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Opinion

Please heed National School Bus Safety Week

Editorials

Local drivers are, for the most part, back in the habit of obeying safety laws regarding school buses on the roads. But during this National School Bus Safety Week, it is important to remind ourselves not only of the rules but why they are so necessary. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the danger is not just for those still riding on a bus. Between 2013 and 2022 there were 1.5 times more fatalities among pedestrians than occupants of buses — 169 people were killed. During that time 111 school-aged children died in ...

Data supports benefits of distracted driving law

Editorials

After a year, Ohioans now have clear data to show the benefits of the state’s new distracted driving law. According to a report by the Columbus Dispatch, the law is being credited with an 11.6% decrease in crashes, a 19.4% decrease in fatalities — and a LOT more tickets issued. During the past year, state troopers have handed out 25,310 tickets for distracted driving. That’s a 263% increase over the previous year. That last data point might not sound like a good thing, but it is fantastic news. Before implementation of the law on Oct. 4, 2023, there were 55,857 crashes ...

Supporting our parks would come with a very small price

Editorials

We get the part that many of you have already voted. But if not, certainly give consideration to supporting Columbiana County’s gem of a parks system. On the Nov. 5 ballot is a new .10 mill, five-year levy asking voters to help maintain park properties which includes the vastly popular Greenway Trail. If approved, the levy would generate about $258,000 annually — costing the owner of a $100,000 home a total of $3.50 per year. That’s not a typo: $3.50 per year or a bit over 29 cents per month. Columbiana County has so much to offer. We are blessed with thousands of good, ...

Portage County voters will not be intimidated

Editorials

Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski behaved so badly via social media that the U.S. Department of Justice is planning to send in election monitors to ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws during early voting and on Election Day. Remember last month Zuchowski felt comfortable suggesting on social media that households with political signs in their yards supporting Kamala Harris should have their addresses written down. He suggested that, should a Democrat win the presidency, illegal immigrants should be sent to live in those households, and he called those immigrants ...

Issue 1 more than about signs

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: By now everyone has seen the Vote No on Issue 1 signs. But this requires more explanation than a battle to put out the most signs. In gerrymandering, districts are drawn primarily to favor one party over the other. In 2015 and 2018 Ohio voters went to the polls to amend the constitution to put in place several anti-gerrymandering provisions to make sure that communities, counties, villages, and cities couldn’t needlessly be split. Issue 1 says that every single district in the state of Ohio must be drawn to either be a Republican district or a Democratic district. ...

Vote to support Columbiana County Parks

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: The Greenway Trail is an asset for Columbiana County as it provides a great outdoor venue for hiking, jogging and bicycling. It draws thousands of visitors (and their dollars) each year, boosting the local economy. But the trail is in danger and it needs our help. Parts of the trail are more than 20 years old and are deteriorating. Tree roots are pushing up in the trail in parts, and adjacent culverts need cleaning. On November 5, the Columbiana County Park District will seek voter approval of a 0.10 mill levy that would cost the owner of a home valued at $100,000 ...