At the end of a dead-end road in rural Hancock County, creativity unfolds in an unexpected yet aptly named setting — an open art studio called MONGallery, run by artist and entrepreneur Jennifer Sowders.
“Drawing was one thing, but adding a medium and learning to master that is a whole other world,” she says. “Art school definitely helped with that aspect, and today I call myself a painter.”
In 2017, she rekindled her passion through a plein air painting group with the Hancock Park District. She immersed herself in painting landscapes, experimenting with acrylics, palette knives, and vibrant watercolor on Yupo paper.
Constantine Rafinesque-Schmaltz is the scientist you did not know that you knew. His walkabouts through Ohio impressed upon him a desire to discover more about plants and fishes and a prehistoric culture that predated him by millennia.
The family moved to Italy to escape the terrors of the French Revolution. It was there that a self-educated Constantine came of age and took an ardent interest in natural history and languages, which would come to have its consequences in the names of organisms — through the eastern U.S., in Ohio, and even into the American Southwest.
It takes a certain mindset to be a lineworker. Those in the profession must be fearless yet completely committed to safety; procedure-followers who are also able to adapt and problem-solve; individuals with a work ethic that makes it unthinkable to leave a job undone.
There was just one problem. Because of political red tape, the crew had to leave before they were able to “flip the switch” and energize the lines.
Ohio’s cooperatives have sent line crews to Guatemala four times since 2016, each on a mission to bring electricity to places where previously there was none. The celebrations in La Soledad in 2016 and Las Tortugas in 2018 when lights came on for the first time are scenes none who were there will ever forget.
Of Ohio’s 88 counties, eight are named for Indian tribes: Delaware, Erie, Huron, Miami, Ottawa, Seneca, Tuscarawas, and Wyandot.
In development since 2019, Ohio’s newest state park is located along U.S. Route 68 just north of Xenia, where “Old Chillicothe” — a historic Shawnee village — once stood. As Gov. Mike DeWine said at its June 2024 grand opening, “The land had a story that needed to be told.”
Vacation cruises are among Tom and Sally Davies’ favorite ways to relax. Three-day all-inclusive getaways with exceptional food, a variety of entertainment options, and lots of lounging by the pool while making friends with your fellow travelers — what’s not to love?
The land cruises “embark” about once a month, drawing landlubbers from throughout Ohio and neighboring states. Festivities commence on a Tuesday afternoon and continue through checkout the following Thursday morning.
There is no gangplank to negotiate and no required program on the proper way to use life preservers. Just belly up to the reception desk for colorful leis and the lanyards that serve as tickets for the duration.
It’s easy to tell you’re approaching the farm of Union Rural Electric Cooperative member Steve Graham.
The original farm contained a few small woodlots, which Graham kept. Also, because much of his ground is made up of water-loving hydric soil, he built a sizable pond and large wetland, paying for their construction through cost-sharing. The wildlife haven now attracts myriad songbirds, waterfowl, pollinators, white-tailed deer, and even a bald eagle or two.
Seemingly every week brings a new story about how electric vehicles are growing in popularity. While that’s true in general, the trend isn’t consistent everywhere.
In Ohio, the penetration of EVs in rural regions is less than half of that in cities and suburbs. Electric cooperatives in the state recognize that there’s some portion of their membership that might desire an EV but holds back based on outdated or incorrect assumptions.
Do you like to fish? Me too. As a kid, one of my earliest memories was of sitting beside a pond fishing for bluegills with my father.
“The majority of Ohio’s fish populations are sustained through natural reproduction,” says Chris French, fish hatchery program administrator. “However, stocking expands and diversifies fishing opportunities in waters where existing habitats don’t support some fish populations. Stocking is only one of many fish management tools used by the Division of Wildlife to improve angling.”
