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Ohio lagging in overall racial economic equality

As Juneteenth approaches, it is important to take a look in the mirror and look at how far we have come (or not) since the end of slavery in 1865. There are plenty of measures to examine. WalletHub’s “State Economies with the Most Racial Equality (2024)” takes a look at the matter from an economic perspective. Based on the numbers, Ohio does not fare very well. In fact, our state is 44th in the country for overall racial equality in the state economy. (Alaska is best, the District of Columbia is worst.) According to WalletHub, nationwide for every $100 of wealth in white ...

The American flag waves for all citizens

Today is Flag Day. Flag Day deserves the respect of each and every one of us. Especially during the always ongoing turbulent social times. After all, we are all Americans first and foremost. Some seem to forget that. Flag Day doesn’t carry the same clout as many holidays. It isn’t part of holiday offs/let’s party themes that other summer holidays boast like Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. But as free American citizens we should all pause today and acknowledge the significance of our flag. And, yes, it does carry significance. Always. Ten of thousands of American have ...

Roll up your sleeve and donate to the Red Cross

Friday is World Blood Donor Day, a reminder that the American Red Cross is just one part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent network — “the largest humanitarian network in the world with a presence and activities in almost every country,” it says. Throughout that network, donors are the reason blood and blood products are available for those whose lives depend on it. Lately, it seems those donors are even harder to come by. And on this day celebrating blood donors, there is a drastic shortfall in donations that reaches back over the past several weeks. Summer travel ...

State is enhancing marked zones safety

If you’ve done much driving around our region lately, you know the orange barrels and cones are out in abundance. That means the men and women who work in those marked zones are out doing their jobs, too. Better weather means better conditions for work at the same time that it means more people on the roads. That makes this period the “100 deadliest days of summer,” according to Ohio officials who want us all to be a little more careful in work zones. Last Wednesday Gov. Mike DeWine said he had instructed the Ohio State Highway Patrol to intensify its patrols in work zones. ...

Lawmaker should leave libraries alone

While Ohio libraries face a potential funding crisis due to an expected shortfall in property tax revenue, some members of the state House of Representatives want to twist the knife. State Rep. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, has introduced House Bill 622, “to require each board of public library trustees to adopt a policy that prohibits its libraries from displaying matter harmful to juveniles and to redistribute the public library funds of libraries that fail to do so.” Horrifying, isn’t it? “What this accomplishes is protecting our youth, protecting our children and allowing them ...

Our government must protect solar industry

Ask anyone who used to work in the steel or aluminum industry in our region what happens when the federal government does not defend strongly enough against unfair trade practices — too often at the hands of China. Their story is one of failure to transition policy at a pace that keeps up with the bad behavior of global players. Now, there is a threat on a new front — the solar industry. Ohioans who welcomed First Solar and had hoped for more growth (and jobs) in the industry know they have allies in Washington, D.C., as U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, ...