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Husted brings along assets to U.S. Senate

Editorials

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 ...

It’s not just health issues that come with smoking

Editorials

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 ...

Mapmaking for legislative districts in Ohio returns

Local Columns

Republicans on the Ohio Redistricting Commission drew a congressional map four years ago that they anticipated would give their political party a 12-3 advantage in the U.S. House over Democrats. Instead, two toss-up districts — one with Akron as its largest city and another with Toledo — went to Democrats in the 2022 and 2024 elections. Expect Republicans to make it harder for Democrats to maintain their slim advantages in those two districts when the lines are redrawn for the 2026 election. That Democrats were able to win those two toss-up seats as Ohio continues to trend more ...

Remember to prep for freezing pipes

Editorials

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 ...

Know the symptoms of dementia in aging adults

Local Columns

The following column was originally published April 9, 2022. Thanks to breakthroughs in medicine and nutrition in recent years, we are living longer than ever before. But this increase in life expectancy also brings an increase in the number of diseases, injuries and impairments that affect older adults. With this in mind, we at the local Visiting Angels office in Salem have created this series of articles to keep our older population and their families informed and to offer some practical advice for meeting the challenges faced by seniors and those who care for ...

When we think of MLK, we think of his dreams

Editorials

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 ...