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Bill could create un-level field in turf industry

Aren’t sports meant to be played on natural turf? That’s what I thought when I first heard Mount Union College (now University) was trading in its natural grass for an artificial field in the summer of 2002. It wasn’t until after I investigated this new breed of synthetic turf that my perspective changed, and it led to my new career in the synthetic turf industry. Today, the proposed House Bill 605 would require Ohio professional sports stadiums that seat 10,000 or more and host preseason, regular season, and postseason events to be 90% natural grass. While this may sound ...

Shipbuilding essential to US

Thank you, Sen. Brown, for taking the helm on shipbuilding. I served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps, maintaining radar packages on the warplanes based aboard aircraft carriers. That experience left me with deep respect not only for my fellow service members in the Navy but for the American workers who manufacture the aluminum, steel and other components that go into the vessels our sailors take to sea. Many sailors told me they sail into harm’s way with profound trust in ships put together by the most highly skilled and dedicated workers in the world. Sadly, America ...

East Palestine on our minds

More than a year after the derailment, East Palestine continues to rebuild — long after the media spotlight has faded, and most reporters have moved on. We all remember the sight of dark smoke billowing over the small Ohio town. These disturbing images came shortly after a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed on the evening of Feb. 3, 2023. Since then, the lives of thousands in the vicinity have been turned upside down as toxic chemicals infiltrated neighborhoods, schools and every corner of our community. As lifelong Ohioans, we have spent the ...

BILL JOHNSON: YSU is the best bang for your education bucks

You may have heard, and maybe even believe yourself, the value of a four-year college degree has decreased. Well, for Pete’s sake! What is the basis for such thinking, and where do Youngstown State University and our region fit in? This is the first of several articles over the coming weeks that will address these and other important questions regarding YSU and the post-secondary (after high school) education of our region. We’ll highlight how YSU is designing itself to be THE anchor university of our region and the post-secondary educational opportunity of choice by offering ...

Community must help assess workforce challenges

Only 57% of residents over age 16 in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys are employed. That’s 6% lower than the 63% average of those in the same age group who are employed statewide and nationwide. At the same time, local employers struggle to fill job vacancies in nearly all industries and occupations. The struggle has caused some businesses to operate at reduced hours or even close their doors all together. Population in the local five-county area of Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties in Ohio and Mercer and Lawrence counties in Pennsylvania lags behind other parts of the ...

Now’s the time for Youngstown to reimagine the future

“It’s not hard you can hit, it’s how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.” One of the best lines in the history of movies comes from the beloved boxing legend Rocky Balboa when he’s lecturing his son to get out of his slump. It’s a great line, and it’s the line the people of Youngstown need to remember as it tries to pick up the pieces — literally — from recent events that have knocked downtown to the canvas. I, like all of you, had true grief and sadness over the explosion at the Realty Tower. Akil Drake seemed like so many ...