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Seat belt use is hardly an automatic habit for drivers

Ohio may be making progress improving vehicle safety by tightening the laws about driving distracted, but a new report suggests Buckeye State residents are moving backward on another front. According to a report by Axios Columbus, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration numbers show fewer Ohioans are wearing their seat belts. As Axios points out, most of those killed in car accidents in Ohio were not wearing their seat belts, yet more people appear willing to take that risk. Citing research that shows Ohio seat belt use is at its lowest since 2005, Axios reported approximately ...

Thousands of Ohioans who can don’t bother to cast votes

When we talk about majority rule in Ohio, it is important to remember we are talking about a majority of those who are eligible, registered and, yes, acutally vote. According to a report by Innovation Ohio, there are approximately 2.7 million voters sitting out of Ohio elections. Using data from the U.S. Census, the Ohio Secretary of State’s office and voter database Catalist, Innovation Ohio determined 2 million of those people are eligible but not registered. Another 700,000 are registered but have missed the last three federal elections. “They’re in danger of being purged, ...

There is no easy solution to overworked W.Va. pathologists

Plenty of people are feeling overworked and overwhelmed these days, as shortages in a variety of industries mean there is more work to go around. In some professions, that is an inconvenience, but for the folks in the office of West Virginia’s Chief Medical Examiner, it’s a problem. According to a report to lawmakers by Matthew Izzo, administrative director of the West Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, forensic pathologists here are being asked to perform at least twice the number of autopsies as the national best practice standard. That results in significant delays, ...

Hamas to blame for attacks, not Israel and not Palestinians

As the horrors of the Israel-Hamas war unfold, events here demonstrate the consequences of our politicians’ recklessness in wielding fear as a tool for garnering votes. In appealing to the worst in us — in fact, by persuading some that those fears were not only appropriate, but to be acted upon — too many have been willing to trade human lives for political power. An appalling example came over last weekend, when police say a 71-year-old Illinois man fatally stabbed a 6-year-old boy and seriously wounded a 32-year-old woman because of their Islamic faith (and as a response to the ...

Make sure you understand what Ohio issues are about

As Ohio’s November election rapidly approaches, there is an alarming amount of confusion and intentional misinformation floating around. One reporter was confronted by a voter who firmly believed Ohioans were being asked to cast ONE vote that would count for BOTH constitutional amendments on the ballot. In other words, this person was skittish about voting in favor of Issue 2 because she believed it would also indicate support for Issue 1. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth, but one can see where confusion would arise when so many special interest groups are trying to ...

Plant profitability must never come at any cost

It’s safe to say that everybody wants to see Mahoning Valley industry grow and thrive. Business success and profitability are keys to triggering even more local economic development and future job growth, after all. But that profitability must never come at any cost. Worker safety and occupational health always must be priority No. 1. We are extremely disappointed that it recently became clear that at least one new industrial plant in our Valley has fallen incredibly short in this regard. Ultium Cells LLC, the new automotive battery cells factory in Lordstown, faces more than a ...