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Editorials

Take advantages of state resources

Site readiness is a pressing challenge for many communities looking to attract larger employers and shore up their economies. And in our region some sites that could be appealing to developers bear the scars of their previous use. They are not ready because in another era they were used for industrial, commercial or institutional purposes that left their mark. Such properties are dotted all over Ohio, but there is help available to get them back to showroom condition. Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik have announced another $50 million in grant ...

The greatest risk and how we can save lives

Those living in Appalachia have long been accustomed to the idea there are greater risks to our health here than in many other regions. New research from the American College of Surgeons confirms that, while cancer diagnoses and deaths are decreasing in Appalachia, the numbers are still significantly higher here than in other parts of the U.S. And where are we at greatest risk? The central subregion — a small part of southern Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia — has the highest rates of cancer incidents and deaths among the larger Appalachian region. “The ...

Let’s be available to those in need

It is the reality of living in this wild, wonderful land we love that it seems almost annually — sometimes more often than that — flooding and mudslides turn our waterways and hills into a deadly landscape. We have almost become accustomed to the news reports — and the calls for help. But that must not mean we become less responsive. At this writing, at least two deaths in West Virginia are attributed to the massive flooding in our southern counties. The effects on homes, property and communities have yet to be fully revealed. In southeast Ohio and Kentucky the devastation is no ...

Familiarity with effective leadership

Those surprised by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s choice for lieutenant governor must have been encouraged last week when Jim Tressel spoke to the state about his priorities. When so much in Columbus can feel overly specific or exclusionary, Tressel understands it is time to look out for ALL of us. “We’ve got to make sure the concern for our Ohioans and their fate, their future is our chief concern, and sometimes it doesn’t line up with what individually I’d really like. Maybe it doesn’t serve my needs. But the chief interest and the decisions we make need to make sure we’ve ...

There must be money to budget

If you have experienced pain at the grocery check-out lately — and not because you still haven’t mastered ringing up your own produce — you’re not alone. In fact, according to a WalletHub study, “States Where People Spend the Most and Least on Groceries,” West Virginia is second only to Mississippi for the cost of groceries as a share of median monthly household income. Here, the average spending on groceries is 2.57% of the median monthly household income. By contrast, the lowest percentage is in New Jersey, at 1.5%. Ohio shoppers spend 2.19% of the median monthly ...

Youth involved in community needs

Ohio’s young people are stronger, smarter and better connected to the needs of their communities than many of us give them credit for. They are also willing to get involved at a level from which many adults shy away. This week, 20 high school students were selected (from 50 applicants) to be part of the new Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation Youth Advisory Council. Those teenagers, representing a variety of ages, locations, interests and groups, were determined to make a difference in supporting suicide prevention efforts. “We were amazed by the number of students who applied, as ...