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Letters to the Editor

A starving horse does not suffer less because Ohio calls it livestock

Dear Editor: I am part of Northeast Ohio’s horse community, and I want people to keep paying attention to the Heather Birkmire animal-cruelty case. Five horses are dead. Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino has said necropsies found evidence of starvation and dehydration. Yet the cruelty charges are misdemeanors. Birkmire, the former operator of Pure Gold Stables and Equestrian Center in Salem Township, has pleaded not guilty to five second-degree misdemeanor cruelty counts and four fourth-degree misdemeanor counts involving the disposal of dead animals. Four dead horses were found at the ...

Credit Card Competition Act a common-sense bill backed by Moreno

Dear Editor: Ohio’s families and small businesses are that much closer to seeing some financial relief thanks to Senator Bernie Moreno’s recent decision to become a cosponsor of the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA). We’re glad to have an elected official putting Main Street’s concerns over Wall Street’s bottom line. For businesses already stretched thin by other operational expenses, the swipe fees charged on each credit card transaction accumulate rapidly and are a major burden on local shops. As a result, many owners pass that burden down to their customers through ...

Action requested to address dangerous intersection in Perry Township

Editor's Note: The following is a letter submitted to the Columbiana County commissioners and state Rep. Monica Robb-Blasdel. For years I have lived at the four-way intersection of state Route 344 and Cunningham Road in Perry Township. Sitting at the table, I see accidents all the time. A recent head-on, car versus semi disaster violently claimed the life of a woman who doesn’t seem to have seen the approaching semi. There is something about the visibility of this intersection that renders it so frequently dangerous. Let’s prevent future deaths, injuries, screaming, smashed ...

Grateful for downtown Lisbon veterans banners

Dear Editor: I wish to send my congratulations to all those responsible for the banners in downtown Lisbon honoring our veterans. The banners are of high quality and easy to see. They are a very fitting tribute to those who served to protect the freedoms that we enjoy every day. C Ashley Pike Winona

Act like citizens instead of sports fans

Dear Editor, Politics are not a team sport. It’s not the same as sticking with the Browns or the Steelers no matter how bad the season. The political process is about choosing the right people who can lead a government in ways that support its citizens. Right now our state government has allowed Ohio to drop from having the fifth best school system in the country (2010) to the 35th. Our infant mortality rate is the fifth worst in the country. Who is suffering from our loyalty to a political team? Our children. In sports the owners of the teams can spend millions to ...

Suggestions in response to Firestone Park: Postings in the Park column

Dear Editor, My letter is in reference to the June 5, 2026 article, “Postings in the Park,” written by Pat Tingle. Pat asked for suggestions on how to improve the “dismal” appearance of the park gardens. I worked at Firestone Park for four-and-a-third years. Because I took ownership of my designated gardens, they received my excellent care. Often the work load was overwhelming; however, it was a privilege being surrounded by all the beauty in the Firestone “Flower” Park – that was my name for the gardens. My boss, Keith Kaiser, resigned mid-May 2025. After he resigned, ...