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Letters To The Editor

Broadband would close digital divide in rural areas

To the editor: Throughout eastern Ohio, in rural communities up and down the Ohio river, homes and businesses lack Internet access and the vital connectivity it brings. The pandemic magnified these challenges for rural communities as our country transitioned to more and more remote work and education. Even though the vast majority of Americans have access to broadband Internet that is among the best in the world, 25 percent of rural communities lack access to broadband infrastructure. That means that just because of where someone lives, they have less access to job opportunities, ...

Praise for the Port Authority and those behind it

To the editor: The recent article announcing the inclusion of our Columbiana County Port Authority in the creation of the Mid-Ohio Valley Port District is tremendous news for our region. In our ever evolving statistics-driven business world, we — Columbiana County — are ideally located with us bordering the West Virginia Panhandle and Western Pennsylvania, for growth in interstate commerce and manufacturing. The Wellsville Terminal is a great springboard for this growth with its river loading and unloading capabilities and it being directly adjacent to Route 7 and in very close ...

Bill supporting right of victims important to Ohioans

To the editor: House Bill 343, which offers updates to crime victims’ laws in our state, was introduced by Representative Andrea White. I am a proud co-sponsor of the bill. HB 343 presents long overdue language that would implement the 2017 Constitutional amendment called Marsy’s Law into state code. It was important to me to support this bill from the outset as a citizen, and even more so, as a father and grandfather, I firmly believe that victims deserve to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect throughout the criminal justice process. I can’t imagine what victims and ...

Lack of action by Hancock County Commission

To the editor: July 1, 2016, the Hancock Commission refused to renew the Animal Shelter Operation contract with a nonprofit which had operated the county shelter for over 20 years. They immediately requested a legal opinion from the W. Va. Attorney General’s Office regarding legal rights to a balance of over $360,000 in Animal Shelter Excess Levy funds raised on behalf of the nonprofit. In March 2017 the attorney general provided a legal opinion stating that neither the nonprofit nor the commission had a legal right to the accumulated funds. He recommended these funds be returned ...

Nurses want change

To the editor: Every year, between May 6 and 12, National Nurses Week recognizes the important work of nurses. As a local nurse, it’s nice to receive the recognition. A pat on the back here, a pizza party there, and maybe little trinkets that attempt to say, “thanks for all you do.” While I am appreciative, every year I feel let down. Why? Because what nurses really want for Nurses Week is change. Real, meaningful change that secures a better future for our profession. While the pandemic was tragic, it brought to light the serious issues in healthcare. COVID19 forced a light ...

Primary election voters support majority of levies

To the editor: Voters across Ohio approved 68% of the school tax issues on the 2021 primary election ballot. The passage of 50 of 73issues marked a small uptick from the 2020 primary election, when voters approved 63 of 99 school tax issues for a passage rate of 64%. Fifty percent of new school tax requests were approved Tuesday, May 4, with 20 of 40 issues passing, an increase from 2020. In last year’s primary election, voters approved 20of 53 new tax issues for a 38% passage rate. Strong support for renewal school tax proposals continued, with 30 of the 33 issues earning approval ...