Columns/Editorials

Columns/Editorials
Mike Drops – The long, strange road to 200 episodes
By Michael Williamson 
June 21, 2025
I first recorded audio for a podcast my senior year in high school, nearly 20 years ago. Since then, I’ve recorded a lot of podcasts from silly, comedy shows with friends, to shows about movies and po...
Columns/Editorials
an editorial – Podcast akin to coffee shop conversation
June 21, 2025
Ever been at a morning coffee group and hear people ask what is a TIF or why are taxes the way they are or even why is there so much change going on in Union County? And when answers are offered, do y...
Columns/Editorials
A Word To The Wise – My father had a way with words
By Chad Williamson 
June 7, 2025
My father was no word-smith. In fact, he often molested the English language in ways that should have been illegal. He would often put an unnecessary “s” on words like “Hilliards” or “Krogers.” But it...
Columns/Editorials
an editorial – City water monitoring a blessing
June 7, 2025
Anyone planning a vacation this summer? If so, do yourself a favor and check the age of your water heater. Why? We recently got a call from the City of Marysville utility department telling us that ou...
Columns/Editorials
Feed your head – The first rule of kite club…
By Kyle Meddles 
May 31, 2025
With all of the strong winds sweeping through the area over the past few weeks, I decided to do something I have never done before. I flew a kite for the first time – and it went about as well as expe...
Columns/Editorials
an editorial – Tax money should be spent or returned
May 22, 2025
Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) is a standard set by the federal government with regard to retirement accounts. According to the IRS website, the RMD was established in 1974 as the minimum amount ...
Columns/Editorials
Mike Drops – Location isn’t film industry’s weakness
By Michael Williamson 
May 17, 2025
Last week, President Donald Trump announced he would be putting 100% tariffs on movies made outside the United States. Trump said the industry is dying a “fast death” and that is largely due to effort...
Columns/Editorials
A Word To The Wise – Solving the riddle of Raymond
By Chad Williamson 
May 10, 2025
After the Marysville school levy failed in November, I was often asked what I thought about the results, or rather, what I thought would change the outcome. My answer was always the same - “they’ve go...
Columns/Editorials
Feed your head – This Mother’s Day – skip the machete
By Kyle Meddles 
May 3, 2025
After doing a little bit of mental math, I realized that this is the last column I will have before Mother’s Day on May 11. This holiday is all about celebrating the first woman in life, the person wh...
Columns/Editorials
Column correction
April 26, 2025
Reader and former Union County Administrator John Cunningham reached out recently to let us know that the Word to the Wise column on last week’s editorial page contained a factual error. The column st...
Columns/Editorials
an editorial – Voters on the fence can look to Howard
April 26, 2025
Locally there has been a spirited debate about the Marysville school levy on the ballot Tuesday, May 6. Some are against the levy because they are landowners and we understand that they want an income...
Columns/Editorials
A Word To The Wise – Musings on a memorable Marysville
By Chad Williamson 
April 17, 2025
Many years ago when Marysville was looking to build a new city hall, the future of the old HQ was never in question. The former Scotts facility was going to be demolished because, quite frankly, it wa...
Columns/Editorials
an editorial – Wishing a glorious Easter to all
April 17, 2025
Sunday is Easter, one of the holiest celebrations of the Christian church. Yet it differs from some other church holidays, like Christmas, in that it does not fall on the same date each year. Christma...
Columns/Editorials
The Way It Was – My friend Max
By Bill Boyd 
April 12, 2025
Editor’s note: Bill Boyd has finished producing new columns. The newspaper will continue to re-run older entries from his two column series “Growing up in Marysville” and “The Way It Was” for readers ...
Columns/Editorials
Mike Drops – Hollow gestures don’t bring change
By Michael Williamson 
April 5, 2025
Thinking about the national news this week, I can’t help but to wonder where are we going? Where is all this is headed, because it doesn’t feel like we know. And sure, what can we really know about ou...
Columns/Editorials
The Way It Was – Popcorn
By Bill Boyd 
April 5, 2025
Editor’s note: This is another column in Bill Boyd’s new series, “The Way It Was,” about growing up in Marysville. Bill continues to work with the Union County Historical Society to obtain information...
Columns/Editorials
Feed your head – The rise of Poatan in the UFC
By Kyle Meddles 
March 29, 2025
If there was one champion that defined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2024 it would be the stone-faced enigma – Alex “Poatan” Pereira. Pereira possesses every quality that fans of the spo...
Columns/Editorials
The Way It Was – Good friends
By Bill Boyd 
March 29, 2025
Editor’s note: This is another column in Bill Boyd’s new series, “The Way It Was,” about growing up in Marysville. Bill continues to work with the Union County Historical Society to obtain information...
Columns/Editorials
A Word To The Wise – Keep politics out of school board elections
By Chad Williamson 
March 22, 2025
Regardless of your politics, issues become more personal as they hit closer to your home. I cast my ballots each year for national candidates knowing full well that I would have zero chance creating c...
Columns/Editorials
an editorial – Board made a great choice in Howard
March 22, 2025
In the post COVID era, hiring and retaining good people has been one of the biggest challenges local business owners and managers have told us they face. The Marysville school system is no different a...
Columns/Editorials
The Way It Was – The pin
By Bill Boyd 
March 22, 2025
Editor’s note: This is another column in Bill Boyd’s new series, “The Way It Was,” about growing up in Marysville. Bill continues to work with the Union County Historical Society to obtain information...
Columns/Editorials
Mike Drops – I’m no expert – but neither are you
By Michael Williamson 
March 15, 2025
Being a reporter in the internet age can be a strange job. It’s strange because sometimes it feels like everyone with a social media account assumes they can do my job. That bothers me and it used to ...
Columns/Editorials
The Way It Was – For the birds
By Bill Boyd 
March 15, 2025
Editor’s note: This is another column in Bill Boyd’s new series, “The Way It Was,” about growing up in Marysville. Bill continues to work with the Union County Historical Society to obtain information...
Columns/Editorials
The Way It Was – Minnie
By Bill Boyd 
March 8, 2025
Editor’s note: This is another column in Bill Boyd’s new series, “The Way It Was,” about growing up in Marysville. Bill continues to work with the Union County Historical Society to obtain information...
an editorial – In goal setting, be careful what you write down – it could come true
Columns/Editorials
Former assistant coach Kevin Behrens celebrates with current wrestling assistant Walker Heard in the background as freshman Berkley Behrens wins his match to go to this weekend’s state tournament. (Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
an editorial – In goal setting, be careful what you write down – it could come true
March 8, 2025
The Marysville Boys wrestling team just competed in the OHSAA Central District wrestling tournament at Hilliard Darby High School. The district tournament is the next step in the order to qualify for ...
Columns/Editorials
A Word To The Wise – The dangers of dime-store psychology
By Chad Williamson 
February 28, 2025
In the 1987 cult classic The Princess Bride there is an exchange between two characters that I reference often. One character repeatedly uses the word “inconceivable,” to which another eventually resp...
Columns/Editorials
The Way It Was – A bit of irony
By Bill Boyd 
February 28, 2025
Editor’s note: This is another column in Bill Boyd’s new series, “The Way It Was,” about growing up in Marysville. Bill continues to work with the Union County Historical Society to obtain information...
Columns/Editorials
Feed your head – Show explores separation of work, private life
By Kyle Meddles 
February 21, 2025
Over the weekend I finally got caught up on the TV show Severance and it has remained at the forefront of my mind since I watched the last episode. Severance, directed by Ben Stiller, is currently slo...
Columns/Editorials
an editorial – Online bashing unwarranted for USPS
February 21, 2025
Everyone still depends on the mail in one form or another. Some use it for fashion, buying clothes that are sent to them. The older generation uses it to send cards and letters, and to receive their b...