Breaking News

Opinion

Due praise for the work of Future Farmers of America

Editorials

National Future Farmers of America Week is being observed Feb. 21-28. The organization “Future Farmers of America” — or FFA as we all know it — was founded in 1928 by young farmers. Its mission was to prepare subsequent generations with the task of feeding a growing populace across our country. Farmers have done just that. And living where we do in counties like Columbiana and Mahoning we can appreciate that. If you aren’t a farmer in our parts, you certainly know someone who is a crop producer, beef, dairy or poultry farmer. Living where we do, where so much farming and ...

Checking out the Valley’s court of appeals elections

Columns

Tired of losing courts of appeals and Ohio Supreme Court races, Republicans changed the rules starting with the 2022 election — and have largely benefited. The Republican-controlled state Legislature passed a law in 2021, which took effect with the 2022 election, requiring party affiliation on the ballot for those running for seats on courts of appeals and the Supreme Court. Before that, candidates ran in party primaries and then didn’t have party affiliation in the general election. During the 2018 and 2020 elections, Democrats won three of four Supreme Court races and continued ...

Advocating Multiple Sclerosis awareness

Letters to the Editor

Advocating Multiple Sclerosis awareness To the editor: In 2006, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). When diagnosed, I did not know what MS was. Others, along with myself, experience the various challenges of MS, and no two people experience the same effects. No one has chosen to live with MS; it has chosen us. There are things known and things unknown regarding MS. Every hour, someone is diagnosed with MS, a chronic disease of the central nervous system for which there is no cure. MS interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body. A few of the impacts of ...

Campaign’s goal is to intercept financial exploitation of elderly

Editorials

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced earlier this month that his office is partnering with the Ohio Bankers League and the Ohio Health Care Association on a statewide campaign to increase awareness about elder abuse and intercept financial exploitation before it ever does its damage. The Ohio Pharmacists Association is already part of the group, which will help front-line professionals learn how to spot abuse. That kind of training is important if we are to support a population that can be more vulnerable to scams, fraud and exploitation. “Elder abuse doesn’t always leave ...

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 ...