ORCHID: To East High School freshman Michal Miller, 14, for his commitment to entrepreneurship and his tremendous perseverance and resilience in the face of adversity. Miller has operated a lemonade stand at two locations on the city’s North Side as a means to raise money for the new school year and to develop solid business skills. Earlier this month, Michal was a victim of an armed robbery by a teenager from Boardman. True to his “never give up” spirit, the robbery did not dampen his passion to continue to build his business acumen. Fortunately, police apprehended the suspected culprit, and now the young man is making plans to expand his brand to a wider audience. Several movers and shakers in the city — including Mayor Jamael Tito Brown, Community Initiative to Reduce Violence Director Guy Burney and community business leader Herb Washington — honored Michal publicly and presented him a $1,000 cash award. As the mayor aptly expressed, “I couldn’t be more proud of this young man, what he is doing. He is setting the bar for our generation of kids.”

ONION: To those sick but slick perpetrators of real estate fraud who have been plying their pernicious trade in the Mahoning Valley with increasing regularity in recent months. Mahoning County Auditor Ralph Meacham has warned property owners that “quitclaim” fraud is becoming a more common practice in the area. Quitclaim fraud, or home title theft, is a type of real estate fraud in which criminals illegally transfer the ownership of a property without the rightful owner’s knowledge or consent. It usually happens to unoccupied properties. Youngstown police and other agencies in the Valley are investigating such illicit activity, and we urge swift and serious punishment for any and all fraudsters engaging in such property theft.

ORCHID: To the Mahoning Valley Amateur Radio Association for achieving its recent milestone of 100 years of membership in the national Amateur Radio Relay League. The ARRL recently recognized the Valley association of ham radio operators for becoming only the third such group in Ohio to reach the century mark in membership in the ARRL. Not only do clubs such as the MVARA offer opportunities to connect with other operators, share experiences and collaborate on projects, they also play critical roles in emergency communications, offering training and resources to help communities during disasters.

ORCHID: To Bon Secours Mercy Health for its continuing commitment to expanding and improving the health-care needs of the Mahoning Valley. The most recent evidence of that commitment took place earlier this month when Mercy and others broke ground on the new $50 million Mercy Health — Champion Emergency Center that will offer 24/7 emergency care, advanced imaging services and full laboratory services. The groundbreaking was but the latest in a string of growth in the Mahoning Valley for Mercy Health. The 60-bed Mercy Health Rehabilitation Hospital opened in Liberty last fall, and Mercy Health and its partner, Lifepoint Rehabilitation, are building a behavioral health facility next door on Belmont Avenue. And a wing of new patient beds was added earlier this year at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. Given the uncertain future for the closed Trumbull and Hillside hospitals in Trumbull County operated by Insight Health Systems, Mercy Health’s commitment to growth is clearly appreciated.

ONION: To motorcyclists and four-wheel vehicle motorists who fail to follow common-sense safety precautions and proper driving etiquette. As of earlier this week, Trumbull County had recorded seven fatal traffic crashes involving motorcyclists so far this year, five more than for the entire year of 2024. For their part, motorcyclists should follow the sage advice of Ohio State Highway Patrol leaders by wearing a helmet and bright-colored gear while drivers should train themselves to proceed cautiously when pulling out of driveways (where most collisions occur) or at intersections, as well as to always be on the lookout for more than just cars, SUVs and trucks.