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Opinion

Editorials

Most of us try to shop responsibly, but for some items, we don’t know what we don’t know. For example, how many use coyote urine to keep deer out of gardens? How many think about how the key ingredient is acquired? “People don’t know that when they buy products that they might be endorsing a fur farm, including myself,” Susan Vogt, founder and president of Red Riding Hood Rescue Project in Middletown, Ohio, told WCPO in Cincinnati. Vogt was speaking to the news station after having helped save hundreds of animals from an Ashtabula County fur farm in January. Vogt ...

Clean environment and robust economy not mutually exclusive

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: Ohio’s natural gas and oil sector has emerged as a cornerstone of economic development. A Cleveland State University study just found that the total natural gas and oil related investments in Ohio surpassed $108 billion between 2011 and 2023, including $3.1 billion in just the second half of 2023. These investments create jobs, fund infrastructure, and support energy reliability across the state. Investments that even those writing these letters to the editor enjoy. Thanks to advancements in technology and responsible practices, modern exploration is far removed ...

The truth about the air and water in East Palestine

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claims our air and water are “legal,” yet many doctors argue they are toxic. This dissonance reveals the systemic failure of the EPA to protect our community’s air and water. On February 3, 2023, during the train derailment, 115,580 gallons of hazardous materials were deliberately vented and burned, including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, and ethyl hexyl acrylate. I spent 25 years in the U.S. Coast Guard enforcing EPA guidelines regarding oil and chemical dumping, and I have witnessed firsthand the grave implications of ...

Gap remains in health care coverage for Ohio veterans

Editorials

Taking care of our veterans is a priority for Ohioans. But despite our best efforts, there is still a health care coverage cap that leaves thousands of them without the resources they deserve. According to a report by WCPO in Cincinnati, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says there are approximately 29,200 veterans in Ohio — those who served in Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan — who are not registered for health care coverage. The U.S. Census Bureau reports there were more than 602,000 veterans living in the Buckeye State in 2022. With that perspective, it’s ...

Ohio Senate Bill 19 would address math comprehension

Editorials

Ohio lawmakers digesting the results of the latest National Center for Education Statistics report card are right to be scrambling for ideas. One pitched by state Sen. Andrew Brenner, R-Delaware, is nothing new, but very much worth considering. Senate Bill 19 would require school districts or individual schools to develop math achievement improvement plans if they don’t have at least 52% of students receive a proficient score in math comprehension, according to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal. It would also require math improvement and monitoring plans for individual students ...

Individuals reminded to get ‘gold star’ driver’s license

Local Columns

It seems like a lifetime ago — back in 2005, as a response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Congress passed the Real ID Act. At the time, the idea was to have the program implemented by 2008, but opposition and other delays pushed the timeline. Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic extended more than once the deadline for individuals getting identification documents that satisfy Real ID Act standards. But now, the agreed-upon deadline is approaching rapidly. It is a mere three months away. Across the country, states are urging residents who have not already done so to collect the ...