There have been many families touched by the comfort and compassion that Adena Hospice has provided to the community over its 25 years of service. Many of these families often share the gratitude they feel toward Hospice staff. Losing a loved one is never easy, but Hospice care was designed to provide support for those people who are in the final stages of life. It considers the patient and family as the unit of care with support provided to both.    

Longtime Highland County businessman Don Edgington died Sunday, Oct. 11 at the University Hospital in Cincinnati. He was 74.

James Ronald "Smoky" Burgess, 68, of Athens, Ohio, formerly of Greenfield, died Sunday, October 11, 2009 at O'Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens, Ohio.

     In an effort to raise public awareness and prevent the spread of influenza, the Highland County Health Department is encouraging all persons to receive the seasonal influenza vaccination. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your children from the flu. Because pandemic H1N1 flu is circulating in Ohio along with seasonal flu, you will need many defenses to protect yourself and your family from flu this year. To keep from spreading respiratory illnesses such as seasonal influenza, H1N1 virus and other influenza strains, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends careful hand washing, coughing and sneezing into a tissue and immediately throwing tissues away after use and washing your hands. If tissues are not available, sneeze or cough into the sleeve of your elbow. Also, getting plenty of sleep and eating a healthy diet will aid in a good immune system. If you or your family does develop flu-like symptoms, stay home from work or school at least 24 hours after being fever-free without use of fever reducing medications such as Tylenol or Motrin.