ORCHID: To the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfield grant program for awarding the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. a $1 million grant to continue the great progress that it already has made toward revitalizing the Glenwood Avenue corridor on the South Side. The new funds will finance cleanup of at least two contaminated sites on the heavily trafficked road and do testing on others. Among the successes achieved have been targeted sidewalk replacements, ongoing commercial building restorations and the development of a five-year master plan to guide future growth. We hope YNDC can soon make substantial progress on renovating the blighted former Foster Art Theater in the heart of the corridor into planned apartments and retail space as it’s been more than three years now since that promising project was unveiled.

ONION: To the sleazy depraved vandals who desecrated the Youngstown Fire Department’s Firefighters Memorial statue at the entranceway to downtown Youngstown on West Federal Street last month. According to the police report on the despicable crime, the display’s firefighter helmet and respiratory equipment were broken off and stolen, and its fire hose was cut. The stolen pieces had a value of about $500, but the dollar value of the destruction pales in comparison to the symbolism of hatred and destruction toward firefighters that the now seemingly headless firefighter unfortunately depicts. Here’s hoping the statue can be restored expeditiously and the responsible hoodlums are captured and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

ORCHID: To the Western Reserve Transit Authority, the Mahoning Valley’s primary mass transit agency, for ceremonially breaking ground last week on a new, larger and state-of-the art bus barn to house its upcoming new fleet of battery-operated electric buses. The $7 million investment, funded almost entirely by grants and state support, will help to revitalize the western gateway to downtown Youngstown. Moreover, it signals WRTA’s full-throttled commitment to keep Valley residents on the move for decades to come.

ORCHID: To Madeleine Devlin, a recent 2026 Ursuline High School graduate for doing the Valley proud by placing third in storytelling among some 7,000 students across the nation in the recent National Speech & Debate Tournament in Richmond, Virginia. Madeline, the daughter of Karl and Lisa Devlin of Austintown, clearly impressed the national judges with her polished and savvy oratorical skills. We second the commendations from J. Scott Wunn, executive director of the National Speech & Debate Association, to Madeline and other winners: “These students are the next generation of leaders and change makers, and their voices will build a stronger future.”

ONION: To the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for allowing hundreds of thousands of life-threatening fentanyl-laced pills to hit American streets without seizing them on the spot. An investigation by The Associated Press revealed that between 2023 and 2025, DEA agents repeatedly monitored — but chose not to seize — massive shipments of fentanyl. The agency defends its policy, arguing that long-term investigations require agents to trace shipments to dismantle cartels and catch bigger fish. But given the immediate death sentence fentanyl-laced drugs obviously can cause, clearly that policy needs to be reexamined. Meanwhile a criminal investigation has been launched of this disturbing public health travesty.

ORCHID: To members of Canfield’s ace Cardinal Joint Fire District for receiving statewide honors from Ohio Auditor Keith Faber for their heroic efforts in responding to the fatal crash on state Route 11 last fall that resulted in the death of Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Nick Cayton. A representative from Faber’s office presented the awards to the following CJFD members at a recent Canfield City Council meeting: Capt. Josh Grossman, Capt. Herb Fogle, Justin Hofstetter, Gio Melia and Pete Oberacker. Also honored that evening were CFJD first responders Ed Orr, Capt. Rob Tieche, Lt. Dave Hess and Michael Sofranko for their heroic efforts in saving the life of a newborn baby who was born along Route 224 but was not breathing when they arrived. Clearly, the Canfield community is indeed fortunate to have such professional, compassionate and responsible first responders on the lookout for them.

ORCHID: To Korea Southern Power Ltd, Korea Overseas Infrastructure and Urban Development Corp and Siemens Energy for their successful partnership that resulted in the opening of the $1.2 billion Trumbull Energy Center in Lordstown. Korean, U.S. and local officials recently celebrated completion of the facility. The natural gas-fired plant is designed to provide clean, reliable and efficient power generation while helping meet increasing electricity demand driven by advanced technologies, artificial intelligence and data centers. Together with the similar nearby Lordstown Energy Center, the two facilities can generate enough electricity to power 1.8 million homes. We’re confident this mega power center will help fuel additional economic development and growth throughout the Mahoning Valley.