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Cheers & Jeers

CHEERS to news that Tecnocap, an Italian company that produces metal closures such as jar lids, is expanding its operations to Bellaire. JEERS to the variety of concerns plaguing East Ohio Regional Hospital. From employee health insurance to back taxes, the administration has a full plate of issues to resolve. CHEERS to the Monroe County Fair, which will celebrate its 175th anniversary this summer. Any institution that lasts that long obviously is valued by its community and is worth supporting. JEERS to the discord in Martins Ferry surrounding a projected budget shortfall for the ...

Fixing food insecurity for kids

State lawmakers are going to have to start making difficult decisions about where they want to gain political points and where they want to do better for Ohioans. The two goals are not always reached by the same path. Continued economic uncertainty, rising food insecurity and proposed changes at the federal level to programs such as the Community Eligibility Provision mean hundreds of thousands of students could be at even greater risk of being hungry throughout their school day (and beyond). But a bill proposed by state Sens. Bill Blessing, R-Colerain Twp., and Kent Smith, D-Euclid, ...

Take steps to avoid the flu

While lawmakers in neighboring states debate loosening vaccine requirements for school-aged children, Ohio is facing a frightening example of how quickly potentially dangerous (and deadly) illnesses can spread. In fact, doctors in the Buckeye State are stressing that even at this point in the season, it is important to get vaccinated against influenza. Among those urging getting the flu shot was Dr. Mia Antinone, Ohio Health’s family resident physician, who spoke with WSYX after the state recorded its first pediatric flu death of the 2024-25 season. “There’s been so many viral ...

Trump is selling Ukraine down the river

Even with an election just past, there is not much time before we must turn our attention to the May 2025 election in Ohio. Eligible voters must not sit this one out, believing the heavy lifting is done for a while. In fact, decisions that have a much greater chance of affecting our everyday lives will be made this spring — city councils, ballot issues … there is a lot on which we must weigh in. To that end, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has issued a reminder that the Buckeye State is in the completion phase of Ohio’s 2021 General Voter Records Maintenance Program. ...

Helping Ohio’s hungry

As part of Gov. Mike DeWine’s budget proposal, food banks across Ohio could see a significant reduction in the amount of state funding they receive. Most of this is due to the loss of what had been a one-time $7.5 million appropriation in the previous budget. But that decrease has food bank organizers worried. “It’s about 3.4 million Ohioans who live in households that are under that income limit (200% of the federal poverty line),” Joree Novotny, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, told the Ohio Capital Journal. “SNAP in Ohio, there’s only about 1.5 ...

Get ready for growth

Site readiness is a pressing challenge for many communities looking to attract larger employers and shore up their economies. In our region some sites that could be appealing to developers bear the scars of their previous use. In another era they were used for industrial, commercial or institutional purposes that left their mark. Such properties are dotted all over Ohio, but there is help available to get them back to showroom condition. Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik announced another $50 million in grant funding available as part of the ...