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Passage of Ohio HB 326 would open more pathways for students

Editorials

Not every student has the same path to follow after high school graduation. They don’t have the same skill sets, interests or aspirations. So why would we limit the options they have for assessing their readiness to proceed on those paths? In Ohio, there may be other options available, if lawmakers give serious consideration to state House Bill 326, introduced by Reps. Kevin Ritter, R-Marietta, and Johnathan Newman, R-Troy. “Regarding the use of nationally standardized assessments in public and chartered nonpublic schools and state institutions of higher education,” it would allow ...

Credit goes to Commerce Dept. for generating investments

Editorials

Good news came this week out of the U.S. Commerce Department, which says Japan is planning to fund three projects totaling approximately $36 billion in the coming years — one each in Ohio, Texas and Georgia. According to Reuters, this is the first wave of investments in the planned $550 billion reportedly pledged as part of a trade deal with the U.S. The Ohio project is expected to be a $33 billion natural gas-fired power plant in Portsmouth — perhaps the largest ever, according to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Reuters reports Lutnick said the plant would have a 9.2 ...

Don’t wait until registering to vote in your state primary

Editorials

If you’re beginning to feel as though the stakes in this year’s elections are unusually high, you are not alone. Even a cursory glance at newspaper opinion pages or social media feeds will tell you there are strong feelings on many important issues — and plenty of people believe they must weigh in on the candidates who might address those issues. Here’s the problem. When it really counts — Election Day — those opinion pieces or social media posts will not move the needle. Your vote will; and primary elections are closer than you might think. Ohio’s Secretary of State’s ...

Chronic absenteeism is a major issue in schools

Editorials

At first glance, the pledge by Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce to reduce chronic absenteeism by 50% no later than 2029 in the state’s public schools sounds like a pie-in-the-sky pipedream that stands slim to no chance of ever entering the realm of reality. After all, chronic absenteeism — defined as a student missing 10% or more of the school year for any reason — has catapulted to the top or near the top of major challenges confronting public education in Ohio and throughout the nation. It’s done so for good reason. Statewide 1 in 4 students ...

Congressional candidates facing struggle to defeat incumbents Rulli, Joyce

Columns

Those challenging the two incumbents who represent the Mahoning Valley — U.S. Reps. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, and Michael Rulli, R-Salem — face tremendous odds to beat them. Defeating a sitting member of the U.S. House is very difficult. With the power of incumbency comes name recognition and a considerable amount of money, largely provided by political action committees who know the reliable votes of those already serving in Congress, particularly for a long time. OpenSecrets, a website that provides data and analysis of money in politics, also tracks the reelection rate of U.S. ...

Carbon monoxide poisoning: The silent killer

Columns

EDITOR’S NOTE: This column was originally published March 21, 2020. Thanks to breakthroughs in medicine and nutrition in recent years, we are living longer than ever before. But this increase in life expectancy also brings an increase in the number of diseases, injuries and impairments that affect older adults. With this in mind, we at the local Visiting Angels office in Salem have created this series of articles to keep our older population and their families informed and to offer some practical advice for meeting the challenges faced by seniors and those who care for them. ...