You're reading today's newspaper. Good for you. (And it's good for us, too.)
"The more that you read, the more things you will know," Dr. Seuss told us, and many studies back that up. Reading boosts brain power, introduces you to new ideas, increases your vocabulary, reduces stress, takes you to new places, challenges you to think — we could go on, but we want you to keep reading.
A study this year at Ohio State University concluded that children whose parents read them one book per day from birth to kindergarten will hear 1.4 million more words than children not offered a daily dose of reading. That's information worth noting for parents (and grandparents) of young children who prioritize a child's daily schedule.
And it doesn't stop there. Developing a lifelong love of reading helps improve memory, brings mental health benefits and can reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life, which makes reading a healthy habit to encourage in kids and grownups.
Our View: As children across Stark County prepare to head back to school this month, it's important for developing healthy minds and bodies to get them into a routine that includes reading and a regular bedtime. And because reading, in general, can help anyone better navigate life, it's never too late to encourage nonreaders to pick up a book — or a newspaper.
Keep front license plates
More than a dozen county sheriffs, deputies and police officers joined two state senators Monday as Republicans Joe Uecker and Jay Hottinger introduced Senate Bill 179, which they said would "reverse a bad decision": Ohio's decision to drop front license plates from vehicles.
In the opinion of the Fraternal Order of Police, Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association and Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, the move, set to take effect next July 1, negatively would affect law enforcement's ability to identify the vehicles driven by suspects. Simply put: Front license plates regularly help in solving crimes, they have said.
The change was part of the state transportation budget signed this spring, and if it happens, it would be "like having one hand tied behind our back," Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said Monday.
Our View: Thirty-one states require front and rear license plates, and no state has dropped front plates since 1979. Why? Because it's a proven crime-fighting tool. Keep the plates.
Another festival in bloom
The city of Alliance began its annual celebration of Dr. Levi Lamborn this week, with events scheduled to last through next weekend.
The man who developed the scarlet carnation, gaining fame when President William McKinley adopted the flower as his personal good luck charm and fashion accessory, will be celebrated as the city's residents move through the 60th incarnation of the Carnation Festival that brings visitors from near and far to eastern Stark County.
While festival officials condensed the party to 11 days this year, they added more opportunities for fun, including creating such events as a children's story time in Silver Park and a collaboration with Beech Creek Gardens.
Our View: We wish our friends in the Carnation City many days of good weather for a joyous party that brings the community together.