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Scioto County Daily News
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  • Public Safety
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    🚨CPS CALLED AFTER CHILD THREAT—INTERPRETER HELPS CONNECT CRUCIAL DETAILS 

    Cops Recover Missing 14-Year-Old Girl in Portsmouth After High-Stakes Search 

    Back on the Radar: Troubled Woman Arrested Again After Report of Public Defecation — When Will Portsmouth Act? 

    scioto county rehabs in the news

    💥 Gunshots, & Chaos: Recovery Facility Feud Explodes Again in Lawrence County 

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    🚨 Sunday Surge: Stabbings, Fires, and False Alarms Mark a Chaotic Day for Scioto County First Responders 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 06/30/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

    SCDN File Photo

    Heroes in Uniform: First Responders Step Up During Mental Health Emergency in Wheelersburg

    Sheriff night 2

    🚨Crowbar Chaos in West Portsmouth! Ex-Boyfriend Brawl Leaves One Injured, Suspects on the Run🚓 

    Scioto County Dog Shelter

    Help Fill the Scioto County Dog Shelter with Love: Sponsor a Dog Kennel Today! 

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    Busy Day for Scioto County First Responders: Medical Runs, Alarms, and Crime Reports Stack Up 

    William Kerns

    🔥Flasher, Firebug & Free Again? Paroled Arsonist William Kerns Arrested (Again) After June 26 Parole Violation 

    dog animal cruelty

    Animal Hoarding Horror: Shock Sentences That Have the Town Talking! 😱🐾 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 06/27/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

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    Grace Under Pressure: Portsmouth Police Calm Chaos at Marathon Without Making Arrest 

    CASA Program Cut: What Happens to Scioto County’s Foster Kids Now? 

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    🚨 Busy Wednesday in Scioto County: Medical Runs, Burglaries, Fires, and Road Woes Keep First Responders on the Move 🚓🚑🔥 

    Naked Woman

    📱Nude Nightmare: Woman Targeted in Vicious ‘Revenge Porn’ Attack by Ex 

    Family’s Clash with Scioto County Deputies Sparks Allegations of False Charges and Legal Missteps 

    New Dog Bite Law Could Strain Already Maxed-Out Scioto County Shelter and Court System 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 06/26/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

  • Lawrence County
  • Politics
    No Kings

    Scioto Dems Snort at “Well-Funded” No Kings Protest Claim

    Cathy Coleman Still Fighting: Family Shuts Down Hospice Rumors, Says Recovery Still Underway

    County May Tap Opioid Settlement Funds to Finish MARCS Tower Project 

    Cathy Coleman

    ‘Small Steps, Big Faith’: Commissioner Cathy Coleman Edges Closer to Recovery 

    ‘Praise God!’: Commissioner Cathy Coleman Shows Remarkable Progress After Harrowing Weeks

    Cathy Coleman

    Cautious Hope and Harsh Realities: New Details Emerge on Commissioner Cathy Coleman’s Condition 

    Scioto County Commissioners Cancel This Week’s Meeting 

    Robert Horton

    Sudden Twist: Horton Court Dates Scrapped Ahead of Trial 

    ‘A Sign of Hope’: Commissioner Cathy Coleman Shows Small Improvements Amid Ongoing Critical Condition 

    Recorder Gary Jenkins

    Scioto County Recorder Gary Jenkins Unveils New Office Website 

    Staggering 236 Recovery Houses in Area — and the Fight for Reform Faces Pushback 

    Cathy Coleman

    Community Urged to Pray For Cathy Coleman as Family Faces Devastating Update 

    Scottie Powell

    Commissioner Scottie Powell on Trans Sanctuary Resolution: “Symbolic, Not Substantive” 

    Cathy Coleman

    Update from the Scioto County Commissioners on Commissioner Cathy Coleman 

    What Did Portsmouth’s LGBTQ+ Sanctuary Resolution Really Say? 

    Portsmouth Rehab

    Portsmouth Rejects LGBTQ+ Sanctuary City Status in Heated Council Vote 

    Cathy Coleman

    It’s a Miracle! – Scioto County Rallies Around Commissioner Cathy Coleman After Medical Crisis Turnaround 

    Scioto County Rallies in Prayer for Commissioner Cathy Coleman After Tragic Crash 

    Risky Business? City Wants to Sell $4.5 Million in Bonds

    Portsmouth LGBT Sanctuary City Proposal Scrapped – New Resolution Coming

  • Feel Good

    BREAKING: Commissioners Make Shocking Decision—Halloween to Remain on Halloween 

    Escape to the Hills: A Summer Reading List Set in Appalachia 

    Scioto County Champs: Lady Trojans and Word Wizards Bring Home the Gold 

    “I Held Those Keys Tight” — One Man’s Harrowing Journey from Addiction to Hope 

    Three girls in quinceañera dresses stand beside one another. The one in middle has a gold dress while the other two wear pink.

    Tips for Selecting the Color of a Quinceañera Dress

    The Day the Streak Ended: Lakers’ 1987 Record Broken

    An angler standing at the edge of a lake just after sunset with three fishing rods resting on the ground next to him.

    Night Fishing: Who Is It for and How Do You Start?

    good cops

    Cops Rescue Lost Man 

    good cops

    Kid Misses Bus, Deputy to the Rescue 

    A group of people stands outside with their arms in the air. They hold their hands together, making a pyramid shape.

    Hidden Gems: Community Strategies for Mental Wellness

    good cops

    Man Says He’s Trapped in Armory 

    Good Samaritan 2

    Good Neighbor and Officer to the Rescue 

    Portsmouth Flood Wall Stars

    Meet the New Flood Wall Stars! 

    A bearded man is sitting on the floor and comforting his dog in a wheelchair. The dog has his ears pinned back.

    Training Tips To Help Your Dog Get Used to Their Wheelchair

    U.S. housing market

    Tips for Making Your New House Feel Like a Home

    The Best Freshwater Fish To Catch This Summer

    The Best Freshwater Fish To Catch This Summer

    A man approaching the bowling lane with a red bowling ball as his three friends in the background cheer him on.

    How Bowling Can Improve Your Mental Health

    good cops

    Lost Kid Calls Cops for Help 

    Backyard camping

    Backyard Adventure: Unforgettable Family Camping

    Sunshine or Snowflakes: Which Season Wins America’s Heart?

  • Obituaries
    Mahala Dawn Pelfrey

    Mahala Dawn Pelfrey, 49 of Lucasville

    Nancy Ackerman-Nash, 71 of Granbury

    Nancy Ackerman-Nash, 71 of Granbury

    Denver Eugene Raike

    Denver Eugene Raike, 87 of Wheelersburg

    Robin Gail Ramsey, 63 of West Portsmouth

    Geneva Mullins 78 of New Boston

    Willard Fenton

    Willard Fenton, 86, of South Webster

    Richard Lewis

    Richard Lewis, 75 of McDermott

    Judy Gayle (Wells) Scifres

    Judy Gayle Scifres, 74 of South Shore,

    Braxton Spears Jr., 76, of South Shore,

    Braxton Spears Jr., 76 of South Shore

    Walter Ronald Kidd

    Walter Ronald Kidd, 89 of Xenia

    Lois Helen Friend

    Lois Helen Friend, 76 of Lucasville

    Patricia Ann Holland

    Patricia Ann Holland, 93 of Waverly

    Marsha Faye Gammon

    Marsha Faye Gammon, 72 of Wheelersburg

    Janet Sue Perkins

    Janet Sue Perkins, 79 of Ashland

    Barbara Williams

    Nancy L. Pistole, 85 of West Portsmouth

    Charles Lloyd Smith

    Charles Lloyd Smith, 84, of Portsmouth

    Maxine Ballard

    Maxine Ballard, 84, of South Point

    David Paul Kidder

    David Paul Kidder, 57 of West Portsmouth

    Carolyn Sue Reeder,

    Carolyn Sue Reeder, 75 of Portsmouth

    Dorothy Jane Pistole

    Dorothy Jane Pistole, 64 of Portsmouth

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Pandemic Lockdown Living

Melissa Martin by Melissa Martin
5 years ago
in Feel Good
Pandemic Lockdown Living
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Pandemic Lockdown Living

The world is reopening and I need to return to social norms and hygiene habits prior to COVID-19. Life after lockdown requires diligence to return to previous routines and schedules.

First, I want to make a confession and come clean—soapy clean. Daily bathing during the shutdown didn’t happen until May when the weather warmed. No commute to the office allowed for less showering. My hubby and I stocked up on food and hunkered down with no visitors and no outings. Why on earth should a human shower every day if she’s not going anywhere to be exposed to the virus?

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🚨CPS CALLED AFTER CHILD THREAT—INTERPRETER HELPS CONNECT CRUCIAL DETAILS 

Cops Recover Missing 14-Year-Old Girl in Portsmouth After High-Stakes Search 

Back on the Radar: Troubled Woman Arrested Again After Report of Public Defecation — When Will Portsmouth Act? 

Shaving took a dive during the quarantine—including the tiny hairs under my nose and above my top lip. And the rogue hair that lives on the edge of my chin. Back to the razor. Argh!

“I’ve been so lonely!” my deodorant cried. Sorry armpits, but I didn’t need my antiperspirant during the pandemic isolation.

Yoga pants, I love you, but wearing you to the office is taboo. We’ll still be together on the weekends. Slouchy clothes, don’t be jealous of formal attire. Back to wearing a bra in public places. My pajamas retired themselves because I put too many daytime miles on them.

The days of wearing a ballcap to hide my gray hair are over. It’s been cut, colored, and styled by my hairdresser. Woo hoo! What a relief. And just who dubbed hair salons a non-essential business? Probably, a bald guy or Miley Cyrus.

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Yes, I became hooked on YouTube gardening videos. So much so—that I planted asparagus. By the way, it takes 3 years to harvest the first crop of this green vegetable. Who knew?

Don’t judge me. I binge-watched all the episodes of the Schitt’s Creek series. I took a vacation from the news in June. And I slacked on cleaning the house.

Bad habit. I allowed my 120-pound canine to lounge on the end of the couch. My rationale—it’s an old ratty sofa that needs replacing. But, the problem will be keeping her off a new couch. Ugh.

I thought about baking a cake, but my spouse laughed so hard he almost wet his pants. It’s been boocoo years since I homemade a yummy treat. The feeling soon passed. My new cooking title is “Crockpot Queen.” Not to be confused with a crackpot.

I saved money by not wearing makeup during the lockdown. My perfume took a sabbatical as well. Looking good and smelling good is back in style as the world reopens. Body odor outside the home is a no-no.

But, I reworked my flower beds, planted a pollinator paradise for butterflies, bees, and beneficial bugs, and repainted my watering cans and pots. And scooped the dog poo from the backyard. I planted extra tomato and green pepper plants in order to donate to local food pantries. The sunflower seeds will be harvested and stored to feed winter birds.

I’m wondering, is this what retirement will look like for me? Hmmm.

Pandemic Lockdown Living: Melissa Martin, Ph.D., is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist. She lives in Scioto County.

Tags: ChildrenCoronavirusFamilyFeaturedfunHealth
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