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Redistricting Commission needs to get it together

It’s getting harder to ignore the Ohio Redistricting Commission’s regular, blatant declarations that they are unwilling to do their job for Ohio residents. Last time the process was kicked off to redraw statehouse voting maps with a meeting in which the commission did precisely nothing. Wednesday, the first meeting in a renewed attempt at the process ended with once again not a thing accomplished, and the revelation that members of the commission can’t even be trusted to agree upon co-chairs. According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, the seven members of the commission met for the ...

So, what happened to the sense of rail safety urgency?

Federal lawmakers who have been quietly ignoring calls to reform railroad safety regulations and enforcement appear to have given at least one rail giant the courage it needed to continue to ignore safety in general. It has been more than seven months since a Norfolk Southern train derailed and caught fire in East Palestine. In the wake of that disaster, a brief sense of urgency gripped a few in Congress. But the results of a recent Federal Railroad Administration inspection of Union Pacific locomotives and railcars in a Nebraska railyard indicate that sense of urgency was not ...

Today is the anniversary of a horrific day in history

Today marks the 22nd anniversary of one of the most horrific days in the history of the United States. Yes, it has been that long already. If you need to be told exactly what significant, nation-altering event we are observing then, well, you are not much of an American. Period. Tributes and memorials will mark today — two decades and two years since the acts of terrorism across our skies with planes plunging to earth and creating mass casualties. We remember the tragedies of that day. We remember the sacrifices and acts of heroism. Local tributes will be paid throughout our region. ...

Task Force provides support for Ohio volunteer firefighters

Ohio is working to give more support to volunteer firefighters, support richly deserved by those who choose to do for the rest of us what so many would not be able — and do it without pay. “As the State Fire Marshal, I am proud to witness Ohio’s commitment to our volunteer firefighters,” said Marshal Kevin Reardon. “The decision to waive all State Fire Academy fees shows this dedication to providing support for those who safeguard our communities.” Yes, Ohio will waive State Fire Marshal Ohio Fire Academy fees for volunteer firefighters, through an initiative from Gov. Mike ...

Housing Committee must find answers for Ohioans

Ohio’s new state Senate Housing Committee began its work last week, as concerns such as housing shortages, high rents, property taxes and accessibility have created quite a challenge to growing and diversifying the state’s economy. “We need to hear from anyone who has anything to do with housing, and we need to factor in what role the state can play,” Sen. Michele Reynolds, R-Canal Winchester, told a WSYX-TV reporter earlier this week. While it is important for our representatives in Columbus to consider what they can do to help (or where they can get government out of the ...

Hold off on celebrating Ohio’s labor numbers

In August, Ohio officials were thrilled to announce a record low unemployment figure for July. The 3.3% was also the third month in a row Ohio’s rate was better than that of the country as a whole (3.5%). In fact, the figure was so wonderful that many couldn’t help but toot their own horns. “We are making history — our formula in Ohio is working, and (the) jobs news is proof of that,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. Easy enough to say, but the reality is even a number that low places Ohio 30th for state unemployment rates, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. And, ...