Editorials

Don’t miss your last chances to cast ballots

Few would dispute the notion that Republican President Donald J. Trump and Democrat former President Barack Obama make the strangest of bedfellows. On virtually every public policy issue imaginable, the two stand universes apart. But on one key contemporary issue, the two men are in lockstep with each other. Both argue that Tuesday’s general election in Ohio and the United States ranks as one of the most critical mid-term elections in American history. At a campaign rally in Cleveland last weekend, Obama implored Ohioans to exercise their right to vote by Nov. 3 and labeled this ...

Orchids & onions

ORCHID: To veteran Boardman firefighter Bill Glaser for his recent promotion to chief of one of the Mahoning Valley’s largest fire departments. Township trustees reportedly voted unanimously last week to appoint Glaser the eighth chief of the 103-year-old force. Clearly his credentials more than warranted his ascension in rank. After all, over the past 25 years, he has served in virtually every position in the 43-member department: firefighter, lieutenant, captain, assistant chief and interim chief. His exhaustive knowledge of the department and of the sprawling suburban community will ...

Can all corners of Ohio draw large employers?

Experts looking at the jobs landscape in Ohio have mixed feelings about how to present the picture, as job growth in some sectors is accompanied by less stable circumstances for others; and low unemployment is accompanied by worryingly low labor force participation. First, the good news: Ohio’s unemployment rate is 3.4%, compared with the 4.2% national average; and there is growth in fields such as engineering, data and coding, construction, plumbing, electrical and metal work. Health care continues to be a field facing worker shortages, too. But the rest of the picture, according ...

LaRose was right: Voter fraud is rare in Ohio

Despite repeated attempts by others to instill fear that Ohio’s elections are riddled with fraud, interference and illegal ballots cast, the public official best equipped to accurately assess the situation, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, has said, “voter fraud is rare in Ohio.” An analysis of data from the Ohio Crime Statistics Dashboard by the Ohio Capital Journal bears that out. Since taking office in 2019, LaRose has referred for investigation 1,200 voting/election-related cases. According to the crime statistics dashboard, only 16 resulted in felony convictions — nine ...

10-28-26 cartoon

Rural health fund delivers for Ohio

Rural communities have always been central to Ohio’s strength. From the farms that feed our nation to the small businesses that sustain local economies, these communities represent the hard work, resilience, and determination that define the Buckeye State. Yet for too long, the health care ...