February 2026

A couple looking at a waterfall in the woods

Soon after Zac Loomis and his wife, Lauren, purchased the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls in February 2019, he asked the chef to tweak the menu at its restaurant, Kindred Spirits, so that every dish would be tree-nut-free.

Flanked on three sides by Hocking Hills State Park, the inn was one of the first Hocking Hills venues to offer guests lodging as well as an on-site fine-dining experience. That not only played a key role in putting the region on the tourist map, but over the next three decades, the inn also grew from a modest, barnlike bed-and-breakfast that original owner Anne Castle founded in 1987 into what is arguably the Hocking Hills’ most iconic — and complete — destination.

Cardinal Power Plant

Last February, WKYC-TV in Cincinnati had a warning for its viewers: “Get ready, Ohio: Your energy bill will be higher this summer.” 

If you watch, read, or listen to news outlets in Ohio, you’ve been bombarded for most of the past year about skyrocketing electricity rates. For most consumers, whether customers of an investor-owned utility or members of an electric cooperative, those stories likely were difficult to process. 

Female cardinal perched on a feeder

With its pointed crest and for its striking cardinal-red color alone, the northern cardinal is not only easy to notice, but also to remember and to appreciate. Lucky for us, it never leaves the home place.

The colorful northern cardinal lives over the entirety of Ohio, and that alone is reason enough for the state legislative assembly to name it the official state bird.  There are other meritorious reasons that call forth warm approval and high regard. 

Red-tailed hawk

Late one September many years ago, I was visiting Pointe Mouillee State Game Area at the mouth of the Detroit River along the western shoreline of Lake Erie in late September when I looked skyward and saw the most stunning example of fall bird migration I have ever witnesse

The vivid image of that annual autumnal spectacle of migration remains in my mind’s eye yet today. But it has always made me stop and wonder: Why do some raptors migrate, while others don’t?

Utopia cabin at Paradise Lake

 

Got someone on your list who’s seemingly impossible to buy for?
Make shopping simple this season with our tally of treasures sure to be a treat for even the trickiest members of your tribe. 

For those who need a getaway

A stay in Utopia

An Airbnb gift card could translate into a stay in the luxurious Utopia cabin at Paradise Lake, a private lake near New Philadelphia in Amish country. Utopia promises a relaxing haven for nature lovers, with peaceful water views as well as opportunities for kayaking, fishing, or simply relaxing by the shore. Utopia boasts two bedrooms, a full kitchen, and a hot tub. Other Paradise Lake cabins sleep as many as 14 or as few as two. All are available year-round.   

A lit up keyboard with a padlock

In November 2021, a hacker using ransomware took down nearly the entire computer network at an electric cooperative in Colorado.

“We look at cybersecurity like we look at workplace safety,” Niese says. “It’s a key component in everything we do, and it’s part of everyone’s job, from the top down.”

A painted train car

Editor’s note: Port Clinton-based photographer and writer James Proffitt traveled hundreds of miles between countless railroad crossings on Ohio’s highways and back ro

To be certain, spray-painting railcars is illegal and dangerous. Most graffiti is born near rail yards in larger cities, like the Queensgate yard in Cincinnati, where the cars are plentiful and often don’t move for long periods of time.

A night time view of transmission lines and a shield

In an increasingly digital world, cybersecurity has become second nature to most of us. We lock our phones, use strong passwords, and enable two-factor authentication to protect our personal data. We’re alert for phishing attempts and digital scams that seek to exploit our trust or steal sensitive information. They’re practices that reflect a broader principle: securing what matters.