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Skating on air

Local Columns

It was two weeks ago that grandson Bob called to tell me something about our farm pond, but his words made no sense. “What do you mean, ‘collapsed’?” I said. “The ice collapsed. It’s laying on the bottom of the pond.” “What happened to the water?” “I don’t know. Gone.” When I got there I saw the pond had become a giant bowl of ice, and Bob was ice skating around on the bottom of it. Fissures showed around the edges and through the center of the upper pond where it was shallow, but a large area of thick ice in the center, thickest we have ever seen, had ...

Campaign’s goal is to intercept financial exploitation of elderly

Editorial

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced earlier this month that his office is partnering with the Ohio Bankers League and the Ohio Health Care Association on a statewide campaign to increase awareness about elder abuse and intercept financial exploitation before it ever does its damage. The Ohio Pharmacists Association is already part of the group, which will help front-line professionals learn how to spot abuse. That kind of training is important if we are to support a population that can be more vulnerable to scams, fraud and exploitation. “Elder abuse doesn’t always leave ...

Passage of Ohio HB 326 would open more pathways for students

Editorial

Not every student has the same path to follow after high school graduation. They don’t have the same skill sets, interests or aspirations. So why would we limit the options they have for assessing their readiness to proceed on those paths? In Ohio, there may be other options available, if lawmakers give serious consideration to state House Bill 326, introduced by Reps. Kevin Ritter, R-Marietta, and Johnathan Newman, R-Troy. “Regarding the use of nationally standardized assessments in public and chartered nonpublic schools and state institutions of higher education,” it would allow ...

Credit goes to Commerce Dept. for generating investments

Editorial

Good news came this week out of the U.S. Commerce Department, which says Japan is planning to fund three projects totaling approximately $36 billion in the coming years — one each in Ohio, Texas and Georgia. According to Reuters, this is the first wave of investments in the planned $550 billion reportedly pledged as part of a trade deal with the U.S. The Ohio project is expected to be a $33 billion natural gas-fired power plant in Portsmouth — perhaps the largest ever, according to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Reuters reports Lutnick said the plant would have a 9.2 ...

Don’t wait until registering to vote in your state primary

Editorial

If you’re beginning to feel as though the stakes in this year’s elections are unusually high, you are not alone. Even a cursory glance at newspaper opinion pages or social media feeds will tell you there are strong feelings on many important issues — and plenty of people believe they must weigh in on the candidates who might address those issues. Here’s the problem. When it really counts — Election Day — those opinion pieces or social media posts will not move the needle. Your vote will; and primary elections are closer than you might think. Ohio’s Secretary of State’s ...

Reality: Ohio is growing because people follow jobs

Local Columns

Recent headlines have suggested that Ohio’s population is destined for long-term decline, citing projections from a state development report that rely heavily on birth and death rates. While those demographic trends matter, they tell only part of the story and overlook one of the most important drivers of population growth: economic opportunity. The reality is that Ohio is growing, and it’s growing because people follow jobs. The analysis in question focuses on natural population change (births minus deaths) but does not fully account for domestic migration, particularly the ...