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Vote yes on Ohio Issue 2

Off-year spring ballots can be full of significant decisions for voters — often the kind that affect us in ways that hit closer to home. In Ohio, voters will be asked in May to decide on Issue 2 — renewing and increasing the state spending cap for its public works projects. Since 1987, Buckeye State voters have renewed the Local Public Infrastructure Bond Amendment three times, and more than 19,000 grants and loans have been funded for projects all over the state. The program allows municipalities, counties, townships and other governmental entities to apply for money that lets ...

We can all do something

Today is an important day for our planet — it’s Earth Day. The theme of this year’s recognition is “Our Power, Our Plant,” with a focus on uniting around the efforts to grow renewable energy and the goal of tripling the amount of electricity generated by renewable sources by 2030, according to Earthday.org. The Washington, D.C.-based organization notes that, in 2023, the U.S. produced more solar power than ever before, led by projects in California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, and Arizona. Texas, the organization reports, leads the nation in wind energy ...

Parents still have a role

A U.S. District Court judge’s decision to strike down Ohio’s requirement that children under age 16 must have parental consent to use social media and some gaming apps is being viewed as a victory by trade group NetChoice (which represents TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other companies) and some First Amendment advocates. But it is important to read all of what Judge Algenon Marbley had to say on the matter. Marbley did not say the intent of the law was not commendable. He said it went too far. Marbley said the law ‘’resides at the intersection of two unquestionable rights: the ...

He is risen!

Some 2,000 years ago, an itinerant preacher in the Middle East was crucified for, as his executioners put it, claiming to be a king. There was no immediate worldwide news coverage of the event. There were no live images beamed to televisions, tablets and cell phones around the world, no tweets, no texts, no Facebook posts carrying the news of his execution at the hands of the powerful Roman state at the request of the Hebrew state under its control. There were no 24-hour news channels and no grim-faced anchormen and women providing background, and there was no analysis from hundreds ...

Losing our voice in state education

Though they have already significantly weakened the State Board of Education, Ohio lawmakers are now on the move to eliminate the public’s voice on what is left of the board. Members of the House of Representatives passed their version of the state budget earlier this month. It included the reduction of the state board’s membership from 11 elected members and eight members appointed by the governor to five — all of whom would be appointed by the governor, according to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal. Elected members serving this year are Kristie Reighard, Dist. 1, Swanton; ...

Highway issues a constant concern

The conditions of our roads, bridges, and other infrastructural elements are always a concern as they are vital to the everyday lives of our residents, as well as the commerce of our region. While West Virginia famously launched its Roads to Prosperity campaign several years ago, leading to what officials have called significant investments, it’s become obvious that more is needed, and, unfortunately, increased costs will most likely limit what realistically can be accomplished. West Virginia’s new secretary of transportation, Todd Rumbaugh, recently took part in a virtual news ...