On permanent exhibit at the Greene County Ohio Historical Society in Xenia is a tattered American flag that had been used to mark the slab foundation where a house had stood bef
Anyone who recalls the thrill of getting a good push while learning to ride a bicycle can appreciate the growing popularity of electric bikes — bicycles outfitted with electric motors that lend extra oomph to your pedaling.
Ohio is known as the “Mother of Presidents” because eight of the nation’s 46 chief executives called it home. The first of them, Ulysses S. Grant, now has a state holiday in his honor.
The idea for Grant Day came from State Sen. Terry Johnson (R-Scioto County), whose 14th District covers Clermont, Brown, Adams, and Scioto counties. “I was attending Grant’s 200th birthday celebration in Georgetown and got to thinking it would be nice to make his birthday a state holiday,” Johnson says. Adam Bird, who represents House District 63 in southern Ohio, wholeheartedly agreed, and in May 2022, the two legislators introduced companion bills proposing Grant Day. They worked together as their bills moved through the legislative process, and Gov.
When spring’s first warm breezes blow over Ohio’s landscapes, there are plenty of folks — children and adults alike — who think, “It’s a great day to fly a kite!”
The group’s name is a clever allusion to Cincinnati’s history as well as the group’s reason for existence. “Cincinnati used to be the pork-processing capital of the U.S.,” says longtime member John Graves of Fairfield, a retired registered nurse, who also explains that “P.I.G.S. Aloft” stands for “People Interested in Getting Stuff Aloft.”
“We don’t collect dues or elect officers,” Graves says. “We just get together to fly our kites and have fun. Anyone is welcome to join us.”
On April 8, the moon’s orbit will place it directly between Earth and the sun, casting nightlike darkness on a path starting in the South Pacific at about 11:42 a.m. Eastern time and ending about five hours later somewhere over the North Atlantic.
For the first time since Ohio’s infancy, the Buckeye State is in the path of a total eclipse of the sun, and Wapakoneta is almost directly in the center of that path. Viewers there will see the beginning of the eclipse shortly before 2 p.m., experience totality for nearly four minutes a little after 3 p.m. (with the maximum at 3:11 p.m.), and then watch it as partial again until about 4:25 p.m.
The last organized departure of Shawnee people from Ohio began in September 1832.
Telling the story of the Shawnee — and their relationship with Ohio settlers — is the motivation behind the creation of Great Council State Park, scheduled to open early this year on State Route 68 between Xenia and Yellow Springs.
Wallace, who has tangled with state officials on other issues, praises ODNR and the Ohio History Connection for the efforts to accurately present the Shawnee story in the new park. “I’ve always told them, ‘Don’t talk about us, talk with us,’ and that has happened from day one with this project,” she says.
Among Ohio’s numerous tourism “trails” that group loosely kindred attractions to create a single novelty destination, the recently conceived Sweets and Spirits Trail in Miami County seems a perfect pairing for this time of year.
My husband, Mike, and I made a date of it recently. To guide us along the route, we downloaded the Miami County Sweets and Spirits Trail app, which showcases all stops and includes a map with distances between each location. Some spots offer incentives for visiting, including purchase discounts, free samples, or a free shot glass. As we virtually checked in at each location, we earned points toward prizes from the visitors bureau.
We were taken with the area’s charming small towns and the warmth and authenticity of the trail’s shop owners. For example:
Jennifer Aultman speaks with reverence when she talks about Ohio’s earthworks — eight of which, linked together as the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, have been inscribed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scienti
About 1,100 landmarks around the globe have been added to the list since the program began in 1972, with 25 of them in the U.S. This is the first in Ohio.
There are 10 criteria, any one of which qualifies a site for the World Heritage list. The OHC/NPS team cited two of those as they made the case for the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks.
Kendra Wecker, chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ wildlife division, swears she’s not trying to put any food trucks out of business.
The kitchen and its chefs cook and serve up free food created with wild-harvested Ohio game, including fish, fowl, and other critters. And Ken Fry, ODNR outdoor skills specialist, says it all began when he was cooking up such treats from the bed of a pickup truck with a pop-up tent at a Jefferson County farmers market a while back.
“It was so well-received that I presented the trailer idea to my supervisor and he liked it and said, ‘Let’s go with it,’” Fry says.
