Breaking News

Editorials

Focusing on suicide prevention

Across the country, suicide rates have risen steadily since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Ohio, the tragedy is even larger. While the national rate is 14.3 per 100,000 people, here the rate is 15.4 per 100,000. To address the problem, state officials have developed the Suicide Prevention Plan for Ohio 2024-2026, according to a report by Axios. “The heartbreak of losing a family member to suicide is a pain that cuts deep, leaving behind a void that words can’t fully capture,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation and Health Policy Institute of Ohio ...

Don’t mislead voters

Those looking to alter Ohio’s Constitution have their hands full with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. That’s a good thing. Last month, Yost issued his second rejection of petition language a voting rights coalition has submitted for a proposed constitutional amendment. Yost claimed the amendment’s title — “Ohio Voters Bill of Rights” — was “highly misleading and misrepresentative” of the measure’s contents. That argument might have flown with little notice were it not for one crucial detail. Yost acknowledges his office previously certified similar language for ...

Norfolk Southern declining

Tempting as it may have been for some to chuckle at Norfolk Southern’s unpleasant fourth quarter earnings report, the news included a couple of eyebrow raisers for those still hoping for nationwide rail safety reform and for the company to fulfill the promises it made nearly a year ago in East Palestine. According to its quarterly earnings call, Norfolk Southern’s profits fell 33%, with the cost of the cleanup after the fiery derailment in East Palestine reaching $1.1 billion. That includes $836 million for environmental-related expenses and $381 million for community assistance ...

Cheers & Jeers

CHEERS to Ohio University Eastern for hosting its first Martins Luther King Jr. Writing Contest in January. An congratulations to all the participants and winners. JEERS to the way digital platforms and social media are helping to spread and fuel misinformation and conspiracy theories. It’s important that people get accurate information and know what to believe. CHEERS to township trustees and fiscal officers across the Buckeye State. Feb. 1 marked Ohio Township Day, an occasion to help people understand and appreciate the township form of government. JEERS to wet weather ...

Train report encouraging

Last week, officials with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission heard an encouraging report on the potential in Amtrak’s plans for the Buckeye State. According to a report by The Columbus Dispatch, an economic impact study on a proposed Amtrak route that would serve Columbus shows the investment would generate between $36 million and $48 million. The study commissioned by All Aboard Ohio, suggests ridership on that route could generate between $3.9 million and $7.2 million in wages per year. A look at the Dispatch’s map of all proposed Amtrak routes through Ohio shows the ...

Proceed with caution

Since 1971 Ohioans have paid a state income tax. This year, Republican lawmakers have introduced bills that would eliminate that and the commercial activities tax. Should those bills be passed, both the state income tax and commercial activities tax would be eliminated by 2030, with a phased-in approach. But according to a report by WBNS, the Ohio Department of Taxation says it collected $13 billion in state individual income taxes alone in 2022. That money funds items such as Medicaid and schools. “They’re putting us in a choice, if this is a serious proposal, of making ...