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Projects bill backed by Ohio House is far from a done deal

A bill approved by the Ohio House to spend $350 million for projects throughout the state is far from a done deal. That’s because the state Senate disagrees with the House plan. The bill approved last week by the House was part of a supposed agreement with the upper chamber in which each would spend $350 million for projects. The money comes from $700 million the state has from unused federal COVID-19 funding and dollars Ohio didn’t spend from its general revenue fund because of the pandemic. Money from the One Time Strategic Community Investment Fund was going to pay for ...

Vision loss is one of the most common disabilities

Editor’s Note: The following column was previously published Jan. 16, 2021. Thanks to breakthroughs in medicine and nutrition in recent years, we are living longer than ever before. But this increase in life expectancy also brings an increase in the number of diseases, injuries and impairments that affect older adults. With this in mind, we at the local Visiting Angels office in Salem have created this series of articles to keep our older population and their families informed and to offer some practical advice for meeting the challenges faced by seniors and those who care for ...

Washington must act now to save high-tech future in our nation

Microchips, microchips, microchips… These days, almost everything we use in our daily lives is controlled by tiny integrated circuits. They’re the miniature brains in our cellphones, satellites, military defenses, and wireless networks. The recipe for these microchips—and for the advanced technologies they make possible—may seem complicated. But they always depend on the same raw ingredients: critical metals and minerals. In recent years, the United States has embarked on a high-tech future dependent on microchips plus lithium-ion batteries, solar panels, and electric vehicles. ...

History repeats at EL center

It is said that history has a way of repeating itself. So it is with the East Liverpool Area Community and Learning Center. It was built over 60 years ago to house the Trinity Presbyterian Church. Trinity was the largest church in the community in terms of attendance. It was built on what was known as Shies Hill to accommodate its approximate 500 parishioners. The original church had simply outgrown its original building on West Sixth Street. A few years later the East Liverpool high school and middle school buildings were built adjacent to the church. Then a baseball field was added ...

Self-funding during an election is a big benefit

Being able to self-fund in a political election — particularly in a partisan primary when the timeline is condensed — is a huge benefit. So when I reported that state Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus had given $250,000 out of his own pocket to his campaign for the Republican nomination for the open 6th Congressional District seat it raised a lot of eyebrows. Stoltzfus of Paris Township is one of three Republican candidates seeking the party’s nomination in the March 19 primary. The others are state Sen. Michael Rulli of Salem and Rick Tsai of East Palestine. The primary is earlier than ...

Demons in my thicket

I came home unhappy from my first day of clearing brush. “I think there’s a couple of demons in those woods,” I told Honey. She waited for the explanation. “They put two chainsaws out of operation. I was cutting with the Stihl Jimmy gave me and realized all the chain oil was pouring out. The cap was gone. I never did find it. I switched to the Shindaiwa and pretty soon the air filter cover was missing. I found it 20 feet away in the hayfield, and later that saw quit.” “And you blame demons.” “Not first-rate demons. Wood sprites. Nasty fairies. They’re hacked ...