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Rail safety reform should not be a matter of partisan politics

Rail safety reform is not a matter of partisan politics – or it shouldn’t be, anyway. But since February 2023, when a derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, ignited renewed calls for reform, politicians in Washington, D.C., have sat on their hands while their friends in the railroad industry made promises and assurances that weren’t worth the paper their public relations teams hoped it would be printed on. This week, U.S. Sens. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., are giving it another shot, with a bill that would increase pay for federal railroad inspectors and ...

Years ago, a few politicians and elected officials began to understand it was irresponsible to ignore the downturn in the coal industry. Though acknowledging it at the time drew significant pushback from those clinging to bygone days, today we welcome the support of those in state and federal government who are rooted enough in reality to be looking for ways to support individuals and communities affected by that downturn. This week, the Governor’s Office of Appalachia, along with the Ohio Department of Development, announced more than $6 million in funding from the Appalachian ...

Labor Day celebrates laborers moving the country forward

No longer the precursor to the start of the school year for most students, Labor Day weekend now serves as the first three-day weekend break for most. They and their parents get one more chance to take it a bit easy before the grind of the fall semester and all its activities starts to take its toll. There will be sales and parades, backyard barbecues (maybe not everyone has closed their pools just yet?) and even a few ceremonies in which folks gather to remember the true purpose of the holiday: We owe the success of this country not to the politicians who want all the control and ...

America at 250: A reminder that all are created equal

As our country celebrates not just any Independence Day, but the 250th anniversary of one of the boldest declarations in human history, the festivities give us an excellent opportunity to look back on two-and-a-half centuries of this American experiment and check ourselves against what the founders hoped they were setting in motion. Draped in red, white and blue and surrounded by flags and fireworks, it is easy to forget how we got here and why we are free to celebrate as flamboyantly as we’d like. Richard Henry Lee made the motion to declare independence in June 1776, but not ...

Thanking those who contributed to Stamp Out Hunger

On behalf of the volunteers at the Salem Community Pantry and the Shoppers we serve, I want to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to all the residents of Salem who participated in the U.S. Post Office “Stamp Out Hunger” program. Salem residents were asked in May to donate a canned or boxed food item by placing the item near the resident’s mailbox for collection by the postal carriers. The Salem Community Pantry was the recipient of those generous donations. This year, approximately 2,500 pounds of food were collected. These items are being distributed by the Salem Community Pantry ...

Teachers learning to identify mental health needs of students

Society has given teachers increasingly greater responsibility for our children over the past decade or two — in loco parentis truly means, teaching, feeding, clothing, keeping safe and healthy, and protecting — all with the expectation these teachers will also help students keep up with ever-changing educational standards, too. But teachers have kept adjusting. After all, they do their jobs because they care about students’ wellbeing on more than an academic level. A recent partnership between University Hospitals and the Willoughby-Eastlake school district may give them ...