Don’t let Ramaswamy shut down Ohio’s universities

May 2, 2026

DEAR EDITOR: The idea of closing universities across Ohio isn’t bold reform; it’s intellectual disarmament. When Vivek Ramaswamy proposes dismantling public institutions like Youngstown State University, it’s framed as an efficiency or a necessary correction. But beneath that language is something more troubling: a willingness to strip communities of the very infrastructure that makes civic life, economic mobility and human creativity possible. In places like Youngstown, a university is not a burden; it is a lifeline. It trains nurses who staff local hospitals, teachers who ...

Support judge’s efforts on abortion law language

May 2, 2026

DEAR EDITOR: I’m writing this letter in regard to domestic court Judge David Engler’s efforts to change the current Ohio law where parents don’t need to have knowledge of whether their minor child is getting an abortion. It’s absurd that language was used to sneak this by us voters. I’m glad I support Judge Engler’s taking on the entire state to get that law changed. The way it exists now, a pedophile can take your minor daughter into an abortion clinic and have no questions asked. TERRY ERWIN Niles

Experience isn’t all that matters for local judges

May 2, 2026

DEAR EDITOR: On Oct. 17, 2024, the world shattered for the family of Nick Stoian. He was tragically killed in a car accident. What followed throughout the next 14 months was constant salt in the wound for his family. The judge charged with deciding the fate of all involved chose extreme leniency. The fact that only a one-year license suspension was imposed is a slap in the face to the entire Stoian family. Further, the community service requirements discussed with the widow prior to sentencing were reduced after the fact. Now Judge Thomas Campbell’s campaign is smearing Shelley ...

Don’t be fooled, because it really can happen here

May 2, 2026

DEAR EDITOR: “It can’t happen here,” many people say. I would agree with you, but then, we’d both be wrong. A recent movie was released, “Judgment at Nuremberg,” which tells the story of the post WWII trials uncovering the German leadership’s role in supporting Nazi dictatorship and the crimes against humanity as carried out by law during WWII. At the end of the film, there is a quote: “If you think the next time it happens, we’re going to recognize it because they’re wearing scary uniforms ... you’re out of your damn mind.” It emphasizes that future ...

Four steps to take action for Stroke Month this May

May 2, 2026

DEAR EDITOR: Every 40 seconds someone in the U.S. has a stroke. In fact, stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death, according to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update, and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States. Unfortunately, a stroke can happen to anyone, at any age. That’s why this May, for American Stroke Month, the American Stroke Association is spotlighting four things you can do to take action against stroke: 1. Learn B.E. F.A.S.T. to spot a stroke. If you see sudden Balance loss, Eye or vision ...

On the world stage, Trump is a royal embarrassment

May 2, 2026

DEAR EDITOR: His welcome speech to King Charles had the oratorical clarity and grace of an eighth grader. It reminded me what an embarrassment 47 is on the world stage. He won’t get better enabled by the former GOP, on stage in his grandiose ballroom surrounded by his masked secret police. Given the lack of a spine in Congress, it’s up to us to vote Trump and company out before then. He’s costly in both blood and treasure. He started a war with Iran sans strategy or allies. So far, he has won the deaths of nearly twenty of our service members and injuries to hundreds more. He ...