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Editorials

Years ago, a few politicians and elected officials began to understand it was irresponsible to ignore the downturn in the coal industry. Though acknowledging it at the time drew significant pushback from those clinging to bygone days, today we welcome the support of those in state and federal government who are rooted enough in reality to be looking for ways to support individuals and communities affected by that downturn. This week, the Governor’s Office of Appalachia, along with the Ohio Department of Development, announced more than $6 million in funding from the Appalachian ...

Rail safety reform should not be a matter of partisan politics

Editorials

Rail safety reform is not a matter of partisan politics – or it shouldn’t be, anyway. But since February 2023, when a derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, ignited renewed calls for reform, politicians in Washington, D.C., have sat on their hands while their friends in the railroad industry made promises and assurances that weren’t worth the paper their public relations teams hoped it would be printed on. This week, U.S. Sens. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., are giving it another shot, with a bill that would increase pay for federal railroad inspectors and ...

Data centers generate much needed property tax revenue

Letters to the Editor

Columbiana County has never been handed anything. The people who built this region did it with their hands, their backs, and a willingness to show up every day for industries that weren't always glamorous but were always real. The steel mills, the pottery works, the oil and gas fields gave families here a foothold. When those industries declined, the communities that depended on them felt it in ways that Columbus and Cleveland never quite understood. Appalachian Ohio knows what it looks like when an industry leaves, because we’ve lived it. But we also know what it looks like when the ...

Sometimes, the signs are there: Recognizing when someone may be struggling

Local Columns

When someone we care about is struggling, it is not always easy to know what they are going through. A person may not come right out and say that they are thinking about suicide. Instead, the signs may appear in the things they say, the way they act, or changes happening in their life. Knowing what to look for can give family members, friends, coworkers, and others an opportunity to step in, offer support, and help someone find the resources they need. Warning signs often appear as changes that are new or unusual for the person. They may follow a painful event, a major loss, or another ...

Please no single trash hauler in Lisbon

Letters to the Editor

Please, Lisbon Council, drop any further consideration of passing legislation for a single trash hauler in the village. I suspect a majority of residents are opposed to the idea, preferring to choose their own hauler and respecting the tradition of free enterprise among competing companies. I greatly respect and admire our hard-working mayor and have no “beef” with any council member, despite whether I voted for him or her. They make decisions based on what they feel is best. Proponents say having a single hauler will mean all trash bins will be put out and removed ...