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Elderly suicide: The rise of a quiet crisis in Ohio

At 74, Jerry was a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather who always prioritized his family’s needs. As he faced mental and physical health challenges, he began to feel like a burden. Believing that his family would be better off without him, he lost his battle with depression and died by suicide. Right now, in Ohio, more of our seniors are dying by suicide at a rate higher than any other age group. In the most recent report from the Ohio Department of Health, 361 Ohioans aged 65 and older died by suicide in 2023. Most of them are men, and most by firearm. It’s a heartbreaking ...

Brown facing an uphill challenge

Democrat Sherrod Brown plans to run next year for the U.S. Senate, where he served for 18 years before losing in 2024. He faces an uphill challenge. Brown certainly provides Democrats with the best chance to win the seat because of his decades of elected experience and strong name recognition. But it also shows how much the Democratic Party is struggling in Ohio. If Brown didn’t run for the Senate, there wasn’t a real backup plan. The only other possible Democrat name of note mentioned to take on Republican Jon Husted, appointed in January by Gov. Mike DeWine to fill a vacant ...

Why the budget law is tailored to help Ohio workers and families

“Where I land on policy always depends on how it affects people in Ohio.” That’s what I wrote earlier this year, and that’s why I supported the bill that extended the 2017 tax cuts and made urgent investments in our national defense and border security. This budget bill saved Americans from a $4 trillion tax hike, and that’s a significant win for the nation. So, what does the Big Beautiful Bill mean, in real world terms, for Ohio families, workers, and taxpayers? Our work results in more take-home pay. Specifically, the tax cuts we cemented for workers and job creators will ...

Carbon capture critical to Ohio’s energy future

Ohio has a long history of leading on energy development and emerging technology. In 1814, North America’s first oil-producing well was drilled in Noble County. Not long after, Ohio began commercially producing oil and natural gas continuously and is now one of the top energy-producing states in the U.S. Today, Ohio has a unique opportunity to build on this success and help secure American energy dominance. Considering Ohio’s prolific natural gas reserves and prevalence of ideal geologic formations, the state is a prime location for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) ...

Ohio Legislature searches for property tax answers

Though there are enough Republicans in the Ohio House to override vetoes from Gov. Mike DeWine, the legislative body fell short of its goal when it held a special session. The July 21 session was intended to override three of the vetoes from DeWine, who’s also a Republican. There was support for only one override, and it was for the least consequential of the three. An override needs at least 60 votes, and there are 65 House Republicans. Three Republicans didn’t attend the July 21 special session, announced July 8, and state Rep. Scott Oelslager, R-North Canton, voted against the ...

Could the GOP reunite Valley in one district?

With Republican leaders in Ohio seeking to draw congressional districts to give the party more seats in the U.S. House, the possibility exists that Mahoning and Trumbull counties could be reunited in a single district. Republicans currently hold 10 of the state’s congressional seats with the other five in the hands of Democrats. When Republicans drew the lines in 2022, the intention was to give Democrats two safe seats and have three tossup seats that slightly favored Democrats that could be won by GOP candidates. Democrats won those three tossup seats in 2022 and 2024. U.S. Rep. ...