ORCHID: To Mahoning County Auditor Ralph Meacham for implementing a fraud protection program covering property transfer deeds for county residents. It’s the first of its kind in any county in Ohio to provide no-cost protections to homeowners. Homeowners would be remiss not to sign up for the protections by going to the Mahoning County auditor’s website (auditor.mahoningcountyoh.gov) and clicking on the Property Ownership Alert Subscription page in the Tools tab. “I want criminals put on notice: This office will do everything in our power to prevent a fraudulent property transfer,” Meacham said. Kudos, too, to Mahoning County Recorder Richard Scarsella for implementing a notary fraud protection program that will also cover deeds. Other counties in the Mahoning Valley and the Buckeye State should follow Meacham’s and Scarsella’s responsible and exemplary leads.

ONION: To court-appointed SOBE Thermal Energy Systems receiver Reg Martin for continued failures to provide critical steam heat to 28 downtown Youngstown properties. The failures became more severe during the recent extreme cold snap that sent temperatures plummeting below zero and left many workers in downtown office buildings and patrons to other structures such as the Central YMCA shivering due to SOBE’s poor and inefficient service. The problems have gone on far too long. It’s time for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to intercede, remove Martin as receiver and replace him with someone who will work tirelessly and responsibly to do whatever it takes to expeditiously restore reliable, efficient and quality heating and cooling services to the heart of the Mahoning Valley in downtown Youngstown.

ORCHID: To the Hubbard High School Prep Bowl team and its coach Michael Brekoski for recently winning the 2026 Trumbull County championship by besting 16 other stellar teams from districts throughout the county. Just as gridiron and basketball stars deserve cheers for their dedication and outstanding performances at their crafts, so, too, do students who rise to the top of their game in academic prowess. The popular competitions also ooze in long-term value by fostering strong critical thinking skills, boosting confidence and promoting academic excellence in a competitive, team-oriented environment.

ONION: To the Office of the Ohio Public Defender for significantly reducing its level of funding support to counties throughout the state to help finance legal representation for indigent defendants who cannot afford it. After reimbursing nearly 100% of such costs in 2022, the state has lowered reimbursements every year since, and today stands at an estimated 82% for fiscal year 2026. The reductions, according to Shara Taylor of the Trumbull County commissioners office “jumped our payments significantly right out of the gate.” At a time when county governments — and most all local governments — face critical financial struggles to provide services and meet state mandates, such pullbacks in state support only make balancing their budgets all the more taxing.

ORCHID: To the Ohio School Bus Safety Program for awarding about $1 million to a wealth of school districts in the Mahoning Valley last month to ensure the safest mode for student transit to and from school remains the good old reliable and trusted yellow bus. The funds will be used for repairing, replacing or adding authorized safety features (such as cameras or other safety enhancements) to new and existing school buses. The program’s proactive initiative represents a practical and welcome investment in the state’s most precious resource bar none — its children.

ORCHID: To state Rep. Tex Fischer, R-Canfield, for sponsoring new legislation to increase penalties for those who boisterously disrupt formal religious services in Ohio. His House Bill 662 was motivated by recent angry protests inside a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, that resulted in federal grand jury indictments against at least nine people, including former CNN anchor Don Lemon. HB 662 would make a conviction for disturbing a lawful meeting of religious worship more serious by increasing it from a first-degree misdemeanor to a fifth-degree felony. That move would result in potential one-year prison sentences for violators. We find Fischer absolutely justified in asserting, “We want to continue to permit people to practice their First Amendment right of freedom of religion without being harassed.”

ORCHID: To shareholders of Kimberly-Clark Corp. and Kenvue Inc. for approving K-C’s acquisition of the consumer health company in a vote last week. The merger creates a mammoth $32 billion global health and wellness leader, combining iconic brands such as Huggies and Kleenex with Kenvue’s portfolio that includes Band-Aid and Tylenol. The company’s exciting new growth spurt comes at a particularly auspicious time for the Mahoning Valley, as Kimberly Clark completes work on its massive $1 billion production plant and distribution campus in Trumbull County with hiring projected to begin this spring.

ORCHID: To Mary Anne Russo, longtime Youth Services supervisor at the Hubbard Public Library, for giving nearly four decades of dedicated, creative and helpful service to scores of appreciative young people and their parents in that community. Russo retired as the children’s librarian last week after 37 years there, as well as more than four additional years at the Ritter Public library in Vermilion. Over those years, she instituted many positive changes and enhancements to the children’s area, including brighter lighting, an indoor gazebo, a dedicated room for children’s programs and an outdoor sensory garden. She also oversaw creative fun-based literacy programs. At her recent retirement party, she thanked Hubbard parents for sharing their children with her. We’re certain, however, that Russo, too, that most of those parents would join us in sending supersized thanks to her for the positive impact she has made on hundreds of children’s lives.