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Valley gets a single competitive district

When Democrats on the Ohio Redistricting Commission cut a deal with their Republican counterparts, the Mahoning Valley didn’t come into play. The seven-member commission unanimously voted in favor of state legislative maps that give Republicans 61 state House seats to 38 for Democrats with eight Democratic and three Republican toss-up districts. The compromise gave Democrats one more seat in the House than an initial Republican proposal did, but it keeps the GOP supermajority. Not much changed in the state Senate map proposed last week by Republicans. The GOP would still retain a ...

Don’t judge book by its cover

Have you watched small children as they play together, noticed that they are so generous, so forgiving, so loving? They accept everyone. They squabble over something and five minutes later they are best friends again. They are honest and unafraid of conflict, going directly to the heart of the matter and resolving it. Everything is black and white – no gray areas. They are true, genuine, authentic selves. Over time everything, directed by society, changes. Children go through the stages of development and become less accepting of everyone. (Everyone has biases.) And bullying becomes ...

Dangers of bed sores

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 Salem Visiting Angels office 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 them. ——— Bed sores can be a serious danger for older adults and anyone who spends ...

What’s new at East Liverpool community center

EAST LIVERPOOL – The answer to the question “So what is new at the East Liverpool Area Community & Learning Center” is very simple. A whole lot. If you haven’t visited the center recently for a party, club meetings, to view the Butterfly Garden or other exhibits, attended classes or a Legacy Lecture, to vote, get vaccinated or be tested for a new city job, then you are probably just not up with the times. The eighth season of Legacy & Legends with eight new lectures for its series members was launched last month. Over 50 people attended the first lecture in the center Farmers ...

Language likely won’t impact abortion vote

Except for a minor tweak, the Ohio Supreme Court decided to keep ballot language for the reproductive rights constitutional amendment that will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot intact. But no matter what the court decided, many people are unlikely to read the ballot language before they vote or understand it. Voters know the proposal would make abortions accessible in Ohio if it passes. Also, we will be inundated with ads from both sides telling what they see as the impact of the constitutional amendment. There will be those swayed by what they read and see. Why else would there be a need ...

Rebels, ‘here’s your mule!’

I love history. It’s so interesting, and at least some of it is true. For the past three years I’ve been telling Miller family members that we are related to Will Pittenger, a participant in the Andrews Raid of Civil War fame. He was one of the first six recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Welllll, it seems we’re not related. Probably. I’ll explain below. I gave a talk last week in East Liverpool about the raid, better known as the Great Locomotive Chase. “Here’s your mule!” is the punchline of a comic story known throughout the South during the war: when ...