Breaking News

Editorials

Education and workforce

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine spoke in his annual State of the State address about giving Buckeye State residents “the tools to live up to their full potential,” and “the opportunity to live their version of the American dream.” Though there are plenty of challenges, volatility and uncertainty that make it less clear how those goals will be attained, DeWine was right to focus on jobs and families. His proposed two-year spending plan includes a novel $1,000 child tax credit and access to vision care for young people. After all, literacy efforts are less effective when children have a ...

A broken process

​​U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio 6th Dist., can be forgiven for his enthusiasm over a recent report. After all, the good news being proclaimed by the Ohio Natural Energy Institute’s “The Essential Facts on Essential Ohio Energy” are a re-polished version of the shiny proclamations we’ve been hearing for about 15 years now. Rulli was first elected to the state Senate in 2018. But well before that, organizations similar to the Ohio Natural Energy Institute were touting (then the Marcellus and Utica shales) as our region’s savior. “Our region has been blessed with an ...

The importance of offering care

Plenty of Ohio families are struggling with caring not only for children, but older family members who need full-time attention. Legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio 15th Dist., aims to lighten that load. The Credit for Caring Act would offer up to a $5,000 nonrefundable federal tax credit to offset family caregiving-related expenses. For example, those include home care aides, adult day services, home modifications and respite care. “We know that families want to support their loved ones through illness, disability and aging in place. The Credit for Caring Act ...

What does the agency have to hide?

Ohioans who hope to take a closer look at JobsOhio in the wake of news that Intel has moved the goalposts yet again may find it difficult to do so. After all, the agency is a “private” economic development corporation — one of a growing number of such efforts in the Buckeye State and across the country to keep more of government’s handling of taxpayer dollars in the shadows. Technically, yes, JobsOhio is a private corporation — set up by the state legislature, capable of receiving government contracts, and spending money that at one time went to the state treasury. (It was ...

Community efforts honor our veterans

Washington County Career Center welding students are putting their skills to good use with the Military Tribute Banner Project in New Matamoras, as they help the program keep costs low by manufacturing the brackets for the banners themselves. “The brackets for these banners are a little expensive. With the students here at the school, I thought it’d be a good, real-life project for them to give them some experience, and then it will help bring the cost down of our military banners.” said Sam Howard, one of the instructors for the welding program at Career Center. “The banners ...

Lawmakers need to improve our State of Tobacco Control

A dive into the American Lung Association’s “State of Tobacco Control” shows our region doesn’t come close to meeting the ALA’s standards for fighting the damage we know is done by tobacco products. Both Ohio and West Virginia performed miserably in the group’s report card. Ohio received F grades in tobacco prevention and cessation funding, tobacco taxes and flavored tobacco products, a C in access to cessation services, and an I for smoke free air (“Ohio is receiving an ‘I’ for Incomplete grade due to the uncertainty around whether preemption of stronger local ...