DIGEST

Ohio introduces new farmer tax credit

n The Ohio Department of Agriculture is helping to ensure the next crop of Ohio producers has the resources to provide for their families and those across the state.

The Beginning Farmer Tax Credit is now available to those who’ve recently entered the field and those who help beginning farmers.

“Agriculture and food is Ohio’s number one industry,” said ODA Interim Director Tracy Intihar. “The Beginning Farmer Tax Credit will help keep costs down for new producers and encourage others to help them. This incentive ensures that our state will continue to provide for local communities, the country, and even the world.”

To qualify, a beginning farmer is someone who:

• Is a resident of Ohio.

• Is seeking entry to or has entered farming within the last 10 years.

• Farms or intends to farm on land in Ohio.

• Is not a partner, member, shareholder, or trustee of the assets the individual is seeking to purchase or rent.

• Has a total net worth of less than $800,000, including spouse and dependent assets, as adjusted for inflation each year.

• Provides majority of daily physical labor and management of the farm.

• Has adequate farming experience or knowledge in the type of farming for which seeking assistance.

• Submits projected earnings statements and demonstrates profit potential.

• Demonstrates farming will be a significant source of income for the individual.

• Participates in a financial management program approved by ODA.

Beginning farmers will need to complete a financial management program to qualify.

Along with beginning farmers, asset owners, or people or businesses that sell or rent farmland, livestock, buildings, or equipment to beginning famers may apply as well. In order for land to qualify as an asset, it must either total at least 10 acres or produce an average annual income of at least $2,500 for farming.

The Beginning Farmer Tax Credit equals 3.99 percent of one of the following:

• In the case of a sale, the sale price. The credit must be claimed in the year of the sale.

• In the case of a rental, the gross rental income that the individual or business received during the first three years of the rental agreement. To qualify for the credit, an asset must be rented at prevailing community rates. In the case of a rental, the credit is claimed over the first three years of the rental or share-rent agreement.

• In the case of a rental through a share-rent agreement, the gross rental income received during the first three years of the share-rent agreement. (A share-rent agreement is an arrangement by which, in exchange for the rented assets, the beginning farmer provides the owner of the assets with a specified portion of the farm products produced from the assets.) In the case of a rental, the credit is claimed over the first three years of the rental or share-rent agreement.

The Beginning Farmer Tax Credit was created when House Bill 95 was signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine on April 21, 2022. Primary sponsors for the bill were Rep. Susan Manchester (R-Waynesfield) and Rep. Mary Lightbody (D-Westerville).

Jewish organizations add SNAP to JMeals program

n Jewish Family & Community Services and the Jewish Community Center of Youngstown are now accepting SNAP for their JMeals program. SNAP is available for participants ages 60 and older that are currently receiving SNAP benefits and those who have emotional and/or physical disabilities. SNAP participants have the option to pick the meals they

• Thursday, April 13 – 5 p.m. Agenda includes Upton annual meeting, reports, board election, and a light supper.

• Saturday May 6 – A spring luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. In a dramatic reading, “Lucretia Rudolph Garfield” will join the Upton meeting to talk about her life and times. Invitations will be sent in early April.

Upcoming lectures at Valley museums

n Mahoning Valley museums are announcing upcoming lectures and programs for February and beyond. Select programs include: sale of the small art beginning at 2:30 p.m. More than 300 pieces of 5”x5” art will be for sale for $25 each or five for $100. Youth art will be $10 six for $50. The event also includes a raffle. In addition to the small art, a silent auction, featuring larger pieces by Diane Beatty, John Fire, Angela Garner, Nancy Hawkins, Rebecca Hawkins, Christi Kacvinsky, Paulette Policy, Loretta Tipton, Cy Svagerko, and Noreen Yasvac, will accept bids from Feb. 5-14th.

• Black History Month Lecture: Tazim and Dr. Nazim Jaffer McDonough Museum of Art, 525 Wick Ave., Youngstown 44502. 330-941-1400. 6 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 1.

• YSU Department of Art Lecture Series: Andrea Myers. McDonough Museum of Art, 525 Wick Ave., Youngstown 44502. 330-941-1400. 5:10 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 8.

• McDonough Artist Talk: Amanda D. King. McDonough Museum of Art, 525 Wick Ave., Youngstown 44502. 330-941-1400. 5:10 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 22.

• History Across the Humanities.

Proceeds from FIVE Squared fund the Y’s ARTreach program, which provides free art classes to underserved areas of the community. Hundreds of children and families have participated in the program since its inception nine years ago.

Jerusalem Church to honor eldest member

receive out of a monthly rotation of options. Fully prepared, frozen meals are available to anyone in Mahoning and Trumbull counties through private pay. All meals are prepared fresh daily at the JCC and then frozen for delivery. Home delivery or pick up is available. Each meal includes an entrée and two sides. The cost is $6 per meal with a five meal minimum. For more information or to learn if you qualify, call 330-884-6386.JMeals is a collaboration between Jewish Family & Community Services and the Jewish Community Center of Youngstown, agencies of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation.

First Wednesdays return to Upton Association

n The Upton Association is announcing the return of its First Wednesdays series. Upcoming programs and dates include:

• Wednesday, Feb. 1 – 9:30 a.m. coffee hour followed by a 10 a.m. presentation on the The Ohio Leatherworks by Ray O’Neil. Vintage film and original items will be on display.

• Wednesday, March 1 – 9:30 a.m. coffee hour followed by a 10 a.m. presentation by Elizabeth Clark on the life of first lady Martha Washington.

• Wednesday, April 5 – 9:30 a.m. coffee hour followed by a 10 a.m. presentation by Rebecca McFarland on the life of crime fighter Elliot Ness.

Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor. 151 Wood St., Youngstown 44503. 330-941-1314. Presentations by the YSU Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, visiting professors, students for the 2023 HATH Conference. Portions will be livestreamed on YouTube. Feb. 23-25.

• Beecher Lecture Series: Yvette Granata. McDonough Museum of Art, 525 Wick Ave., Youngstown 44502. 330-941-1400. 3 p.m., Monday, Feb. 27.

• Women in the Workplace: How Much Has Changed Over the Years? Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor. 151 Wood St., Youngstown 44503. 330-941-1314. The Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor interviewed and record women’s experiences in the workplace. The talk will share what the museum discovered. 6 p.m., Thursday, March 16.

• Red Press Collaborative Artist Talk: Brett Anderson. McDonough Museum of Art, 525 Wick Ave., Youngstown 44502. 330-941-1400. ysu.edu/mcdonough-museum. 5:10 p.m., Monday, March 20.

FIVE Squared to open Feb. 5

at Davis YMCA n The Davis Family YMCA is hosting its ninth annual FIVE Squared benefit art show and sale from Feb. 5-26 at the McClurg Road facility in Boardman. An opening reception will occur from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5, with n The Jerusalem Church of Youngstown and the People Are Hurting Foundation will celebrate William “Dollar Bill” Miller during a special recognition dinner on Sunday, Feb. 12 at St. Mark’s Banquet Center in Liberty. Miller, who is the eldest congregant at Jerusalem Church, will be presented with a Black History Community Achievement Award. The event also marks the World War II veteran’s 100th birthday. The dinner, which occurs from 4-7 p.m., is expected to draw 200 people. Speakers include Miller’s daughter, Debra Lennon, who is a community activist. St. Mark’s is located at 3560 Logan Way. For more information, contact Senior Pastor Derrick H. Anderson Sr. at 330 7197152 or email derrickhavana@att.net.

Arms Family Museum reopens, adds exhibit

n Mahoning Valley Historical Society is announcing that the Arms Family Museum has reopened for normal visitation hours. The museum has been closed for cleaning and exhibit changeover since Jan. 1. Regular hours for Arms Family Museum and Tyler History Center are Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Arms Family Museum is also debuting a new exhibit, “Youngstown Illustrated: A City of Progress.” “Youngstown Illustrated,” which was published in 1889, is a nine-part pictorial record of the city’s prosperity during a period of tremendous growth and change. Images from the 1889 publication will be featured in the museum’s second floor hallway gallery through July 2023.

Valley Update

Mercy Health sets mammography van screenings

The Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center (JACBCC) Mobile Mammography Unit will be traveling around northeast Ohio throughout February.

The mobile unit moves from location to location to provide mammography services and even includes patient-assisted compression, for a more comfortable experience while in the unit.

The state-of-the-art mobile unit uses the same technology and equipment to perform the mammogram that can be found at the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center. The mobile unit was the first in eastern Ohio to offer 3D mammography, which allows for a more thorough breast examination.

Mercy Health – Youngstown announced the following mobile mammography screening dates in February: n St. Joseph Warren Hospital, 667 Eastland Ave. SE, Warren. 8-11:15 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 1. n Churchill Primary Care, 4694 Belmont Ave., Liberty. 12:30-2:15 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 1. n St. Joseph Warren Hospital, 667 Eastland Ave. SE, Warren. 8-11a.m., Thursday, Feb. 2. n Mineral Ridge Primary Care, 1360 N. Canfield-Niles Road, Mineral Ridge. 12:30-2:15 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 2. n Howland Primary Care, 1932 Niles-Cortland Road, Warren. 8 a.m.2:15 p.m., Friday, Feb. 3. n St. Joseph Warren Hospital, 667 Eastland Ave. SE, Warren. 8-11 a.m., Monday, Feb. 6. n Struthers Primary Care, 53 State St., Struthers. 12:30-2:15 p.m., Monday, Feb. 6. n St. Joseph Warren Hospital, 667 Eastland Ave. SE, Warren. 8-11a.m.,Tuesday, Feb. 7. n Canfield Primary Care, 3660 Stutz Drive, Canfield. 12:30-2:15 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 7. n St. Joseph Warren Hospital, 667 Eastland Ave SE, Warren. 8-11a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 8. n Talsman Primary Care, 61 Talsman Drive, Canfield. 12:30-2:15 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 8. n Howland Primary Care, 1932 Niles-Cortland Road, Warren. 8 a.m.-2:15 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 9. n St. Joseph Warren Hospital, 667 Eastland Ave. SE, Warren. 8-11a.m., Friday, Feb. 10. n Boardman Primary Care, 8423 Market St., Boardman. 12:30-2:15 p.m., Friday, Feb. 10. n St. Joseph Warren Hospital, 667 Eastland Ave. SE, Warren. 8-11a.m., Monday, Feb. 13. n North Lima Primary Care, 9471 Market St., N. Lima. 12:30-2:15 p.m., Mon- day, Feb. 13. n St. Joseph Warren Hospital, 667 Eastland Ave. SE, Warren. 8-11a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 14. n Trailwood Primary Care, 900 Trailwood, Boardman. 12:30 - 2:15 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 14. n St. Joseph Warren Hospital, 667 Eastland Ave SE, Warren. 8-11a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 15. n Warren Primary Care, 1296 Tod Place NW, Warren. 12:30-2:15 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 15 n St. Joseph Warren Hospital, 667 Eastland Ave. SE, Warren. 8-11a.m., Thursday, Feb. 16. n St. Joe’s at the Mall, 5555 Youngstown-Warren Road, No. 202, Niles. 12:30-2:15 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 16. n St. Joseph Warren Hospital, 667 Eastland Ave. SE, Warren. 8-11a.m., Friday, Feb. 17. n Champion Primary Care, 5901 Mahoning Ave., Champion. 12:30-2:15 p.m., Friday, Feb. 17. n T.J. Maxx Distribution Center, 2900 Ellsworth Bailey Road, Lordstown. 8 a.m.-2:15 p.m., Monday, Feb. 20. n Howland Primary Care, 1932 Niles Cortland Road, Warren. 8 a.m.-2:15 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 21. n Vienna Primary Care, 341 Youngstown-Kingsville Road, Vienna. 8 a.m.2:15 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 23. n T.J. Maxx Distribution Center, 2900 Ellsworth Bailey Road, Lordstown. 8-11a.m., Friday, Feb. 24. n Stutz Primary Care, 3685 Stutz Drive, Canfield. 12:30-2:15 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24. n Youngstown Primary Care, 1053 Belmont Ave., Youngstown. 8-11 a.m., Monday, Feb. 27. n Sebring Primary Care, 605 E. Ohio Ave., Sebring. 12:30-2 p.m., Monday, Feb. 27. n Salem Primary Care, 564 E. 2nd St., Salem. 8:30-11:15 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 28. n Salem Senior Housing, 966 W. Perry St., Salem. 12:30-2:15 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Talk with your doctor about when you should have a screening mammogram. Screening mammograms are usually a covered benefit with most insurance carriers and do not require a physician order. Financial assistance for mobile screenings is also available.

Certified radiologists read all mammograms and because a second look can mean a second chance, Mercy Health double-check all mammograms with a computer-aided detection system that detects more breast cancer than mammography alone. Your physician will receive a copy of the results.

For more information or to schedule your mammogram, call 330-480-2654.

LETTERS Warns of Doomsday Clock advancing, urges action

Dear Editor,

The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947 by the Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, a group that included Albert Einstein, to gauge existential threats to the survival of life on our planet. Initially, it focused on nuclear threats but, starting in 2007, now includes environmental threats as well.

Recently, the Board set the Doomsday Clock to 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been to that theoretical time that could trigger events leading to the total destruction of all forms of life on Earth. It provides a wake-up call, a warning that we need to take immediate action to prevent such a catastrophe.

The setting on the Doomsday Clock reflects the heightened risks we face, such as the war in Ukraine and Russian President Putin’s repeated allusions to the use of nuclear weapons. It should serve as a reminder that we are just on poor decision, accident, misjudgment or reckless leader away from disaster!

But it’s not just Russia: nuclear armed states, including the United States, continue to invest billions in new and improved nuclear weapons. The U.S. is currently on track to spend over $1 trillion over the next 30 years to replace every weapon in our nuclear arsenal!

I urge each of us to put maximum pressure on our elected representatives to take all necessary steps to reduce the risk of such a catastrophe and thus push the Doomsday Clock back to minutes instead of seconds.

Stephen Hanzely, Poland

Contest winner thanks Robins, Metro Monthly

Mark and staff,

I just wanted to take a moment to say, “Thank You,” to both you and Robins Theatre for providing me with two tickets for last night’s “American Pop” performance. Both my friend who joined me and I had a very enjoyable evening.

I will continue to look for “Fake Ads” in upcoming issues, so you have not heard the last of me. :) :) :)

Sincerely, Ron Puhalla Poland

P.S. Mark, I don’t remember if it was my sophomore, junior or senior year, but in one of those years, I had your dad as a homeroom teacher at Chaney – Class of 1971.

VALLEY UPDATE League of Women Voters seeks HOF nominations

The League of Women Voters of Greater Youngstown is seeking nominations for its 2023 Women’s Hall of Fame.

The League’s annual effort recognizes Mahoning Valley women for contributions of local importance and enduring value.

Nominations will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24. To nominate an outstanding local woman, visit the League of Women Voters website at lwvgy.org.

Nominees will be featured on the League’s Facebook and Instagram pages in March. Nominees and inductees will also be honored at the League’s 90th Anniversary Celebration, which occurs 5:30 p.m., Thursday, March 30 at the Jewish Community Center in Youngstown.

Tickets for the event can be found at 90whf.eventbrite.com. For updates, follow the League of Women Voters on Facebook and Instagram @lwvgyo.

$50k to fund fitness center at Potential Development

The Youngstown Foundation recently presented Potential Development with a $50,000 grant to support its high school outdoor fitness center.

Youngstown Foundation President Lynnette Forde joined Potential Development CEO Paul Garchar, staff and students in early December to present the gift. The fitness and recreational area will include a cardio stepper, chest and back press, squat press, elliptical, angled balance beams, among other features.

The tentative installation is scheduled for this spring.

“In addition to the many health benefits students will receive from the upgraded facility, the equipment can be utilized for therapeutic purposes and for Special Olympics training. We are grateful to the Youngstown Foundation for assisting us in meeting our goal for this outdoor space,” said Garchar.

Potential Development is a Pre-K through 12th grade school for children with autism. It provides children with autism a safe, structured educational environment with supportive services that give students the necessary skills and independence to lead a productive life.