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Ohio’s youth more willing to get involved than given credit for

Ohio’s young people are stronger, smarter and better connected to the needs of their communities than many of us give them credit for. They are also willing to get involved at a level from which many adults shy away. This week, 20 high school students were selected (from 50 applicants) to be part of the new Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation Youth Advisory Council. Those teenagers, representing a variety of ages, locations, interests and groups, were determined to make a difference in supporting suicide prevention efforts. “We were amazed by the number of students who applied, as ...

Take time to explore financial aid for post-secondary education

It would be hard to blame high school seniors and their parents for being uncertain about the financial aid landscape for post-secondary education right now. But it still might come as a surprise to know that now — and for years — fewer students are applying for available college scholarships. The National College Attainment Network examined the number of completed Free Applications for Federal Student Aid as of June 30 before each academic year, as a percentage of the number of high school seniors in each year. Back in 2018-19 (the high school class of 2018), 54% of seniors ...

We should be talking about how demographics affect lives

With plenty of talk at the federal level recently about demographics, a recent study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington shows us maybe we should be talking just as much about how those demographics affect our ability to live long, healthy lives. The Ohio Capital Journal reports the study showed Native Americans living in Western and Midwestern states have the shortest life expectancy, at 63.4 years. At the other end of the spectrum are Asian Americans nationwide, at 84 years. Whites living in Appalachia and some Southern states, and ...

Most of us try to shop responsibly, but for some items, we don’t know what we don’t know. For example, how many use coyote urine to keep deer out of gardens? How many think about how the key ingredient is acquired? “People don’t know that when they buy products that they might be endorsing a fur farm, including myself,” Susan Vogt, founder and president of Red Riding Hood Rescue Project in Middletown, Ohio, told WCPO in Cincinnati. Vogt was speaking to the news station after having helped save hundreds of animals from an Ashtabula County fur farm in January. Vogt ...

Gap remains in health care coverage for Ohio veterans

Taking care of our veterans is a priority for Ohioans. But despite our best efforts, there is still a health care coverage cap that leaves thousands of them without the resources they deserve. According to a report by WCPO in Cincinnati, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says there are approximately 29,200 veterans in Ohio — those who served in Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan — who are not registered for health care coverage. The U.S. Census Bureau reports there were more than 602,000 veterans living in the Buckeye State in 2022. With that perspective, it’s ...

Ohio Senate Bill 19 would address math comprehension

Ohio lawmakers digesting the results of the latest National Center for Education Statistics report card are right to be scrambling for ideas. One pitched by state Sen. Andrew Brenner, R-Delaware, is nothing new, but very much worth considering. Senate Bill 19 would require school districts or individual schools to develop math achievement improvement plans if they don’t have at least 52% of students receive a proficient score in math comprehension, according to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal. It would also require math improvement and monitoring plans for individual students who ...