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Ohio mostly using tax money to benefit of all

Ohio taxpayers have a right to assume the money they give to the state will be used in a way that benefits all of us. As it turns out, that assumption is mostly correct, according to a report by WalletHub, “States with the Best and Worst Taxpayer ROI (2024).” Ohio is fifth in the nation for taxpayer return on investment. Only Missouri, South Dakota, Florida and New Hampshire are doing better for their citizens. Ohio is eighth for total taxes paid per capita, though we are 25th for overall government services. When looking more closely at the state government services, WalletHub ...

Measles still a viable health threat for some

If you’re of a certain age, it’s entirely fine to be nostalgic about some things from your childhood. One thing you shouldn’t be nostalgic about, though, is the measles. Before a vaccine became available in 1963, measles was commonplace in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there were 500,000 cases every year, mostly striking children. Of those 500,000 cases, about 500 were fatal. Since the introduction of the vaccine, and concerted efforts on the part of health officials to get children vaccinated, the number of measles cases has dropped ...

A confirmed delay by Intel requires vigilance

It’s official. Intel has formally submitted a report to the Ohio Department of Development that updates the timeline for its semiconductor fabrication plant in New Albany. Now, according to a report by WCMH, Intel’s planned Ohio One facility will be finished between 2026 and 2027 before becoming operational between 2027 and 2028. Having secured $3.5 billion in funding to produce semiconductors for the U.S. military, surely Intel executives intend to fulfill their promises to Ohio AND the federal government. Back in June, Intel got $600 million in grants from the state DoD. “This ...

Weapons in school: Accountability is key

There’s no way of knowing what might have been prevented when a Perry High School resource officer confiscated a firearm being carried by a student on Wednesday. The school, near Massillon, said there were no threats to students or staff, according to a report by WJW. Still, Perry Township Police Chief Brian Taylor said the officer secured the gun, took the student into custody, and that the student is expected to face “appropriate disciplinary and legal actions.” While we may never know what on earth the student was thinking, Taylor is right that the incident should be a ...

Community support of newspapers is critical

As we near the end of this year’s Sunshine Week, communities across the country are suffering not just because their public officials are doing business in the dark, but because in some regions there are few (or no) news organizations left to keep an eye on those officials in the first place. This has created virtual non-media covered islands across our national landscape. Community support of newspapers has never been more important. Your support lends power to our efforts to shine a light on what public officials are doing with public money — particularly when those same officials ...

Lack of labor in Ohio a pressing problem for many employers

It may seem like a good problem to have, but Ohio’s historically low (for historically long) unemployment figures are creating a challenge for employers. The state’s unemployment rate has been below 4% for 14 straight months, the longest such stretch in data that goes back to 1976, according to a report by The Columbus Dispatch. For January, the rate was 3.7%. “The Ohio unemployment rate ticked higher to 3.7%, but this remains a much lower rate than usual for the state,” Ben Ayers, senior economist for Nationwide, said in a research note reported by the Dispatch. “Lack of ...