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ORCHID: To the Ohio Parole Board for acting wisely last week to deny parole to demented child rapist Felicia Beemer of Warren. Given her 2012 conviction for the appalling rapes of an 8-month-old girl and an 18-month-old boy, no other rational decision could have been made. In addition, her behavior at the Ohio Reformatory for Women was hardly that of a model prisoner. She has accumulated 85 disciplinary infractions, including a 2025 sexual assault of another inmate. Clearly the board saw the folly in releasing her, as it also issued a 10-year delay before her next hearing, the maximum extension allowed under Ohio law.
ORCHID: To 108½-year-old Evelyn Fisher of Liberty and the 18 other Trumbull County residents honored for their longevity as centenarians at a recent ceremony sponsored by the Board of Trumbull County Commissioners. The honorees and their families shared some of their secrets for their long lives ranging from faith in God to a couple of glasses of wine nightly. Collectively, they and other 100-plus-year-olds in the county have contributed richly to our region's development and serve as great sources of first-person wisdom on our history. We wish them all many more happy birthdays ahead.
ONION: To the far too many hurried and irresponsible motorists who ignore roadside emergencies and wreak havoc in the process. Just last week, Liberty Fire Chief Doug Theobold reported the department's rescue truck has been struck three times recently on scenes of emergencies, such as a truck spill on Tibbetts Wick Road on Aug. 15. Theobold said some impatient drivers "totally disregard" traffic-control cones, Emergency Work signs and even vehicles blocking the affected area. Given that local first responders already face significant challenges of protecting the lives of their own crew and of the public on the scenes of emergencies, all drivers should give them a break, slow down and obey the necessary traffic controls.
ORCHID: To Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning Valley for its constructive and kid-friendly Project Playhouse. The event draws local businesses, churches and organizations to build, paint and decorate individualized playhouses for selected children in our region. Representatives from Vallourec, Mahoning County Career & Technical Center and Braceville and Southington United Methodist churches recently gathered to build four snazzy colorful playhouses typically valued at over $3,000 each at 717 Credit Union Field in Niles. On Oct. 1, groups will gather at Penguin City in Youngstown to construct eight more playhouses. Clearly, the value of the HH initiative is not child's play: It provides kids with a safe, personalized space to play while also raising essential funds to Habitat's broader noble mission of expanding home ownership to low-income but deserving residents.
ONION: To marijuana users in Ohio who travel to Michigan to take advantage of substantially lower prices for the medicinal or recreational varieties of the product. According to the latest WeedBuddy Cannabis Price Index, the cheapest ounce of marijuana in Ohio costs $112 while the cheapest ounce in Michigan is $6.99. Nonetheless, carrying a marijuana product into Ohio from another state remains a criminal offense. What's more, it denies Buckeye State dispensaries of sales and local communities their fair share of tax revenue from those sales. Meanwhile, Ohio producers reportedly are working to expand production, which we hope will result in more equal pricing between both states.
ORCHID: To those Hubbard High School alumni and Hubbard area businesses that contributed toward the construction and erection of two supersized and colorful H statues and a nearly 11-foot-tall wooden Hubbard Eagle mascot statue to adorn school property. As Hubbard schools Superintendent Raymond Soloman aptly put it, "These are more than just beautiful additions to our campus. They represent Hubbard pride. They show what can happen when alumni, families and local businesses come together to invest in a community and its schools."
ONION: To U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for abruptly adjourning the lower chamber of Congress early last week amid a mountain of unfinished business after U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, introduced articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The early adjournment until after the Nov. 3 election comes on top of the cancellation of 60 other scheduled voting days this year. The extended vacation time delays needed action on such critical issues as guardrails for artificial intelligence, extension of Farm Bill programs and an additional $73 billion targeted for the Iran war. U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-South Carolina, hit the nail on the head when protesting, "The Founders did not envision taking this much time off and still getting paid."