DEAR HELOISE: Here’s a hint about maintaining clothes’ absorbency. Perhaps I had previously learned this from you, but it’s worth repeating as long as we’re on the subject. Softeners decrease clothes’ absorbency, so dry them without any softener. — John S., in Newbury Park, ...

One of the neatest plays in bridge is known as the “loser on loser,” whereby declarer finds a way of telescoping two potential losers into one. Six diamonds was a poor contract, though it should be noted that the A-K of clubs facing a void was an unfortunate duplication of values. West ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: After learning that my brother drank a recommended solution to detox his body of worms, I did a little research. Sources claim that parasitic infections are found in many unsuspecting people. They claim that 300,000 people have Chagas disease per year, and cysticercosis causes ...

Marie Keene-James has been involved in Kent State University at Trumbull Theatre for more than 30 years, occasionally appearing on stage as well as working as a stage manager and handling other behind-the-scenes tasks. “The Rocky Horror Show,” which opens tonight for an eight-performance ...

Tickets and memberships for the 2026-2027 season of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra go on sale Friday. The six-concert season advances Music Director Erik Ochsner’s vision of welcoming new audiences to the symphony while continuing to enchant longtime patrons. The season kicks off ...

Two guest vocalists will join the W.D. Packard Concert Band for its next outdoor concert. Soprano Sujin Lee and tenor Shawn Mathey, who are married, each will perform solo and do a duet together as part of the program. Lee has toured extensively throughout Europe and the United States, ...

Boardman Community Day and an America250 celebration combine this Saturday at Boardman Park. The day begins with a history of Boardman presentation at 10 a.m. and guided tours of the Historic Village, including the St. James Meeting House and Detchon House. Afternoon activities include a ...

Jerry and Kay McCarthy recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple was married on July 17, 1976, at Holy Trinity Church in Struthers. Their daughters, Colleen Speer, Carrie McCarthy, Christine Saltsman and Molly Finke, hosted a private family dinner at The Chophouse in ...

Dave and Terri Jackson of Liberty Township are announcing the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Brittany Jackson, to Scott Foster of Austintown. Parents of the groom-elect are Ty and Cindi Johnson of Brookfield, and Scott and Leann Foster of Blacksburg, South ...

The engagement and approaching marriage of Kayla Kapel and Santino Bianco, are being announced by the couple’s parents, Greg and Marriane Kapel of Lyndhurst, and Tina Bianco of Girard. The groom-elect is also the son of the late Philip Bianco. The bride-elect is employed as a registered ...

Mr. and Mrs. J. Ralph and Marilyn Seidner III of Salem, celebrated their 71st anniversary on Dec. 6, 2025. J Ralph and Marilyn Seidner III were married Dec 6, 1954. Their life together has been a rich tapestry of adventure, creativity, family and unwavering devotion. Their life spans states ...

When I was a kid, most moms were tailors by necessity. Not always good ones. But most dads said, “He ripped it. He can wear it.” Moms sighed, rummaged through their sewing boxes and went to work tailoring. I think the patches craze of the 1960s was started by a mom who didn’t have ...

My friend Lynn and I were deep into the pointless exercise of wondering how different our lives would be if only we had done this instead of that. It’s not that either of us were one bad mistake away from a whole new world. We were dozens and dozens of little butterfly decisions away from a ...

Mom couldn’t find her purse. She had wedged it into a hiding place SOMEWHERE in case a burglar broke in, but forgot where her nifty new hidey-hole was. I suggested hiring a burglar to find it. Before I could look up the listing for Burglars, Bandits and Housebreakers in the Yellow Pages ...

“I don’t think this is a good idea.” “It’s a perfect idea.” Falser words were never spoken than whenever Ollie — my third cousin twice removed, but not removed far enough to keep me from getting bent, folded, spindled, stapled or mutilated — declared something as a ...

There is no doubt about it — I’ve entered a new season of my life. Funny how a few years back I started thinking about making some of the changes I have recently made. It began with those little internal whispers we all get. The “I want to.” The “I need to.” The “I probably ...

There is nothing more ironic than a writer sitting in front of a blinking cursor with absolutely nothing to say. Or maybe not nothing to say, but too much. Too many thoughts trying to organize themselves into something meaningful. Too much pressure to make it timely, impactful, thoughtful, ...

Have you ever wondered about the days of the week and how they would feel if they had feelings? No? Well, I have. It all started on a regular Monday morning where I caught myself still smiling because of the day before. Otherwise, let’s face it, Monday would probably hold every single ...

There’s something I keep coming back to lately. It’s not new, not groundbreaking, not something you haven’t heard before. But it’s landing differently now. Heavier and more real. Two things can be true at the same time. We say it casually, almost like a throwaway line. Of course ...

In my earlier years of gardening, I was attracted to and purchased unusual plants. Many of those didn’t survive beyond their first year. As I have “matured,” I have redirected my purchases toward the easy-to-grow natives that feed our local pollinators. The hotter, drier summers have ...

Here are upcoming gardening events through the Ohio State University Mahoning County Extension Office. Contact the Extension Office, 490 S. Broad St., Canfield, at 330-533-5538. For a complete list of events, visit https://mahoning.osu.edu/events. Plant and Pest Clinic What: Stop by to ask ...

As I watched a woodpecker banging away at a tree, it made me think, why don’t woodpeckers get headaches or suffer brain trauma from all that drumming? So, I looked it up. Once again, nature has created a miracle that does not allow the woodpecker to get headaches or become dizzy. ...

Our temperatures have continued to fluctuate, but our winter weather will eventually remain colder and the darkness will cause us to bundle up, keeping ourselves warm. The days are gaining minutes of light in the morning and evening, but it will be a couple of months before we notice ...