Ohioans fortunate to live atop Utica Shale oil and gas basin

September 2, 2023

In a time of grinding inflation, increasing energy costs and continuing global instability, we Ohioans are lucky to live on top of the Utica Shale oil and gas basin. Stretching across Appalachian Ohio and into our neighboring states, the Utica Shale is a vast, underground reserve of energy containing an estimated 38 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, 940 million barrels of oil and 208 million barrels of natural gas liquids. While it would traditionally be impossible to access these energy deposits buried deep underground, new technologies like horizontal drilling and hydraulic ...

Redistricting change sought at the ballot box

August 21, 2023

While the effort just kicked off and has a long way to get certified, there’s an effort to get a constitutional amendment on the 2024 general election ballot to again change state and federal legislative redistricting. Citizens Not Politicians, a group spearheading the effort, collected about 7,300 signatures from 31 counties in about four days. The group needs at least 1,000 to be valid to start the process. Also, Attorney General Dave Yost will decidethis week if the lengthy summary of the proposed ballot issue is a truthful statement of what is being proposed. After that, the ...

Humtown Products earns Legacy Business trophy

August 19, 2023

The United States Small Business Administration is celebrating its 70th year as a key resource for the nation’s entrepreneurs who are starting and growing their small businesses. How fitting that one of the anniversary celebrations across the country will take place at Humtown Products in Leetonia, where the SBA will honor the company with a Legacy Business trophy. It was not long ago—around 2016—that, like all foundries in America, Humtown was suffering from strangling regulations and foreign competition. But owners Mark Lamoncha and son Brandon Lamoncha, with a boost from the ...

Getting out and keeping busy throughout my entire district

August 18, 2023

We’re now more than halfway through August, the traditional month when Congress is not in session in Washington D.C., and members of Congress catch up on important work in their districts. While the national media likes to portray this as a “vacation” for us, nothing could be further ...

Abortion foes face much work ahead for Nov. vote

August 15, 2023

If Issue 1 was a precursor to an abortion rights constitutional amendment to appear on the Nov. 7 ballot, those who oppose the latter have work to do. Turnout for Tuesday’s special election statewide was 38.48 percent, which would be good for any election except those during a presidential year — and it was at a time when most people are not accustomed to voting. Turnout in Mahoning County was 36.15 percent with 58.22 percent of voters opposing it. Turnout in Trumbull County was 37.16 percent with 57.15 percent of voters opposing it. Turnout in Columbiana County was 37.56 percent ...

Voters focused on Issue 1, abortion

August 7, 2023

If some backers of Issue 1 thought putting the constitutional amendment on a special August ballot would lower turnout and make it easier to pass, they were mistaken. Mahoning Valley election officials told me the turnout for Tuesday’s election with the sole issue on it is going to be comparable or better than the typical odd-year general election or a gubernatorial primary. The issue has drawn significant interest from voters. Several voters have abortion on their minds for this special election. That’s because an abortion rights constitutional amendment will be on the Nov. 7 ...