News

Unemployment claims statewide nudge downward

Business News September 18, 2026

Staff report COLUMBUS — Ohioans filed 4,019 initial unemployment claims Sept. 6-12, which was 295 fewer than the previous week, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Thursday. Ohioans also filed 33,984 continued unemployment claims last week, 1,207 fewer than the previous week. The total number of claims filed for the period was 38,003. Ohio’s unemployment rate in July was 3.4%. The national unemployment rate in July was 4.1%. Ohio’s labor force participation rate in July was 61.4%. The national labor force participation rate in July was 61.4%. ODJFS ...

Insight reaches $5.1M settlement with Valley workers

Girard to hear about possibility of mountain bike trail

Local News September 18, 2026

GIRARD — With the possibility the city may get a mountain bike trail on the Girard Lakes property, a resident is advising officials to attend a program about them. Resident Tonya Carpenter told city officials this week that she has spoken to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of State Parks and Watercraft about trail building, and they said a representative can do a presentation at West Branch State Park. Girard officials would be invited to attend. Carpenter said the presentation would be two days and show what is involved for constructing and marking a bike ...

Community news

Community News September 18, 2026

SPIDERS NEED LOVE: Pat Rydquist, a retired interpretive naturalist from Summit Metro Park, will share the lives and value of spiders in the hopes that others will appreciate their beauty and worth. The talk is at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Austintown Senior Center, 112 Westchester Drive, Austintown. Social time is at 6:30 p.m. TEA PARTY: The Holborn Herb Growers Guild will have its annual tea party 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Lariccia Family Community Center at Boardman Park, 375 Boardman Poland Road. The annual celebration, organized by the Holborn Herb Growers Guild (founded in 1982 to ...

House approves Joyce’s bill to have border patrol adopt shelter dogs

Local News September 18, 2026

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, to have U.S. Customs and Border Protection establish a pilot program to adopt dogs from animal shelters to be trained as part of its Support Canine Program. By a voice vote, the House approved the Providing Emotional Assistance with Relief and Love (PEARL) Act on Wednesday, its last day in session until after the Nov. 3 election. Pearl was the name of the CBP’s first therapy dog. The CBP in 2023 launched the Support Canine Program to improve staff morale, assist in grief, aid in trauma ...

Man who sprayed Rep. Omar gets 14 months of prison

National News September 18, 2026

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The man who sprayed vinegar at Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during a Minneapolis town hall was sentenced Thursday to 14 months in prison after reaching a deal with prosecutors. The sentencing of 56-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak came nearly eight months after the Jan. ...