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The struggle for affordable housing

Editorials

This is in every community, far and wide.” Amy Riegel, executive director of the Coalition on Housing and Homelessness in Ohio, was speaking last Monday about homelessness, poverty and the shortage of affordable housing in Ohio. The number of good paying jobs has not kept up with the soaring cost of housing here. So, “for every 100 extremely low income individuals looking for housing, there’s 40 units available,” according to Riegel. Extremely low income is $27,485 or less for a family of four. In Ohio, 28% of renter households are extremely low income, and there is a shortage ...

Angels discuss Parkinson’s disease

Local Columns

Editor’s Note: The following column was originally published on Feb. 25, 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 ...

Saluting all who have served our country

Editorials

Since 1919, Americans have been celebrating a very special day on Nov. 11. Monday is Veterans Day. It is a day of acknowledgment. It is a day of utmost respect and reverence. It is a day of thanks for those who helped pay the price for freedom. Please appreciate that sentiment. We stress this message each year. Our message should be your message. Originally called Armistice Day, President Wilson first declared Nov. 11 a day of remembrance following the end of hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I on Nov. 11, 1918 — the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th ...

Ohio must renew attempts for fair constitutional maps

Editorials

Whether it was confusion over ballot language or truly a desire to maintain the system already in place, Ohio voters on Tuesday rejected an amendment that would have established a citizen-led commission to produce the state’s political maps. Though voters decided the Citizens Not Politicians effort was not the right way forward, it must not mean advocates give up the fight for a system that produces fair and constitutional voting maps. “In analyzing the vote tonight, it is clear that the millions of Ohioans who voted yes want to end gerrymandering,” former Ohio Chief Justice ...

When one group’s civil rights are threatened, we all are, too

Editorials

All over the world, vulnerable populations have cheered the news that U.S. and United Nations elections monitors would be on hand to safeguard their voting processes. Here in the United States, the Department of Justice’s election monitors have for decades observed elections and polling conditions across the country — particularly when official conduct has led to requests for outside observation. Ahead of the 2024 General Election, the DOJ announced it would be deploying election monitors in 86 jurisdictions across 27 states. It is indicative of how warped some officials’ ...

Post-election, let’s hope all Americans can heal

Editorials

Whew!!! Election Day has come and (kind of) gone. As this was written, much uncertainty surrounds the outcome of the biggest race of the election. Regardless, let’s try our hardest to be mindful that we are all Americans first and foremost. Yes, it certainly is difficult to do, especially if you are on the “side(s)” not winning. We live in a country where — whether it’s Harris or Trump — half of those voting, millions and millions, will be unhappy with the outcome. But we must persevere against the divisiveness and sheer vitriol and move forward. Democracy first. America ...