Breaking News

Guest columnists

Teen stroke survivor calls for change, awareness

I suffered a stroke at the age of 16. It changed my life forever. “Determined,” “smart” and “caring” are just a few words my relatives use to describe me. My twin brother and I lost both our mother and father before we turned 11; however, I found my happy place on the volleyball court, even in difficult times. July 14, 2018, began as a normal day. While doing what I love most with my team at a Youngstown State University volleyball camp, my coach noticed something was off. I typically push through anything coming my way, especially in volleyball. My coach thought my ...

Fight racial disparities in health care

COVID-19 has cost the lives of more than 250,000 Americans. The virus has altered virtually every aspect of our way of life. In its wake, the pandemic places a harsh spotlight on a hard truth: Structural racism in America causes fatal inequities in health care outcomes. We see this unfold as COVID-19 continues to kill, or leave chronically ill, African Americans, Hispanics and other minority populations at statistically significant higher rates than whites. Sadly, COVID-19 puts a fine point on a larger problem. More than ever in our lifetimes, we are reminded that racial discrimination ...

Presidential endorsement: Joe Biden

Editor's note: We invited the chairperson of each Mahoning County major political party to share with our readers their arguments supporting their party's presidential nominee. Instead of focusing on Donald Trump’s failures and broken promises, we’ve chosen to focus on why Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the best choice for America. The priorities of Joe Biden and Donald Trump could not be more different, specifically on three of the most important issues facing our residents: the coronavirus crisis, jobs and health care. Saying this election is a choice between Scranton and Park ...

Presidential endorsement: Donald J. Trump

Editor's note: We invited the chairperson of each Mahoning County major political party to share with our readers their arguments supporting their party's presidential nominee. Born in Youngstown and raised in the Valley. Boardman High and YSU educated, and involved in politics for close to 30 years. Some of my earliest memories are of the Steel mills and all the industry that made this area thrive and prosper. Unfortunately those memories soon turned to shuttered plants, vacant buildings and some of the highest unemployment and poverty rates in the nation for the past 40 years. The ...

Offshore drilling can help rebuild nation’s parks

Conserving our natural resources has long been tied to and directly supported by oil and gas development in the United States. This may seem counterintuitive to some, but offshore energy development revenues from qualified leases go right back into conservation initiatives throughout the United States via the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Established in 1964, the LWCF supports federal, state and local land, water and wetlands purchases to expand public access to public lands, so more Americans can experience the great outdoors. It also awards federal matching grants that leverage ...

What it took for America to become America

Thursday is Constitution Day. Do you know what it took to become America? It’s a simple question; however, with so much controversy in our country today, I wondered how individuals would answer. The bottom line is that America did not happen overnight. There were growing pains. The following information provides a chronology of the vision our Founding Fathers had for our nation’s future and what it has taken to continue these dream for America. April 19, 1775: Battle of Lexington, Mass., involved a British attack at dawn that started the way for independence. July 4, 1776: ...