Officers’ legacies are helping area students

November 17, 2019

A dozen or so college students gathered last week for a lovely luncheon in a room inside Kilcawley Center on the campus of Youngstown State University. Most were accompanied by their parents. Also attending were university officials, including President Jim Tressel, along with other special guests. And there were several uniformed police officers. At first glance, the makeup of the crowd might have appeared odd to passers-by. But truly, it wasn’t odd at all. You see, the annual event was being held in recognition of this year’s student recipients of the Michael T. Hartzell ...

Mark Veterans Day with respect, reverence

November 10, 2019

I was perusing syndicated editorial cartoons late last week in search of one to publish Monday to mark Veterans Day. I needed one that depicted the importance and reverence of the holiday — one that showed respect and heartfelt appreciation for those who served our nation selflessly. As I clicked open the images in a computer file, I came across a cartoon that I contemplated only for a moment, before quickly closing the file. Indeed, it spoke the truth, but it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. The artist had drawn an armed soldier wearing camouflage and a helmet, labeled ...

High court case answers some questions

November 3, 2019

I sometimes hear from readers wanting our newspaper to get involved in their attempts to obtain public records, especially when they believe a public agency is unresponsive to their request. Indeed, journalists generally have more experience at seeking public records. However, I’m not an attorney who can dole out legal advice, and frankly, we don’t usually get involved in individual readers’ attempts unless it’s something we dub newsworthy. In those cases, we might simply do our own record request for documents that we think are pertinent to a possible story. I recently ...

Fall brings thoughts of offering thanks

October 27, 2019

Leaves are turning, folks are stocking up on their trick-or-treat candy and the nights are getting more brisk. That has become increasingly clear each night when I take my beagle out for his regular stroll. We go well after dark because, well, my husband would tell you that’s usually when I’m getting home from work — but also because there are usually fewer people out in my neighborhood in the late evening and, thus, less things for Max to bark about. (If you’ve ever had a beagle, you’ll understand.) It will be mere weeks until family and friends gather to offer thanks and ...

Truth, inclusiveness focus of Sheen lecture

October 20, 2019

I wasn’t sure what to expect. Like many Hollywood actors Martin Sheen has been known to speak his mind on political issues of the day. Honestly, it’s just not something I usually want to hear from people I look to for simple entertainment. Let’s face it, I spend all day, every day delving into stories and details of crime or politics, social and humanitarian issues and many other environmental or economic crises. So when I step away from it and head home for the evening, I’d much rather tune in to a good game, wrap myself up in an engaging novel or head to a show. Frankly, I ...

Education can combat plague of fake news

October 13, 2019

I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion last week about the future of local news coverage in the Mahoning Valley. This important discussion was coordinated by the Youngstown Press Club and the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County and included this newspaper, representatives of local television news stations and online media, along with the local business journal publication. Certainly, with this varied group of local news media, Mahoning Valley residents should rest easy that their local news is getting covered well. In fact, we all are doing our best to ...