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ORCHID: To Lori-Singer-Bare, an instructor who served 13 years in the Army as a military police officer, drill, platoon and operations sergeant; Maribeth Eckenrode, a financial aid representative and military spouse; Barb Ozimek, a counseling specialist and adjunct faculty member who has helped the veteran community find mental health services; and Karen Ronga, director of the Gelbke Library at Kent University-Trumbull. The four were instrumental in envisioning and bringing new military and vet resource center to the Trumbull Kent campus. The new hub will provide student servicemen and women with access to resources on things like G.I. Bill, campus mental health counseling, community relations and financial aid.
ONION: To a Trumbull County Board of Elections staff member who gave the circulator of a liquor option petition incorrect paperwork. A Sunday liquor option for Peace Pub on Parkman Road NW, Warren, was rejected by the board because signatures -- more than the number of valid signatures required -- were affixed to the wrong type of petition. Now the owner of the tavern must wait until next March's primary election to try again. In this case, onus for the fatal error should fall on the board. At the very least, the circulator should be given a grace period, as is done with petitions for statewide inititatives, to resubmit correct petitions. State legislators would be wise to add such a grace period to Ohio election law.
ORCHID: To the Youngstown State University Board of Trustees and the YSU Ohio Education Association faculty union for reaching an agreement on a new three-year contract quietly and peacefully before its current pact expired. It contains modest pay raises and small increases in faculty health insurance co-pays and was produced during about eight months negotiating. We're pleased that, unlike previous years at YSU and unlike faculty talks in some public school districts, negotiations progressed smoothly, productively and without drama. As Vice Provost Jennifer Pintar said when trustees ratified the pact: "It's a great day for YSU and the Youngstown community."
ORCHID: YSU Trustees get a second orchid for their decision to name a one-block stretch of campus roadway between Wick Avenue and Bryson Street as One Tressel Way in honor of the many accomplishments of former YSU President and head football coach Jim Tressel, who retired earlier this year. The honor is richly deserved.
ONION: To Suzanne Ginty of Girard for clearly failing to learn any lessons on the dangers of drunken driving after repeated apprehensions for drunken driving. Ginty pleaded guilty this week to her sixth operating-a-vehicle-impaired charge in the Mahoning Valley in the past 15 years. In the newest case, Ginty almost collided with a Liberty police cruiser in September 2022. Police found a bottle of Smirnoff Blue Ice in the center console of her automobile. It's no wonder her blood-alcohol level registered at 0.36 percent, more than three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent to drive in Ohio.
ORCHID: To vast majority of athletic departments at high schools throughout the Mahoning Valley who began accepting cash as payment for tickets at high school football games this month -- before a new requirement under Ohio law takes effect in October. Thanks to efforts of state Sen. Sandra O'Brien, who represents Trumbull County, Ohio's Legislature approved the law requiring school districts to accept cash payments at all school events. Some schools recognized the hardship previous policies of online ticket purchases caused for those without internet access or without sufficient computer savvy to navigate their way to ticket sales, and implemented a new policy more than a month early.
ONION: To those few local school districts that have not yet introduced the new "Cash is King" policy for scholastic event tickets and concession stand sales. It appears they might be more interested in just following the "letter of the law," than providing a service to residents, family and fans overall.
ORCHID: To the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Trumbull County Safe Communities organization, Ohio Traffic Safety Office and Trumbull County Emergency Management Agency for partnering to sponsor their Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign now through Labor Day. Police will use strict traffic regulation enforcement, including OVI checkpoints and saturation patrols to apprehend impaired drivers throughout the county. Given the volume of alcohol to be consumed at upcoming summer-ending celebrations, the campaign is well timed. The traffic safety office in Columbus provided a $55,000 grant to finance the enhanced enforcement campaign.