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Ohio’s redistricting map issue remains contentious

The existing redistricting system — approved by voters in 2015 and 2018 — isn’t very effective and needs changes. That’s the opinion of Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican and member of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, as well as plenty of Democrats. The commission drew state legislative and congressional maps that have met with criticism. A group, Citizens Not Politicians, collected more than enough signatures to get a redistricting reform constitutional amendment on the Nov. 5 ballot that would put the power of drawing maps in the hands of a 15-member panel of five Republicans, ...

So, why is Harris buying ads in Mahoning Valley?

The presidential campaign of Democrat Kamala Harris is spending $90 million over the next three weeks airing commercials in battleground areas as well as Youngstown and Toledo even though the vice president has essentially no chance of beating Republican Donald Trump in Ohio. The Harris campaign said the “$90 million paid media buy will target voters in every battleground state and expand the campaign’s reach into markets like Marquette, Alpena (both in Michigan), Toledo, Erie and Youngstown — markets where the Trump campaign is ceding the airwaves as their candidate spends this ...

Race spotlights abortion and reproductive rights

Abortion and women’s reproductive rights are major election issues, particularly since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. It’s no different in the U.S. Senate race in Ohio between Sherrod Brown, the incumbent Democratic senator seeking his fourth six-year term, and Republican Bernie Moreno, a former car dealer and blockchain owner. The matchup is considered one of the most competitive Senate races in the country and could decide which political party controls the upper chamber. In Ohio, voters approved a constitutional amendment in November to ensure ...

DeWine draws cheers, jeers over ballot issue

The Nov. 5 ballot will have a proposed constitutional amendment on it to change how state legislative and congressional districts are drawn. Gov. Mike DeWine admits the current system that gives control over those maps to politicians — overwhelmingly Republicans, including himself — needs to be changed despite his decisions to vote several times in favor of maps later ruled unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court. But DeWine strongly opposes the redistricting amendment saying it will make a bad situation — which has Republicans with a supermajority in the Legislature — much ...

Diets can help control symptoms of arthritis in some cases

Editor’s Note: The following column was originally published on Jan. 2, 2021 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 ...

Campaign money flows more easily to incumbents

In political elections, money is the main reason for the success of candidates. The more you get, the better your chances for winning — and if you’re an incumbent with a big financial lead over your opponent, you’ve got a better than 98% chance of getting reelected. Political action committees, the driving force that funds congressional campaigns, are much more likely to give money to incumbents. In the two congressional races on the Nov. 5 ballot in the Mahoning Valley, there is evidence. Based on what we’ve seen so far, the incumbents — Republican Dave Joyce in the 14th ...