ORCHID: To Danielle Miller, supervisor of technology at Warren City Schools, for her robust role in rolling out the school district’s Mobile STEM Lab last week. The 38-foot lab, built on a Freightliner chassis, offers lessons in computer science, robotics and 3D printing, tailored to all students in all of the district’s buildings, including elementary schools. The program weaves in math, science and reading lessons to create well-rounded students with real-world skills in automation and cybersecurity. The mobile lab, funded with outside grants, also is a fiscally responsible way to bring advanced technology to all students without building separate labs in every school in the district.

ONION: To candidates for public office who patronize vendors from outside the Mahoning Valley for services such as advertising and marketing their campaigns. In the most recent campaign finance report that politics writer David Skolnick presented this week, candidates spent tens of thousands of dollars for services from companies based in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Texas, New York and other locales far from the Youngstown-Warren metro area. If such candidates are truly serious when they say they wish to serve the best interests of their communities, they would also put their money where their mouths are when it comes to supporting Valley-based businesses.

ORCHID: To Warren City Council for last week approving a massive set of much-needed infrastructure improvement projects totaling more than $3 million. The upgrades include new traffic signals, repaved roads and sidewalk repairs to enhance safety and accessibility. Some of the major roads scheduled for resurfacing include the heavily traveled Elm Road and Main Avenue. The vast majority of funding for these projects comes from federal and state grants meaning the city will enjoy safer and more accessible travel by car or foot without straining its tight municipal budget.

ORCHID: To FirstEnergy for nearing completion of a significant upgrade to the electrical grid in northern Trumbull County via new and stronger power lines and automated equipment that is expected to result in more reliable service. The two-year $19 million project that included installation of 140 new steel structures is part of Energize365, FirstEnergy’s $28 billion investment program to modernize the electric grid throughout its territory.

ONION: To the growing ranks of pernicious fraudsters and con artists plying their despicable trade against our nation’s honorable military veterans. Mahoning Valley Elder Scam Consultant David Long recently reported a significant rise in attempted rip-offs against veterans here and throughout the United States. One such hoax has scammers sending out millions of fraudulent texts, emails and letters in the name of the Department of Veterans Affairs claiming the veteran has been overpaid and must return a portion of their benefits. Many scammers try to add credibility to their stories by hijacking the identities of actual veterans and service members. If you should find yourself on the receiving end of such an attempted swindle, do not give out personal information or funds. Then report the scam to Senior Services units in Mahoning County at 330-480-5078 or in Trumbull County at 330-675-7096.

ORCHID: To the Ohio State Highway Patrol for conducting numerous awareness-raising programs last week during National Teen Driver Safety Week. The patrol’s Drive to Live program switched into high gear last week with troopers visiting schools to share real-world experiences and education with young and inexperienced drivers. Clearly, such campaigns have value. Last year in Ohio, more than 37,000 teen drivers were involved in crashes. A teen driver was at fault in 64 fatal crashes and more than 6,700 injury crashes.

ORCHID: To JobsOhio, the state’s quasi-public nonprofit designed to drive economic development, for awarding GSP Land Holdings of North Jackson a $500,000 grant to build a mammoth 25,000-square-foot building on Silica Road in Austintown to house a range of industrial tenants. The Lake to River development district, a partner of JobsOhio, worked with developer Joe Cetor, co-owner of GSP, to secure the funding. The investment has great potential to attract a wide swath of industries, perhaps some tied to the Valley’s new Kimberly-Clark plant and distribution center. As Alexa Sweeney Blackann, interim CEO of Lake to River, aptly put it: “With this investment from JobsOhio, we’re removing barriers for site selectors and giving companies more reasons to choose our region. This grant is a win for our entire region.”