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It’s time to upgrade seat belt regulations

Ohio has made great strides in trying to reduce the number of people hurt or killed in vehicles here, with a stricter law that makes it a primary offense to use or hold a cell phone or electronic device in your hand, lap or other parts of the body while driving. Gov. Mike DeWine seems eager to keep up the momentum, with a push to make seat belt violations a primary reason for pulling over. Right now, a seat belt violation can earn a ticket only if the driver is caught for another violation — speeding, for example. The fine for not wearing a seat belt is $30 for the driver and $20 ...

Housing issues require teamwork

You’re not imagining things. Taxes just keep getting higher and higher — at least when it comes to property taxes. Axios reports median property taxes in Ohio rose 23.1 percent from 2019 to 2023. That’s higher than the national average increase of 21.6 percent. Axios, the news website based in Arlington, Va., quoted CoreLogic data that says median property taxes on U.S. single-family homes rose to $2,877 in 2023 from $2,367 in 2019. In Ohio, those figures are $2,530 in 2023 up from $2,054 in 2019. Home prices are rising across the country, too, with the annual income required ...

Time to get college costs under control

Yet again, the Biden Administration is trying to use executive action to reduce student loan debt. This comes as the president works to find ways to connect with younger voters prior to the November election. And once again, the White House’s approach fails to address the root causes of this problem — and sets an expensive precedent in an age of a $34 trillion national debt. As we’ve previously written, “any proposal to cancel or forgive student loan debt without addressing the underlying problem — that for decades college tuition has increased in cost at a rate much ...

Ensure EPA rule doesn’t close plants

Up and down the Ohio River Valley, communities have gotten used to seeing what comes out of the many industrial facilities that help support our economy. (And, to be clear, some of that is just water vapor.) Residents also have gotten used to the increased number of medical conditions some experts say are caused by those emissions. There are entire swaths of the region where the residents refer to themselves as living in a “Cancer Alley.” Poor, rural and minority communities have for centuries shouldered a heavier burden when it comes to the consequences of living near the ...

Earth Day offers chance to reflect

Today is an important day for our planet — it’s Earth Day. The theme of this year’s recognition is Planet vs. Plastics, and it represents a chance for everyone on every continent to recognize and appreciate the land on which we live. It is, according to Earthday.org, a call for widespread awareness on the health risks of plastics, rapidly phase out all single use plastics, urgently push for a strong UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution and demand an end to fast fashion. There are, the Washington, D.C.-based organization with a goal of diversifying, educating and activating the ...

Practice safety in work zones

Orange work-zone barrels are appearing all around us, and while construction projects often can lead to traffic delays, we remind everyone about the importance of driving safely through construction zones. That’s the message being shared once again across the country as National Work Zone Awareness Week wraps up, and drivers again are reminded to be patient, slow down and pay attention in road construction areas. Work already has started in our area. Municipal workers have been busy patching potholes, cleaning storm drains and making other repairs on city streets; traffic is ...