The 2025 Financial Report for the Highland County North Joint Fire and Ambulance District is complete and available for public inspection at the office of the Fiscal Officer Tracy Evans.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit Friday ruled against California’s ban on open carry of firearms in most counties. The San Francisco-based court's ruling declared the ban unconstitutional in counties with a population exceeding 200,000. Those counties make up 95% of the state.

Ohioans for Cannabis Choice filed signatures this week for a referendum on SB 56 to say no to re-criminalizing the Cannabis industry and its consumers, no to closing 6,000 small businesses and destroying thousands of jobs, and no to government overreach that is a slap in the face to Ohioans who overwhelmingly voted to support cannabis legalization in 2023.

The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled police officers can be considered victims, and thus not subject to public disclosure, under Ohio’s Marsy’s Law privacy protections.

Ohio investors will be better protected in the New Year thanks to various key efforts made by the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Securities throughout 2025. The Division delivered strong results for investors, leading multiple enforcement actions that secured millions of dollars in restitution and upheld criminal accountability for those involved in financial fraud.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, which Trump said reflected the drug’s potential medical benefits while discouraging recreational use.

A Hillsboro woman was sentenced to community control recently after pleading guilty to a drug possession charge.

Health care advocates and researchers say the new year will be a challenging one for Ohioans with federal changes to health care coming with surety but uncertainty.

Florida’s minimum wage will rise to $15 an hour in 2026 as the result of a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2020.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued the following statement confirming anti-fraud measures currently in place to prevent fraud in Ohio's publicly-funded childcare system.

Ohio has joined a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit against Uber, alleging the company engaged in deceptive practices as part of its Uber One subscription service. Nineteen other states, the District of Columbia and California’s Alameda County have signed on to the lawsuit as well.

As Ohioans make their way through winter weather, the Ohio Department of Commerce says the recent arctic blast serves as an important reminder for residents of manufactured homes and park operators to take steps to prepare for freezing weather that is yet to come.

The Ohio Auditor of State’s Office today released its list of the Top Five Government Fraud Convictions of 2025, highlighting cases that protected taxpayer dollars.

The Trump administration this month defended the merits of its fast-track deportation policy before a panel of judges in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, saying immigrants who have been in the country for less than two years without legal authorization are not guaranteed due process.

As Ohioans prepare to ring in the New Year, the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Liquor Control is reminding everyone from partygoers to event hosts to those keeping it lowkey to celebrate responsibly and consider how they might start 2026 with a fresh perspective on alcohol use.