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Juneteenth should be celebrated and also used as a teaching lesson

Though it has been 158 years since the first celebration of what became Juneteenth — June 19, 1865, after the order was read to inform Black slaves in Galveston, Texas, that they had been freed — too many still fail to understand the need not only to observe such a holiday, but to learn from it. “This is the event our ancestors recognize as African American Independence Day,” reads the Juneteenth Ohio website. “The first act of freedom African Americans cherished as the opportunity to reunite with family members and to be self-determined as a people.” Juneteenth Ohio ...

Ohio needs to provide a supercharged workforce

Not since the implementation of the assembly line has America’s auto industry faced so much change so quickly. Much is at stake for Ohio during this transition.” There may be a touch of the dramatic in Ohio Manufacturer’s Association President Ryan Augsburger’s declaration, but he is not far off the mark. The evolution of the auto industry has left our state in a position to capitalize, and the DeWine administration’s plan for “Supercharging Our Electric Vehicle Workforce” is an important one. Priorities of the plan include expanding and diversifying the talent the state ...

Remember the significance of observing our Flag Day

Today is Flag Day. Flag Day deserves the respect of each and every one of us. Especially during the always ongoing turbulent social times. After all, we are all Americans first and foremost. Some seem to forget that. Flag Day doesn’t carry the same clout as many holidays. It isn’t part of holiday offs/let’s party themes that other summer holidays boast like Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. But as free American citizens we should all pause today and acknowledge the significance of our flag. And, yes, it does carry significance. Always. Ten of thousands of American have ...

Ohio would be a perfect fit for space headquarters

As the folks in Washington, D.C., search for the perfect location for the headquarters of U.S. Space Command, Ohio’s economic development organizations have teamed up to remind the Biden administration that our state would be perfect for the job. Specifically, the group proposes Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton as the headquarters, with additional U.S. Space Force units in Ohio in partnership with the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky. It’s a wonderful idea, and one that would draw on Ohio’s rich military and aviation ...

Ohioans have a right to be upset over electricity hikes

Anger and outrage are echoing throughout the Mahoning Valley — and all of Ohio, really — now that FirstEnergy has announced many utility users will see their rates doubling. Indeed, those rumblings are warranted. Starting June 1, FirstEnergy default customers — those who purchase electricity directly from the company and not another retail supplier — saw their electricity rates skyrocket. FirstEnergy companies include Ohio Edison, which services the Mahoning Valley, as well as Toledo Edison and the Illuminating Co. Ohio Edison customers were paying 5.8 cents per kilowatt hour ...

Ohio leaders need to stay ahead of workforce crisis

When Gov. Mike DeWine spoke to the Ohio Business Roundtable this past Monday, he was promoting his proposed budget items of course, but also making some important points about the future of work in the state. The large employers we hope to continue to attract will need well-qualified candidates to fill all those positions. Right now, Ohio is not doing a very good job of convincing high school graduates to stay here and pursue the kinds of college degrees that might help them do so. Ohio Business Roundtable President and CEO Pat Tiberi said Ohio is worst in the Midwest for funding for ...