You may have seen us at the farmers' market, at festivals, local coffee shops, or wherever people gather, with a sign proclaiming “ban mega data centers” and with our clipboards at-the-ready. We're gathering signatures for the Conserve Ohio petition; it is formally known as the Ohio Prohibition of Data Center Construction Amendment. It needs 413,488 valid signatures from at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties by July 1, 2026 to get on the November ballot.

Ohio News LOCAL: Mault and Smith survive contested Republican primaries; Mault advances to face Democrat Abby Spears in November Scioto County voters delivered the long-awaited verdict Tuesday on the two Republican commissioner primaries that have dominated local politics since the indictment of Bryan Davis. Steven Will Mault defeated Yvonne Hale and Nate Hoover (2,744 / 2,262 / 1,454), and Merit Smith turned back challenger Adrian Harrison (3,579 to 2,789). Turnout came in a

This week: Sherrod Brown builds a big cash lead over Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio's Senate race; a bipartisan group of lawmakers targets Medicaid "middlemen" with projected savings of up to $850M a year; and Vivek Ramaswamy's property tax rollback plan draws scrutiny over a projected $6.6B hit to Ohio schools and services. Plus: Trump's new CDC nominee and the back-to-back Swalwell and Gonzales congressional resignations.

🏛️ OHIO NEWS 📍 LOCAL: Scioto County Secures $3.32 Million to Repair Storm-Damaged Roads Scioto County received a $3.32 million grant from the Ohio Emergency Management Agency to repair six county roadways damaged by a severe April 2025 rainstorm. The reimbursable grant covers 75% of repair costs, with construction — including retaining walls and roadway reconstruction — expected to complete by 2027. Acton Rolls Out Affordability Plan in Ohio Governor Race Democratic guberna

Last year, Merriam-Webster named “slop” its Word of the year to describe the AI-generated digital junk swamping social media. As defined by experts, AI Slop is a pejorative term for “digital content made with generative artificial intelligence that is perceived as lacking in effort, quality, or deeper meaning, and produced at an overwhelming volume.” AI slop is content churned out in bulk, often mindlessly, to fill feeds and farm clicks. Learn how slop is made and how to av

John Donne’s Meditation XVII, best known for the line “for whom the bell tolls,” argues that no person stands apart from the rest of humanity. What happens to one part of the whole eventually reaches the rest. I work in software engineering. I am part of the problem. I understand why data centers exist, and I benefit from them like everyone else. The cloud isn’t some kind of metaphysical thing… it sits somewhere, on land, tied to power and water and people. But I also live

It’s that time of year again, when we find ourselves making the journey home or to the houses of loved ones to gather for The Great Feast. Thanksgiving. Some of those ones are harder to love than others, however, especially during these trying times.

It was the mid nineties, and I was a college sophomore. One of the courses that was part of my General Education requirement that year examined writings and beliefs from different cultures. One day in class we talked about multiculturalism in America, and I remember my professor saying that the older view of America as a giant melting pot where everyone assimilated to one culture was being replaced by a different view - one that embraced multiculturalism and the understandin

As food prices climb and government programs face uncertainty, local communities are stepping up to care for one another. Across Scioto County, neighbors are filling crucial gaps through no-barrier pantries and mutual aid networks, ensuring everyone has access to food, dignity, and support.

From Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day Each year on the second Monday of October, Americans have traditionally celebrated Columbus...

Commissioner Bryan Davis must resign. On August 22, 2025, Commissioner Davis and his wife were indicted on 13 felony counts including theft in office, money laundering, and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity connected to the Southern Ohio Aeronautical Regional Business Park scandal. These charges come after he and another commissioner reinstated former Economic Development Director Robert Horton against legal advice—a decision that has now been proven reckless...

Yard sign with blue text reading "YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY DEMOCRAT IN THE COUNTY," surrounded by plants and leaves, creating a supportive vibe.

A backyard garden might not look like much. A few raised beds. Some herbs on a porch. Maybe tomatoes clinging to wire cages that sag a...

We’ve all been in those conversations — tense, loaded, and fragile. Maybe it’s with a friend, a relative, a stranger in a meeting, or someone online. The topic is real: safety, addiction, fairness, accountability. Something that matters. But instead of clarity, the conversation derails. We stop engaging with what the other person actually said and start reacting to what we think they meant. We’re no longer responding to a real argument — we’re swinging at something we’ve imag

Aside from the righteousness of its cause, one of the lessons we can take from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s is how carefully planned, disciplined, and visually powerful its protests were. These were never spontaneous eruptions—they were thoughtfully and meaningfully orchestrated actions, aimed not only at resisting injustice but also at opening and ultimately winning over the hearts and minds of the broader public. Today, as movements like the No Kings and anti

On June 14th, nearly 400 people gathered at Tracy Park in Portsmouth, Ohio, to take a united stand for democracy at the No King Protest. Led by Scioto Peace and Justice and the Scioto County Democratic Party, this event was a powerful act of nonviolent resistance against growing authoritarianism and threats to our democratic institutions. Alongside the protest, the community came together in an inspiring show of generosity through a very successful food drive.

In the fight for democracy, silence is not an option. If we want to see real progress in Scioto County, and across Ohio, we need more than social media posts and quiet support. We will need people who are willing to step up, speak out, and be heard. As a former editor of the local newspaper, I know that one of the most effective ways to do that is by writing a letter to the editor.