Columns/Editorials

Columns/Editorials
Feed your head: Cloak and swagger
By Kyle Meddles 
August 17, 2026
This week’s mixture of hot temperatures and rain made me realize there is a useful piece of clothing missing from my closet. As I saw my bedroom window fog up from the humidity this week, I asked myse...
Columns/Editorials
A Word to the Wise: The road to letting go
By Chad Williamson 
August 10, 2026
I don’t really believe in karma, fate or serendipity until something happens that makes me realize why so many other people do. Sometimes odd coincidences line up to form a path and once you get to th...
Columns/Editorials
While the surgery was covered, my mouth was not
By Kyle Meddles 
July 28, 2026
For those of you who don’t know, I have been plagued with severe back pain for many years. I have written fairly regularly about my more recent struggles in trying to find a fix to the pain, feeling h...
Columns/Editorials
Taking a stand…against everything
By Michael Williamson 
July 28, 2026
With so many pressures coming from so many sides, people are getting pushed to their limit. Politics, traffic, rising gas and grocery prices, the tidal wave of stressors keeps building and people are ...
J-T employees defined by loyalty, dedication
Columns/Editorials
Pictured above is former longtime Journal-Tribune employee Don Streng at work in the old newspaper building on the corner at 131 N. Main St. in Marysville. He is shown putting together a form used in the hot metal (lead) system for a commercial printing job. The photo was taken sometime in the late 1950s or early 1960s. Visible through the window is the former gas station on the other side of Fourth Street which was later purchased by the Journal-Tribune and demolished to make way for the current newspaper building at 207 N. Main St. Don was the backbone of the J-T for 50 years and provided an excellent example for other staff members during his time of employment and well afterwards. (Journal-Tribune file photo)
J-T employees defined by loyalty, dedication
Don Streng an example
By From JT Staff Reports 
July 3, 2026
As the country turns 250 years old, it has many people looking back into their archives to celebrate their history. We did the same thing here at the Journal-Tribune and were reminded of the wonderful...
Columns/Editorials
Mike Drops: When Nick at Nite ruled the summer
By Michael Williamson 
June 29, 2026
When you think of the coming of summer, you might think of pools or barbecues, maybe fireworks and the Fourth of July. I think of I Love Lucy . Well, maybe not the show specifically so much as the mar...
Columns/Editorials
A Word to the Wise: The healing powers of the World Cup
By Chad Williamson 
June 29, 2026
In the 2010s I made a statement that I didn’t think there would ever be something that could bring the U.S. citizenry back together like I remembered it in the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s. The public w...
Columns/Editorials
Is growth paying for itself?
By From JT Staff Reports 
June 9, 2026
Could future homes in Marysville be mini data centers? Ever heard of Span? It’s a company that is now producing smart panels that use power from houses to add a node to the grid that data centers can ...
Columns/Editorials
Mike Drops: Young filmmakers breathe life into Hollywood
By Michael Williamson 
June 9, 2026
If you’ve seen any stories this week about Hollywood or the movie business, you’ve likely seen this one: a couple of young filmmakers with films currently in the theaters have dominated the box office...
Columns/Editorials
Letters to the Editor: Writer addresses wealth inequality
By Jon Miller 
June 1, 2026
Dear Editor, Wealth inequality in the United States has reached levels that should concern every American. While millions of working families struggle to afford housing, healthcare, childcare and high...
Columns/Editorials
Jack of all trades: Wedding season winner – summer or fall?
By Jack Christian 
May 21, 2026
We are officially entering wedding season, and I don’t know about you, but I always feel conflicted about the best time of year to receive a wedding invitation. Whether it is summer or fall, both seas...
Columns/Editorials
Feed Your Head: Insurance company does not have my back
By Kyle Meddles 
May 20, 2026
I am supposed to be three days into recovering from back surgery today. Unfortunately, the keyboard warriors over at my insurance had other plans. On Tuesday, the day before my planned surgery, I rece...
Columns/Editorials
A Word to the Wise: Mailing the bill to future generations
By Chad Williamson 
May 11, 2026
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent has really ramped up the idea that Americans need to be more informed about money matters. He has announced initiatives designed to strengthen financial kn...
Columns/Editorials
Reflections on Mother’s Day
By From JT Staff Reports 
May 11, 2026
Sunday is Mother’s Day and we want to say thank you to all mothers. We also want to take this time to acknowledge all the efforts and sacrifices mothers make in order to advance the lives of their chi...
Columns/Editorials
Protecting local interests is paramount
By From JT Staff Reports 
May 4, 2026
Ever heard of Redwood Materials? It is a company that utilizes recycled batteries to power factories. It recently made an agreement with Rivian, an electric vehicle manufacturer of Normal, Illinois, t...
Columns/Editorials
Mike Drops: Jim’s Diner – a lost community hub
By Michael Williamson 
May 4, 2026
Five years ago this month, Jim’s Diner in Plain City closed its doors. The small, family-owned greasy spoon had been in the village for nearly 40 years and served as a local spot for breakfast and lun...
Columns/Editorials
Traffic changes will require patience
By From JT Staff Reports 
April 28, 2026
On Monday, The Journal-Tribune ran a story about the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) starting a two-year project of work on U.S. 33 to fix bridges and repave the roadways. This project will d...
Columns/Editorials
Luster is gone from cinema
By Jack Christian 
April 28, 2026
There was a time, not all that long ago, though it feels like it now, when going to the movies felt like a special occasion. It wasn’t just something to do, it was something to look forward to. Showti...
Columns/Editorials
Letters to the Editor: Reader makes case for electric cars
By Ron Sadler 
April 20, 2026
Dear Editor, As communities across the country grapple with rising fuel costs, air pollution, and the growing impacts of Global Warming, one solution is becoming increasingly clear; the widespread ado...
Columns/Editorials
Feed your head: Places that feed my soul
By Kyle Meddles 
April 20, 2026
Everyone has places they frequent, whether it’s a restaurant, park or a road during the commute to work, but I like to think that there are specific parts of these locations that resonate on a deeper ...
Columns/Editorials
Mike Drops: At the end of the day, it’s still fast food
By Michael Williamson 
April 13, 2026
Chick-fil-A opened Thursday and Marysville’s streets near the restaurant on Delaware Avenue were as crowded as ever with cars and trucks, full of eager drivers waiting to get their hands on a freshly ...
Columns/Editorials
A Word to the Wise: Senior Tag – orchestrated mayhem
By Chad Williamson 
April 13, 2026
It’s the season of reemergence around Marysville. The trees are starting to show buds, migratory birds are returning and teens are about to start sprinting around the city in their underwear. Some of ...
Columns/Editorials
Letters to the Editor: Student says growth impacting schools
By Eva Wood 
March 30, 2026
Dear Editor, My name is Eva Wood, and I am a freshman at Marysville High School. I am a member of scout troop 7777 with the Simon Kenton Council based at Global Methodist Church in Marysville. I am wr...
Columns/Editorials
Jack of all trades: NIL in need of guardrails
By Jack Christian 
March 30, 2026
Now that we are almost in the college football and basketball offseason at the same time, I wanted to address the transfer portal and the controversy surrounding it. The transfer portal is creating an...
Columns/Editorials
Letters to the Editor: City should break ties with New Albany Co.
By Alex Weaver 
March 23, 2026
Dear Editor, The nation is currently reeling with the release of some of the Jeffrey Epstein files. On Tuesday, Feb. 10, Rep. Ro Khanna, on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, named Les We...
Columns/Editorials
Jack of all trades: Staying on top of Marysville’s food scene
By Jack Christian 
March 23, 2026
In a world where it feels like new food options pop up every week, it can honestly get a little chaotic trying to keep track of what’s around town. Marysville especially feels like it’s adding a new r...
Columns/Editorials
A time of change for the community
By From JT Staff Reports 
March 23, 2026
This community is going through a period of transition. We say transition because long gone are the days of needing enough rooftops to attract restaurants and development so now it seems like the resi...
Columns/Editorials
A house divided no good for the nation
By From JT Staff Reports 
March 23, 2026
A few years before elected President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln ran for the U.S. Senate to represent Illinois. During a debate in 1858 with his opponent, incumbent Stephen A. Douglas, the s...
Columns/Editorials
Mike Drops: Mister, can you break a $10,000?
By Michael Williamson 
March 23, 2026
Americans love variety. We have it for everything, food items, electronics and even toilet paper. At one time, we apparently even had it for currency. I was reminded of this fact when I recently finis...
A word to the wise: My yearbook, writing a wrong
Columns/Editorials
A word to the wise: My yearbook, writing a wrong
By Chad Williamson 
March 23, 2026
A few years before I stepped onto my path as a professional writer, I sat down to cook up the first collection of words that I knew would exist beyond my lifetime. The memories you record below your s...