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Opinion

45 years, six days and still counting

Editorials

Isn’t it amazing? How you might forget where you placed, say, your car keys just minutes ago but can vividly recall a single moment from decades ago? Such an instance for me was actually a first professional moment for me: getting my first byline as a daily newspaper staff member. The name Bob Lewis would strike a memory for only the most avid of golf historians. He was the 1978 Ohio Open champion. I interviewed him at the Salem Golf Club in August that summer — having just been hired as a part-time sportswriter for the Morning Journal. Dang, my very first feature! A clip of that ...

Sliding scale should help SNAP recipients

Editorials

Officials with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services have made an important change that should help the program do a better job helping those who are part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This past Tuesday, ODJFS Director Matt Damschroder announced a sliding scale to allow recipients to move off the program gradually. That way, recipients will feel less as though they need to turn down promotions or new job opportunities to keep food on the table. “Fear of losing food benefits can be a deterrent to taking a new job, working more hours, or even accepting a ...

Another tool to fight human trafficking

Editorials

Law enforcement offices across the state, both on their own behalf and as part of larger task forces, have been battling human trafficking in Ohio for years. On Monday, state Attorney General Dave Yost announced a new tool that will let the rest of us better support that effort. A non-emergency hotline, 844-END-OHHT (844-363-6448), will send tips about suspected sex and labor trafficking directly to law enforcement personnel with experience investigating such allegations. Those who suspect such activity should not hesitate to use the hotline. “The hotline is a much-needed tool in the ...

Wanting to help out? Do it with guidance

Editorials

For those of us watching in horror as Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee come to grips with the devastation left by Hurricane Helene, the first thought might be “I need to help. Now.” Whether the urge is to send money, send supplies or volunteer, we might have to be more patient than we’d like. Federal Emergency Management Agency guidance begins with something that might come as a surprise. Should you be trying to contact someone in the affected regions, text rather than calling. Texting leaves the lines open for emergencies. FEMA ...

East Palestine: demoralized by the justice system

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: Advocates across the country and locally have underscored the urgent need for a review of systemic environmental injustices that have played out in East Palestine, Ohio. The class action lawsuit following the February 2023 East Palestine, Ohio train derailment and Norfolk Southern chemical disaster should NOT set the precedent for future suits. This lawsuit is riddled with deficiencies and does not provide justice for the millions of people impacted by this incident. Residents of East Palestine, Ohio and close communities express deep frustration and a sense of betrayal ...

Ohio Republican officials are inept

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: Since 1992 the Republicans in Ohio have had 26 trifectas. This means that one political party holds majorities in both chambers of the state legislature (Senate and House of Representatives) and the governor’s office. The Democrats have had none. Ohio has had a few years of a Democratic governor and a few years of a Democratic majority in the House but they did not occur together. So we can safely thank the Republicans for Ohio ranking #36 in the country, making it one of the worst states to live in (according to a study conducted by US News and World Report in 2024). ...