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Late-arriving ballots will not be counted

Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican responsible for overseeing elections in Ohio, often says that in this state “it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat.” Yet Republicans continue to follow President Donald Trump’s lead by restricting voting despite the minuscule instances of fraud in Ohio. The latest law, approved Nov. 19 by the General Assembly and signed Dec. 19 by Gov. Mike DeWine, requires all mail-in ballots to arrive at county boards of elections no later than the same day as the election. Before that, voters had to have their ballots postmarked by the day before ...

Tearing up a tile floor

My wife noticed as I sat down in my recliner that I had a pen and a clean sheet of paper in hand. “Are you making a to-do list?” she asked. “Why? There’s only one thing on your list.” True enough. When I’m into a project like tearing up the ceramic tile floor in our kitchen, it becomes my regular job. I get up, have my coffee, feed the barn cats, bring in firewood, and start busting up tile. I’m not saying I work constantly, or like a maniac. I’m a patient plodder. I guess because we built it ourselves, for a long time I continued to think of our house as new, but ...

AG Yost highlights 2025 human trafficking wins

Reducing the demand for human trafficking remained a top priority for Attorney General Dave Yost in 2025, as evidenced by task force successes and changed lives. Following is a press release from his office that we present as a guest column today on criminal activity we should all be aware of and on the look out for during our day-to-day lives: “Our message is simple: Don’t buy sex in Ohio,” said AG Yost. “Every time we arrest a trafficker, raid an illicit massage parlor or free a victim from a tormentor, we move closer to the day when no human is bought or sold in our ...

Details on the property tax situation in our state

To the citizens of Columbiana County: In compliance with Ohio law, we have submitted and received approval of our Triennial Update by the Ohio Department of Taxation. As you may recall, in an effort to keep your taxes as low as possible our office sent three different proposals prior to this and all were rejected. Although the resulting increases approved by the state are more than I personally agree with, we are bound by Ohio Revised Code to process them. The increases will be reflected in the property taxes in the first half of 2026. However, if Governor DeWine signs the four house ...

State fire marshal shares holiday fire safety advice

COLUMBUS — As Ohioans decorate their homes and prepare for holiday celebrations, the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal is reminding everyone that holiday cheer should never come at the cost of safety. This season, Ohioans are urged to celebrate smart by keeping fire prevention top of mind while decorating.  “The holiday season is a time for joy, bit it’s also one of the most dangerous months of the year when it comes to home fires,” said State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon. “We want families to enjoy the season safely by being mindful of fire ...

Close local races prove every single vote counts

The adage that every vote counts was quite evident in this recent election. A Sebring charter amendment and a Farmington fire and emergency medical service levy that were winning by a single vote each, according to unofficial totals from the Nov. 4 election, ended up losing by just one vote when provisional ballots were counted. Also, fewer than eight votes separated winners from losers in five races in Trumbull County communities. In one of those races, a candidate won by one vote. “Your vote counts in these races; it sure does,” said Stephanie Penrose, director of the Trumbull ...