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County leadership urges passing of sales tax renewal

On the May 6 Primary Ballot, the voters of Columbiana County will once again be asked to renew its 1% “permissive” sales & use tax, a tax which has been in effect in Columbiana County for the past three decades. This tax assesses one penny for every dollar of goods we purchase in the county. Are we the only county to have this sort of tax instrument? No, we are not. In fact, there are permissive sales taxes in place in every other single county in Ohio, 50 of which are at the same tax rate as Columbiana County, according to the Ohio Department of Taxation. Many of these other 49 ...

A looming port and trade catastrophe

During the pandemic, Americans learned how painful supply chain disruptions can be. Now, a newly proposed action from the Trump administration could unintentionally make the pandemic’s supply chain disruptions seem tame. President Trump is looking to rapidly rebuild American shipbuilding. That’s an important goal since the erosion of U.S. shipbuilding—and China’s growing dominance in global shipbuilding—must be confronted. But the administration’s proposed plan could send costs soaring for U.S. consumers, grind U.S. exports to a halt, wreak havoc at U.S. ports, and ...

Will there be a political comeback for Brown?

Throughout his political career, Democrat Sherrod Brown has talked about the “dignity of work.” So it came as little surprise that Brown recently announced the creation of the Dignity of Work Institute, which will focus on empowering and growing the middle class. But Brown also is a career politician who spent 48 of the previous 50 years in elected office. He wanted to spend at least six more years, but lost in November to Republican Bernie Moreno for the Senate seat Brown held for the previous 18 years. While Brown wanted to talk Monday to the media about his new institute, there ...

Many of DeWine’s budget plans won’t go anywhere

While this was the first State of the State address for Tex Fischer, R-Boardman, and David Thomas, R-Jefferson, as Ohio House members, the two said they knew what to expect from Gov. Mike DeWine. “The governor was going to emphasize education, workforce and career tech and try to sell for his budget plan,” Fischer said. “It’s part of the political process. He’s selling his budget.” But Fischer said he and other Republicans in the Ohio House remain unmoved on DeWine’s budget proposals to increase taxes on sports betting, cigarettes and adult recreational ...

Ramaswamy rises to the top in governor’s race

Even before he officially joined the governor’s race, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy had all of the momentum on his side. While the biotech entrepreneur and short-lived presidential candidate has never held elected office before, he was seen as the 2026 gubernatorial front-runner before his Feb. 24 announcement. Then just a few hours after declaring, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social about Ramaswamy: “I know him well, competed against him and he is something SPECIAL. He’s Young, Strong and Smart! Vivek is also a very good person who truly loves his Country. He will be a ...

NAMI Columbiana County returns with mental health support, education

LISBON — After a period of inactivity, NAMI Columbiana County is making a strong comeback, bringing vital mental health education, support, and advocacy back to the community. The local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is re-establishing itself with new leadership, new programming, and a renewed commitment to providing resources for individuals and families affected by mental health conditions. Kristy Munyon, the newly appointed chair of NAMI Columbiana County, is leading efforts to expand services and strengthen support networks in the area. One of the ...