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Don’t get burned by illegal fires during spring

Editorials

When we skip ahead an hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, that spring forward on the clocks will not be the only reminder we are moving toward brighter, warmer (Soon? We hope? Please?) weather. Forestry officials across our region are reminding us we have also entered the spring fire ban season. From March 1 through May 31 in Ohio, there are prohibitions on outdoor burning. Ohio’s Division of Forestry says the ban is between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. No, not even in a proper burn barrel. There are other rules to follow, even once the ban is lifted each day. In Ohio, fires must be more than 1,000 feet ...

Many Mahoning Valley candidates quit races

David Skolnick

It’s not that difficult to get on the ballot — though plenty of candidates over the years struggle to qualify. It’s even easier to get off it. All a person who qualifies for the ballot needs to do is submit a letter of withdrawal and they’re no longer a candidate. There’s already been four people who turned in valid nominating petitions to run for seats in the Mahoning Valley and who qualified for the May 5 primary election who then changed their mind and withdrew. This is a relatively small election, if you don’t include the central committee races for both political ...

The president whose only rule is no rules

Editorials

Donald Trump breaks every rule in the book, and he’s never read the book of rules. Time after time, Americans see he’s constitutionally unable to follow the Constitution. To wit, he, with Israel, just started a war on Iran that ricochets around the Middle East. Contrary to the War Powers Resolution and the Constitution, he did not seek approval from Congress. The deed was just done. Trump let loose the arsenals of winter, which assassinated Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, igniting a firestorm of attacks across the world’s most volatile region. Iranian drone ...

America is doing what must be done in Iran

Editorials

Following rounds of missile attacks from Iran on Israel, a warhead from one of the missiles was found just hundreds of yards from Jerusalem’s Old City. A few hundred yards’ difference could have meant the destruction of one or more of the holiest sites of the three major religions — the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, site of the crucifixion of Jesus; the Temple Mount, site of the Holy Temple of the Jews; and the al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites. The Iranian maniacs are prepared to destroy even one of their own holiest sites in pursuit of their insane ...

Senate bill would help workers gain necessary skills

Editorials

Disappointing as much of it is, there is some work being done in Washington, D.C., that will actually make a difference for the rest of us. Ohioans, in fact, can point to the Employer-Directed Skills Act, introduced by U.S. Sens. Ted Budd, R-N.C., and Bill Cassidy, R-La. U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, says he has joined the effort, which would help employees get the training they need for in-demand skills that meet workforce needs. There is also a component that would help employers find potential employees based on their participation in training programs. “As Ohio continues to ...

DHS remains unfunded amid new terror threat

Editorials

As America’s conflict with Iran continues, the Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement about the heightened risk of lone wolf attacks. Yet the agency tasked with keeping Americans safe — one of the few responsibilities just about everyone agrees is appropriate for government — remains unfunded as Congress bickers over immigration politics. Congressional negotiators reached a deal to fund the federal government but outrage over President Donald Trump’s deportation tactics pushed Democrats to defund DHS. The agency has been in a shutdown since Feb. 14. Both ...