Opinion

In 2022, Ohio’s tourism industry generated $53 billion in visitor spending, the state’s highest ever. Even with this record-setting year, we need to continue to grow this industry due to Ohio’s robust economic growth setting it on pace to have more jobs than people in the state to fill them. Investing and putting focus on economic development related to Ohio’s travel and tourism efforts are a great way to help grow the population and fill open jobs.

The words “wildflower meadow” summon a mental picture of colorful blooms waving in the wind, fluttering butterflies, and busy honeybees buzzing from bloom to bloom. This lovely picture invites you to wade through a fragrant sea of waist-high blooms, a magnet for wildlife with color from early spring through frost.

For generations, saving for college was not a concern for parents, grandparents, or even students themselves, but as times have changed, it is now more critical than ever. According to the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of college in the United States is $36,436 per student per year, including books, supplies, and daily living expenses.

The Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act (H.R.4417/S.2019) poses an alarming threat to states’ rights. I urge my lawmakers, Congressman Jim Jordan and U.S. senators Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance, to oppose the EATS Act in solidarity with the vast coalition of farmers, rural communities, law enforcement, and other groups who have spoken out in condemnation of the bill’s dangerous aims and repercussions.

People often ask me what kind of tree to plant, and then I start asking questions. How much space do you have? What’s the purpose of the tree? Why do you want a tree in that spot? What are the growing conditions?

I’ve had time to examine the materials being distributed by the local Republican Party in their effort to defeat the reproductive freedom amendment (Issue 1) in November. They generally argue four points.

Katie Bell and I (both Olentangy Liberty High School students) are focused on making a vast impact in central Ohio through our club. Women At Work strives to provide aid and assistance to domestic violence survivors in central Ohio by volunteering at women’s shelters, homeless shelters, and hosting events for survivors to share their stories.

Boxwood, a popular evergreen shrub we’ve been planting for many years, is suddenly in the crosshairs. This reliable landscape mainstay is under attack from winter burn, a well-known insect, a non-native insect recently found in Ohio for the first time, and now a deadly disease. Pinpointing the culprit can be difficult because the symptoms are so similar.

For a long-lived display of huge showy blooms, few plant families can top the diverse Hydrangea. Every year we see new Hydrangea varieties introduced, making this plant more of a problem-solver and a landscape staple. To choose the right Hydrangea you must first answer two questions: how sunny is my location, and how much room do I have? The answers will lead you to the right Hydrangea family, so then you can choose between the many gorgeous blooms available in that particular family.

There’s a reason that old farmhouses are surrounded by mature shade trees. After a day in the fields, farm families could retire to a cool house. In the days before air conditioning, farm wives could work in relative comfort if there were big trees casting a pool of shade on the house and farmyard all summer.