Residents of our region of Ohio are adopting pandemic-fighting techniques —including getting the vaccine — much more slowly than their counterparts in non-rural and non-Appalachian Ohio. It’s a troubling trend examined in an Ohio University study that reported only 52.2 percent of ...

It only takes a moment for tragedy to strike. Gov. Mike DeWine understands that, and that is why he introduced the “Hands-Free Ohio” provision earlier this year as part of his Executive Budget proposal. Late last month, however, state lawmakers opted to remove the provision that aimed to ...

As members of Congress consider another stimulus package, a report out of Ohio last week should give them some sense of urgency. According to an Alignable A1 Revenue Poll, 51 percent of Ohio’s small businesses said revenue expectations will fail to meet their needs by the end of ...

Road construction is no fun for anyone. The sight of orange cones and barrels lining the highway can leave anyone seeing red, knowing the traffic jams and longer detours that likely are to follow. Yet as much as those orange markers can be a sign of a frustrating path ahead, they’re also ...

Now that we’ve gone through the most recent attack of snow and ice, a familiar scourge is once again visiting the tri-state area: The pothole. They’re everywhere. They’re on side streets and main roads. They are all over National Road, and they’re found in parking lots at ...

It’s difficult for each of us to see our own shortcomings. It’s also true we often fail to see or acknowledge the shortcomings of our nation. We are raised to believe — and we do believe — we are a nation built upon principles of fairness, equal rights and opportunities for all, and ...

The Lenten season is upon us, and despite the COVIID-19 pandemic traditional fish frys are making a comeback. Lent, a 40-day season of prayer and fasting, began Feb. 17 and continues until April 3. This period of reflection and repentance is meant to help Christians prepare to celebrate ...

If the COVID-19 pandemic has made you feel as though the virus is the overwhelming challenge for Ohio, you are not alone. Most people have pushed the Buckeye State’s other woes to the backs of their minds. But coronavirus is not the only deadly plague raging through the state, and it is ...

It’s a proven fact — spaying and neutering are effective, and humane, ways to save the lives of animals. These procedures are one of many important responsibilities that come with owning a dog or cat. So along with providing a safe, warm home, food and water and daily exercise, we ask ...

Too many Ohio nursing home workers fell victim to efforts to sow distrust in the COVID-19 vaccine, or were prohibitively worried about the side effects of the shot. They were among the very first Buckeye State residents and workers to be eligible for the shots. Bizarrely, scores of them ...

Our recent bouts of wintry weather serve as a good opportunity to remind pet owners that freezing temperatures and icy conditions can be hazardous to cats and dogs. So it’s important that pets stay indoors as much as possible during severe weather to avoid freezing. Never leave animals ...

We all have a lot on our minds these days, but one place where we cannot afford to be distracted is behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. That is why we are pleased that Gov. Mike DeWine introduced the “Hands-Free Ohio” provision in his Executive Budget proposal. Currently, handling ...

While the long process of receiving justice for the thousands of Catholics who live in the Diocese of Steubenville moved another step closer to being resolved recently, there are still questions that must be answered. A step in that direction happened when David Franklin, the former ...

We live in an era where most of us carry in our pockets smartphones with many times the computing power of what sent Americans to the moon. And yet, we still cannot seem to get county, state and federal computers to talk to each other well enough to ensure the data we need is accurate. ...

Today is Presidents Day, and it should be a chance to reflect, to honor and to give thanks. It should be an opportunity to remember that while our president changes every four or eight years, our democracy continues to set a standard that is the envy of the rest of the world. The office ...

There’s a question that’s been asked in many different forms across many years: What happens if they hold an election and no one runs for office? Residents of communities on both sides of the Ohio River learned they likely will be facing just that situation after filing deadlines for this ...

Think for a moment about the 9-year-old girls you have known. Do any of them seem as though there is the remotest of possibilities they could have been a threat to a fully equipped group of police officers? Of course not. But for multiple officers in Rochester, N.Y., a 9-year-old girl ...

If we agree we are at war against the spread of COVID-19 — and we are — it is good to know the Pentagon is sending out more than 1,100 troops to the first five mass vaccination centers planned by the Biden administration. Perhaps they are taking some cues from how well the National Guard ...

Dr. John Johnson sees promise in what others have abandoned. Alecto Healthcare Services closed East Ohio Regional Hospital in 2019. Johnson bought it. Just last week, the facility reopened its doors. Johnson also bought the landmark Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel building in downtown Wheeling, ...

Ohio still has some work to do in making sure the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is properly serving Buckeye State residents. Certainly the private sector bears some blame, as some pharmacies and other facilities still seem incapable of properly storing, transporting and keeping track of the ...