Breaking News

Editorials

Dangers of AI and self-harm

Dangers of AI and self-harm (This item discusses suicide and self-harm. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988.) Ohio House Bill 524 aims to address a problem few could have imagined a decade or two ago: Artificial intelligence chatbots encouraging people to harm themselves or others. State Rep. Christine Cockley, D-Columbus, is lead sponsor on the bipartisan bill, which would allow for imposing penalties for AI models suggesting harming self or others. It now sits in the House Technology and ...

Hancock County questions remain

Hancock County residents were able to get some of the answers they have been looking for in the last several months during Monday’s meeting of the county board of education. It was the first meeting of the board since the school system was taken over by the state last month. Featured at the meeting was the long-awaited report from Jeff Davis of Education Consulting Team LLC and Uriah Cummings, school financial operations officer for the West Virginia Department of Education, who discussed some of their findings after reviewing Hancock County Schools’ financial books in an ...

Unclaimed funds wait to be grabbed

Looking for something to do while snow, ice and frigid temperatures have perhaps kept you home for more time than you’d like in recent days? It could be a good time to check out the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Unclaimed Funds website. According to a recent report by the Akron Beacon Journal, the state still holds more than $4 billion in dormant bank accounts, utility deposits and uncashed checks. That’s a huge chunk of your money just sitting (virtually) in Columbus. And remember, if you don’t claim it after more than 10 years, you run the risk of it being ...

No easy answer to taxes in Ohio

When he spoke to journalists from across Ohio last week, Gov. Mike DeWine took a prudent approach to the idea some have proposed that property taxes should be eliminated in the state. After all, elected officials who call themselves conservatives have a certain obligation to help their constituents keep as much of their money in their pockets as possible. However, they also have an obligation to lead in a way that serves everyone. “Those who favor (eliminating property taxes) owe it to the people of the state to say, ‘How is my local police department going to get paid? How are ...

We’re still facing some more winter

Regardless of what Punxsutawney Phil and his furry woodchuck pals said this morning, reality is on the calendar, and that indicates we have reached the midpoint between the end of fall and the start of spring. Groundhog Day lore relies on Punxsutawney Phil and his fellow forecasting groundhogs to tell us if there will be six more weeks of winter ahead or if we can expect an early spring. And it’s all based on whether or not the groundhog sees its shadow, according to the animal’s handlers. It’s great fun and a chance to relax a little and direct our attention to Gobblers Knob ...

Month offers a chance to reflect

Black History Month 2026 offers a chance to look at the impact Black Americans have made on our lives, and a special chance to reflect on an event that has been a part of the nation’s calendar for 100 years. “A Century of Black History Commemoration” is the theme that has been selected this year by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the founders of Black History Month. It’s a wide-ranging topic, and one that puts the focus on how the commemoration of Black history has evolved during the past 100 years, and the impact it has had on the status ...