Even before her first day on the job, Mary Ronan knew she would face tough scrutiny. Not from the people who hired her, although they would be watching too, but from the parents of the 34,000 students who have entrusted her with their children's education. Ronan talks with CityBeat about her new position, the challenges and progress of overseeing the district, increasing parental involvement and educating the city's children with never-ending pressures of budget shortfalls.  

Since Ohio's statewide smoking ban went into effect in December 2006, making it illegal to smoke tobacco products in bars, restaurants and most other enclosed workspaces, smokers have been forced to keep their habit in check or at least make it more discreet. Recent technology, however, has given them the chance to fight back and reclaim their right to suck down nicotine anytime anywhere without the risk of legal consequence.  

College is a time of decisions: Where are you going to go to school? What are you going to major in? What organizations are you going to join? While considering these long-term scenarios, another eminent decision to make is whether or not to live on or off campus.   

Don't pick it because it's the easy way out. Don't pick it because it sounds fun or because your dad picked it. There's probably no "right" reason to choose a particular college major. Although it's possible to breeze your way through the first year or so of college without declaring a field of study, the decision looms above every student's head: What are those gold-leafed, fancy cursive words on your diploma going to spell out?  

When Jennifer Reinhart graduated high school in 2006, she thought she had her future all figured out. She would volunteer for one year in the AmeriCorps and then begin her four-year college education at the University of Cincinnati. She had everything in the bag: her high school diploma, a spot at her first-choice school, a secure position in the volunteer program. But when she sat down and put her finances together one year later, things changed.  

Hoping to capitalize on growing public enthusiasm for all things local, some of the world's biggest corporations are brashly laying claim to the word "local." This new variation on corporate "green washing" — local washing — is, like the "buy local" movement itself, most advanced in the context of food. Even Wal-Mart is getting in on the act, hanging bright green banners over its produce aisles that simply say "Local."  

Earlier this spring, former Colerain Township Clerk Kathy Mohr filed a complaint against Township Trustee Bernie Fiedeldey with the Ohio Ethics Commission, alleging he failed to disclose relationships with seasonal park employees and violated conflict-of-interest rules when the township awarded contracts for two construction projects.  

If someone is refused an apartment, a job or credit because he or she is gay, you might think that Cincinnati's Human Rights Ordinance offers some legal recourse. Not really, says local attorney Scott Knox. For gays and lesbians living throughout most of Ohio, there's no legal shield at all. A pending state bill, the Equal Housing and Employment Act, could change that.   

For decades, Cincinnati's leaders have bemoaned the loss of people and businesses to distant suburbs and other cities. Cincinnati City Councilwoman Roxanne Qualls thinks an important part of restoring vibrant city living is by appealing to those who want to do more than just drive through the Queen City. "If you design streets for traffic, you get traffic," she recently told an audience at the Mercantile Library.  

President Eisenhower said that farming looks easy “when your plow is a pencil and you’re 1,000 miles from the cornfield.” Many would-be gardeners enjoy plowing through seed catalogs, but others in Greater Cincinnati have moved from the “easy” part to tilling, planting and tending to new urban farms in lots and backyards across the city.   

Sure, I’ve heard of Rookwood Pottery. I’ve seen tiles here and there in older homes in the area and heard the name spoke on the proud owners’ lips. The name evokes images of well-trained artisans leaning over their dusty workspaces, carving incredibly detailed molds and gently placing them in the kiln, waiting expectantly for their creation to take life.   

Many of us drive by it every day and never take notice, and yet the lucky few who venture off the beaten path discover a tiny oasis hidden just outside of the city. Nestled among eight acres off Reading Road in Avondale, the Civic Garden Center acts as a horticultural resource dedicated to enriching lives through education, community beautification and environmental stewardship.   

Years ago, all summer entertaining was done in the front of the house. Later, the party moved to the backyard. We started with placing a charcoal grill out back to grill up a few hot dogs and have since moved on to full outdoor kitchens, expansive sitting areas and large grassy lawns on which to play cornhole or catch.   

During college I purchased a comfy oversized chair and ottoman at a yard sale. They cost $10 and took up most of my bedroom. The chair, in all its early ’90s light blue plaid glory, sturdily held up through six moves, though the door frames it was squeezed through often did not.  

Seventeen months after a major fire nearly claimed Old St. George Church in Clifton Heights, its iconic spires are still missing from the city's skyline. The church lies dormant, virtually moth-balled with temporary roofing while its owner, the Clifton Heights Community Urban Redevelopment Corp., decides its fate.