Cincinnatians just love to joke about that old, clichéd quip often attributed to Mark Twain: “When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it’s always 20 years behind the times.” The colloquialism is used to exemplify anything considered remotely backward, from legislation to fashion to potholes. Signs of life, though, are sprouting up around the city like a canary dandelion through a crack in the cement. ...

Installing solar panels is one way a household can help the environment while saving money in the long term. In Cincinnati, one company offering the service is Solar Earth, a start-up founded by Julie Jones and Jennifer Wolford that installs solar panels on both businesses and homes. ...