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Encourage your students to seek out scholarships

There’s been plenty of talk in the last few years about the cost of a college education, and the debt many students incur to fulfill their higher education dreams. Oddly, at the same time some scholarship-granting entities report they are seeing a decrease in the number of students applying for scholarships. For some, it is truly a problem of having money available and no one asking for it. Parents, guardians, school counselors and anyone else encouraging students to pursue higher education for which they will have to pay should also be encouraging those students to seek out ...

Support local artists year round

Mid-Ohio Valley residents know we are surrounded by people with enviable talents. Often it is easiest to focus on those with athletic ability or entrepreneurial prowess — and they are, indeed, worthy of our admiration. But last weekend we got a reminder of the incredible artistic gifts possessed by those who are not off exploring their craft in the big city, but right here at home. Artists Sunday, part of a global effort to support local artists and encourage the rest of us to consider purchasing their one-of-a-kind, handmade works as holiday gifts, was hosted in downtown ...

Exceptionally drought-stricken farmers

Appalachian Ohio has been brutally affected by drought this year. Not just any drought, however, but “exceptional drought” for Guernsey, Noble and parts of some surrounding counties. Much of that region is represented by state Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport, and he’s co-sponsored an effort to try to help farmers struggling to get by. Along with state House Finance Committee Chairman Rep. Jay Edwards, R-Nelsonville, Jones is pitching a $10 million appropriation to the Ohio Department of Agriculture. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, that would nearly double the amount ...

Voters should consider renewing Capital Improvement program

For a fourth time now, Ohio lawmakers are working toward placing on the ballot a renewal of the multi-billion State Capital Improvement Program, which one Mahoning County official referred to as “basically life support” for municipalities, townships and counties working to serve the needs of their residents. Lawmakers are discussing a pitch to extend the program for another 10 years by issuing $2.5 billion in new bonds. According to the Ohio Capital Journal, the state Senate has passed its version of the joint resolution to place the measure on the ballot. State Sens. Brian M. ...

Don’t miss the chance to give

We’ve made it through Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Maybe we even managed to get the decorations up and catch a little football. What’s next? Giving Tuesday. In what’s been billed as a global generosity movement since 2012, today is a chance to take a deep breath and reflect on how we can make a difference for others — then take action. According to Giving Tuesday Data Commons, an estimated $3.1 billion was donated during last year’s event. Since its establishment 12 years ago, the event has brought in more than $13 billion. “We ...

No easy answers

More than a year ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Norfolk Southern celebrated the “last load of contaminated soil” being removed from a site near the derailment of an N&S train in February of that year. Now, Chris Hunsicker, overseeing remediation efforts in East Palestine, has had to go before the Village Council to report exceedances of vinyl chloride, benzene, trimethylbenzene and 2-butoxyethanol have been detected through confirmatory sampling. “We are not saying it’s perfect. Nobody is saying that, but we are getting toward the end of the process,” ...