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Community support of newspapers is critical

As we near the end of this year’s Sunshine Week, communities across the country are suffering not just because their public officials are doing business in the dark, but because in some regions there are few (or no) news organizations left to keep an eye on those officials in the first place. This has created virtual non-media covered islands across our national landscape. Community support of newspapers has never been more important. Your support lends power to our efforts to shine a light on what public officials are doing with public money — particularly when those same officials ...

Lack of labor in Ohio a pressing problem for many employers

It may seem like a good problem to have, but Ohio’s historically low (for historically long) unemployment figures are creating a challenge for employers. The state’s unemployment rate has been below 4% for 14 straight months, the longest such stretch in data that goes back to 1976, according to a report by The Columbus Dispatch. For January, the rate was 3.7%. “The Ohio unemployment rate ticked higher to 3.7%, but this remains a much lower rate than usual for the state,” Ben Ayers, senior economist for Nationwide, said in a research note reported by the Dispatch. “Lack of ...

If you’re registered and haven’t voted yet do so next Tuesday

Next Tuesday, Ohioans will vote in what is being called the 2024 Presidential Primary Election. But many of the other decisions made that day will be far more important on the local level than choosing who will battle it out for their spot in the Oval Office. March 19 will feature votes for local law enforcement leaders, judges, races for representatives in Columbus and Washington, D.C., levies and other issues — all vital parts of our community. With Bill Johnson assuming a leadership role with YSU, the race is on to ultimately fill his 6th District seat. There is a heated ...

License suspensions create losing situations for everyone

Ohio’s economy has a lot going for it, but there are weak spots. Among those problem areas is the number of people with suspended drivers’ licenses. We’re not talking here about those whose licenses have been suspended for driving-related failures. These are suspensions because of legal debts such as unpaid fines and fees, child-support delinquencies or court judgments. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, approximately 1.7 million Ohioans per year have their licenses suspended, and 60% of those are not because of bad driving. A study by the Federal Reserve Bank of ...

Orphan wells could create employment for thousands

Among the legacies of our region’s boom-and-bust reliance on fossil fuel industries are the hundreds of thousands of orphan wells that dot Appalachia. According to a report by The Center Square, the federal government has counted approximately 127,000 orphan wells nationwide. Reporting out of Pennsylvania, The Center Square noted there are 27,000 in Pennsylvania, 20,000 in Ohio, 12,000 in Kentucky and 6,000 in West Virginia. Those are just the ones we know about. There are an estimated 300,000 undocumented orphan wells in Pennsylvania. Imagine how many there must be across the rest of ...

Rulli earns backing in GOP primary for Johnson’s seat

When Bill Johnson decided to step down from the U.S. 6th Congressional District seat to become Youngstown State University president, three Republicans saw an opportunity to step up and succeed him. This year’s primary election has no incumbent in the seat — the first time since 2006. Neither Reggie Stolzfus or Michael Rulli had planned to run for the seat, as both were in the second terms of their respective positions — Rulli as state senator in Ohio’s 33rd District and Stolzfus as state representative of Ohio’s 50th District. Then, following the devastating Feb. 3, 2023, ...