ONION: To the reckless prankster who reported an active shooter at Harding Elementary School in Youngstown last week for causing undue panic and fear among students, teachers and staff at the school. The prank also required unnecessary dispatch of the city police department’s tactical team to scour the school, only to determine the call was a hoax. A spokesman for the school district called the prank “irresponsible and dangerous.” We concur and hope authorities thoroughly investigate it, apprehend the caller and subject him or her to the stiffest penalties possible.

ORCHID: To Willow Miller of Mineral Ridge and Dillen Knowles of Williamsfield for receiving the first construction scholarship among students in Youngstown State University’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program from Dawn Incorporated, a Warren-based construction company. It’s a win-win for both parties. The students benefit by having their full tuition paid through their graduation and a salary at Dawn. The company benefits because it gets two motivated and talented young people as employees whom they hope will stay on once they finish college. This mutually beneficial program is one that other employers in the Valley should duplicate.

ONION: To Youngstown fire Chief Barry Finley for embodying the latest example of Ohio’s misguided and unfair retire-rehire policy. Finley officially retired as fire chief March 15 and was then rehired March 18 by Mayor Jamael Tito Brown. Not only does Finley get to double-dip taxpayers by collecting a public salary and a public pension, but he’s also eligible for tens of thousands of additional dollars in unused sick time and other perks. The larger target of this onion’s stench, however, is not Finley but rather the state’s lenient public retirement laws, which our Ohio Legislature has long lacked the cojones to fix.

ORCHID: To the 2,000-plus workers and managers at the sprawling Ultium Cells plant in Lordstown for playing a significant role in the enhanced profitability of General Motors’ electric-vehicle sector. GM CEO Mary Barra, in a letter to shareholders last week on the company’s latest glowing earnings report, used Ultium Cells as an example, writing “the cost of battery cells came down significantly” as the plant “ramped up production.” The plant continues to grow, and as it does we’re confident such kudos will keep coming.

ORCHID: To the anonymous donor who is funding a costly trip to the prestigious Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, this summer for 15 theater arts students at Youngstown State University. Those students will be performing the musical “Here There Be Dragons” at the international gathering of performing artists, according to Adam Day, a lecturer of musical theater at YSU. The unbridled generosity of the donor will no doubt make the experience a lifelong highlight for the students performing as the Steel Penguin Ensemble.

ORCHID: To Linda Macala, retiring director of the Mahoning County Convention and Visitors Bureau, for a job well done over the past 17 years in her post. Macala has overseen the construction of eight new hotels in the county and has spurred growth in visits and tourism. One solid indicator of her success has been the surprising rise in county bed-tax revenue, which increased 14% in 2022 and a whopping 22% in 2023. Her successor who will be announced soon clearly will have some mighty big shoes to fill.

ONION: To homeowners who neglect or refuse to pay property taxes to support their local school districts. In Youngstown, delinquent taxes cost the city school district more than $12 million last year. County Auditor Ralph Meacham recently reported that 23,593 properties — or 37.5% of the 62,883 residential, commercial, industrial and other properties within the district — are delinquent on taxes. Given that the district sees no end in sight to operating budget deficits, each dollar lost through nonpayment hurts educational programming for students. Those who do not have the resources to pay an entire half-year bill should waste no time contacting the county for inclusion on a payment plan.

ORCHID: To the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for cracking down on contraband entering its prisons by opening a sophisticated mail processing center at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown. At that center, ODRC staff receives and digitizes all snail mail addressed to inmates at the penitentiary and eight other prisons. It is then loaded into each inmate’s electronic tablet for reading. That way, there is no way contraband — such as illicit drugs — can enter the prison via the U.S. mail. We’re pleased to see that three new mail processing centers soon will open serving 28 ODNR facilities.

ORCHID: To Courtney Kelly of Lowellville, a Youngstown firefighter and fire instructor at Choffin Career and Technical Center, for receiving the Instructor of the Year award at the Ohio Fire Service Hall of Fame and Awards ceremony recently. Judging by Kelly’s resume, she richly deserved the award. As a result of her commitment, the Choffin program’s facilities and resources have expanded, which has translated into increased enrollment, improved graduation rates and successful employment outcomes for her students. Clearly, her passion for her vocation serves as a model for all other firefighters to follow.

editorial@vindy.com