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If you’re registered and haven’t voted yet do so next Tuesday

Next Tuesday, Ohioans will vote in what is being called the 2024 Presidential Primary Election. But many of the other decisions made that day will be far more important on the local level than choosing who will battle it out for their spot in the Oval Office. March 19 will feature votes for local law enforcement leaders, judges, races for representatives in Columbus and Washington, D.C., levies and other issues — all vital parts of our community. With Bill Johnson assuming a leadership role with YSU, the race is on to ultimately fill his 6th District seat. There is a heated ...

License suspensions create losing situations for everyone

Ohio’s economy has a lot going for it, but there are weak spots. Among those problem areas is the number of people with suspended drivers’ licenses. We’re not talking here about those whose licenses have been suspended for driving-related failures. These are suspensions because of legal debts such as unpaid fines and fees, child-support delinquencies or court judgments. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, approximately 1.7 million Ohioans per year have their licenses suspended, and 60% of those are not because of bad driving. A study by the Federal Reserve Bank of ...

License suspensions create losing situations for everyone

Ohio’s economy has a lot going for it, but there are weak spots. Among those problem areas is the number of people with suspended drivers’ licenses. We’re not talking here about those whose licenses have been suspended for driving-related failures. These are suspensions because of legal debts such as unpaid fines and fees, child-support delinquencies or court judgments. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, approximately 1.7 million Ohioans per year have their licenses suspended, and 60% of those are not because of bad driving. A study by the Federal Reserve Bank of ...

Orphan wells could create employment for thousands

Among the legacies of our region’s boom-and-bust reliance on fossil fuel industries are the hundreds of thousands of orphan wells that dot Appalachia. According to a report by The Center Square, the federal government has counted approximately 127,000 orphan wells nationwide. Reporting out of Pennsylvania, The Center Square noted there are 27,000 in Pennsylvania, 20,000 in Ohio, 12,000 in Kentucky and 6,000 in West Virginia. Those are just the ones we know about. There are an estimated 300,000 undocumented orphan wells in Pennsylvania. Imagine how many there must be across the rest of ...

Rulli earns backing in GOP primary for Johnson’s seat

When Bill Johnson decided to step down from the U.S. 6th Congressional District seat to become Youngstown State University president, three Republicans saw an opportunity to step up and succeed him. This year’s primary election has no incumbent in the seat — the first time since 2006. Neither Reggie Stolzfus or Michael Rulli had planned to run for the seat, as both were in the second terms of their respective positions — Rulli as state senator in Ohio’s 33rd District and Stolzfus as state representative of Ohio’s 50th District. Then, following the devastating Feb. 3, 2023, ...

Congress, industry must get moving on railways safety

As we await a final report on the Norfolk Southern derailment that continues to haunt East Palestine, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy made waves Wednesday when she told Congress the decision to blow open five tanks and burn what was inside was unnecessary. Imagine how that confirmation must have hit residents who still have fears about the lingering effects on their health of burning vinyl chloride while other chemicals were spilling into the ground and water. Homendy said the maker of the vinyl chloride that was inside those tank cars was left out of the ...