Courts don’t force child support

Words cannot express the disappointment I felt whenever a dear friend of mine received her ruling from the Boyd County court system concerning all of the back child support her ex-husband owes her. It appears that even though she is owed more than $6,000, the ex gets off scot-free.

How is this possible? Just ask the Boyd County court system! Her particular case has been going on for over a year and a half, and a ruling was finally made in the first few days of February. However, she could not get a copy of the ruling until March 5!

So ladies, if you are owed back child support and you live in Boyd County, don’t worry! You will never see any of it! The court system will make sure the ex-husband is let off and let the people who truly matter suffer: The children.

Judy Land, Russell



Appliances not made in U.S.

Have you tried tp buy an American made appliance lately? I wish you luck.

We purchased our washer and dryer in October 1991. They are still working but I thought it is time to replace them. My dryer needs a longer time period to do the job.

I read the “Consumer Buyers Guide” to help me decide what brand to buy. I asked friends and family what they had and if they liked them.

Then I went shopping. I told the clerks I was looking for an American brand made in the U.S.A.

They all said the same thing: “The dryers are made in Mexico, Canada, Europe or some other country. Their headquarters are in the U.S.”

‘‘Forget it,’ I said, “I will keep my dryer. It still works and I don't need a washer now.”

The longer I thought about it, the less I liked it. So, I started calling the companies. They all said the the same thing: “No U.S. made.” If it is assembled in the U.S., the parts are foreign made.

The Whirlpool employee told me to look on the dryer and there should be a label stating where it is made. There wasn’t.

I gave up until the next wash day when I gave in and bought a dryer. I could not fuss at the sales clerk — he feels like I do.

The company lost a washer sale that day .

Helen Adkins, Flatwoods



Avoid tax hike: Quit smoking

On April 1, the federal cigarette tax will increase by 62 cents. This increase should provide yet one more good reason to quit smoking.

According to this year’s U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on The Health Consequences of Smoking, we now know smoking harms virtually every organ in the body. In addition to lung cancer, heart attacks and stroke, cigarette smoking has been found to cause coronary heart disease, ulcers and cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas.

However, there is good news: Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term health benefits, regardless of your age, or how long and how much you’ve been smoking.

As a physician, I know that making the decision to quit — and sticking to it — is hard. Fortunately, today smokers don’t have to rely on willpower alone. Research shows support can help smokers significantly increase their chances of quitting successfully. This help may come from family and friends, health care providers, counseling programs or through medication such as the nicotine gum, patches or lozenges.

Ohioans who want to stop smoking can get immediate help by calling the Ohio Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) where they can get free advice and counseling on how to stop.

Most smokers want to quit and the tax increase may be the impetus for many to finally make an attempt. Every smoker deserves the emotional, practical and medical support they need to do so successfully.

Alvin D. Jackson, director , Ohio Department of Health, Columbus