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Dolly Parton was more than a musical idol – for some fans, she was a spiritual icon

As soon as news broke about the death of beloved songwriter Dolly Parton, I began receiving condolence messages from across the country, and around the world. They came from friends, family and colleagues who knew I’d been working on a biography of the country legend — everyone from a conservative Catholic monk to advocates for queer and trans rights. The list reflects the even more diverse array of fans, people from countless backgrounds, who are mourning her loss. The main focus of my project is Parton’s own spirituality, starting with her Appalachian upbringing. But it also ...

Find your purpose, then work your gift

During the opening week of the fall semester, I had the honor of giving the convocation remarks for The Ohio State University’s Lima campus incoming freshman class. It was a perfect autumn morning, even though I still find northwest Ohio a little nippy during this time of year. The students were engaged, appearing eager to get college underway. I began by telling them to reflect on their key life milestone of graduating from high school as they start the next chapter with their beginning courses and eventually declare a major to prepare for their future careers. I then shifted my ...

Dear Annie: Time to check out of this Friendship?

Dear Annie: Seven years ago, I retired and moved to a different state. A friend of mine who lives in my old town has continuously used my new house like her personal hotel. She has family and friends in my area and will text, “Are you open to company?” when she wants to come visit. When she does, she only sleeps at my house while she does business or sees her other friends. This last visit, she gave me a day and a half notice and then stayed for nine nights. She never says when she’s leaving, and I had to tell her on night nine that it was time for her to go. She seemed ...

Teachers’ desks combine many functions into one piece of useful furniture

For as long as we have had classrooms, teachers have played many roles in them. This is especially true in the one-room schoolhouses that American students attended from the late 18th century up to, in some areas, the mid-20th century. Teaching in a one-room schoolhouse meant running an entire school, from lighting the stove in the morning to cleaning and closing down the classroom after school. And just like today, the teacher’s day didn’t necessarily end with the school day. The schoolhouse often doubled as a community center, hosting events and performances that the teacher ...

Bridging the fresh food gap: Why supporting local farms and neighbors demands urgent action

If you were to walk through the quiet orchards of Central Pennsylvania this summer, the tangible impact of Mother Nature’s unpredictability would be plain to see. A devastating spring freeze swept across our Commonwealth, severely damaging fruit crops and leaving local farmers facing historic financial losses. As our local agricultural producers fight to recover, a second, human-made crisis has struck our regional food distribution system: a sudden loss of federal Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) funding beginning in early 2025. For the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, which ...

Truths and omissions as US hits $40 trillion in debt

The U.S. national debt just crossed the $40 trillion threshold, doubling in less than a decade. Washington politicians have responded with their favorite fiscal game: blaming the other party. Democrats say Republican tax cuts are the culprit. Republicans say Democratic spending is the root cause. But both parties are responsible, with both hiding behind a lie of omission. And if we let them, they’ll keep driving us into the same wall together. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) recently called Republican tax cuts “the single biggest driver” of the debt across the last 25 years. The ...