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Opportunity for Husted

In choosing Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to fill Vice President JD Vance’s former seat in the U.S. Senate, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is sending a person with some important assets to Washington, D.C. Husted, who was sworn in to his new position Tuesday, is a politically savvy, long-time public official who understands Ohio in a way some other candidates for the post do not. “I have worked with him, I have seen him, I know his knowledge of Ohio,” DeWine said. “I know his heart. I know what he cares about. I know his skills. And all of that tells me that he is the right person for this ...

Lifting up all Americans

A “golden age,” one in which the United States of America can aim even higher than the moon, was proclaimed Monday during President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration speech. And while Elon Musk may have thrown his hands in the air to cheer the goal to “pursue our manifest destiny into the stars,” and “plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars,” ordinary Americans were more likely to find a common reason to cheer in Trump’s promise to seek a broad government effort to reduce inflation and reduce prices. Though he must be careful to avoid the executive overreach that ...

Justice for God’s children

Monday may be the official celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the U.S., but Jan. 15 marked the 96th anniversary of his birth. Though King wasn’t yet 40 years old when he was gunned down in Memphis, he and others of his era inspired generations to continue the fight for civil rights, for change, for us to be the best version of ourselves. And each year, on the holiday honoring his legacy, we are reminded of how very far we have to go. The National Constitution Center says the federal holiday “honors the total legacy of King; focuses on the issue of civil rights; ...

Cheers & Jeers

CHEERS to all the workers who have plowed and salted local streets, parking lots and sidewalks in an effort to clear the way for the rest of us to get around in recent days. JEERS to the fact that the city of Martins Ferry is looking ahead at many challenges in 2025, with repairing the roof of the city building at the top of the list. CHEERS to Harrison County Humane Society for rescuing 20 teacup chihuahuas from a home where their owner had become incapacitated. Finding fosters for so many dogs is daunting. JEERS to word that a new “brushing” scam is fooling people into scanning ...

The real cost of tobacco

As mid-January tests New Year’s resolutions, many may be weakening in their resolve. Certainly that must include some who vowed this is the year to give up smoking. To add a little incentive to the effort, WalletHub took a look at the true cost of tobacco use. The dollar amounts are eye-opening for the 46 million people in the U.S. who still use tobacco. Total lifetime cost per smoker in Ohio was estimated to be $3,538,844. Think about that for a moment — particularly given that those who live in rural areas and have lower incomes are statistically more likely to be ...

Are tax breaks appropriate?

Ohio leadership has for quite some time been promising improvements in employment opportunities for Buckeye State residents. Lofty goals such as having a large employer within commuting distance of every Ohioan gave us reason to hope. What we got — in droves — are data centers, which don’t check many of the boxes when it comes to benefiting residents. Policy Matters Ohio, a progressive watchdog organization, took a look at all those data centers and what they mean for the state. There are more questions than answers. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, data centers ...