June 15, 2012, Marion Star
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
NEWARK - U.S. Sen. Rob Portman's appearances around Ohio with GOP
presidential candidate Mitt Romney are, in a way, an audition for the
vice presidency.
The Romney campaign will be watching Portman's campaign style, and critiquing his ability to stay on message.
The pair will stop in Newark Sunday for a rally on the Licking County Courthouse Square, among other stops.
Read more in the Marion Star.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Health care law ruling a concern for Fairfield County hospitals
June 10, 2012, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Ohio's community hospitals eagerly are awaiting the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul and its insurance mandate.
If the court affirms the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and mandate, hospitals expect to be paid for more patients, although lower government reimbursement rates will cut into those revenues.
If justices rule against the mandate, hospitals face continued demand for uncompensated care to the uninsured, lower reimbursements and a renewed political fight over how to care for their communities at a time of rapid change, increasing costs and, in some markets, more competition.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Ohio's community hospitals eagerly are awaiting the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul and its insurance mandate.
If the court affirms the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and mandate, hospitals expect to be paid for more patients, although lower government reimbursement rates will cut into those revenues.
If justices rule against the mandate, hospitals face continued demand for uncompensated care to the uninsured, lower reimbursements and a renewed political fight over how to care for their communities at a time of rapid change, increasing costs and, in some markets, more competition.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Coming soon: grades for teachers
June 3, 2012, Chillicothe Gazette
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
The education community has known teacher evaluations were coming for quite some time.
Even so, many fear the deadline for establishing an evaluation system is coming up too quickly and amid too many other changes.
All school districts must have teacher evaluation systems in place by the 2013-14 school year.
The teacher evaluations come as other major education reforms also are being implemented. These include new curriculum standards and new assessments, which are expected to be in place by the 2014-15 school year.
Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
The education community has known teacher evaluations were coming for quite some time.
Even so, many fear the deadline for establishing an evaluation system is coming up too quickly and amid too many other changes.
All school districts must have teacher evaluation systems in place by the 2013-14 school year.
The teacher evaluations come as other major education reforms also are being implemented. These include new curriculum standards and new assessments, which are expected to be in place by the 2014-15 school year.
Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Protecting officers goal of Blue Alert
June 2, 2012, Port Clinton News Herald
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
If a police officer goes missing, or if one has been injured with a suspect at large, Ohio now has a tool to alert the public.
It's called a Blue Alert, and after a test showed no issues with it Friday, it is now live.
Managed by the Ohio Department of Public Safety and the Ohio Amber Alert Steering Committee, it works like this: Once an officer is missing or injured, public safety officials enter the details into the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System.
Read more in the Port Clinton News Herald.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
If a police officer goes missing, or if one has been injured with a suspect at large, Ohio now has a tool to alert the public.
It's called a Blue Alert, and after a test showed no issues with it Friday, it is now live.
Managed by the Ohio Department of Public Safety and the Ohio Amber Alert Steering Committee, it works like this: Once an officer is missing or injured, public safety officials enter the details into the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System.
Read more in the Port Clinton News Herald.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Concealed carry law variations create confusion
May 29, 2012, Chillicothe Gazette
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
If an Ohio concealed carry permit holder drives to Pennsylvania and gets out of his or her car with a weapon, that's breaking the law. Or vice versa.
If a sportsman preloads his rifle magazines and then drives to the shooting range with the matching weapon, he's also breaking the law.
These are all issues state Rep. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, is trying to address in House Bill 495, which is in front of the Ohio House State Government and Elections Committee.
Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
If an Ohio concealed carry permit holder drives to Pennsylvania and gets out of his or her car with a weapon, that's breaking the law. Or vice versa.
If a sportsman preloads his rifle magazines and then drives to the shooting range with the matching weapon, he's also breaking the law.
These are all issues state Rep. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, is trying to address in House Bill 495, which is in front of the Ohio House State Government and Elections Committee.
Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Deer forcing park leaders to protect trees
May 27, 2012, Lancaster Eagle Gazette
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
With 4,500 unique types of trees, Dawes Arboretum is like a Vegas-style all-you-can-eat buffet for the state's increased deer population.
Director of horticulture Mike Ecker has tried a number of tactics to keep them away. But here's the thing about the four-legged herbivores: They're smart little buggers. Ecker, who has been at the Newark arboretum since 1983, has tried a number of tactics. He tried putting garlic cloves around the plants. That didn't work. He tried baiting an electric fence with peanut butter. After some trial and error, the deer ignored the peanut butter and hopped the fence.
He hung deodorant soap on the plants, hoping the strange scent would throw them off. A couple years later, not only did the deer come back to the plants, but they realized the soap itself didn't taste that bad.
Two things have worked, Ecker said: Placing physical barriers around the trees, and allowing a limited number of people around the grounds each year for a bow hunt.
As a whole, Ohio's recreational areas are dealing with an increased deer population. The population peaked in the late 2000s. While it has since decreased in many counties, it is still much higher than the goal population, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Read more in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
With 4,500 unique types of trees, Dawes Arboretum is like a Vegas-style all-you-can-eat buffet for the state's increased deer population.
Director of horticulture Mike Ecker has tried a number of tactics to keep them away. But here's the thing about the four-legged herbivores: They're smart little buggers. Ecker, who has been at the Newark arboretum since 1983, has tried a number of tactics. He tried putting garlic cloves around the plants. That didn't work. He tried baiting an electric fence with peanut butter. After some trial and error, the deer ignored the peanut butter and hopped the fence.
He hung deodorant soap on the plants, hoping the strange scent would throw them off. A couple years later, not only did the deer come back to the plants, but they realized the soap itself didn't taste that bad.
Two things have worked, Ecker said: Placing physical barriers around the trees, and allowing a limited number of people around the grounds each year for a bow hunt.
As a whole, Ohio's recreational areas are dealing with an increased deer population. The population peaked in the late 2000s. While it has since decreased in many counties, it is still much higher than the goal population, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Read more in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Sponsor still pushing for drug tests tied to benefits
May 17, 2012, Bucyrus Telegraph Forum
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
COLUMBUS -- Two courts in other states have struck down similar measures and, here in Ohio, Gov. John Kasich has reservations.
Yet state Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, still is plugging away at a proposal to require drug tests for some welfare recipients.
Schaffer introduced the measure more than a year ago. It was thrust back into the spotlight this week after lawmakers put it in the midterm budget bill, but then pulled it after Kasich had concerns and indicated he would rather work them out through separate legislation.
Schaffer will pursue the proposal as a separate piece of legislation, but what he is asking for now is significantly watered down from his original intent.
Read more in the Bucyrus Telegraph Forum.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
COLUMBUS -- Two courts in other states have struck down similar measures and, here in Ohio, Gov. John Kasich has reservations.
Yet state Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, still is plugging away at a proposal to require drug tests for some welfare recipients.
Schaffer introduced the measure more than a year ago. It was thrust back into the spotlight this week after lawmakers put it in the midterm budget bill, but then pulled it after Kasich had concerns and indicated he would rather work them out through separate legislation.
Schaffer will pursue the proposal as a separate piece of legislation, but what he is asking for now is significantly watered down from his original intent.
Read more in the Bucyrus Telegraph Forum.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Higher number of premature babies has doctors scrambling for answers
May 14, 2012, Chillicothe Gazette
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Fertility drugs and procedures have caused more babies to be born prematurely in recent years, experts say.
Other factors are in play, too -- ones that doctors are struggling to define and prove.
In 2011, 12 percent of babies were born premature, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health.
Although down slightly from 2010, the number has increased from 9 percent in 1990.
Mark Klebanoff, director of the Ohio Perinatal Research Network at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, said it's a reason for concern because other developed countries have a much lower rate of premature births.
Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Fertility drugs and procedures have caused more babies to be born prematurely in recent years, experts say.
Other factors are in play, too -- ones that doctors are struggling to define and prove.
In 2011, 12 percent of babies were born premature, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health.
Although down slightly from 2010, the number has increased from 9 percent in 1990.
Mark Klebanoff, director of the Ohio Perinatal Research Network at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, said it's a reason for concern because other developed countries have a much lower rate of premature births.
Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Zanesville area teachers use technology to flip classroom
May 9, 2012, Zanesville Times-Recorder
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Tami Fitzgerald spends virtually no time lecturing to her Advanced Placement physics class.
At least, not in person.
Instead, she comes into the students' study halls and living rooms by way of videocast. Students watch her lectures instead of the usual homework.
When they come to class the next day, they work on assignments that traditionally would have been assigned as homework.
It's called a flipped classroom, and as technology continues to advance it's emerging in kindergarten- through-12th-grade schools.
Read more in the Zanesville Times-Recorder.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Tami Fitzgerald spends virtually no time lecturing to her Advanced Placement physics class.
At least, not in person.
Instead, she comes into the students' study halls and living rooms by way of videocast. Students watch her lectures instead of the usual homework.
When they come to class the next day, they work on assignments that traditionally would have been assigned as homework.
It's called a flipped classroom, and as technology continues to advance it's emerging in kindergarten- through-12th-grade schools.
Read more in the Zanesville Times-Recorder.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Schools look for solutions to challenges of new technology
May 7, 2012, Chillicothe Gazette
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Back in the good ol' days when a cellphone could only call and text, defining on and off school grounds was as simple as drawing a line.
But now, in the age of smartphones and Facebook, school districts are struggling with how to address use of these technologies.
This year, school districts are rewriting policies to comply with two new rules. The first is the Jessica Logan Act, signed into law in February, which requires school districts to address cyberbullying.
The second is a Federal Communications Commission regulation that requires any school getting federal technology funding to educate students about online identity and education.
These two new rules, plus a growing reliance on social media for communication and organization, is causing school districts to rethink their policies.
Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Back in the good ol' days when a cellphone could only call and text, defining on and off school grounds was as simple as drawing a line.
But now, in the age of smartphones and Facebook, school districts are struggling with how to address use of these technologies.
This year, school districts are rewriting policies to comply with two new rules. The first is the Jessica Logan Act, signed into law in February, which requires school districts to address cyberbullying.
The second is a Federal Communications Commission regulation that requires any school getting federal technology funding to educate students about online identity and education.
These two new rules, plus a growing reliance on social media for communication and organization, is causing school districts to rethink their policies.
Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Lawmakers could impose Internet café moratorium
Apr. 30, 2012, Chillicothe Gazette
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
As lawmakers wade through the murky waters of regulating Internet cafés, they could impose a moratorium on any new ones opening in the state until July 2013.
The Ohio Senate might add this measure into an existing bill that establishes regulations for the Casino Control Commission, House Bill 386, which already passed the Ohio House without the moratorium.
Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
As lawmakers wade through the murky waters of regulating Internet cafés, they could impose a moratorium on any new ones opening in the state until July 2013.
The Ohio Senate might add this measure into an existing bill that establishes regulations for the Casino Control Commission, House Bill 386, which already passed the Ohio House without the moratorium.
Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Association challenges Ohio residents to get by on $4.60 per day for food
Apr. 29, 2012, Chillicothe Gazette
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
How much food can $23 buy one person? Five days worth, perhaps?
The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies is challenging Ohioans to live off this meager grocery budget this Monday through Friday to boost understanding about those living in poverty.
Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
How much food can $23 buy one person? Five days worth, perhaps?
The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies is challenging Ohioans to live off this meager grocery budget this Monday through Friday to boost understanding about those living in poverty.
Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
State may change pension requirements for teachers
Apr. 26, 2012, Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Teachers may have to work longer and pay more into their pension system if a proposal to the Ohio Legislature is accepted.
The Legislature is moving on public pension reform, and three of the funds have updated their proposals. The most significant updates are in the State Teachers Retirement System, or STRS.
These reforms are happening because three of the five pension systems don't meet the state-required obligation of being able to pay off all their benchmarks within 30 years. All funds recognize changes need to be made for long-term stability.
Read more in the Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Teachers may have to work longer and pay more into their pension system if a proposal to the Ohio Legislature is accepted.
The Legislature is moving on public pension reform, and three of the funds have updated their proposals. The most significant updates are in the State Teachers Retirement System, or STRS.
These reforms are happening because three of the five pension systems don't meet the state-required obligation of being able to pay off all their benchmarks within 30 years. All funds recognize changes need to be made for long-term stability.
Read more in the Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Program helps older adults find work
Rick Morrison's idea of retirement means taking classes and eventually starting a new career.
It's a path many people older than 50 are taking. Either by choice or by force, they've ended one professional chapter in their lives, but they're either unable or unwilling to just kick back on a Florida beach.
For many such as Morrison, the first step in starting a new life after retirement means going back to school.
Ohio campuses report that the older than-50 student population has increased, so colleges have had to adapt to the changing demographics.
On Thursday, Morrison sat on a bench outside Zane State College in Zanesville, enjoying the warm weather. Morrison, 58, of New Concord, retired from the banking industry several years ago, but not working isn't an option.
Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette.
It's a path many people older than 50 are taking. Either by choice or by force, they've ended one professional chapter in their lives, but they're either unable or unwilling to just kick back on a Florida beach.
For many such as Morrison, the first step in starting a new life after retirement means going back to school.
Ohio campuses report that the older than-50 student population has increased, so colleges have had to adapt to the changing demographics.
On Thursday, Morrison sat on a bench outside Zane State College in Zanesville, enjoying the warm weather. Morrison, 58, of New Concord, retired from the banking industry several years ago, but not working isn't an option.
Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Ohio considering workers' comp reform
Apr. 19, 2012, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Ohio lawmakers want to attract more employers to the state, and one key to doing so is improving the state's workers' compensation system.
State Rep. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, is overseeing hearings on three bills that would do just that. Hottinger is chairman of the House Insurance Committee.
The bills do not involve privatization of or competition for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.
The state's main goal is to make sure injured employees get access to better medical care so they can go back to work sooner, Hottinger said.
Read more in the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Ohio lawmakers want to attract more employers to the state, and one key to doing so is improving the state's workers' compensation system.
State Rep. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, is overseeing hearings on three bills that would do just that. Hottinger is chairman of the House Insurance Committee.
The bills do not involve privatization of or competition for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.
The state's main goal is to make sure injured employees get access to better medical care so they can go back to work sooner, Hottinger said.
Read more in the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Parole getting harder to come by
Apr. 16, 2012, Port Clinton News Herald
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Ohio's longest-serving prisoners are finding it increasingly difficult to get out on parole, an opportunity not even afforded most of those sent to prison since 1996.
In 2011, just 7 percent of the 1,918 inmates getting release consideration hearings were paroled. This compares to 20 percent of the 2,121 inmates getting hearings the previous year. In years before that, the number was closer to 50 percent.
The drop in release rates comes as Ohio officials strive to decrease the prison population despite the 1996 sentencing law which ended parole for any future sentence.
Columbus defense attorney Barry Wilford said these are the toughest times he's known to be an inmate facing the board, because the board has gotten tougher. Wilford is also the Public Policy Director for the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
But JoEllen Smith, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, said that after 16 years all the inmates likely to be paroled have been released already, leaving behind 3,200 of the state's worst inmates to cycle through the process again and again.
Read more in the Port Clinton News Herald.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Ohio's longest-serving prisoners are finding it increasingly difficult to get out on parole, an opportunity not even afforded most of those sent to prison since 1996.
In 2011, just 7 percent of the 1,918 inmates getting release consideration hearings were paroled. This compares to 20 percent of the 2,121 inmates getting hearings the previous year. In years before that, the number was closer to 50 percent.
The drop in release rates comes as Ohio officials strive to decrease the prison population despite the 1996 sentencing law which ended parole for any future sentence.
Columbus defense attorney Barry Wilford said these are the toughest times he's known to be an inmate facing the board, because the board has gotten tougher. Wilford is also the Public Policy Director for the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
But JoEllen Smith, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, said that after 16 years all the inmates likely to be paroled have been released already, leaving behind 3,200 of the state's worst inmates to cycle through the process again and again.
Read more in the Port Clinton News Herald.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Eyes on secured units after man's escape
Apr. 13, 2012, Newark Advocate
By JESSICA ALAIMO
CentralOhio.com
HEATH -- Ohio nursing homes don't have to accept potentially dangerous and violent patients like the man who escaped from a secured unit in a Heath facility Thursday, forcing schools to close and putting residents on edge.
John J. Stroud, 53, was found in Heath and taken into custody Thursday night.
The Heath Nursing Care Center could have refused care for Stroud if staff didn't think they could provide the necessary level of security, said Jane Straker, a senior research scholar at Miami University's Gerontology Center.
Locked units are common in nursing homes across the state, but they are not for prisoners. They're for people who need specialized care in a secure setting, and those living there are free to sign out -- either on their own or with permission of a family member -- at any time.
Read more in the Newark Advocate.
By JESSICA ALAIMO
CentralOhio.com
HEATH -- Ohio nursing homes don't have to accept potentially dangerous and violent patients like the man who escaped from a secured unit in a Heath facility Thursday, forcing schools to close and putting residents on edge.
John J. Stroud, 53, was found in Heath and taken into custody Thursday night.
The Heath Nursing Care Center could have refused care for Stroud if staff didn't think they could provide the necessary level of security, said Jane Straker, a senior research scholar at Miami University's Gerontology Center.
Locked units are common in nursing homes across the state, but they are not for prisoners. They're for people who need specialized care in a secure setting, and those living there are free to sign out -- either on their own or with permission of a family member -- at any time.
Read more in the Newark Advocate.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Legislators take shot at regulating Internet cafes
Apr. 11, 2012, Fremont News-Messenger
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Lawmakers are taking yet another spin at regulating Internet cafes and their sweepstakes.
Sen. Joe Schiavoni, D-Canfield, has introduced a bill that would require licensing of Internet cafes, which have popped up across Ohio, and allow municipalities to regulate them within city limits.
Other bills to regulate these cafes have fallen short because lawmakers couldn't agree on the extent of the regulation, or if the cafes should even be allowed to exist in the first place...
Read more in the Fremont News Messenger.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Lawmakers are taking yet another spin at regulating Internet cafes and their sweepstakes.
Sen. Joe Schiavoni, D-Canfield, has introduced a bill that would require licensing of Internet cafes, which have popped up across Ohio, and allow municipalities to regulate them within city limits.
Other bills to regulate these cafes have fallen short because lawmakers couldn't agree on the extent of the regulation, or if the cafes should even be allowed to exist in the first place...
Read more in the Fremont News Messenger.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Texting-while-driving ban stalls in the Ohio Senate
Apr. 9, 2012, Mansfield News Journal
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Most House members backed it. Key advocacy groups are calling for it. Yet a bill to ban texting while driving in Ohio is sitting at a very long red light.
The Ohio House passed the measure 88-10 last June, but it has since stalled in a Senate committee.
There are two reasons for the holdup...
Read more in the Mansfield News Journal.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Most House members backed it. Key advocacy groups are calling for it. Yet a bill to ban texting while driving in Ohio is sitting at a very long red light.
The Ohio House passed the measure 88-10 last June, but it has since stalled in a Senate committee.
There are two reasons for the holdup...
Read more in the Mansfield News Journal.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Ohio college students save money by working quickly
Apr. 7, 2012, Port Clinton News Herald
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Kaytlyn Tracy hasn't had a lot of time to be a college student.
Instead of partying, going out on Thursday nights and joining a sorority, Tracy has kept her head down and focused on getting her college career done in three years instead of four.
She's eager to graduate early from Kent State University with a psychology degree so she can move to North Carolina to be with her husband, who is in the Marines...
Read more in the Port Clinton News Herald.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Kaytlyn Tracy hasn't had a lot of time to be a college student.
Instead of partying, going out on Thursday nights and joining a sorority, Tracy has kept her head down and focused on getting her college career done in three years instead of four.
She's eager to graduate early from Kent State University with a psychology degree so she can move to North Carolina to be with her husband, who is in the Marines...
Read more in the Port Clinton News Herald.
Ohio judges bristle at new sentencing reforms
Apr. 7, 2012, Port Clinton News Herald
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
John Elder pleaded guilty to six counts of theft, three counts of insurance fraud and three counts of forgery in February. He stole from his church and defrauded the insurance company he worked for.
The prosecutor wanted to send him to prison. Fairfield County Common Pleas Judge Richard Berens agreed. But first, the judge had to jump through another hoop.
Last year the Ohio General Assembly passed a sweeping sentencing reform designed to reduce the prison population and promote community corrections. House Bill 86 requires judges to first consult with the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction if they want to imprison a first-time, non-violent, low-level felony offender like Elder...
Read more in the Port Clinton News Herald.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
John Elder pleaded guilty to six counts of theft, three counts of insurance fraud and three counts of forgery in February. He stole from his church and defrauded the insurance company he worked for.
The prosecutor wanted to send him to prison. Fairfield County Common Pleas Judge Richard Berens agreed. But first, the judge had to jump through another hoop.
Last year the Ohio General Assembly passed a sweeping sentencing reform designed to reduce the prison population and promote community corrections. House Bill 86 requires judges to first consult with the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction if they want to imprison a first-time, non-violent, low-level felony offender like Elder...
Read more in the Port Clinton News Herald.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Census: Population in Ohio, area counties grows, but only slightly
Apr. 6, 2012, Lancaster Eagle Gazette
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Central Ohio continues to grow.
Franklin County and surrounding communities in Licking, Fairfield, Knox and Delaware counties all saw population increases between 2010 and 2011, according to estimates released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Officials in Fairfield and Licking counties say Columbus commuters are driving the growth, and the population hikes are a boon to the local economies.
Read more in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette.
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Central Ohio continues to grow.
Franklin County and surrounding communities in Licking, Fairfield, Knox and Delaware counties all saw population increases between 2010 and 2011, according to estimates released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Officials in Fairfield and Licking counties say Columbus commuters are driving the growth, and the population hikes are a boon to the local economies.
Read more in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette.
Census: Crawford County lost 366 people
The jobs left the area. And now the population is leaving too.
Crawford and Richland counties lost the third- and fourth-largest percentages of their population between 2010 and 2011 of all Ohio counties, estimates released Thursday from the U.S. Census Bureau show.
Crawford County lost 366 people. Richland County lost 753 people, and Marion County lost 265 people...
Read more in the Bucyrus Telegraph Forum.
Crawford and Richland counties lost the third- and fourth-largest percentages of their population between 2010 and 2011 of all Ohio counties, estimates released Thursday from the U.S. Census Bureau show.
Crawford County lost 366 people. Richland County lost 753 people, and Marion County lost 265 people...
Read more in the Bucyrus Telegraph Forum.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Bad tornado season not a given
Tornado season in Ohio and across the country got off to a nasty, early start, but that isn't an indication of a bad season to come, weather experts say.
The early spurt of tornadoes during the unseasonably warm weather this year is unusual but not unprecedented, said Mike Kurz, a National Weather Service forecaster in Wilmington.
Of the 75 tornadoes that raged through the Midwest March 2, seven touched down in Ohio.
Read more in the Marion Star.
The early spurt of tornadoes during the unseasonably warm weather this year is unusual but not unprecedented, said Mike Kurz, a National Weather Service forecaster in Wilmington.
Of the 75 tornadoes that raged through the Midwest March 2, seven touched down in Ohio.
Read more in the Marion Star.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Ohio mulls 'Stand Your Ground' law
A man wearing a hoodie lurking across the street may not be a threat. A man standing 10 feet away wielding a knife may very well be.
Somewhere between those two extremes is a murky gray area that lawmakers and law enforcement attempt to draw a line through.
When is a "threat" legitimate enough to justify deadly force in protecting oneself?
Read more in the Port Clinton News Herald.
Somewhere between those two extremes is a murky gray area that lawmakers and law enforcement attempt to draw a line through.
When is a "threat" legitimate enough to justify deadly force in protecting oneself?
Read more in the Port Clinton News Herald.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Common Core Standards aim to transform education in state of Ohio
The U.S. economy could grow at a "remarkable increment" if its students were just a little better at math, a group of Harvard researchers recently concluded.
That's one reason Ohio teachers already are learning a new set of curriculum standards that will be in place by 2014 -- the Common Core State Standards.
These standards call for educators to tackle fewer subjects in class, but with more depth. They encourage long-form answers on tests, and teachers using material beyond the textbook. Students will be asked to stop memorizing and start explaining.
Read more in the Zanesville Times Recorder.
That's one reason Ohio teachers already are learning a new set of curriculum standards that will be in place by 2014 -- the Common Core State Standards.
These standards call for educators to tackle fewer subjects in class, but with more depth. They encourage long-form answers on tests, and teachers using material beyond the textbook. Students will be asked to stop memorizing and start explaining.
Read more in the Zanesville Times Recorder.
Common Core setting a new education standard for Ohio
Place three rectangles of varying shapes and sizes in front of a group of third-graders.
In today's classes, a teacher might ask what the length of one side is, or what the area is. In a year or two, however, the broader question might just be: "What size are these?"
Educators are being asked to teach differently, thanks to the new Common Core State Standards. This means the classroom could operate much differently come 2014 -- although some districts are implementing them sooner.
Read more in the Zanesville Times Recorder.
In today's classes, a teacher might ask what the length of one side is, or what the area is. In a year or two, however, the broader question might just be: "What size are these?"
Educators are being asked to teach differently, thanks to the new Common Core State Standards. This means the classroom could operate much differently come 2014 -- although some districts are implementing them sooner.
Read more in the Zanesville Times Recorder.
Argument preferred form of combat for Democrat Jim Reese
COLUMBUS -- There was one more speaker waiting his turn at a February congressional forum in Newark when the crowd began to leave.
The event was sponsored by the Licking County Tea Party in a Republican county, with two GOP contenders debating first.
Disheartened, Democrat Jim Reese, of Gahanna, took the stage alone. His primary opponent was a no-show.
Read more in the Newark Advocate.
The event was sponsored by the Licking County Tea Party in a Republican county, with two GOP contenders debating first.
Disheartened, Democrat Jim Reese, of Gahanna, took the stage alone. His primary opponent was a no-show.
Read more in the Newark Advocate.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Is it a man’s world? Men dominate in Ohio’s legislative elections
Mar. 12, 2012, Coshocton Tribune
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Politics continues to be a man’s game.
For every one woman seeking a congressional or legislative seat this year in Ohio, three men are running.
Experts give two main reasons for this void. First, not enough women have the right background and experience to run. Second, when they see the increasing polarization and nastiness of today’s political environment, they simply say “no thanks.”
But if fewer women run, fewer women win, and advocacy groups say this affects the debates and policies that come out of Washington and Columbus.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
USDA offers job-creation grants to rural areas
Mar. 10, 2012, Coshocton Tribune
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is promoting a grant program that officials hope will spur job creation in rural areas.
The department will hand out $15 million to about 20 entities for marketing and planning efforts through the Jobs and Innovation Accelerator challenge, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in an interview Friday.
Vilsack said development in rural areas is a priority for President Barack Obama’s administration. He said many rural areas struggle with coordinating job creation efforts.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Who will chair GOP's state central committee?
Mar. 8, 2012, Marion Star
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Even though there were 120 names on ballots Tuesday across the state, the Republican Party’s state central committee races were about only two men — Gov. John Kasich and state party chairman Kevin DeWine.
In that contest, we still don’t know who won, and we won’t for quite some time.
The intra-party dispute goes back to when Kasich first took office and asked DeWine to resign, DeWine told the Ohio News Network in December. When DeWine refused, Kasich backed his own slate of candidates to run for state central committee.
The 66-member committee wields a lot of power within the party. They decide which candidates to endorse, and how to spend party resources. They also pick the state chairman.
Kasich wanted candidates who would support DeWine’s ouster. As of Wednesday afternoon, however, spokesmen for DeWine and Kasich wouldn’t say which candidates were on their respective sides they both declared victory.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Ohio GOP divides between Romney, Santorum
Mar. 7, 2012, Zanesville Times-Recorder
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
A collective opposition to President Barack Obama trumped excitement about any individual hopeful as the reason Republican voters cast primary votes for president Tuesday.
Voters interviewed by Central Ohio.com were divided fairly evenly between GOP presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, with a few Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul supporters thrown in the mix.
However, news reports from across the state suggested voter turnout was low.
For many Ohioans who did vote, they did so strategically.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Tea partiers not as noisy, but still hope to be heard
Mar. 4, 2012, Newark Advocate
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
In 2012, they’ve spent less time chanting “don’t tread on me,” less time painting the words “socialism” and “communism” on signs adorned with Barack Obama’s face, and less time organizing bus trips to Washington.
Some political observers say the tea party is fading into the background, but its members say the movement merely has grown up.
“We’ve changed because we’ve become more sophisticated, more educated,” said Tom Zawistowski, president of the Ohio Liberty Council, a coalition of tea party groups across the state. “We’ve spent two years going to school about how our democracy really works.
“People are confused because they don’t see us standing outside with signs yelling and shouting.”
The main reason for laying down the protest signs, said Chris Littleton, former president of the Ohio Liberty Council, was that the members didn’t think they were having much influence.
“We were naive to think that they (incumbent politicians) cared about our voices,” Littleton said. “They didn’t care about our voices, they cared about how it (the movement) would affect their election.”
So, Littleton said, tea party members stopped protesting, and started campaigning.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Super PACs flood Ohio with cash, negative ads
Mar. 3, 2012, Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Rick Santorum, despite being outspent by chief rival Mitt Romney, enjoys a lead in the GOP presidential race in Ohio.
But a poll released Friday shows Romney has closed the gap, and one expert says this is because of the barrage of political ads flooding Ohio’s airwaves.
There’s a whole new animal in the 2012 presidential race: the super PAC. These organizations can spend unlimited amounts of money to influence an election, and do not have to disclose their donors.
While these committees existed before, a 2010 Supreme Court decision allowed them to directly support or oppose candidates.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Dispute in GOP adds to drama of local races
Mar. 1, 2012, Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Residents in certain state Senate districts are getting phone calls, mailers and visits from people seeking a seat on the Republican Party’s State Central Committee.
It’s an oft-overlooked part of the primary ballot. On the 2008 ballot, 37 percent of GOP primary voters left the field blank. In 2010, 28 percent of voters didn’t bother making a choice.
But this year some GOP State Central Committee races are generating a lot of heat, thanks to a spat between Republican Gov. John Kasich and Ohio GOP chairman Kevin DeWine.
DeWine said in December that Kasich asked him to resign after he became governor. DeWine refused.
Kasich then started recruiting candidates to challenge sitting committee members, DeWine told Ohio News Network. The committee selects the party chairman.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Jobless benefits could be tied to drug tests
Feb. 25, 2012, Mansfield News Journal
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Drug tests to qualify for unemployment benefits in certain cases might come under the microscope in Ohio.
Congress recently gave states permission to test unemployment applicants if they meet one of two criteria:
» They were let go from their previous job because they failed a drug test or refused to take one.
» They work in a profession that generally requires drug testing as a condition of employment.
State Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, said he’s working on a measure to implement this federal law in Ohio.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Local school districts make progress in Race to the Top
Feb. 20, 2012, Mansfield News Journal
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
It’s a transformational time for Ohio’s schools.
By 2014, all English and math classes will be operating under new curriculum standards, thanks to a voluntary federal program the state adopted.
By the 2013-2014 school year, all teachers must be paid based on merit, using a teacher evaluation system that is yet to be established.
To make these changes, about half the school districts in the state, including seven in Richland County, have a significant leg up: They’re participating in the federal Race to the Top program, the Obama administration’s education reform plan that calls for improved student testing, more data collection and a special focus on turning around low-performing schools.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Goal: Streamline Ohio’s efforts to develop workforce training
Feb. 14, 2012, Mansfield News Journal
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Ohio’s workforce development systems are overly complex and fragmented, according to Gov. John Kasich.
There are 77 programs spread across 13 agencies, all depending on a number of state and federal funding sources.
Ohioans need jobs — and Ohio employers need workers with the right skill sets. So Kasich has created an umbrella office, the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, to oversee and coordinate the state’s worker training efforts.
But uniting all the different efforts is easier said than done — which may explain why it hasn’t been tried sooner, said Dan Navin, assistant vice president of tax and economic policy for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Ohio’s students trail U.S. average for AP credit
Feb. 11, 2012, Mansfield News Journal
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Fewer Ohio students are getting college credit for Advanced Placement tests than the national average.
However, more Ohio students are taking the tests than in previous years, according to a study released by the College Board, which administers the exams.
State Superintendent of Education Stan Heffner said Ohio can do better.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Changes to schools again?
Feb. 6, 2012, Mansfield News Journal
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
In 2009, Gov. Ted Strickland announced a complete overhaul of Ohio's education system.
“It is absolutely clear to me that simply tinkering with centuries-old education practices will not prepare Ohio's children for success in college, in the workplace, or in life,” Strickland said during the State of the State speech. “Therefore, today I present my plan to build our education system anew.”
It's not the first time such words were spoken.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Competition for grants intensifying as local funds fade
Jan. 29, 2012, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
Local governments have been hit hard through the recession, and as a result have delayed construction projects, cut services and laid off public safety officials.
It’s because of dwindling revenue sources. The state has cut aid. Tax collections are down, and voters aren’t passing levies.
Now another funding source has become more difficult to come by: grants. This means competition has become more fierce among governments, said Kent Scarrett, communications director for the Ohio Municipal League.
State to promote teamwork between entities
Jan. 29, 2012, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
In western Ottawa County, several local governments share a fire department and they are looking at sharing a law enforcement district.
That’s the kind of collaboration the state wants to see more of, so much so that officials are willing to either give or lend local entities the seed money to get started.
The Local Government Innovation Fund is a new state program with $45 million to offer entities some grants, but mostly loans. To qualify for the funds, governments must find new and innovative ways to work together.
The goal is to create a more-efficient system of local governments that will save taxpayers money.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Study: Jobs follow wireless Internet
Jan. 25, 2012, Marion Star
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
If businesses are going to come to Ohio, with jobs in tow, they’re going to want access to high speed Internet.
A report by the national think tank NDN looked specifically at wireless broadband, examining communities that recently saw increases in network speeds. The study notes that communities that saw this increase then saw an increase in employment the following quarter.
According to the study, the shift from 2G to 3G networks between 2007 and 2011 helped bring about 1.6 million jobs nationwide.
The study estimates that communities investing in 4G networks will see more than 231,000 jobs in one year.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
State officials consider ways to boost highway construction funding
Jan. 19, 2012, Marion Star
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
The Ohio Department of Transportation needs more money if it’s going to put a dent in the list of necessary construction projects around Ohio, state officials say.
On Tuesday the department issued a list of projects that it currently has the means to fund — and it painted a dismal picture, with some projects delayed for nearly a generation.
“If Ohioans are saying, ‘We can’t live with that,’ we have to come up with additional revenue for construction projects,” said state Rep. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
State pushes back funding for major road projects
Jan. 18, 2012, Marion Star
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
It will take Ohio until 2036 to complete its top priority transportation projects.
As for the construction dates on second-priority projects, which include efforts in Licking, Pickaway and Marion counties?
“After that,” said Steve Faulkner, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation.
The Ohio Department of Transportation on Tuesday released the Transportation Review Advisory Council's draft list of projects to be funded starting in 2013. The list is much shorter than previous versions.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Anti-abortion measures gaining traction in Ohio
Jan. 15, 2012, Marion Star
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
If you have been out and about over the weekend, there’s a good chance you were approached about the Personhood Amendment, a ballot measure that could effectively end abortion in Ohio.
It’s just another step forward in a successful yet contentious era for Ohio’s abortion opponents. The Ohio Legislature passed seven anti-abortion measures last year — the most in recent memory of Ohio Right to Life Society President Mike Gonidakis.
“Elections have consequences,” Gonidakis said. “In 2010 every Ohio Right to Life-endorsed candidate was elected.”
These candidates pursued the organization’s legislative agenda, he said. But there’s more on the horizon, with pending measures so volatile the anti-abortion movement is fractured. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio is already promising legal action.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Unhappy electorate seeks office
Jan. 12, 2012, Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
It’s no secret. People don’t like Congress very much. Nevertheless, an awful lot of people in Ohio are clamoring to join it.
There are 66 major-party candidates seeking Ohio’s 16 congressional seats. Ten incumbents face primary challenges. While 2008 and 2010 saw a similar trend, in 2000 just 56 major-party candidates sought Ohio’s 19 seats, and four incumbents had primary challengers.
“That’s pretty astounding,” said William Angel, a political science professor at The Ohio State University. “Usually incumbents are given a pass.”
Monday, January 2, 2012
12 for ’12: Key issues for Ohio
Jan. 2, 2012, Marion Star
By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com
If Ohio's New Year's resolution is to have even more political bickering, maneuvering and nasty ads, 2012 could very well be its year.
Once again the state will be a hotbed for presidential campaign activity. There will be at least one referendum on the fall ballot, and the attacks are already flying in the U.S. Senate race.
And nobody will be snoozing in Columbus, either.
Here are 12 public policy issues that will be upcoming this year. They range from Medicaid, to school funding, to public pensions, to regulating our four-legged friends big and small.
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