The Minnesota scandal was not an aberration so much as a warning: When institutions assume trust without enforcing it, low-trust behavior fills the vacuum. Somalia shows what happens when that low-trust approach is entrenched.

Jim put me in the old Corvair, and we headed down the lane. I could see Pete just standing there looking at me. I watched until I could see him no more. We turned left on state Route 506. We stopped at a stop sign in a small village and then went straight on. I was memorizing the route very carefully because a wild, audacious plan was forming in my mind.

The Liberty Township Trustees held a special meeting on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the Highland County Administration building for purposes of the 2026 Organizational and Public Forum concerning solar projects. There were approximately 70 citizens along with a few elected officials in attendance. The response from landowners and township residents was overwhelmingly in opposition to large and small solar projects being started in the unincorporated Liberty Township. 

The Hillsboro Street & Safety Committee will meet on Jan. 21 at 5 p.m. in the conference room located at City Hall, 130 N. High St., Hillsboro, to discuss the 73/Fenner Road intersection reconstruction. 

The Wilmington Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is currently investigating a single vehicle fatal traffic crash. The crash occurred Jan. 19 just after 7 p.m., on state Route 73 near mile marker 19 in Green Township, Clinton County.

The Advancing Timeliness in Ohio Courts report recommendations include improving caseflow management practices, increasing judicial and attorney resources, and addressing systemic inefficiencies such as service delays and overcrowded calendars.

As the current Ohio General Assembly goes into its second year in 2026, abortion will still remain a topic of legislation, in small efforts to change laws, and large attempts to codify or prohibit the practice.

Highland County Sports Schedule for the week of Jan. 19-25 (varsity only). Schedules subject to change.

EveryLibrary, the national 501c4 political action committee for libraries, has released its 2025 Annual Impact Report detailing the organization’s national, state, and local efforts to defend the right to read, support sustainable library funding, and strengthen public access to information.