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Letters to the Editor

June is PTSD Awareness Month

Dear Editor: June is nationally recognized as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month, a time to shed light on a mental health condition that affects millions of Americans. While PTSD is often associated with veterans, it also impacts civilians who have experienced or witnessed traumatic events such as serious accidents, domestic violence, abuse, or natural disasters. Major medical or health crises, such as life-threatening diagnoses, surgeries, or intensive care stays, can also lead to PTSD symptoms. According to national estimates, approximately 6.8% of the U.S. ...

A call to action on Ohio Senate Bill 1

DEAR EDITOR: I respectfully ask that you share this message with your readers. As a tenured professor at Youngstown State University, I emphasize that this letter represents my views alone, and it should not be considered a statement on behalf of my institution. If enacted, Ohio Senate Bill 1 or SB 1 will have broadly detrimental effects. There is a remedy: a petition for a referendum on SB 1 (see ohsb1petition.com). If we can get 250,000 signatures, SB 1 will be on the ballot this November. SB 1 requires degrees graduating fewer than five students per year be eliminated, ...

Sound off!

Just read in The Vindy today that a person who threatened a police officer with a knife (the officer was not injured) was sentenced to 4-6 years in prison. The Trumpers who attacked our nation’s Capitol building, causing countless injuries and millions in damages, were pardoned by Trump because they were “patriots.” This country is broken beyond repair. God help us. — Youngstown While Trump and Musk were taking a chainsaw to the government he was wasting and making money. Faux news won’t tell you this but Trump spent $45 million on a birthday parade, $26 million golfing, ...

Kudos for a job well done in Mahoning

DEAR EDITOR: I hope to take a moment of your time to publicly recognize an above-and-beyond job done by one of your elected officials, Mahoning County Clerk of Courts Michael Ciccone. Yesterday, I contacted Mr. Ciccone’s office later in the afternoon, attempting to procure naturalization information from the early 1900s. After speaking with Mr. Ciccone, he took it upon himself to go to a different building and personally look for the documents I needed, well after business hours had concluded, presumably on his own time. While searching, we remained in constant contact, with him ...

Who’s watching library spending?

DEAR EDITOR: The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County has been quite free with their spending: millions on new buildings and refurbishing existing buildings. They passed a levy last fall over the objections of many of us who do not think they need more money. They spent $30 million refurbishing the Main Branch with additions that are unnecessary and duplicate county agencies. The Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley spent $8 million on a 50,000 sf building. No one questions their spending; the local paper the Youngstown Vindicator does not cover the board meetings and the ...

OhioRISE is really making a difference

DEAR EDITOR: As the CEO of Cadence Care Network, I’m writing to express strong support for the groundbreaking Medicaid program that is transforming the way Ohio serves children and youth with complex behavioral health needs. Launched in 2022, OhioRISE — Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence — is the first statewide program of its kind in Ohio. It’s designed to serve children who often fall through the cracks: youth involved with multiple systems, including child welfare, juvenile justice, developmental disabilities, and education. These are children Ohio is ...