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ORCHID: To Cortland police officers John Mosora and Chuck Lohry for their heroism that saved the life of a man involved in a serious automobile accident in the city Dec. 27. When the two officers arrived at the scene near state Route 5 and Bradley Brownlee Road, a car engulfed in flames had flipped over with the driver trapped inside. Mosara immediately broke the sunroof to gain entry and dragged the driver to safety as Lohry used a fire extinguisher to snuff out the flames. We join police Chief David Morris in rightly commending the duo's professional and heroic actions: "We're very proud of these two officers."
ORCHID: To Trumbull Career & Technical Center instructor Kristofer Doran for being honored by Gov. Mike DeWine and first lady Fran DeWine recently with a meeting at the governor's mansion in Columbus to recognize his success in developing a model literacy program. Doran's TCTC Tales is a countywide reading initiative that features original children's books that target careers and connects students in districts throughout the county. Not only does his program work to improve literacy skills, it also gets young people in elementary school grades thinking early about the wide array of career options available to them. As such, it's a win-win and deserves to be replicated in districts throughout the Valley and the state.
ORCHID: To the Niles Police Department's street crimes / drug unit for its commendable and massive increase in seizures of illicit drugs in the city in 2025. According to the recently released annual report from the department, the unit seized 762 units of drugs in 2025 compared with only 236 units in 2024. That's an eye-popping 223% increase over the span of one year. We urge the unit to build on that momentum in 2026 to help dismantle criminal drug-trafficking networks and to rid the city of the many public health and safety dangers spawned by fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and other dangerous yet popular narcotics.
ONION: To those who refuse to receive vaccinations against the flu at a time when such cases are peaking out of control in Ohio. As of the end of the first week of 2026, Ohio hospitals reported 1,936 patients with flu symptoms severe enough to warrant hospitalization, including 95 from the Mahoning Valley. The Ohio Department of Health emphasizes that the flu vaccine is the most effective way to protect against flu viruses and can reduce flu symptoms, visits to the doctor and missed school/work due to flu. It can also help prevent flu-related hospitalizations. Schedule yours today.
ORCHID: To the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for awarding a whopping $2 million grant to the Trumbull County Historical Society for use in designing and building its promising Museum of Science Fiction and Fantasy Arts in Warren. The generous grant, which comes from the department's Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization program, clearly distinguished itself as a standout as it ranked among the Top 5 of some 70 applications. And why shouldn't it be? The museum will feature dozens of iconic props and futuristic gadgets from major sci-fi films, donated by Warren native John Zabrucky and his company, Modern Props. We're confident other public and private grant givers will find the project equally exciting so that financing gets finalized and the organizers won't have to travel too long in time to realize the unique museum's bounty of benefits and economic impact on the community.
ORCHID: To the 91 artists from the Mahoning Valley region for having their artworks honored by acceptance into the highly competitive and immensely popular Butler Institute of American Art's 86th Area Artists Annual. Visitors to the juried exhibition that opened this week at the acclaimed Youngstown gallery were wowed by the quality and variety of the wide range of artistry, including oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, photography, ceramics, sculpture, drawing and illustration, mixed media and printmaking. As Butler Executive Director Louis Zona aptly put it, "Local and regional artists should never be underestimated." The exhibition continues through Feb. 15. Don't miss it!
ORCHID: To Youngstown State University leaders involved in strong partnerships with the community for earning the coveted Carnegie Community Engagement Classification this week from the Carnegie Foundation. The award honors YSU's reputation for deeply integrating community engagement into its mission, culture and operations. Thousands of YSU students are involved in community engagement activities such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Service-Fest. Special recognition must go to Amy Cossentino, dean of the Sokolov Honors College at YSU, who led the exhausting seven-year effort to secure the standout national recognition.