ORCHID: To Audrey Tillis for her 13 years of model service to Mahoning County as its administrator and budget director. She resigned last week at 66 after an amazingly successful career at the helm of county government. She faced a nightmare scenario when she accepted the challenging job. The county had a $4 million budget hole, revenue was not supporting expenses and annual carryover was dropping fast. Though in some cases it took time, Tillis and others she worked with turned around all of those negatives to the point that the county now has a budget surplus and has achieved the coveted AA bond ratings for its justice and sales taxes. Former longtime county Commissioner Dave Ditzler summed up succinctly the sterling talents of Tillis: “She brought to this county credibility, stability, transparency, and trust, honesty.”

ORCHID: To the Impact Initiative for its ongoing success in helping to reduce violent crime In Youngstown. The initiative is a partnership among the Youngstown Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, FBI and its task force, the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Ohio Adult Parole Authority and Ohio Investigative Unit. Last week, officers from the YPD and OSHP, working together as part of the initiative, apprehended two men on gun and drug charges after a brief chase on the South Side. It is but one of many successful busts in the initiative’s primary aim to remove guns and drugs — primary ingredients to violent crime — from city streets. The decline in homicides in the city — eight homicides in May and June of 2024 compared with only two during those two months of 2025 — is but one concrete indication of the success and value of the impact of the crime-fighting initiative.

ONION: To those heartless and irresponsible pet owners who leave their pets outdoors during insufferable heat waves such as the one that baked the Mahoning Valley recently. Animal welfare agencies in the region have reported a disturbingly large increase in dogs that have died after being left outdoors in 90 degree-plus heat without needed water and shade. Animal Charity of Mahoning County, for example, last week reported the deaths of about 10 dogs from such neglect, including one that hanged himself from a porch railing in a desperate attempt to find water and relief from blistering heat. A Facebook post from Animal Charity minced no words about such tragedies: “We’re shattered. We’re angry. We’re exhausted.” Anyone who sees such cases of inhumane abuse this summer should contact their nearest animal welfare agency immediately.

ORCHID: To Charles R. Singler and Barbara C. Orton for receiving the prestigious Heritage Award, one of Youngstown State University’s highest honors, from the university’s Board of Trustees last week. Singler provided stellar service to YSU from 1969 to 2011 as a professor and chairman of the Department of Physics, Astronomy, Geology and Environmental Science. Orton distinguished herself as director of the university’s Equal Opportunity and Diversity Office from 1984 to 2003. We also congratulate trustees for bravely going against the current political grain by recognizing the importance of diversity initiatives in its award to Orton.

ONION: To parents and guardians of young children who fail to ensure upper-floor windows are locked tightly and their opening mechanisms are not easy to operate and in the reach of little ones. Earlier this week, police and fire departments responded to an emergency in which 4-year-old and 5-year-old boys were injured after having fallen out of a second-floor window. Police inspected the window and found that the locking mechanisms were within the reach of children. According to the National Safety Council, an average of eight children ages 5 and younger die and more than 3,300 are injured each year from falling out of windows. It wisely recommends parents install window guards and that locks are kept out of reach of youngsters.

ORCHID: To Brenda Freeman for besting 10 other candidates to become chief of police for Hubbard Township. Freeman was sworn in recently as the new top law enforcement officer in the township in a ceremony that filled the township hall with ardent supporters. Such fanfare for Freeman is certainly no surprise as she’s hardly a rookie to the Greater Hubbard community, having served over the past 13 years on both the township and city police departments. In addition to that invaluable experience and knowledge of the community, by all accounts she has established a record of exemplary service. We’re also pleased to see Freeman become the second female to rise to the level of chief in a Mahoning Valley police department this year. In that role, she’ll no doubt serve as a solid role model for girls throughout the community.