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988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is saving lives

Editorials

Good ideas don’t always prove to be effective once put into practice. But the implementation of Ohio’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline two years ago has proved to have been worth every ounce of effort. According to a report from Gov. Mike DeWine’s office, the lifeline has responded to nearly 340,000 contacts during that time. Hundreds of thousands of people facing emotional distress or thoughts of suicide found support when they picked up their phones. “988 is saving lives,” DeWine. “The lifeline is providing free, around-the-clock support to Ohioans in crisis by ...

Advocacy groups bog down election process

Editorials

Ohio’s elections officials — at all levels — take pride in safeguarding our elections process. They know their responsibilities and handle the job well. It seems some advocacy groups believe they need a little help, and that’s a problem. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, the Ohio Election Integrity Network has been approaching officials in multiple Ohio counties with lists of hundreds of voters they say should be deemed ineligible to vote and removed from the rolls. Voting rights advocates are asking Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose to do something about it ...

What Vance brings to the GOP’s presidential ticket

Columns

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, didn’t select Ohio’s Sen. J.D. Vance as his vice presidential running mate for his political experience. Vance’s fewer than 19 months in elected office probably works to his advantage. Prior to Trump winning the presidency in 2016, he had never held public office. Trump has successfully convinced many that elected officials — particularly those who serve in Congress or presidential administrations — are part of the “D.C. swamp” that has hurt the country. Vance wasn’t selected so Trump could win Ohio, once a swing state ...

Statistics reflect economic struggles of many Ohioans

Editorials

Ohio residents who feel as though they are struggling to a greater degree than those living in other parts of the country are not imagining things. A report by Oxfam America says nearly one-quarter of Ohio workers are making under $17 an hour. According to Axios reporting, that is the figure Oxfam America considers to be a living wage. But the nonprofit anti-poverty group dug deeper into Ohio’s data and found that here we have a higher number of people under that line than the national average; and that approximately 1.3 million Ohioans may be struggling to keep up with ...

Lawmakers need to protect us from frivolous lawsuits

Editorials

Ohio lawmakers may be on summer break now, but when they return to work they’ll have a chance to remove our state from the list of those favored by forum-shopping attorneys looking for a sweet spot to file their clients’ frivolous lawsuits. House Bill 637 and Senate Bill 237 are aimed at quickly shutting down SLAPP lawsuits, or strategic lawsuits against public participation. According to a report by the Dayton Daily News, the bills have support on both sides of the aisle. HB 637 was introduced by state Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, and Rep. Elliott Forhan, D-Euclid, in June. ...

Far too many questions remain about shooting

Editorials

From our perspective a scant 60 miles or so from the shots heard ’round the world Saturday, we join Americans of all political stripes in expressing our shock, dismay and disbelief over the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. First, our prayers and concerns go to Trump and his family. Fortunately, the former president was not seriously injured in this most brazen act of political violence. We mourn the senseless loss of life of Corey Comperatore, loving husband, father, church leader and former fire chief. And we wish speedy ...