Breaking News

Editorials

Tax holiday expands

Summer is just getting started, and most families would prefer not to have to think about the start of the next school year just yet. But a little planning is important — and the state is certainly thinking ahead. Earlier this month, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Ohio’s sales tax holiday this year will include two full weeks in August — from midnight Aug. 1 to 11:59 p.m. Aug. 14. That expansion — from a 10-day period in 2024 and from just three days in prior years — could make a significant difference for families looking to start off the school year as inexpensively as ...

Improving school bus safety

House Bill 3 made its way to the Ohio Senate after having encountered no naysayers during the House of Representatives vote Wednesday. It seems unlikely there will be much resistance in the state Senate, either, as the School Bus Safety Act includes some important ways to keep students and drivers safer. Most drivers know the rules regarding driving safely when school buses are on the road. Too many ignore them anyway. According to the National Safety Council, between 2013 and 2022 there were 1,082 fatalities and approximately 132,000 injuries as a result of school-bus related ...

Ensuring free, fair elections

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has been working steadily to provide guidance meant to increase security for our elections. He has so far provided six security directives to county boards of elections. Most recently was a set of requirements to configure networks, firewalls, vulnerability assessment tools and equipment with the most recent approved security updates; complete monthly cybersecurity checklists to ensure protection from malicious threats; conduct a county-specific security audit led by his office’s chief information security officer and cybersecurity team; and ...

Cheers & Jeers

CHEERS to all the fathers out there, who we will celebrate on Sunday. Don’t forget to give Dad some special treatment this Father’s Day. JEERS to news that one life was lost and two people were injured in a home explosion in Trumbull County due to someone inside attempting to manufacture homemade fireworks. Don’t even think about trying that. CHEERS to Bill Rinderer and Bob Matz, who have served 50 years each with the Martins Ferry Volunteer Fire Department. Congratulations, Gentlemen, and thanks for protecting others. JEERS to a continuing pattern of accidents that keep ...

Time to focus on math in Ohio

Teachers and administrators across Ohio have done an excellent job implementing the science of reading curriculum. But according to a report by the National Council on Teacher Quality, it’s time to focus on math, too. According to the Ohio Capital Journal, the report placed the Buckeye State among the 25 receiving a “weak” rating for policies to strengthen elementary teachers’ math instruction. At least we were not among the seven states receiving an “unacceptable” rating. But for purposes of this report, the council was looking for these policies: set specific, detailed ...

Reclaiming abandoned funds

Nothing spurs Buckeye State residents to action like sports fandom — or, at least, it’s tempting to leap to that conclusion after a report that visits to Ohio’s unclaimed funds website skyrocketed after lawmakers suggested paying for a new Cleveland Browns stadium with some of that money. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, there is approximately $4.8 billion of Ohioans’ money sitting unclaimed, with some Republicans in the state Senate wanting to spend approximately $1.7 billion of what has been unclaimed for at least 10 years on sports and cultural projects. That would ...