Breaking News

Opinion

Ohio cannot afford a cap on credit card interest rates

Letters to the Editor

Earlier this year, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced legislation to cap credit card interest rates at 10%. Since then, other U.S. Senators have put forward additional proposals to cap rates. As a longtime elected official in Columbiana County in Appalachian Ohio, I can say with certainty that any cap on interest rates misses the mark on what members of our community need. Over the last several years, Columbiana County has been a hotbed of new investment and economic development. Main Street storefronts that once sat empty are being filled. Small businesses are the backbone ...

When trauma is also grief

Local Columns

Recognizing that June is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month, we are challenged to look at PTSD not only as a clinical disorder, but as a form of traumatic grief. It is the body, mind, and spirit carrying profound losses that have not yet found a safe place to be fully mourned. After a traumatic event, individuals certainly grieve the person or people who died, but they also grieve their own sense of safety, trust, identity, innocence, faith, or the future they once thought they would have. This reframing matters deeply. Too often in our society, symptoms are treated ...

They want ALL of MORE money

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As a county property owner I have a vested interest in the recent County Commissioner’s discussion regarding changes to the homestead tax exemption as reported in the Morning Journal. As we all should know, due to the recently completed county triennial property assessment of (unrealized) gains, valuations have increased up to 36%, with the county auditor not having released that total valuation increase to date (I wonder why). As we are taxed on 35% of a property’s assessed value, our taxes are going up, i.e. more revenue than previous periods for every party with a ...

A call for accuracy in telling Salem’s story

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I recently read an article in the Salem News about John Brown’s ties to Salem through Edwin Coppoc. While the piece, attributed to the Lisbon Historical Society, highlighted an important part of our local history, it also contained several inaccuracies that merit correction. First, the article stated that all of John Brown’s men were captured and killed. This is incorrect. Owen Brown, Barclay Coppoc, and Osborne Anderson all escaped capture. Barclay Coppoc remained in the Salem area for a time, moving frequently as a wanted man, before later joining the Union Army, ...

Not all battles are fought in the flames

Letters to the Editor

Our hearts are completely overwhelmed by the love, support, and generosity shown during the April 18fundraiser for Salineville Volunteer Fire Chief, Jeff Lewis, in his battle against cancer. A special thank you to the Salineville Volunteer Fire Department, the Highlandtown Fire Department, Lisbon Fire Department, Summitville Volunteer Fire Department, fellow first responders and their families, the Salineville Assembly of God, Salineville Kiwanis, Chef Ray’s, Graft Electric, Salineville BK Beverage, Calcutta Auto Parts, Fred and Sharon Robinson, Sandy Wright, Pam Heath, Nicki ...

Wealth Inequality

Letters to the Editor

Wealth inequality in the United States has reached levels that should concern every American. While millions of working families struggle to afford housing, healthcare, childcare, and higher education, a small percentage of the population continues to accumulate enormous wealth at a historic pace. Hard work should provide stability and opportunity, yet many full-time workers live paycheck to paycheck. At the same time, large corporations and the wealthiest Americans often benefit from tax loopholes and economic policies that widen the gap between rich and poor. Historically, ...