Comment history for msweetwood

msweetwood (Mark Sweetwood) says...

So now we add THOMAS53 to the ash heap of blocked accounts because he could not contain his racist views.

Who wants to be next?

Keep in mind we have a TOS (Terms of Service) that you agree to for the opportunity to take part on our site: "You are not allowed to submit to either or both of the Sites anything that ... you intend to inflict emotional distress."

So, keep your attempts to "inflict emotional abuse" to yourself (i.e. racist comments added to a Black History Month story) or lose the ability to post here. It really is as simple as that.

Mark Sweetwood
Managing Editor

msweetwood (Mark Sweetwood) says...

I am just wondering how someone who doesn't "believe anything from anyone" ever learns anything, especially when there is so much to learn?

Many of us, when first confronted with the emerging shale industry and terms like "fracking," began to read whatever we could to learn what we needed to know about what could be going on in our own backyards.

As for "no one knew what was going on," that "no one" would only include those who have failed to read a newspaper for the past year.

Check this story out from October:
http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/oct/30...

Cloaking yourself in the pride of your own ignorance and making increasingly foolish statements does not advance the discussion on injection wells or even fracking, for that matter. I hope others pause long enough to avail themselves of actual facts – found here and elsewhere – and add to an important discussion with thoughtful comments.

Mark Sweetwood
Managing Editor

msweetwood (Mark Sweetwood) says...

You want answers, USNBOY? OK...

The comments of USNBOY reflect a a serious problem in dealing with an emerging industry like shale: A dangerously uninformed populace.

For example: "What is wrong with our local and state government to allow these people to "frack" in the city?"

As we have reported innumerable times, there is actually no fracking going on in Mahoning County. Once again: "Fracking is a process in which water, chemicals and sand are blasted into rocks thousands of feet — in the case of the Utica Shale, about 6,000 feet below the ground to unlock natural gas and oil. Fracking is an extraction process ... Injection wells are the opposite; the fluid left over from the fracking process is injected deep into the ground, sometimes as deep as 9,300 feet in Ohio. The brine injections is a separate practice from fracking."

People must read and educate themselves. It's OK to be mad, but be mad at the right thing. An injection well is NOT fracking.

Also as to: "Why isn't the media out crawling up someones behind getting those answers? Who's idea was it to change the epicenter location to within 100ft of an injection well when the original epicenter was in McDonald."

That's just more uninformed nonsense. In nearly every earthquake, even in quake-prone San Francisco which has far more seismic measuring devices than we have, it takes hours even days after a quake to pinpoint the epicenter. Here, there were no seismic measuring devices near the well until just before the Dec. 24 quake. After that event, it took six days for the experts to research the data to pinpoint both the location and the depth of the epicenter, which is why the D&L injection well was shut down Dec. 30. When the quake hit Dec. 31, the preliminary epicenter as noted by USGS was near McDonald. Using the seismic information, that was quickly updated to closer to the D&L site. This is routine and part of a transparent information gathering process.

Then this from USNBOY: "Maybe they're trying to hide the fact that JUST MAYBE those chemicals from the fracking are going into the Mahoning River."

This is just hysteria for hysteria's sake: There are no chemicals going into the river from fracking because there is no fracking near the river.

Look, be angry that Ohio has 177 injection wells to Pennsylvania's 6. Call elected officials on the carpet. BUT: Be educated. And just because you can type whatever pops into your head, that does not mean it makes sense. Do your research. Be sensible. Be accountable.

We have and will continue to publish stories about this and keep our "Shale Sheet" section updated here: http://www.vindy.com/news/fracking

That's a must-read section for those who want to become educated about what is going on in our area. It's all there. For free. You only have yourself to blame if you don't take advantage of the information.

Mark Sweetwood
Managing Editor

msweetwood (Mark Sweetwood) says...

The following is MY opinion and not the opinion of anyone else at The Vindicator:

Here's what the average non-law-breaking taxpayer does not understand about our legal system: A judge looks at a case like this and says, "Misdemeanor. Jail space needs to be reserved for felons. Probation after a short jail stay!" He knows full well, however, that parole officers do not do home visits for those convicted of "mere" misdemeanors. So, essentially, the balance of the "punishment" is an honor system. Like sending a kid to his room and saying "Don't play with those toys! But, I'm really not going to check on you." So, the only way this "punishment" becomes an actual punishment is if the probation is violated and the convicted person is ratted out. So, there must be another transgression BEFORE an actual punishment is meted out for the initial offense. AND that only works if the rest of the public - everyone BUT the justice system - is vigilant. In another context: A thug shoots up his neighbor's empty car (no deadly criminal intent) and the crime gets pled down to a misdemeanor. As a term of his probabtion, he cannot own a gun. Are any of his gang running buddies going to turn him in if he has a gun the next day? What are the chances that anyone who fears getting shot is going to rat him out? That term of probabtion likely only works if he is arrested again.

In a case like Croley's (and we do not have all of the facts and he may, in fact, have done nothing wrong), vigilant animal lovers DID take action and inform authorities.

This only proves the system is confusing, broken and weighted AWAY from those who should be meting out justice and who are paid to do so from fully performing their duties. Instead, it's all about second and third chances and revolving door justice that seems to invite those who are convicted of misdemeanors to move up the criminal ladder or to make transgressions anew.

This is largely known among those who break the law. The rest of us are always surprised when we read stories like this because we really never intend to break the law, hence the system we support with our tax dollars is a mystery...

Mark Sweetwood
Managing Editor

msweetwood (Mark Sweetwood) says...

The people posting here, some 10 days after this story first appeared, should pause to see that the story above has already been clarified. In addition, a clarification will appear on page A2 of Wednesday's Vindicator.

Mark Sweetwood
Managing Editor

msweetwood (Mark Sweetwood) says...

857nafstrops:

If you would like to join the grammar police, perhaps you could brush up on the fine points, as well.

First, you meant "it's" and not "its" (the contraction of "it is" vs. the possessive of "it"). Secondly, when quoting, the double quote marks are preferred in this use (single if you are quoting from within a quote). And the punctuation marks - the comma and the period - go inside the quote marks.

That said, these forums are for people to comment on stories. You seem bent on lashing out at others who post here or, incorrectly, dispensing your (unfounded) wisdom in a rude manner.

You are 0-2 as a grammar guru. Three strikes...

Mark Sweetwood
Managing Editor

msweetwood (Mark Sweetwood) says...

Hey 857nafstrops:

Based on this misguided post, we would not pay you 5 cents an article for proofing. Please read the following.

http://www.cjr.org/resources/lc/troop...

While this is a forum to respond to stories that we write, there is no reason to sully up a story about an inspirational subject with such a negative attack, especially when your views feature that popular combination of "nasty" and "uninformed."

Mark Sweetwood
Managing Editor

msweetwood (Mark Sweetwood) says...

Thethinker:

Reporter Christine Keeling responds:

"Crayton pleaded guilty to one count of felonious assault Nov. 22, 2010. He was then involved in an accident in West Virginia on or about Jan. 5, 2011, which caused his bond to be revoked. He was held in Mahoning County jail until a Jan. 21, 2011 sentencing hearing in Judge Krichbaum’s court, where Tom Dailey read a victim impact statement. Crayton was sentenced to four years in prison, which he is serving at Lake Erie Correctional Center. He became eligible for early release after serving six months. According to the court’s clerk, Clayton’s early release petition is not visible on Court Veiw, because the court is awaiting the prosecutor’s response. Although, a petition to release Crayton’s prison records can be veiwed by the public."

The case information can be found at http://courts.mahoningcountyoh.gov/pa...

Mark Sweetwood
Managing Editor

msweetwood (Mark Sweetwood) says...

Uhm, no he won't.

There are terms of service you must adhere to in order to comment on stories on Vindy.com. Unsupported allegations of criminal conduct that are damaging are violations of our terms of service.

We are especially vigilant for those folks who's first-ever Vindy.com post is some over-the-top attack. If you have documents to support an allegation of criminal conduct, we are easy to find via email or a phone call. And we would be happy to put you on the record (vs. an anonymous post under a story). But you simply cannot use this forum for that purpose.

Mark Sweetwood
Managing Editor

msweetwood (Mark Sweetwood) says...

Vindy: You are right: As we have reported many times over, the words "of their salary" was omitted. it has now been fixed online.

Mark Sweetwood
Managing Editor