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Be sure to cast your vote

A week from today, Ohioans will vote in what is being called the 2024 Presidential Primary Election. But many other decisions made that day will be far more important on the local level than choosing who will battle it out for the Oval Office. March 19 will feature votes for local law enforcement leaders, judges, races for representatives in Columbus and Washington, D.C., levies and other issues (we’re talking schools, fire departments … vital parts of our community). Absentee ballot applications must be received by boards of elections by 8:30 p.m. today. Early in-person voting ...

Safety reform imperative

As we await a final report on the Norfolk Southern derailment that continues to haunt East Palestine, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy made waves Wednesday when she told Congress the decision to blow open five tanks and burn what was inside was unnecessary. Imagine how that confirmation must have hit residents who still have fears about the lingering effects on their health of burning vinyl chloride while other chemicals were spilling into the ground and water. Homendy said the maker of the vinyl chloride that was inside those tank cars was left out of the ...

Cheers & Jeers

CHEERS to the fact that the Ohio Department of Transportation provided a second option for its planned repairs to Ohio 7 in Bridgeport. JEERS to the fact that Martins Ferry city leaders have to resort to placing charges on residents’ utility bills because people are not adhering to the city’s rules regarding handling of their trash. CHEERS to the Belmont County Board of Commissioners for finding a way to help the village of Bellaire pave many of its streets. The decision was based on a recommendation from county Engineer Terry Lively. JEERS to the upheaval that Eastern Gateway ...

Adjusting COVID guidance

It took four long years, but U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials are finally ready to recommend parents treat COVID-19 and its variants like any other respiratory illness. It is no longer a federal recommendation that students undergo isolation and masking. As deaths and hospitalizations from the virus drop, the CDC says students can go back to school when their symptoms improve and they are fever-free for 24 hours without medication. The agency still suggests students are “encouraged” to wear a mask when they return to class. It’s good news for parents ...

Helping Ohioans heal

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says he chose Alisha Nelson to be executive director of OneOhio “because I know that she shares my vision of intentionally using these settlement funds to help Ohioans struggling with substance use disorder for years to come.” Never mind what that says about the suspected motives of other potential candidates, it sounds as though DeWine believes OneOhio is under the right leadership to make a difference for state residents. Doing so will be a challenge, and one that must be overcome in full view of the taxpayers. Having already been questioned on the matter ...

Pass the Railway Safety Act

In Lower Saucon Township, Pa., residents are awaiting the results of an investigation into yet another Norfolk Southern train derailment March 2. This one involved three trains and scattered rail cars along a riverbank. At least one was partially in the Lehigh River. So far, the National Transportation Safety Board seems confident no hazardous materials were involved when an eastbound Norfolk Southern train struck a stopped Norfolk Southern train, sending wreckage onto an adjacent track that was hit by a westbound Norfolk Southern train. There was a small diesel fuel spill and plastic ...