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ORCHID: To Jason Hess, a Youngstown State University mechanical engineering student who received the prestigious 2023 Truman Scholarship. The Harry S. Truman Foundation recognizes college juniors committed to pursuing careers in public service. Hess was one of only 62 awardees nationwide, selected from 705 candidates. He also is the first YSU student to win the honor. YSU Interim President Helen Lafferty had appropriate high praise for Hess: "This is a well-deserved honor, and we celebrate Jason's hard work in the classroom and his dedication to make an impact in his community."
ORCHID: To Thomas Ruggieri for his dedication to making the Boardman High School bands among the best in the state and nation. Ruggieri, Spartans' band director for 23 years, keeps his students on their toes -- literally -- performing an average of 60 performances per year, double the norm at most other schools. In addition to accepting invites at prestigious gigs like Ohio State University and America's Thanksgiving Day Parade, he also brought in numerous professional artists to perform and mentor students. We are pleased he has decided to stay involved with music education even after retirement.
ONION: To Youngstown City Schools Superintendent Justin Jennings for failing to show up at a board of education meeting this week, when the house was packed, as expected. Jennings and the board of education are under fire, accused of dragging their feet on labor negotiations and recently unearthed financial mishaps over alleged misspending of $5 million in federal funds earmarked for internet access for staff and students. The allegations are serious, and Jennings owed it to the taxpayers and employees to attend the meeting and answer their questions.
ORCHID: To Louis A. Zona, executive director of The Butler Institute of American Art, as well as his staff and donors who played a role in the $2 million addition that officially opened last weekend. The new Vincent & Phylllis Bacon Grand Gallery is grand indeed. It features an extremely tall space to accommodate extremely large works, such as French artist Pierre Soulages' 14-foot-high mural titled "14 Mai 1968" on display there now. The addition reinforces the Butler's stellar reputation as one of the finest museums of American art in the world.
ONION: To drivers who fail to slow down and move over when possible as they approach a work zone on Ohio roadways. The Ohio Department of Transportation joined others nationwide this week marking National Work Zone Awareness Week. In promoting the week, Gov. Mike DeWine offered sage advice for motorists: "Paying attention, slowing down and giving crews room to work are simple steps that all drivers can take to prevent tragedies in our work zones."
ORCHID: To Lt. Eric Brown, commander of the Ohio State Highway Patrol Canfield Post, for his new campaign to reduce traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities in Mahoning County. Brown has begun a rotation of law enforcement "blitzes" in which patrol officers will target a major roadway, like U.S. Route 224, state Route 46 or Interstate 680, for enforcement of traffic laws, including the state's new distracted driving law that makes using a handheld electronic device to the ear while driving a primary offense. Brown's get-tough policy seems to be working as traffic fatalities in the county have declined dramatically so far this year.
ORCHID: To Premier Financial Corp., holding company for Premier Bank, for ranking No. l in Ohio among best-performing community banks and No. 28 in the nation. To compile its ranking, S&O Global Market Intelligence calculated scores for each institution on seven metrics. Premier scored a premiere job on all of them.
editorial@vindy.com