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Support Small Business Saturday

Editorials

Those who have endured the madness of Black Friday and still have plenty of holiday shopping to do should consider using this Small Business Saturday to explore retailers (and gift ideas) that will help add a personal touch to your giving. Since 2010, the annual event has celebrated small, independent businesses in our communities. American Express estimates as much as $22 billion was spent on Small Business Saturday in 2024. For the 99.9% of businesses in the U.S. that qualify as “small,” according to Forbes, that kind of spending is essential. It helps employ more than 62 ...

For Innumerable Great Blessings in Our Lives, We Thank You, Lord

Local Columns

Thanksgiving is a particular time, like the bright and shining poetic moments of Camelot, to express gratitude for our own particular circumstances. It has been my custom for several years now to share with you my own personal litany of Thanksgiving. Looking over these pieces for the last decade reveals just how strikingly repetitive they have been and Lord, what a blessing that is! My life has not changed in any great dramatic fashion over the past decade; much for which I expressed gratitude then I remain thankful for today. The glorious wonder of it all is that so much of my own ...

Giving Thanks as Important Today as 236 Years Ago

Editorials

Whether your Thanksgiving serves as a day for a family meal, the start of your holiday shopping strategy, the last day before your home is festooned in holiday decorations, or just a day off to watch annual parades and football games, there is certainly something magical about the day. It’s a day that holds special meaning for many — primarily due to family gatherings and special time spent with loved ones. It feels set apart because of its emphasis on celebrating that for which we are thankful, without the pressure of helping Santa do his job for everyone on our personal lists. ...

A Day To Be Thankful For All That We Have

Editorials

We Americans set aside one day each year to give thanks for our many blessings. It hardly seems enough. No other people are as prosperous as Americans. No other nation does as much to ensure no one is deprived of the necessities of life. Our neighbors need not be asked for help when they sense we need it. Invariably, natural disasters are followed quickly by human miracles as good-hearted men and women rush to help. That is simply how we Americans govern our lives. How we govern ourselves collectively has been a marvel to most of the rest of the world for more than two ...

Anti-Opioid Bill Is a Necessary Measure

Editorials

While the acronym might have been a bit of a stretch, the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) for Veterans Act is still a long-overdue piece of legislation, introduced last week by U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. Given all this country — and particularly our region — has been through because of the substance abuse epidemic, it is a bit of a surprise no one has worked toward such a measure for those who have served. This one would expand veteran access to non-opioid alternatives by creating pathways for Food and Drug ...

Bipartisanship Still Works

Editorials

Lawmakers do love an alphabet soup when it comes to naming their legislation. But for some, if the clever name helps it stick in the minds of those who will be voting for it, the wordplay is worth the effort. Such is the case with the Adoption Deserves Oversight, Protection and Transparency (ADOPT) Act (and its accompanying Hospital Adoption Education Act) being introduced by U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio. According to Husted’s office, the aim of the bill, which is co-led by U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Katie Britt, R-Ala., is to fight exploitation by unlicensed adoption ...