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ORCHID: To the United Auto Workers and General Motors for being the first of the Big 3 to ratify the new labor pact. We are pleased to know the pact approval means a new contract with large increases for the workers at our local Ultium plant, which will be good for them and for our local economy because of increased expendable income. It also means many workers who lost their jobs here now will have a much anticipated opportunity to come back home.
ONION: To Newton Falls residents, as well as to Councilman and interim Mayor John Baryak, for again allowing this week's regular council meeting to turn into a circus, with residents shouting, and Baryak shouting for law enforcement officers to remove residents. When Baryak was criticized, he turned the tables and criticized them back. Both the residents' actions and the official's responses were childish. None of it was professional nor for the good of the community.
ORCHID: To everyone involved in Operation Christmas Child, a program that fills shoeboxes with toys and other small items to be delivered to children in need worldwide over the Christmas holidays. Many local churches and organizations, including Southington Christian Church, have been hosting packing and collection days for the charitable event. Shoebox gifts include things like toys, stuffed animals, gloves, sunglasses, school supplies and hygiene items such as toothbrushes and soap. To make the gift more personal, a special note, drawing and photograph from a local child also is included in the box. What a wonderful way to spread joy this holiday season!
ONION: To Mike Peppel and his Ohio Clean Water Fund for what the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost are calling "fraudulent activities" created to tug at heart strings of donors wanting to help East Palestine. The Ohio Clean Water Fund claimed it would use donations to offer emergency aid and bottled water via the food bank. However, an investigation revealed Peppel and his associates diverted at least $131,000 of the $141,000 raised from more 3,000 donors for personal gains, the food bank said. Since then, the food bank recovered some $138,982, after its investigation and a lawsuit filed by Yost's office.
ORCHID: To all those involved in the new public-private partnership between The Ohio State University and American Honda Company to create a new battery cell research and development center in Columbus. The project is expected to accelerate domestic production of battery cell materials and manufacturing technologies. With the Valley's growing focus on EVs and battery cells, we all should get behind any effort to improve operations, sustainability and other progress of the future of EV batteries and automaking in general -- especially when it's right here in Ohio.