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Totality of tax increases demands better state leadership

We are in the season when weather gets warmer, daylight last longer and people across our region get to enjoy more activities outside. Unfortunately, we also are in the season when residents of our region’s school districts learn if their property taxes are going up — as, in some cases, ...

What other newspapers are saying: Monitoring kids’ online activities necessary

A U.S. District Court judge’s decision to strike down Ohio’s requirement that children under age 16 must have parental consent to use social media and some gaming apps is being viewed as a victory by trade group NetChoice (which represents TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other companies) and some First Amendment advocates. But it is important to read all of what Judge Algenon Marbley had to say on the matter. Marbley did not say the intent of the law was not commendable. He said it went too far. Marbley said the law ”resides at the intersection of two unquestionable rights: the ...

Outcome of Norfolk-Southern case important

A major development affecting one railroad company usually is assumed to apply to others as well, if not immediately then over the long term. Therefore, all railroad companies, especially the major carriers, are no doubt monitoring closely how much success, if any, Norfolk Southern Railroad ...

West Virginia right about Second Amendment

With critics of the Second Amendment continuing to try to find new ways of limiting the rights of Americans, West Virginia is taking a more proactive approach to defending the right to keep and bear arms. The state’s legislature has sent a bevy of proposals to protect this liberty to the ...

What other newspapers are saying: Minerals deal raises concerns

“The vilest scramble for loot that has ever disfigured the history of human conscience” is how Joseph Conrad described colonial-era concessions granted to private companies for Congo’s natural resources in Heart of Darkness. Under Donald Trump, that scramble may be back. If news reports are right, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is offering the US a blunt deal: minerals for military help – a slice of sovereignty traded for a shot at stability. The concern is this isn’t a return, it’s a sequel. For three decades, Washington supported Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, a cold ...

State parks a vital resource

As warmer weather approaches, state officials are reporting a surge in reservations for campsites in state parks and forests. According to an article in Tuesday’s Sun-Gazette, the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is seeing a nearly 30% increase compared to last ...