and
farmers starting to harvest beans and some corn. Sad to say, but it
won’t be long till winter rears its ugly head. This month... read
more.
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Broke Wife, Big City… Why does Hollywood keep breaking my heart?
By Aprill Brandon
I don’t remember the first time it happened. I’m sure I was young
though. Youth is the time when idol worship is at its peak. But I do
know that since then it has happened on a fairly regular basis and yet
I never grow any wiser. No matter how many times they rip my heart out
of my chest and stomp on it and then run over its tattered remains with
their super... read
more.
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Support
the MVCTC Levy, Jim Buchy
The Miami Valley Career Technology Center services 27 local school
districts across a nine county area. For almost 50 years
thousands of students have been educated there and are successful,
productive workers in the Miami Valley and beyond. There is a great
need for physical updates and infrastructure need for the
buildings. On November 7, the voters of the Miami Valley... read
more.
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Know!
To create an after school prevention plan
9/20/2017 -- Heading back to school is a time of transition, especially
for students entering middle or high school or students attending a new
school. Studies show that times of transition increase a child’s risk
for substance use. For some students it is the stress of having to
navigate through a new school building and seeing so many new faces;
for others it is the new or increased peer pressure to fit in and
belong... read
more.
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