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Focus on what is right and good for all of our citizens

A “golden age,” one in which the United States of America can aim even higher than the moon, was proclaimed last Monday during President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration speech. And while Elon Musk may have thrown his hands in the air to cheer the goal to “pursue our manifest destiny into the stars,” and “plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars,” ordinary Americans were more likely to find a common reason to cheer in Trump’s promise to seek a broad government effort to reduce inflation and reduce prices. Though he must be careful to avoid the executive overreach ...

Husted brings along assets to U.S. Senate

In choosing Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to fill Vice President JD Vance’s former seat in the U.S. Senate, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is sending a person with some important assets to Washington, D.C. Husted, who was sworn in to his new position Tuesday, is a politically savvy, long-time public official who understands the state in a way some other candidates for the post do not. “I have worked with him, I have seen him, I know his knowledge of Ohio,” DeWine said. “I know his heart. I know what he cares about. I know his skills. And all of that tells me that he is the right person for this ...

Shooting tragedy impacts so many

The names Dakota Wetzel, Rosalie Martin and Joseph Como will be forever linked. On a frigid but sunny Wednesday afternoon, a very troubled Como engaged police near a busy patch of the Calcutta retail area. Shots were fired. Two died including a precious 4-year-old child. Wetzel is a St. Clair Township police detective who responded to a report of a possibly suicidal male walking down a street. Police tried to talk to Como. But he almost immediately opened fire. Just last month we reported on a domestic incident involving Como and family members. According to a Dec. 29 Wellsville Police ...

It’s not just health issues that come with smoking

As mid-January tests New Year’s resolutions across the region, many may be weakening in their resolve. Certainly that must include some who vowed this is the year to give up smoking. To add a little incentive to the effort, WalletHub took a look at the true cost of tobacco use. The dollar amounts are eye-opening for the 46 million people in the U.S. who still use tobacco. Total lifetime cost per smoker in Ohio was estimated to be $3,538,844 Think about that for a moment — particularly given that those who live in rural areas and have lower incomes are statistically more likely to ...

Remember to prep for freezing pipes

Unlike recent winters, we have had our share of snow and cold. But bitter cold? Not really. But beware of the next several days. The lows those days will be the coldest we have had in several winter seasons. With the dangerous cold comes a need to be prepared. Sometimes it is pure common sense. Often overlooked are freezing pipes. When it gets cold sub-zero the front end of this week, the pipes in your home could freeze unless you take steps to prevent it from happening. Aqua Ohio serves approximately 474,000 people in 20 counties across the our state, including Columbiana and ...

When we think of MLK, we think of his dreams

Monday may be the official celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the U.S., but Jan. 15 marked the 96th anniversary of his birth. King wasn’t yet 40 years old when he was gunned down at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. It was around 6 p.m. on April 4, 1968 when King was killed by a single bullet fired by James Earl Ray. King was to conduct a rally later that evening. The civil rights leader and Nobel Prize winner was talking with Rev. Jesse Jackson and musician Ben Branch while leaning on the green railing on the motel’s second floor. According to Branch he was asked to perform ...