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Finding the right employee is going to take creativity

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows Ohio has approximately 278,000 job openings. Among the fields with greatest need for workers is manufacturing. But finding the right employees isn’t easy. The Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Blueprint reports there could be 35,000 manufacturing job openings per year in the state, through 2037. Employers are going to have to get more creative and open-minded — and be willing to take a chance. That’s where programs such as the Training Assessment Placement Project come in. According to a report by WBNS, the program helps justice-involved ...

Consider being an organ donor

As flags climbed flagpoles at hospitals throughout the Ohio Valley this past week, the message was clear — organ donation is one of the most important decisions one can make for others. The “Donate Life” flags are flying in celebration of National Donate Life Awareness Month, a reminder of the need for organ donors across the country. In the Ohio Valley, guest speakers offered examples of how organ donation can change lives for the better. They talked about their family members who have been donor organ recipients and the years those gifts have given them to spend more time with ...

Innovation, frugality needed for ‘affordability’ struggle

Ohioans are facing increasing struggles with “affordability.” In fact, we have been for several years now. Lawmakers know that, but aren’t always clear on what to do. A group of state representatives has come up with a collection of ideas they believe will gain bipartisan support. “Ohio is too expensive for too many, and it’s time that legislators and leaders stepped up to take action,” Ohio state Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio, D-Gahanna, told the Ohio Capital Journal. “For too long, politicians in Columbus have steered the economy in the wrong direction.” Ideas ...

State senators need to be aware of demands made on power grid

State senators have plenty of work to do — for their constituents, they must remember — and among those tasks is understanding Ohio’s energy landscape and the demands we are placing on our power grid. Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chair Jenifer French spoke to the body recently about the benefits of shorter regulatory timelines, noting that last year the commission signed off on 2,000 megawatts of behind-the-meter power (standalone power serving a facility) and 2,755 megawatts of traditional gas-generating facilities. She told the committee, “This is more gas-fired ...

Live every day like it is Easter — with love and compassion

For Christians, Sunday is the holiest day of the year — Easter. It is a day of celebration; commemorating the resurrection of the Son. For millennia, this season has also been a time to celebrate the return of the sun, when our minds are on a kind of rebirth and living again in the light. Easter brings us joy, yes. It also teaches us about sacrifice and love; and gives us a brightly colored reminder that we are supposed to love one another, too. For many, it is a day of dressing up, perhaps attending church, having a meal with family and then giving in to modern traditions ...

Ohio, West Virginia falling behind in the innovation race

Residents of this region pride themselves on a pioneering spirit that has spread across generations of those who helped fuel and build this country. But these days, we’re falling behind as others have picked up the torch. In fact, according to WalletHub’s “Most and Least Innovative States (2026),” Ohio ranks 40th in the country, and West Virginia ranks a predictable 49th. According to the study, the most innovative places are Washington, D.C., Massachusetts and California. Those measures are based on data points such as the share of STEM professionals, research and ...