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TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Just say no to nicotine for memory

Lifestyles

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a healthy 70-year-old female who works full-time and plays tennis regularly. I’m 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weigh 140 pounds. My concern is my memory, especially my speech. English is my second language, but I’ve been in the United States for over 40 years. Words often disappear from me when I need them and come back later when the subject is closed. When I shared my concern with my friend, I was told that nicotine patches are helpful for memory loss, even though I’m no longer a smoker. I quit smoking 15 years ago after decades of smoking. What’s your ...

HINTS FROM HELOISE: Beware of knock-off toothbrush

Lifestyles

DEAR HELOISE: I recently found out something that I think should be shared with your readers. You printed a letter from a person who had a hint about allowing your electric toothbrush head to spin around for a few seconds after you rinse it so that it’d dry out faster. When I tried it, I noticed that the head I had on my toothbrush didn’t spin around. Turns out, it was a cheap knock-off brand, and little did I know, some of these just vibrate for effect and don’t rotate or do a very good job of cleaning your teeth! So, I went back to the original, name-brand electric toothbrush ...

DEAR ANNIE: Sister feels drained by always being available

Lifestyles

DEAR ANNIE: My younger sister has always been the “fun one” in our family. She breezes in late with a bottle of wine and a funny story, and somehow everyone forgives her before she has even taken off her coat. She forgets birthdays, cancels plans at the last minute and borrows money she never seems to pay back. My parents still smile and say, “That’s just how she is.” I, on the other hand, have become the family’s unpaid manager. I am the one who takes my mother to her doctor’s appointments, makes sure my father’s prescriptions are filled, hosts Thanksgiving and ...

Valley Grows Calendar

Lifestyles

Here are upcoming gardening events through the Ohio State University Extension Office. For more information and a complete list, contact: • OSU Mahoning County Extension Office, 490 S. Broad St., Canfield. 330-533-5538. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. • OSU Trumbull County Extension Office, 520 W. Main St. Suite 1, Cortland. 330-638-6783. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Plant and Pest Clinic You can submit your questions by calling the Mahoning County office at 330-533-5538 or emailing us at ...

Are Ohio’s fireflies fading?

Lifestyles

On warm summer nights in Ohio, few sights feel more familiar than fireflies blinking over lawns, gardens and fields. When those flashes seem fewer than they once were, many residents wonder whether lightning bugs are disappearing. The answer, however, is nuanced. Ohio State University ...

Summer bagworms hide in plain sight

Lifestyles

Bill and I stopped to wash the car, when I noticed some junipers full of bagworms. Many mistake them for pine cones, but they’re actually a type of moth (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis) that plagues many conifers, trees and shrubs. Larvae appear in May and June, from the bag where the eggs ...