Editorials

Orchids & onions

ORCHID: To the Kimberly-Clark Corp., the Mahoning Valley's newest premium employer, for recently announcing its donation of a whopping 15 million Huggies diapers to the National Diaper Bank Network. Member diaper banks serve children and families in 33 U.S. states, including at its Mahoning Valley location at Project MKC in Boardman (projectmkc.org), formerly known as Making Kids Count. According to NDBN, it distributes essential products to more than 280,000 children monthly, so Kimberly-Clark's most generous gift definitely will not go unwanted or unneeded.

ORCHID: To the top winners in last weekend's Regional Scholastic Art Awards at Youngstown State University for their creative and artistic excellence. Among this year's standout students were five American Visions nominees -- considered Best of Show: Hannah English of Cardinal Mooney High School, Chloe Blott of Canfield High School, Rhylin Barker of LaBrae High School, Camryn Ross of Lakeview High School and Mara Vargo of Hubbard High School. They faced some rugged competition from the nearly 500 entries considered for this year's award from junior and senior high students in Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties. The popular contest gives students gifted in the visual arts a deserved opportunity to publicly strut their creative stuff and for others to savor and celebrate their success.

ONION: To school authorities throughout the Mahoning Valley, state and nation who disregard or who are ignorant of the letter of the federal law in the CROWN Act. The CROWN Act, or "Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act" is legislation aimed at prohibiting discrimination based on hair texture and hairstyles, particularly those associated with African American cultures. A Struthers parent recently went before that school district's board of education to complain about the treatment of her son and his hair style. She said school authorities advised him to cut his sub-Saharan hair style or face suspension from school even though the issue was never raised in previous years. The parent urged the board to update its policy to allow students to wear hairstyles that reflect their natural heritage and to conform with the CROWN Act. Board members said they will study the issue. We urge them to go further: Act to ensure natural hairstyles that do not disrupt the educational process remain acceptable in all of the buildings they oversee.

ORCHID: To the Mahoning Valley campus of the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics' School for Aviation Maintenance at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport for soaring in stature via its recent recognition by the Accrediting Commission on Career Schools and Colleges as a 2024-2025 ACCSC School of Excellence. That mark of distinction certifies that it has demonstrated a high commitment to educational quality, rigorous accreditation standards and exceptional student achievement. With demand exceptionally high -- 710,00 new technicians needed over the next 20 years -- and with job placement rates among the school's graduates at 97%, the Youngstown campus is on course to take off for newer and brighter heights in its immediate future.

ORCHID: To Hubbard Township Trustee William Colletta for deservedly receiving the prestigious "Something Good Initiative" award from the Trumbull County Planning Commission recently. The award spotlights individuals who make meaningful, positive contributions to their communities through leadership, service and collaboration. Colletta clearly rises as the poster boy for all of those noble attributes. It would take this entire column space to give even a partial rundown of workhorse Colletta's myriad contributions to the betterment of Hubbard Township, but suffice it to say he has excelled in strengthening communication lines with residents, in ensuring adequate and reliable infrastructure for all and in collaborating with Hubbard City on valuable joint community projects.

ORCHID: To Scott and Mandy Forestal of Girard for their powerhouse leadership over the mighty Steel City Warriors, a compassionate nonprofit Scott founded in 2019 to assist Mahoning Valley residents in need. The Forestals and their Warriors -- generally totally under the radar -- perform myriad good works throughout the region. Last Thanksgiving, for example, they prepared 2,500 Thanksgiving dinners for deserving families in the area. They also provide food, shelter, school supplies, toys, medical assistance and more to thousands of grateful beneficiaries. With so much going for it, enlist to support Forestal's army by watching for and supporting the next major fundraiser the organization sponsors.

ORCHID: To Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel for recently launching WorkOhio, a statewide initiative designed to connect Ohioans with in-demand jobs through personalized support from teams of regional job experts. At the center of WorkOhio is a new website -- WorkOhio.gov -- an easy-to-use starting point for anyone looking for new job opportunities, training programs or other resources aligned with their background, experience and goals. This model workforce assistance program comes at an auspicious time. As the former Youngstown State president and coach put it, "Companies are growing in every region of our state and creating jobs in the industries that will shape our future."

ORCHID: To the hundreds of snowplow drivers throughout the Mahoning Valley who braved the monstrous cold and unrelenting heavy snow earlier this week to clear roads for relatively safe passage for motorists. The Ohio Department of Transportation deployed 1,200 road-clearing crews statewide with 300 of them in Northeast Ohio. Some of those hearty state and local plow drivers weathered the harsh conditions for 19 hours straight during the height of the worst snowstorm we've experienced in years. Most reports indicate they cleared our ways promptly and efficiently. We tip our hats, too, to the many essential health care, safety-service and other workers who soldiered on and did not let Mother Nature's wrath prevent them from performing their critical services to a thankful public.

Editorials

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ORCHID: To Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries for organizing a Thrift Trail that links about a dozen nonprofit community service organizations in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties that offer merchandise and services. Participating stores and consignment shops include the St. Vincent de Paul Society Mahoning District, Angels Missions in Trumbull County and The Way Station in Columbiana County. Goodwill has mapped out a guide to visit each and every participant -- with special deals or surprises for map holders. Get your map today by making a small donation at goodwillyoungstown.org/the-thrift-trail. In so doing, you will help strengthen and unite the generous and compassionate work of these vital helping agencies throughout our region.

ONION: To irresponsible cat owners in the Mahoning Valley who fail to properly care for their pets and who therefore often contribute to the problem of roaming feral felines. In Girard, many residents have complained to city officials recently about disease-plagued cats roaming the town, and city council is considering actions to combat the nuisance. Such unsocialized, free-roaming cats pose significant environmental, public health and animal welfare dangers. Therefore, cat owners must do their due diligence to keep pet cats indoors, vaccinate them and ensure they are spayed/neutered.

ORCHID: To state Rep. David Thomas, R-Jefferson, for starting 2026 by acting just as admirably and conscientiously as he had done throughout 2025 as the leading state legislative advocate for property tax relief for all Ohioans. Thomas, who represents portions of the Mahoning Valley, this month introduced House Bill 613, which would implement much stricter and more transparent time lines to complete tax reassessments and refunds. Thomas' cumulative efforts, credited with saving Ohioans more than $3 billion in taxes over the next three years, are needed now more than ever this year to battle extremist efforts to abolish property taxes altogether in the Buckeye State.

ORCHID: To Dick's Sporting Goods for its plans to rid the township of one of its largest and oldest vacant commercial properties through its plans to construct a multi-story Dick's House of Sport on the sprawling land once occupied by Kmart on U.S. Route 224. If all goes well, including a limited tax abatement, the township will once again reap tax revenue on the land that has not generated any since the large department store closed in 2017. We also urge township officials to remain aggressive in courting potential businesses to fill an increasingly large number of other commercial vacancies in the township in recent months. For example, four major tenants in the Shops at Boardman Park retail complex -- Movies 8, Value City Furniture, Rise Pies and The Casual Pint -- have recently closed or announced their closing.

ONION: To careless drivers who fail to exercise caution and respect when traversing historic structures. Earlier this week, a pickup truck crashed into the historic 1831 Newton Falls Covered Bridge on state Route 534, causing some minor damage and forcing its closure. In recent years, the bridge has been closed far too many times in similar accidents that have caused significant damage to the nearly 200-year-old structure's trusses, not to mention much inconvenience to local motorists. Yes, we realize accidents do happen, but we must urge drivers to take extra-special care when crossing highly valued historic spans such as that in Newton Falls, the second oldest of its kind still in operation in Ohio.

ORCHID: To Trumbull County Family Court Judge David Engler for implementing a promising program to help detainees at the Juvenile Justice Center with strategies to lead more productive and responsible lives. Engler has partnered with Pastor Jason David, a national touring speaker and award-winning recording artist, to introduce the MyTribe project at the center beginning next month. The faith-based program aims to provide rehabilitation, reduce recidivism and offer emotional support to youth in detention centers. We join Engler in hoping the program will be a "big success" so that other places throughout Ohio and the system will use it and reap its rewards as well.

ORCHID: To Vallourec for yet another remarkable growth spurt via a massive contract with Shell to supply as many as 15,000 tons of pipes for Shell's large-scale "Orca Project" in Brazil. The contract comes on top of a recently announced $48 million expansion and improvement project at the French company's Youngstown-Girard production campus. The new contract with the major oil company strengthens even more firmly the Mahoning Valley's leading seamless steel pipe producer to major international energy projects, particularly in the oil, gas and shale arenas.

Editorials

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ORCHID: To Mahoning County Career and Technical Center instructors and technicians Jason Moore and Matt Peters for their selection as delegates to the esteemed Congressional Robotics Caucus recently at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The two showed other participants from across the nation how robotics technicians can get certified, providing career pathways at a fraction of the cost of traditional colleges. Their representation also illustrated the growing recognition of the Mahoning Valley -- and particularly MCCTC and the Valley STEM Academy - as a national model for innovative and future-ready programs to develop a skilled robotics and automation workforce for the state and the nation.

ORCHID: To the 91 artists from the Mahoning Valley region for having their artworks honored by acceptance into the highly competitive and immensely popular Butler Institute of American Art's 86th Area Artists Annual. Visitors to the juried exhibition that opened this week at the acclaimed Youngstown gallery were wowed by the quality and variety of the wide range of artistry, including oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, photography, ceramics, sculpture, drawing and illustration, mixed media and printmaking. As Butler Executive Director Louis Zona aptly put it, "Local and regional artists should never be underestimated." The exhibition continues through Feb. 15. Don't miss it!

ORCHID: To Youngstown State University leaders involved in strong partnerships with the community for earning the coveted Carnegie Community Engagement Classification this week from the Carnegie Foundation. The award honors YSU's reputation for deeply integrating community engagement into its mission, culture and operations. Thousands of YSU students are involved in community engagement activities such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Service-Fest. Special recognition must go to Amy Cossentino, dean of the Sokolov Honors College at YSU, who led the exhausting seven-year effort to secure the standout national recognition.

ONION: To foes of elected government officials at local, state and national levels who misguidedly and criminally use violence as a tool to express their opposition. Just last week, a man was arrested and charged in connection with an attempted break-in at the Ohio home of Vice President J.D. Vance. According to court documents, the suspect used a hammer to smash windows at the vice president's house and also tried to break a window of a federal agent's car. It is the latest most visible case of attacks or attempted attacks on public officials. U.S. Capitol police, for example, this month reported 14,000 threats last year against lawmakers, nearly double the level of two years ago. Free expression of opposing viewpoints in this country should be cherished and nourished, but it should never be allowed to degenerate into threats and acts of physical harm and violence.

ORCHID: To Mercy Health officials for opening an expansive $20 million, 16-bed neurointensive care unit at their St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital last week. The unit excellently fills heretofore inadequate service levels for a wide variety of growing needs in brain surgery and for patients with aneurysms, spinal issues or other co-morbidities. The new unit comes thanks to Mercy's relocation of its floor of rehabilitation patients to its new freestanding rehab hospital in Liberty. Such growth at St. Elizabeth Youngstown also helps to counteract some of the unfortunate shrinkage in other health care services and providers in the Valley and reflects a commitment to quality and comprehensive care by Mercy Health for the booming senior population throughout our region.

ONION: To those who refuse to receive vaccinations against the flu at a time when such cases are peaking out of control in Ohio. As of the end of the first week of 2026, Ohio hospitals reported 1,936 patients with flu symptoms severe enough to warrant hospitalization, including 95 from the Mahoning Valley. The Ohio Department of Health emphasizes that the flu vaccine is the most effective way to protect against flu viruses and can reduce flu symptoms, visits to the doctor and missed school/work due to flu. It can also help prevent flu-related hospitalizations. Schedule yours today.

ORCHID: To standout Youngstown State University quarterback Beau Brungard of Springfield Township for winning the highly prestigious 2025 Walter Payton Award for exceptional play in the Football Championship Subdivision, the second tier of NCAA Division I college football. The award, often referred to as the Heisman Trophy of the FCS, comes on top of a slew of other honors the superlative dual quarterback has garnered in recent weeks. How superlative? Brungard passed for over 3,200 yards and 26 touchdowns while rushing for nearly 1,500 yards and 27 touchdowns. We look forward to Brungard's continued colossal contributions toward a possible national championship run for the Penguins in the 2026 season.

Editorials

Orchids & onions

ORCHID: To the Mahoning County Commissioners and Boardman Township Trustees for authorizing the renaming of a large stretch of Market Street in Boardman the Clarence "Sonny" Smith Jr. Memorial Highway. In addition to Smith's sharp business acumen at the helm of Diamond Steel, Compco Industries and Adamas Jewelry, he is best remembered as a philanthropist extraordinaire in the Mahoning Valley, having supported many causes such as Youngstown State University and Boardman High School, Sister Jerome's ministries, Native Americans, Boy Scouts and many civic concerns. Smith, also a former Boardman school board member and county Republican Party chairman, died in 2021 at 92. The Ohio General Assembly should waste no time in giving final approval to this much deserved posthumous honor.

ORCHID: To Youngstown Finance Director Kyle Miasek and his staff for earning their fourth consecutive clean audit from state Auditor Keith Faber. The lack once again of any findings for recovery of misspent or mishandled funds benefits the city in its financial ratings and in its ability to borrow at lower interest rates. What's more, it demonstrates transparency, accuracy, and strong fiscal stewardship. We're therefore pleased that Mayor Derrick McDowell chose to retain Miasek as captain of the city's sturdy financial ship over the next four years.

ONION: To Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine for signing, albeit "reluctantly," a bill into law that effectively weakens maximum voter participation in primary and general elections in the state. That billI requires all mail-in ballots to arrive at county boards of elections no later than the same day as the election. Previously, mail-in voters had until four days after Election Day for their ballots to reach the board. As Jen Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, aptly put it, "Hundreds of thousands of Ohioans across the political spectrum rely on voting by mail. ... Voters should not be punished because of slow mail delivery days." So here's a word to the wise mail-in voters: Send in your ballots at least one week before Election Day beginning this year.

ORCHID: To Yellow Brick Place, a Cornersburg-based cancer support center, for marking its milestone 10-year anniversary recently. The nonprofit, which serves the entire Mahoning and Shenango valleys, has come a long way, baby, since its opening in serving the critical needs of a broad spectrum of male and female cancer patients. The agency has grown in its physical space in the Cornersburg Plaza and in its array of services, which include wigs for women who lose hair through chemotherapy, professional makeup consultations, a library, tai chi, chair yoga and much more. It's no wonder then that YBP was voted Nonprofit of the Year in a recent Western Reserve Transit Authority poll. Donations to carry on the good works of YBP can be made at any of its many fundraisers or by visiting yellowbrickplace.org.

ORCHID: To Thrive Mahoning Valley for its plans to launch a farmers market at the main branch of The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County next month. The market, which will run 4 to 7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, will provide fresh, local produce and products. This new project of the rapidly growing TMV, an agency working to make our community more welcoming to all, will fill a gaping hole in food security by operating the market in the winter months inside the library. It's a win-win for urban residents in search of fresh, healthy food and for area farmers and small businesses seeking markets for their vital goods all year long.

ONION: To leaders in charge of maintaining streets in and around Youngstown State University for the subpar condition of some of them. A Vindicator reader alerted us to this problem, lamenting, " Some of the side streets running past beautiful schools and dormitories are basically one step up from a buffalo trail. The streets around the pride of Youngstown are an embarrassment." A ride this week along some of those streets - notably the East Bound Access Road that runs along the northern edge of campus and portions of Madison Avenue near the main YSU dormitory complex - showed the reader has a point. Portions of those roads were riddled with bumps and potholes. We recommend those and other nearby streets get priority repairs and resurfacing from those responsible for their maintenance - be it the YSU Facilities Department, the city or possibly the state -- at the earliest possible time so as not to play any role whatsoever in reversing the university's current growth mode.

ORCHID: To Ray Buhala for being sworn in last week as police chief of Liberty Township. By all indications, Buhala is a perfect fit for the chief law enforcement officer of Trumbull County's largest township. He's served as acting chief for the past six months and has some two decades worth of experience on the force. Township trustees have sung his praises in his ability to handle tasks quickly, completely and efficiently. We wish him well as he prepares to tackle the many challenges ahead.

ONION: To perpetrators of a sleazy check-washing scam in the Mahoning Valley who have been ripping off residents of thousands of dollars. On New Year's Eve, police in Boardman reported a check a woman had put in the mail for $40 was taken, the payee's name was changed, and the amount was altered to $4,350. The check was then cashed via mobile deposit. Another recent wash job in Boardman reportedly involved a $2,000 stolen check in which the payee was altered and the check was successfully cashed. To avoid becoming a victim, the U.S. Postal Service urges customers to bring mailed checks to secure blue deposit boxes or to the post office and to collect your own mail as quickly as possible after it is delivered.

ORCHID: To First Cash Financial Services for purchasing six parcels totaling 1.6 acres at the busy South Avenue / Midlothian Boulevard intersection in Youngstown, to open a new business at the site of a former Rite Aid drugstore there. Planned is a pawn shop and cash-lending agency to expand its network of 3,300 such locations around the world. FCFS's store represents the third such redevelopment of a vacant Rite Aid within city limits over the past year. The other former drugstores have been or will be transformed into a senior day center and a Sheetz convenience store. Collectively, they have turned a trio of potentially blighted white elephants into active commercial establishments.

ORCHID: To organizers and all participants in the third annual Senior Showcase production last weekend at the Robins Theatre in downtown Warren. More than 70 singers, dancers, comedians, ventriloquists and other mature and talented Mahoning Valley performers wowed their large and very supportive audience. The show was such a hit that a second 2026 Senior Showcase production is being organized for a tentative April show. Bravo!

Editorials

Orchids & onions

ORCHID: To Youngstown Mayor Derrick McDowell for filling each and every Cabinet position in his new administration before his inauguration as the city's 52nd chief executive earlier this week. At first glance, his mix of seasoned city department heads with new and talented faces appears to show promise for his goals of improving all facets of the city and its services. In the coming weeks and months, we'll hold the mayor to his vow "of reclaiming our identity and driving towards the results that every resident and all 33 neighborhoods here deserve."

ORCHID: To the Cleveland Browns Foundation, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and Harvard University's Proving Ground program for improving public school attendance through their sponsorship of the statewide Stay in the Game Attendance Network. As part of the program, Chomp, the Browns' mascot, and Steely McBeam, the Pittsburgh Steelers' mascot, recently visited Campbell City School District's K-6th grade building to honor participating students. That visit and other perks provided through SIGA have helped to boost attendance there and at other participating schools in the Mahoning Valley and the state. Cheers to the students and SIGA for expanding the valuable assets of regular attendance: academic success, higher graduation rates and development of crucial life skills.

ONION: To any and all hooligans who use what should be venues of competitive fun as playgrounds to instigate violent mayhem. More than five fights involving many people broke out after a recent basketball game between East and Chaney high schools in Youngstown. The altercations became so disruptive city police were forced to use stun guns to quell the disturbances. Though no students from either school were reported as among the ruffians, the disturbance nonetheless created chaos and turned an event meant for building community spirit into a source of fear and danger for students, families and staff of each school.

ORCHID: To newly appointed Southern Park Mall Manager Bill McClure for his commitment to improve all facets of operations at the major Mahoning Valley shopping center and entertainment venue in the coming months. McClure, a longtime Boardman resident, said he and his staff are committed to improving marketing and attracting new tenants. His optimism comes at a time when many had fears of the worst for the mall, punctuated by long-delayed payment of taxes from owner Kohan Retail Investment Group. Now that those payments have been made, along with vows to meet all future obligations on time, we hope a new and positive era for the 1.2-million-square-foot complex at last may be dawning.

ONION: To owners of live Christmas trees who irresponsibly choose to set them out for the garbage collector to add to already overstuffed landfills. Instead, residents should opt to recycle their holiday trees through the Mahoning County Green Team's tree recycling program that operates at 14 sites in the county through Jan. 31. By doing so, the tree continues to contribute to growth - not waste -- by serving as natural wildlife habitats for fish in area lakes as part of an Ohio Department of Natural Resources program. For a complete list of drop-off sites and hours of operation, visit https://www.mahoningcountyoh.gov/963/Recycling.

ORCHID: To Youngstown Phantoms hockey star Cooper Simpson for his superlative play on the ice but, more importantly, for his compassion and commitment to the community off the ice by establishing the Coop Cares program in partnership with Akron Children's Hospital Mahoning Valley. His initiative creates meaningful experiences for pediatric patients and their families by providing them with a memorable free night out at Covelli to watch a Phantoms game, complete with a personal video from Simpson and a Coop Cares T-shirt. To date, forward Simpson ranks second in overall scoring in the 16-team U.S. Hockey League. In his community outreach and support to Valley families, however, he clearly ranks a standout first.

ORCHID: To the Lordstown Police Department and other law enforcement agencies in the Mahoning Valley that participated in the mutually beneficial Shop With a Cop program during the holiday season. In Lordstown, children in the community traveled to Eastwood Mall's Target via police cruiser and limousine to pick out holiday gifts and necessities. The value of the program cannot be overstated. It enables children to interact with police officers in a fun and trust-building setting to counteract negative perceptions they might have developed from outside influences. It also strengthens bonds between law enforcement agencies and communities by proving police are deeply invested in the welfare of the residents they're sworn to serve well beyond their official duties.