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Cheers & Jeers

CHEERS to James Delman, retired Sunset Heights fire chief who received the Distinguished Service Award on Thursday from the Ohio Fire Marshal and Division of EMS during a ceremony in Columbus. JEERS to the extent of flood damage in Belmont and Monroe counties. Assessments put Belmont County’s damage cost estimate at $15,7 million and Monroe’s at $13 million. CHEERS to Tri-County Help Center for raising awareness of sexual assault this month and for working to end the stigma and blaming of victims. JEERS to word that about a quarter of Americans over age 50 never expect to be able ...

Time to fix housing crisis

Most Buckeye State residents have understood Ohio has a big housing problem for years now. For those seeking a house or apartment, the crisis is unavoidable. But state lawmakers are just getting a sense of urgency on the matter. The Ohio Senate Select Committee on Housing released a report April 17 that includes 93 pages on “Housing Reimagined.” According to WBNS, there are 23 recommendations outlined for both short-term and long-term fixes. “We can no longer be casual about this issue,” said Committee Chair Sen. Michele Reynolds, R-District 3. “It is a priority and we need ...

Bureaucratic culture at ARC

How much money must the Appalachian Regional Commission have spent on a “collaboration with Next Street” that produced “Access to Capital and Credit for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses Across Appalachia?” Takeaways for the ARC include acknowledging that small businesses drive “economic and cultural vitality across the Appalachian Region,” and finding that there are “significant barriers” for those businesses to access capital and credit. Earth shattering. Challenges discovered in the report include: a gap between capital supply and demand, geographic constraints, ...

Give the gift of life

Responding to emergency calls for blood and platelet donations is an important way to support the American Red Cross and those who receive blood products. But even when there is no crisis, it is still important to answer the call for donations to keep the supply stable. As always, donors of all types are needed, but the Red Cross says type O blood donors are crucial to maintain the supply. “When it comes to lifesaving care, there’s no letting off the gas — the American Red Cross needs donors to come to give blood over the next few weeks to keep the blood supply as strong as ...

State must protect water

It’s not yet clear whether the potentially dangerous situation that’s been created by Austin Master Services storing what Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said is excess quantities of toxic drilling waste at the former Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel plant in Martins Ferry has been addressed. We should know more in the coming days whether the company, which is permitted to house 600 tons of brine and other drilling waste but apparently has 10,000 tons on site, has begun the process of complying with its permit and cleaning up the site. What is clear is that our region’s freshwater ...

Cheers & Jeers

CHEERS to news that the Lafferty Moose Lodge has received the go-ahead to construct a new building. It will be an important addition to the community. JEERS to the uncertainty surrounding the situation at Austin Master Services frack waste recycling center in Martins Ferry. City leaders and residents deserve clear answers about how the excess waste there is being handled. CHEERS to WVU Medicine Barnesville Hospital for histing a successful fundraiser with a Vegas theme to help replace beds at the facility with new, more modern equipment that will be better for staff and ...