News

Your Morning Matters: Many questions, some answers

By Mark Sweetwood and Jeremy Harper

Good morning and welcome to your Morning Matters.

It's Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, and on Friday, I pondered many things looking ahead to today when you'd actually read this. Not being particularly clairvoyant, I had many questions:

  • How many more Christmas cards mailed in December would my wife and I receive?
  • Would the Cleveland Browns beat the Kansas City Chiefs?
  • Would there be any weekend violence in Columbus?
  • Would there be any weekend violence in Washington, D.C.?
  • In a time of division, would we consider the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on his day: "The prescription for the cure rests with the accurate diagnosis of the disease."
  • What's going to happen Wednesday?

The answers: 1; no; no; no; I hope so; no one knows.

It promises to be another week filled with history and drama. Stay tuned and stay alert.

And let's be particularly careful out there.

Here's what you need to know about the Mahoning Valley today:

If you're tired of constantly living through historical events, buckle up. Two weeks after pro-Trump rioters breached the U.S. Capitol and one week after President Donald Trump was impeached for the second time — this time for inciting said riot — President-elect Joe Biden is set to be inaugurated Wednesday in a city on high alert.

And that anxiety is felt here, too. "There are even big signs that say, 'If you see something, say something,'" Capri Cafaro told Mahoning Matters as she described Washington, D.C. "Which, obviously, we have come to associate with post-9/11 terrorism vigilance."

Pandemic facts

  • In the U.S.: 23,640,650 confirmed cases; 394,773 deaths, according to infection2020.com at 8 p.m. Jan. 18.
  • In Ohio: 831,066 confirmed and suspected cases; 10,281 deaths.
  • In Pennsylvania: 771,845 confirmed cases; 19,390 deaths.
  • In the Mahoning Valley: 16,815 confirmed and suspected cases in Mahoning County; 12,445 in Trumbull; and 7,117 in Columbiana.
  • Dow Jones Industrial Average: Closed for MLK Day.

Other matters

This week, columnist Liz Dreier discusses the Cold War in her home: "Some people suffer from SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder. For me, it's the beginning of that combative reign of terror known in our family as THAW — Thermostat Heat Activating Wars." Mahoning Matters

The Mahoning Valley Historical Society's annual Cookie Table and Cocktails fundraising event will be virtual this year. A weeklong basket raffle and silent auction will precede a celebration video program at 6 p.m. Feb. 27. Mahoning Matters

Optimal Health is operating a new COVID-19 testing site this week in Boardman at the old Toys "R" Us on state Route 224. WKBN

Firefighters were called Monday evening to a fire at St. Patrick's Church on North Main Street in Hubbard. Diocese of Youngstown Bishop David Bonnar called the fire "devastating." WKBN

Adam Newbold, a retired Navy SEAL from Lisbon who is being questioned by the FBI about his activities during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, has reportedly resigned as a contractor with an elite Navy training program. WFMJ

Youngstown's board of control is expected Thursday to award a nearly $16 million contract for 'transformational" improvements to several downtown streets — including Front, Commerce and Federal — in phases starting this spring through 2023. The Vindicator [May encounter paywall.]

Dress to Succeed, a free clothing program, is under the umbrella of Action, a faith-based community organization that works to improve the quality of life in Youngstown. The Business Journal [May require registration.]

Movers and Makers

The Train Station Fitness has teamed up with local health, wellness and fitness professionals to launch The YOU Project this month. The six-week program is aimed to "help you identify the best version of yourself and train lifestyle habits based around fitness, nutrition, mindset and overall wellness." Mahoning Matters

This story was made possible by Farmers National Bank.

In case you missed it

As Ohio moves to vaccinate Phase 1B, about 114,000 Valley residents will become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccines between now and early February. Mahoning Matters has compiled what you need to know about getting vaccinated — and what to expect from the state's vaccine rollout plan.

Your comments matter

"Thank you for this wonderful piece."

— Denise Markovsky Henry, on the Rev. Lewis Macklin's thoughts on blessings and Martin Luther King Jr. Day events.

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This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 6:55 AM with the headline "Your Morning Matters: Many questions, some answers."