Data centers rise as key issue in race for governor

August 14, 2026

In connection with affordability issues, data centers have emerged as a hot-button issue in politics. Data centers are needed in our digital world. Whether you are texting, checking your email, opening an app, doom scrolling, watching a video or doing anything with your phone or computer, a data center is needed. They’re increased in numbers with the major growth of artificial intelligence. Data centers also consume tremendous amounts of electricity, which adversely impacts power grids and increases costs to residents, and uses massive amounts of water to keep servers from ...

Mahoning clerk of courts attracts controversy

August 7, 2026

It’s almost as if there’s a magnetic force attracting Mahoning County Clerk of Courts Michael Ciccone to controversy. The remarkable thing is Ciccone has been in office for only about 19 months. Ciccone first garnered attention back in December 2023 when he served as the attorney for 28 voters of Jennifer Ciccone who contested the results of the Struthers Municipal Court election that she lost by 10.28%. Michael Ciccone’s complaint claimed, without providing details, that there was massive fraud in that race that James Melone convincingly won. A week after filing the lawsuit, ...

Democrats face uphill climb in Valley races for Congress

July 31, 2026

Thanks to gerrymandering and the financial advantages of incumbency, only four out of the 15 U.S. House races in Ohio on the Nov. 3 ballot are considered competitive. Among the safe Republican districts are the two that include the Mahoning Valley: the 14th Congressional District, a seat held by U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, who is seeking his eighth two-year term; and the 6th, which has been represented by Congressman Michael Rulli, R-Salem, since he won a special June 2024 election. The 14th District favors Republicans 58.5% to 41.5% for Democrats based on partisan statewide ...

Sun won’t shine on JobsOhio

July 17, 2026

A bill sponsored by state Sen. Sandra O’Brien requiring JobsOhio to comply with open records and meetings laws seems to make a lot of sense — and has little chance of being passed. Several of O’Brien’s fellow Republicans in the state Legislature, including the most-powerful ones, don’t want to see changes to JobsOhio, created in 2011 as a private nonprofit agency to provide incentives to companies to locate and remain in Ohio. The agency is funded through lucrative state liquor profits. O’Brien, R-Lenox, whose district includes all of Trumbull County, on April 9 introduced ...

Gov. DeWine has a knack for vetoing Thomas’ bills

July 10, 2026

It’s become almost a running joke with state Rep. David Thomas that every time he comes across Gov. Mike DeWine he is met with a veto. DeWine, a Republican, vetoed five property tax reform items on July 1, 2025, that Thomas, R-Jefferson, had sponsored in separate bills that were put into the state budget. The state Legislature overrode one veto and after making some minor changes; the General Assembly approved the others with the governor signing them into law Dec. 19. Then, DeWine vetoed a Thomas bill on June 24. The bill would have created consumer protections for those who pay ...

Moreno doesn’t hold back on Democrats

July 3, 2026

When U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno spoke to a crowd at the Mahoning County Republican Party headquarters, he didn’t hold back. Moreno, a Republican, took direct aim at Democrats. That included Democratic Congressional leadership in Congress — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — as well as a few Democratic candidates for federal office. Moreno also targeted Sherrod Brown, who he defeated in the 2024 election and is running in this year’s Senate race against Republican Jon Husted, and Amy Acton, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate who ...